Daniel Asia (born 1953)

Started by vandermolen, May 27, 2012, 01:42:33 AM

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vandermolen

What is it with American composers and their third symphonies? I think that Daniel Asia's Symphony No 3 ranks very highly.  To me it seems like a synthesis of Copland/Bernstein and Glass - but it is an exciting work of considerable originality, also reminding me of the late Stephen Albert's 'River Run'.  Above all I found Asia's third, especially the wonderful opening sections, to be incredibly moving, inspiriting; and its three note motto theme has been running through my head ever since I first heard it.   Oddly enough I had a sense that I had always known this music - even though I had never heard it before. To me it ranks with Vasks's Symphony No 2 as one of the greatest symphonies by a living composer.
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"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

snyprrr

(making a signing horse sound)

mmm...Daniel Asia... yea, I remember in the 90s when I was plowing through the NewWorld catalog- Korf, Olly Wilson, Wright, Harbison, Colgrass(sic?), Asia, all those names!- I picked up the Koch disc with the Piano Quintet. I suppose it was just to 'regular' for me. I DO have a problem with the sheer proliferation of US Composers: how do you know,... maybe you would have hit on Olly Wilson instead of Asia,... or, how did you find Asia and not one of the other 5 billion inoffensive US Composers on NewWorld?

I suppose I get a little perturbed when I see you hawking Asia because I feel you pulling my CDCDCD chain!! :o How DARE you make me have to take a second look at that bottomless NewWorld catalog, so chock full of Asia-like discoveries! >:D

I HAVE considered that very cd you show, many moons ago. I am totally sure it's pretty good. I have the Peter Leberson Piano Concerto on NewWorld, and it surely falls squarely into the NewWorld ethos: powerful, structured, with a sense of import,... but ultimately no masterpiece (though, it is in a way,... but not THE way, haha!).

So, now that you've cracked the NewWorld cherry, are you going to end up looking into the other 1000 'worthies'? I am thankful that it is a US company, since all the libraries a chock full of these releases. I have to sympathize with you; had I had the means, I would probably have a hundred of those cds.

Check out the one with Robert Hall Lewis's Symphony No.4. Why wouldn't you like that one? Oy, there are waaay too many recommends on that label. Well, if the Asia shows up for $1 (hey, I'm not being dismissive, it's just that I am wary of that catalog, haha)...

Oh, and don't forget about CRI! ;D (take out a loan!)

vandermolen

Quote from: snyprrr on May 27, 2012, 07:27:33 AM
(making a signing horse sound)

mmm...Daniel Asia... yea, I remember in the 90s when I was plowing through the NewWorld catalog- Korf, Olly Wilson, Wright, Harbison, Colgrass(sic?), Asia, all those names!- I picked up the Koch disc with the Piano Quintet. I suppose it was just to 'regular' for me. I DO have a problem with the sheer proliferation of US Composers: how do you know,... maybe you would have hit on Olly Wilson instead of Asia,... or, how did you find Asia and not one of the other 5 billion inoffensive US Composers on NewWorld?

I suppose I get a little perturbed when I see you hawking Asia because I feel you pulling my CDCDCD chain!! :o How DARE you make me have to take a second look at that bottomless NewWorld catalog, so chock full of Asia-like discoveries! >:D

I HAVE considered that very cd you show, many moons ago. I am totally sure it's pretty good. I have the Peter Leberson Piano Concerto on NewWorld, and it surely falls squarely into the NewWorld ethos: powerful, structured, with a sense of import,... but ultimately no masterpiece (though, it is in a way,... but not THE way, haha!).

So, now that you've cracked the NewWorld cherry, are you going to end up looking into the other 1000 'worthies'? I am thankful that it is a US company, since all the libraries a chock full of these releases. I have to sympathize with you; had I had the means, I would probably have a hundred of those cds.

Check out the one with Robert Hall Lewis's Symphony No.4. Why wouldn't you like that one? Oy, there are waaay too many recommends on that label. Well, if the Asia shows up for $1 (hey, I'm not being dismissive, it's just that I am wary of that catalog, haha)...

Oh, and don't forget about CRI! ;D (take out a loan!)

At least you replied!  :)

I'll let you know what I think of Robert Hall Lewis's 4th Symphony as, following your recommendation, I found it for $1.50 on US Amazon (+p and p).

Maybe Asia's 4th is 'inoffensive' but it moved me more than the music of many more 'advanced' composers. 
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

snyprrr

Quote from: vandermolen on May 27, 2012, 10:11:36 AM
At least you replied!  :)

I'll let you know what I think of Robert Hall Lewis's 4th Symphony as, following your recommendation, I found it for $1.50 on US Amazon (+p and p).

Maybe Asia's 4th is 'inoffensive' but it moved me more than the music of many more 'advanced' composers.

