American Enchantment, Section 3

American Forms - Solo and Quartet Music by George Flynn

More can be learned from a composer from his or her chamber music versus full orchestral compositions. Pianist and Composer George Flynn releases his next CD from the Southport Composers Series, "American Forms" which features piano quartet, solo clarinet, solo viola and string quartet.

Each composition is listed here, with comments from the composer, George Flynn.

Chicago Quartet - for piano quartet, performed by Robert Water, violin; Rami Solomonow, viola; Daniel Klingler, cello and Amy Briggs, piano
Chicago Quartet was written in response to a request from Callisto, a Chicago chamber organization. In this piece I have tried to create the sense of a traditional four-movement shape (first movement-slow movement-scherzo-finale), but within a single, continuous work.

Forms of Flight - for solo clarinet, performed by Cory Tiffin, Bb clarinet
Forms of Flight, developed from the clarinet cadenza of my chamber work American Rest (1988), for clarinet, viola, cello and piano, was originally written for Larry Combs, who first performed it in 1992. This virtuosic work explores all the registers of the clarinet with a variety of textures and techniques to create a broad arch form (from low to high to low) that, poetically, could suggest activities of flight we associate with birds, airplanes, insects and wind-blown objects.

Forms of Friction - for solo viola, performed by Doyle Armbrust, viola
Forms of Friction, for viola solo, like Forms of Flight, is an extraction and enhancement of that instrument s cadenza in my mixed piano quartet American Rest. Like its parent, Forms of Friction is obsessed with the trichord Ab/G#, D and A and its septachordal extensions. (This trichord, with its devilish (tritone) and angelic (perfect 5th) intervals, is meant to symbolize humankind.) The limitations in pitch and registration are meant to contrast significantly with the variety and almost manic vigor of sonic articulations and projections.

American Enchantment - for string quartet, performed by Austin Wulliman, violin; Aurelien Fort Pederzoli, violin; Doyle Armbrust, viola and Russell Rolen, cello
American Enchantment (AE), finished and first performed spring, 2003, seeks to suggest a sweet, desirable image of America rather than its violence toward peoples and nations expressed in other works of mine. I thought of the many cherished times of my younger years in Montana and Washington State as well as the productive years in America's largest cities, New York and Chicago, and the quiet, vast prairies of the midwest, and the grandeur of the far west mountain ranges. Thus, AE is meant to be an often quietly reflective and gentle description and meditation.

George Flynn (b. 1937) grew up in Montana and Washington, and, for many years has been performing in and organizing concerts of new music in a variety of New York City and Chicago venues. He has composed over 150 works in all media, including over six hours of piano solo music, and has recorded for Turnabout, ATCO, Finnadar, Titanic, Wounded Bird and Southport labels.

Many of Flynn s works reflect extra-musical interests. His American series explores images of this country, and several works meditate on the Vietnam experience. His chamber duos especially those for piano and various string instruments consider human relationships; and several piano solos seek to extend the limits of gestural, technical and poetic elements.

Flynn received his academic degrees from Columbia University, New York City, and taught at Columbia and Lehmann College (CUNY) as well DePaul University (Chicago).

All works composed by George Flynn.