Christopher Kaufman’s MUSIC FROM EARTH – (orig. 11/’07 recomposed 10/24) for Alto Saxophone Soloist, Soundscape of Orchestral and Natural Sounds and Video.
About MUSIC FROM EARTH the composer writes:
“Music From Earth represents a new evolution in my work in terms of how music is put together and presented. It was with great pleasure that I discovered the possibilities for the combination of live and electronic music. In Music From Earth I combine natural sounds, orchestral sounds and electronic instruments in original ways born of my long experience with live music and orchestral composition.
“The resultant sound-world and presentation is unique and versatile, infinitely diverse and able to monumentalize inspiration and
compositional planning. MUSIC FROM EARTH includes a film of natural and abstract images which participate in communicating the linear form. The form is described in what I term ‘Symbolic geography, as delineated below.”
The world premiere occurred in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 2007 by Demetrius Spaneas on his world tour. The new version was premiered onmy The Phantastic Theater series 10/27/24 by William Schrantz and the film version features the recording of Chad Smith. Both films are available on this page – either to the side (if on desktop) or at bottom.
Quick Overview:
OPENING RIFT – the work begins at the ‘mid-atlantic rift’. Earth Rhythm – The music progresses with powerful rhythms from the ocean depths to the surface. Whale-song is part of the texture, mixed with symphonic textures and powerful thematic melodies in the saxophone. AIR – Expressive solos interweave with sounds of tree crickets, polyphonic owls, woodpecker, harp, piccolo, marimba and other sounds. INTERLUDE – the screen goes black as we hear piano and strings. RITUAL SNAKE DANCE – The spiritual center of the work. You’ll hear saxophone, eastern percussion, piano, muted-trumpet, bass, electronic brass and rattle-snake sounds. URTHSTORM – the final movement features lightning strokes, complex driving rhythms, live ‘cuica’ and the central message of MUSIC FROM EARTH.
I will be initiating a Spring tour of this work in 2025.
MUSIC FROM EARTH was originally composed during the last two weeks of August, 2007 for Saxophonist and New Music Champion Demetrius Spaneas. It is part of a series of works inspired by Environmental Awareness, the leadership of Al Gore and others, my own sense of these issues and my love of the sounds involved. Demetrius has premiered the work in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (11/08) and performed it at the DOM Cultural Center in Moscow. He continued to tour the work with a number of other pieces of American music (including his own) in locations such as Kyrgyzstan, the Ukraine, Bulgaria, St. Petersburg and Riga, Latvia. Now we will perform it in America. When possible the performances include a film of natural imagery. This film, which I created, uses microscopic images and images of familiar forms close up so as to appear abstract as well as recognizable natural images such as creatures and geographical forms.
Demetrius Spaneas – composer for film and concert stage / virtuoso performer (saxophone, clarinet, flute) – world traveling new music champion – read more about him and listen to his music by visiting his site.
“…such zest, such fire, such a gleeful explosivenesss… had it been just one percent more intense, it would have necessitated scraping the audience off the walls.” – BOSTON GLOBE