Search - Volans, Hornsveld, Richards :: Cicada/Duets

Irish by birth, Kevin Volans has long been identified as a uniquely post-apartheid South African composer. Volans's works for piano almost vibrate with his unique approach to tonal hints at microtonal worlds. The 25-minute piano duet from which this CD gets its title is an exercise in a dissonant shimmer reminiscent of Morton Feldman, except it's far more tuneful. The phrases are firmly struck and tremble as they resonate outward into pools of sustain that recharge with each new phrase. The elements are limited in number to the degree that Volans calls this his first minimalist work. Cross your fingers for more, as minimalism hasn't sounded this rhapsodizing since Steve Reich's "Piano Phase." As for the 14 short pieces that follow, they alternate between gentle pulsations and out-swinging clusters that tumble to life and dissipate into silence, a strong element throughout these pieces. Written for dancer Jonathan Burrows, the duets have their own motility, as if they were controlled dances themselves. If White Man Sleeps didn't earn Volans his due, let's hope this innovative piano panorama does. --Andrew Bartlett