"Van Zandt draws strange and fascinating landscapes, bathed in rich colours thanks to a chamber ensemble that favours textural contrasts and accompanies a soprano (the excellent Canadian Stacey Fraser). Superb. This is one of the finest discoveries of the year."
"Van Zandt offers a vast panorama of influences which, in their completed form as contemporary scores, are often spellbinding. The title piece, A Chaos of Light and Motion, is based on a text by Shelley and is the first of four pieces forming a complete cycle. All the other pieces are also based on poems by the Englishman, and deploy sonorities that draw on French spectralism, Indian music, luminist modernism and so on, echoing Shelley’s own sources: Hinduism, Buddhism and science. Van Zandt draws strange and fascinating landscapes, bathed in rich colours thanks to a chamber ensemble that favours textural contrasts and accompanies a soprano (the excellent Canadian Stacey Fraser). Superb. I had no idea what to expect when I started listening to this album, having, I confess, never heard of this composer before. What a wonderful and nourishing surprise! This is one of the finest discoveries of the year."
Track Listing
All compositions by jack van zandt
A Chaos of Light and Motion
Text by Percy Bysshe Shelley
[1] A Chaos of Light and Motion - A Chaos of Light and Motion 06:11
[2] A Chaos of Light and Motion - The Painted Veil 07:37
[3] A Chaos of Light and Motion - Weave the Dance on the Floor of the Breeze 03:34
[4] A Chaos of Light and Motion - The Atmosphere of Human Thought 05:16
Stacey Fraser, soprano; Nadia Shpachenko, celeste and ensemble director; Sara Andon, flutes; Cynthia Fogg, viola; Yuri Inoo, vibraphone; Alison Bjorkedal, harp; Alastair Edmonstone, piano; Cory Hills, marimba and chimes
Three Arias from On the Shores of Eternity
Text by Rabindranath Tagore
[5] On the Shores of Eternity - The Understanding 07:41
[6] On the Shores of Eternity - A Dance Beyond Death 08:43
[7] On the Shores of Eternity - The Stars Look On 06:25
Stacey Fraser, soprano; Jane Rigler, alto flute; Jack Van Zandt, electronics, synthesizers, samplers, sound designs, electric guitar
Two Character Songs from The New Frontier: An Atomic Age Jazz Opera
Libretto by Jill Freeman
Arranged for soprano, piano, vibraphone and bass
[8] The New Frontier - Half Life: The Ghost of Ethel Rosenberg 06:19
[9] The New Frontier - The New Frontier: Home fallout shelter saleswoman 04:50
Stacey Fraser, soprano; Nadia Shpachenko, piano; Yuri Inoo, vibraphone; John Kennedy, bass; Jack Van Zandt, bongos
TOTAL TIME: 75:47
These recordings and performances were supported by:
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
California State University, San Bernardino
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Pomona
California State University, San Bernardino Opera Theater
Contemporary Irish Arts Center Los Angeles (CIACLA)
lotusflower new music project
Composers Edition
Roaring Water Music (BMI)
Released worldwide on Neuma Records on February 27, 2025
Music Copyright by Jack Van Zandt (BMI)
Text of The New Frontier Copyright by Jill Freeman (BMI)
