A Connotation of Infinity Christopher J. Keyes

• Christopher J. Keyes (b. 1963):
• 1 Of the Worlds Beyond 17:51
• 2 A Distance Up Close 09:48
• 3 Tree of Remembrance 08:00
• 4 Antiphon in Memory of Pierre Boulez 13:15
• 5 Resonant Passages 09:04
• 6 Minimal Colors 07:31
• Total Runtime 01:05:29

Info for A Connotation of Infinity

Christopher J. Keyes’s new album, Ravello Records’ A CONNOTATION OF INFINITY, speaks directly to why listeners should embrace the transgressive element of electronics in traditional classical music. Keyes, who wrote as much software for the album as he did music, employs what he calls a 3D audio for a more immersive listening experience. Keyes’s latest release, which features performances of select pieces on video, envelopes and entrances the minds of listeners from all walks of life.

The album opens with the 17+ minute epic Of Worlds Beyond. Performed by an orchestra, the composition possesses a well-rounded quality of sound. Another unique feature in Keyes’s album is the use of non-musical elements to influence the piece. In Four Improvisations on Cummings, the composer uses keyboard sensors to detect pitch and dynamics that, when played, subsequently trigger text from poems in E.E. Cummings’ collection “Tulips and Chimneys." Resonant Passages features images and sounds of Hong Kong traffic as an accent to the composition’s reflection on how streams of images and sounds resonate with us as listeners and human beings.

In some compositions, the piano gives way to other instruments that star the show. Antiphon In Memory of Pierre Boulez, for instance, is a piece written for two flutes and two clarinets, paying homage to the late composer through the minimalist use of processing available in Boulez’ time. Tree of Remembrance features only violin and tape. An homage to Henri Dutilleux, Keyes wrote the composition to loosely mirror Dutilleux’s violin concerto “L'Arbre Des Songs."

A CONNOTATION OF INFINITY pushes boundaries and opens listeners to new experiences, both audially and visually. Don’t miss the chance to be a part of this riveting performance.

Christopher J. Keyes, piano
Patrick Yim, violin
Tete Bae, flute
Matthias Ziegler, flute
Leung Chi Shing, clarinet
Barnabas Volgyesi, clarinet
Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava

Christopher J. Keyes
Acclaimed by Fanfare Magazine as “Masterful...a modernized Rachmaninoff” Christopher J. Keyes (b. 1963) began his career as a pianist, winning many competitions and later making his “double-debut” in Carnegie Hall as both soloist and guest composer with the New York Youth Symphony. He began formal composition lessons at the University of California at Santa Barbara, earning a B.M. in Piano Performance and a B.A. in Creative Studies with an emphasis in composition. He continued his musical training at the Eastman School of Music, completing his doctorate in 1992. His major composition teachers include Joseph Schwantner, Samuel Adler, Christopher Rouse, and Robert Morris. Among his numerous awards are the Eastman Szernovsky Award, several ASCAP Grants to Young Composers, and the Rudolf Nissim Award for best orchestral work written by a living ASCAP member. He is also an author of various scholarly articles on subjects including audio engineering, the pedagogy of composition, and music technology.

His compositions have been performed and broadcast in over 35 countries worldwide with works in almost every genre. Since the late 1990s his work has focused on electro-acoustic music, multi-channel audio, and more recently computer graphics as mediums to expand the possibilities of acoustic instruments in concert. He is currently a Professor at Hong Kong Baptist University where he directs the Electro-Acoustic Music Centre and Laboratory for Immersive Arts and Technology. Solo albums and multi-channel DVDs of his music can be heard on the Centaur (CRC 2377), Capstone (CPS-8739), and Ravello (RR7803) labels.

This album contains no booklet.