I think most Composers today are, if not in practice advanced, surely in theory, so, perhaps I should have rather said 'integrated'. I mean, if I see the Asia for $1!! ;D, who knows?! And, btw, a hearty Used CD Salute to you sir! I'm currently scrounging the trawl for any $1 Masterpieces! ;) (mostly $2.50 though!) Look for the Olly Wilson thing on NewWorld,... or the CRI,... look for the Leslie Bassett 'Invisible World' cd on CRI,... the site has a large catalog, if you recall the covers.

I mean, yea, Asia writes good stuff (just thinking about how one can never quite tell what one's going to get with a new US Composer!). I don't know if that Koch chamber disc is your bag, I'm sure the Symphonies are better.

vandermolen

Quote from: snyprrr on May 27, 2012, 07:18:07 PM
I think most Composers today are, if not in practice advanced, surely in theory, so, perhaps I should have rather said 'integrated'. I mean, if I see the Asia for $1!! ;D, who knows?! And, btw, a hearty Used CD Salute to you sir! I'm currently scrounging the trawl for any $1 Masterpieces! ;) (mostly $2.50 though!) Look for the Olly Wilson thing on NewWorld,... or the CRI,... look for the Leslie Bassett 'Invisible World' cd on CRI,... the site has a large catalog, if you recall the covers.

I mean, yea, Asia writes good stuff (just thinking about how one can never quite tell what one's going to get with a new US Composer!). I don't know if that Koch chamber disc is your bag, I'm sure the Symphonies are better.

Thank you  :)

I meant Symphony No 3 by the way. I found it oddly moving and, oh yes, I'm constantly on the scrounge for used CDs - I can't afford to keep buying new ones. 
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

snyprrr

Quote from: vandermolen on June 01, 2012, 09:53:32 PM
Thank you  :)

I meant Symphony No 3 by the way. I found it oddly moving and, oh yes, I'm constantly on the scrounge for used CDs - I can't afford to keep buying new ones.

I thought I was out... but... they keep pulling you back in!! Somehow I just tripped over Liszt, and have convinced myself I can get all the piano music for less than $50 (not including Shipping, haha,... (WHAT an addict mentality, haha!!))!!

vandermolen

Quote from: snyprrr on June 02, 2012, 10:22:29 AM
I thought I was out... but... they keep pulling you back in!! Somehow I just tripped over Liszt, and have convinced myself I can get all the piano music for less than $50 (not including Shipping, haha,... (WHAT an addict mentality, haha!!))!!

Tell me about it - my wife has accused me of 'having an affair' with my CD collection  :o. But I do recognise the compulsive element - which is worrying.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

snyprrr

Quote from: vandermolen on June 02, 2012, 11:36:27 AM
Tell me about it - my wife has accused me of 'having an affair' with my CD collection  :o. But I do recognise the compulsive element - which is worrying.

I almost took a cd to a gathering, to tell these people why the cd means more to me than them. It's like this:

1) The Composer himself is such an astounding person, and this Music just pours so much life that I'm sure he'a a more interesting person than all of you combined.

2) The conductor seems like the next best person I'd want to know. Just imagine how interesting he is!

3) The musicians surely are interesting people. Wouldn't I want to be their friend?

4) The Company that had the balls to put THIS cd out has my vote as wonderful people and how would I not want to be around them?

5) The recording engineer just obviously is so awesome that who wouldn't want to be his best friend?

6) The person who wrote the liner notes is a genius!


I mean, I'm sure I could go on and show that it is not really the cd itself I'm having the affair with, it's ACTUAL PEOPLE!! You understand, right?, that it is not really materialism with this music thing,... because, music IS invisible. God HAS to use PEOPLE to bring these 'dreams' to us, so, just go look over your favorite cds and see how much more you'd rather enjoy the company of all those involved rather than with the...

hmm, maybe that's going a bit far, but, haha, it's kinda true! :'(


vandermolen

Quote from: snyprrr on June 02, 2012, 06:57:24 PM
I almost took a cd to a gathering, to tell these people why the cd means more to me than them. It's like this:

1) The Composer himself is such an astounding person, and this Music just pours so much life that I'm sure he'a a more interesting person than all of you combined.

2) The conductor seems like the next best person I'd want to know. Just imagine how interesting he is!

3) The musicians surely are interesting people. Wouldn't I want to be their friend?

4) The Company that had the balls to put THIS cd out has my vote as wonderful people and how would I not want to be around them?

5) The recording engineer just obviously is so awesome that who wouldn't want to be his best friend?

6) The person who wrote the liner notes is a genius!


I mean, I'm sure I could go on and show that it is not really the cd itself I'm having the affair with, it's ACTUAL PEOPLE!! You understand, right?, that it is not really materialism with this music thing,... because, music IS invisible. God HAS to use PEOPLE to bring these 'dreams' to us, so, just go look over your favorite cds and see how much more you'd rather enjoy the company of all those involved rather than with the...

hmm, maybe that's going a bit far, but, haha, it's kinda true! :'(

Sounds like a perfectly reasonable analysis to me.  :D
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).