Hovda, Eleanor – “Eleanor Hovda Collection, The” – [Innova/American Composers]

Grizzly Adam   2/2/2012   A Library, CD

the shape of a changing tone, active energy
moving in place, that is also beautiful, the
sounds were chosen with a great deal of care,
notational directions, did not inhibit energy
flow, space between sounds (or movements
or objects) sounds around the sound, move
in “breath” or “process” timing, inhale as
well as exhale melodically for energy flow,
the conductor’s main responsibility is
ensemble flow, dynamic and energy balances
and non-balances, sonic sculpture created
by the string quartet, the “mind and body
energies”, audience: humming, a sound,
once found, should be used again and again,
invisible, like the floor, the light, the space
around, layer sonic textures and energies,
figure-of-eight energy shapes drawn by the
body in space, information in score then
the sound material is already there, long,
speculative conversations, musician,
theorist, and writer, unplanned “like the
wind”, define only part of Eleanor Hovda,
who’s work is presented as anthology;
across these discs, works made for various
ensembles later performed as well as on here,
by Jeannine Wagar’s Prism Players, California
Ear Unit, and more, in addition to Eleanor’s
own proficiency in piano innards, and bowed
cymbal. Humble yet Miss Hovda was a
master writer for every instrument used, as
she made a serious study of each. And the
vocal work wowza, cd 2 track 2 Diamondia
Galas step aside. If Phil Niblok is like Sol
Lewitt, Eleanor Hovda is the deKooning of
renewed perspectives on classical music.
-Eveningly Infinitely Wipes Scrub Sonny Atoms Grizzly Adam