Preston Peace
11/22/2023
A Library, CD
Bay Area trumpeter Stephen Ruppenthal, spurred on by the late Allen Strange, enlisted the help of four composer friends (including Strange) to create these five pieces for trumpet and computer, dating from 2004-2016. What they delivered vary in style, from soloing with oneself (#1), bizarre mouth sounds (#2), and whispered paranoia and bells (#3), to echoing ambiance (#4) and a three-part suite of clouds of trumpet grains (#5-7).
The first couple pieces felt overlong and grating, especially “Velocity Studies V: NGate”, with its five (six? eight??) trumpet lines all occupying the upper register of the instrument. “A Sphere of Air is Bound” involves not just buzzing vibrato trumpet, but also strange flapping mouth noises and vocalizations that evoked some of Mike Patton’s more gibbering performances.
“November Twilight” begins in a more muted – literally – vein, with muted trumpet and paranoid whispers trading space with twinkling crotales and fluttering electroacoustic elements, as full-bore trumpet phrases irregularly erupt. By the time “Misty Magic Land” comes around, its shimmering ambiance, electronic drones and gentler trumpet playing are a welcome respite from the horn onslaught. The finale “System of Shadows” also breaks up the traditional trumpet sound with granular (re)synthesis techniques, smearing the trumpet’s notes into cascades of new shapes.
Most of these were also performed live (albeit not on these recordings), allowing the trumpeter to interact and direct the computer systems in real time. Detailed liner notes from both Ruppenthal and the composers describe the composition of and inspiration for each piece, and list performances.
Fav: #4, #6