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Following the DSO premiere in 2006 of his
"accidental" symphonic score Essay
(After
Sibelius), Detroit Free Press music
critic Mark Stryker called
DSO bassist Rick Robinson "an armchair composer with
promise and a taste for fleshy romantic
textures and orchestration." Consequently
Robinson
began to take up composing seriously in his spare time.
His early work is clearly
imitative of the many great composers he has transcribed
for his mixed ensemble CutTime
Players. Nonetheless his
skills are considerable at employing full, beautifully shaped melodies,
fun counterpoint,
and modifying traditional formal development. Jovial yet
private, there is
much of Robinson in his music's overall moodiness
as it swings quite naturally between angst and ecstasy. One
sometimes wishes he would extend his ideas a
bit more, but at least he keeps
them moving along.
A one-time member
of the Boston Pops and a
20-year veteran of the Detroit Symphony, Robinson is a
relative latecomer to composing. Yet with
considerable experiences as an orchestra
musician, solo recitalist, transcriber, arranger and
ensemble leader,
he seems dedicated to creating emotionally
rich experiences for both players and audiences;
experiences that are healing, genuine and fun! Judging from his Essay and
other works so far, there's no doubt that
we can expect him to eventually produce some
interesting expansive works.
Listen to these
SAMPLES
(Right-click,
choose Save Target) from
a recent performance by Chamber
Music North of
his first sextet album MIGHTY
LOVE. Premiered in 2007 Mighty
Love is a musical romance told in suggestive
sound-actions utilizing the best harmonic traditions of
Richard Strauss, Dvorak, Brahms, Schubert, Prokofiev, Shostakovich and Piazzola. Written over nine months
"to see if I could really write",
Robinson succeeded in creating a full 5-movement
suite in grand sonata form in the
thematically related tradition of Robert Schumann. The
musical characters
are torn, humorous and athletic. They meet, date,
fall in
bed, fall in love, and keep
falling ever deeper
thru five stages of love until
we hear wedding
bells. It's a comic movie projected in rich
instrumental sound.
A favorite example
is this Scherzo movement
entitled Fun
& Games. It may be a well-worn classical
formula but Robinson delivers freshness and driving energy
with crisp virtuosic displays.
One easily imagines lovers chasing each
other, giggling and laughing thru a Spring
forest. The usual Trio
section completely relaxes this fervor with an
extended pastorale
that builds, suggesting their growing ecstasy using gently rising key centers.
Robinson is a gifted musical story-teller. And you owe
it to yourself to hear this romantic adventure
unfold. The next complete performance of
Mighty Love is Nov. 9th in Bloomfield Hills, MI.
Robinson's work
over the next two years took him in new
directions. He sought to write a CD of lighter
10-minute works. He consequently began
developing new skills, such as
weaving classical
with dance modes
and using subtle, sometimes comic quotes. You will find Latin, gospel, rock, rock-a-billy, country, folk, blues,
Detroit funk and even reggae incorporated like a
world triptych. He seems to be showing us how disparate
cultures are often related in surprising ways.
Bearing titles such as GITCHA
GROOVE ON! and PORK 'N BEANS,
these include open-ended
grooves that invite players to improvise solos
and audiences
to get up and dance.
Listen
to these new
LIVE samples from
recent readings. Robinson wrote two
compositions in 2008, IDYLL
and GIGUE-RONDO
for solo English horn then solo oboe with string quintet. Last
summer
he wrote the funky GITCHA
GROOVE ON! and PORK 'N BEANS.
By contrast, there's this stirring ELEGY
for his
friend's family. And last fall saw the birth of
an URBAN PRAYER for his hometown: HIGHLAND
PARK, MI: CITY OF
TREES. Here's an MP3 of ALL
SIX. (Right-click,
choose
Save Target) This
CD will be recorded this season for release next year.
If you'd like to
hear this music in YOUR community,
please call CutTime at 313-680-8104!
and
please...
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