Search - Atwell, Cook, Greensboro So :: Lucy & Other Orchestral Works

A ballet about a skeleton?

08/06/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The "Lucy" cd by composer Shirl Jae Atwell is an anomaly amongst contemporary music. One expects to hear dissonance and sounds reminiscent of primal evocations. However, Lucy is very tonal with an abundance of rhythmic influence. Each section is treated as a short tone poem with much emphasis on percussive instruments. I liked the way the various rhythms made my body want to move in sync with what I heard. The music is intense and leaves one exhausted after hearing all 8 sections.
Movements Four South comprises tracks 9-12 and is a total departure from what comes before. It's very lyrical and laid back.
The 3 string orchestra pieces are presumably filler for the remainder of the cd. However, I enjoyed listening to the different styles and genre from this composer.
This cd is definitely for dance and I would be interested in knowing if Shirl Jae Atwell writes for other mediums as well as she writes for ballet."