SKU: PR.114422260

ISBN 9781491133866. UPC: 680160683352. 9 x 12 inches.

Legends of the phoenix are found in stories from ancient Egypt and Greece. While each culture possesses a range of stories encompassing the myth, these tales tend toward similar traits: a sacred bird with brilliantly colored plumage and melodious call lives for typically 500 years, then dies in a nest of embers, only to be reborn among the flames. Phoenix Rising consists of two movements: I. Dying in Embers represents an old phoenix settling on top of a pile of embers and breathing its last breath; II. Reborn in Flames depicts the newly-born phoenix getting its first taste of flight.
Legends of the phoenix are found in stories from ancient Egypt and Greece. While each culture possesses a range of stories encompassing the phoenix myth, these tales tend to share similar traits: a sacred bird with brilliantly colored plumage and melodious call lives for typically five hundred years; then the bird dies in a nest of embers, only to be reborn among the flames.In Egyptian stories, the phoenix gathers scented wood and spices for its funeral/rebirth pyre, then collects the ashes from its earlier incarnation and flies them to the temple of the sun in Heliopolis to offer as a tribute to the sun god.In Greek myths, the phoenix was approximately the size of an eagle and was adorned with red and gold feathers; it would fly from either India or Arabia to Heliopolis to give its offering. The bird’s association with immortality and resurrection are particularly intriguing aspects of these tales, giving numerous writers (including William Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis, and J.K. Rowling) a rich resource for their own stories.Phoenix Rising consists of two movements. I. Dying in embers represents an old phoenixwho is settling on top of a pile of embers and breathing its last breath. II. Reborn in flames depicts the newly-born phoenix getting its first taste of flight.Phoenix Rising was commissioned by saxophonist Christopher Creviston, who has recorded the work on the Blue Griffin label. The composer has also made editions of the work for flute and for clarinet (also available from Theodore Presser Company).

SKU: PR.114408750

UPC: 680160013289. 8.5 x 11 inches.

This work was commissioned by the Friends of the Phoenix Public Library for the dedication of the new Music Room and made possible in part through the funds from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, and Meet the Composer-Arizona. Diary of a Journey was composed between July and September 1995 for the group Arpeggio. During the early summer of 1995, my wife and I took a vacation to Prague and Budapest. It was the first trip for both of us to these former Iron Curtain capitals. The train ride through the beautiful country-side, the dilapidated small villages and towns, the magnificent architecture and the feeling of grandeur in the two major cities left an indelible impression on me. I longed to write some kind of an essay about it. Diary of a Journey is the result of some of these thoughts, which were sketched (musically) as we visited each place. There are four 'snapshots' or movements which do not portray a specific scene, but rather try to capture the impressions I gathered from the people we observed and met, and the many awe-inspiring experiences we had. Throughout the journey, I felt that people were clinging to a tenacious hope for a better future, no matter how long it will take to realize it. In the first movement each player portrays a struggle against all odds, and with great energy and even wit tries to overcome the obstacles, ending on one serene high note as a resting point after all the conflict. The second 'snapshot' tries to capture the deep faith of a newly regained religiosity. It is chant-like, and uses as its basic melodic material a famous Czech hymn, penned by the great religious reformer John Huss. This movement is played very freely, without bar-lines and with the hymn shining through the fervent chanting. The third movement is a kind of 'demonic' scherzo. Fast and furious, the three instruments vie with one another in a true perpetual motion frenzy, which is at times relieved by short, more pastoral melodic fragments. A rather wild ending should leave everyone breathless. Finally, in the fourth 'snapshot' the instruments play a bit more as a team, meaning that is that there is more melody with accompaniment, and more imitative music giving the impression of a group effort. The energy is still at a high level but long lyrical lines abound, accompanied and interrupted at times by undulating fast notes still depicting the struggle against the blight which any visitor notices all around these countries, yet also showing the determination of the people to conquer adversity. --Samuel Adler.

SKU: HL.44013454

UPC: 888680927677.