SEPARATION
works for large and small ensemble
from 1982-2015
Paula Diehl
OVERVIEW
The clichéd trope of the isolated artist toiling over their work in a virtual vacuum, alone and against the trends of the day, is not a new one. But in the case of Paula Diehl, it is as true as it comes.
It isn’t an easy task to be a composer, a job which (to paraphrase Aaron Copland) holds few material rewards, and often even fewer good notices in the paper the next morning – it requires an inner strength and conviction in order to persevere through the challenges, be they artistic, financial, or social.
Diehl’s journey has been one punctuated by this conviction and perseverance. As a female composer whose work began just after the middle of the 20th century, the deck was already stacked against her, and her insistence on the viability of a compositional system she created – a system called “Separation,” involving her deconstruction of musical materials with an emphasis on what she describes as ‘interlocking fourths’ – did not ingratiate her with her peers or teachers.
Yet their skepticism was clearly misplaced. Diehl’s system is one which allows the unique characteristics of each instrument to shine through in explorations of harmonic content and structure, and she has utilized it to its full to create a rich catalog of works for both small and large ensembles.
The double-album SEPARATION is a representative cross-section of Diehl’s music with an emphasis on the last three decades, the period in which her compositional voice flowered most fully. Expansive orchestral scores such as Insiders (1994) and more intimate chamber works like On Course (1984) speak clearly to the singularity of Diehl’s style and provide a nice reminder that it is often those on the periphery, those who are pushed outside instead of welcomed inside, who frequently have fascinating things to say.
HIGHLIGHTS
Paula Diehl’s music is written in a compositional system called Separation which she created in 1978 after her postgraduate studies at American University and Temple University, and has been developing since. The basic concept behind Separation is the gradual detachment of interlocking perfect 4th intervals through a series of phases.
Diehl’s music is featured on the Navona compilations FIGMENTS (NV6023), CRIMSON & LACE (NV6006), PARADIGMS (NV5880) and ELEMENTS RISING (NV5990)
Gramophone Magazine praises the Navona compilation CRIMSON & LACE, “Another in Navona Records’ typically intense and varied compilations of new music presents sympathetic, earnest performances of three under-the-radio American composers struggling to find consolation amid emotional uncertainty, hopelessness and pain.”
ALSO ON NAVONA RECORDS
Release Date: June 10, 2016
Catalog #: NV6044
TRACK LISTING
Orchestral - DISC 1
1 In Hand
Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra | Petr Vronský, conductor
Right of way
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra | Robert Stankovsky, conductor
2 I. Andante
3 II. Adagio
4 III. Adagio
5 IV. Andante
6 V. Andante
7 On Wisdom
Slovak Radio Chorus; Albert Goken, organ
Till the Walls Fall
Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra | Vladimír Válek, conductor
8 I. Indirect Interlock
9 II. Indirect Interlock
10 III. Direct Interlock
11 IV. Direct Interlock
12 V. Intervals Separate
13 Prosper The Word
Slovak Radio Chorus; Albert Goken, organ
Insiders
Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra | Vit Micka, conductor
14 I.
15 II.
16 III.
Chamber - DISC 2
Gambit
Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra Chamber Players | Petr Vronský, conductor
1 I.
2 II.
3 III.
4 IV.
5 Wedding day
Bradford Gleim, baritone; Chiharu Naruse, piano
On Course
Moyzes Quartet
6 I.
7 II.
8 III.
9 IV.
10 V.
11 Gusts
Chiharu Naruse, piano
Illumination
Robert St. Cyr, organ; Jonathan Roberts, piano
12 I.
13 II.
14 III.
15 IV.
16 Anyone
Bradford Gleim, baritone; Chiharu Naruse, piano
17 Meeting Places
Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra Chamber Players | Petr Vronský, conductor
RECORDING CREDITS
In Hand recorded March 3, 2015 at Reduta Hall in Olomouc Czech Republic
Recording Session Producer Vít Mužík
Recording Session Engineer Aleš Dvořák
Right of Way, On Wisdom, Till the Walls Fall, Prosper the Word, and Insiders
recording information unavailable
Gambit recorded March 6, 2014 at Reduta Hall in Olomouc Czech Republic
Recording Session Producer Vít Mužík
Recording Session Engineer Zdeněk Slavotínek
Anyone, Wedding Day, and Gusts recorded November 20, 2014 at Futura Productions in Roslindale MA
Recording Session Producer Andy Happel
Recording Session Engineer John Weston
Illumination recorded April 8, 2015 at the Dover Church in Dover MA
Recording Session Producer Andy Happel
Recording Session Engineer Tom Stephenson
Meeting Places was recorded March 1, 2011 at Reduta Hall in Olomouc Czech Republic
Recording Session Producer Vít Mužík
Recording Session Engineer Richard Mlynar
Executive Producer Bob Lord
Executive A&R Sam Renshaw
A&R Brandon MacNeil
Recording Session Manager Matt Konrad
Audio Director Jeff LeRoy
Mastering Shaun Michaud
Production Engineer Nate Hunter
Art & Production Director Brett Picknell
Graphic Design Emily Roulo
Marketing Morgan MacLeod
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