Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers Photo: Molina Visuals
I. Archaeopteryx
II. Lakebed Memories
III. The Rise of the Birds
Mason Bates, was born in 1977 and is known for his merging of
acoustic and electronic music, drawing on
his work as a DJ, while his degree in English
Literature has been put to good use
Bates says:
The search for novel sounds pushed me, surprisingly, into primeval territory, resulting in a concerto filled with ancient animals. First and foremost is the solo violinist,who inhabits two identities: one primal and rhythmic, the other elegant and lyrical. This hybrid musical creature is, in fact, based on a real one. The Archeopteryx, an animal of the Upper Jurassic famously known as the first dinosaur/bird hybrid, can be heard in the sometimes frenetic, sometimes sweetly singing solo part. The searching melody that underlies the entire work, not heard in full until we are well into the first movement, has in fact been peering at us from behind the orchestral fauna all along.
