Spectra: New Music for Guitar Orchestra New York City Guitar Orchestra & Jason Sagebiel

• Frederic Hand (b. 1947): Chorale:
• 1 Hand: Chorale 05:26
• David Leisner (b. 1953): Medanales Morning:
• 2 Leisner: Medanales Morning 09:35
• Dave Hart: Granada:
• 3 Hart: Granada 05:39
• João Luiz: Three Brazilian Pieces:
• 4 Luiz: Three Brazilian Pieces: Jogo de Roda (Capoeira) 02:35
• 5 Luiz: Three Brazilian Pieces: Kirsten (Toada) 04:42
• 6 Luiz: Three Brazilian Pieces: Alfaia e Mare (Maracatu) 05:47
• Andrew York (b. 1958): Catwalk:
• 7 York: Catwalk 08:05
• Joshua Eustis (b. 1977): How Slowly, All of a Sudden:
• 8 Eustis: How Slowly, All of a Sudden 05:33
• Clarice Assad (b. 1978): Magnetic Trance:
• 9 Assad: Magnetic Trance 05:44
• Jonathan Pieslak (b. 1974): Ambienspheres:
• 10 Pieslak: Ambienspheres 04:04
• Pat Irwin (b. 1955): Unsung Hymn for a Friend:
• 11 Irwin: Unsung Hymn for a Friend 05:29
• William Anderson (1839 - 1864): Folksongs:
• 12 Anderson: Folksongs: I. The Wedding Dress 01:22
• 13 Anderson: Folksongs: II. Scherzo—The Counterpoint of Supertonics 01:09
• 14 Anderson: Folksongs: III. The Er-i-e 01:09
• 15 Anderson: Folksongs: IV. Whistle, Daughter, Whistle 01:54
• 16 Anderson: Folksongs: V. The Er-i-e II 01:14
• 17 Anderson: Folksongs: VI. The Farmer is the Man (The Counterpoint of Supertonics) 02:43
• Jason Sagebiel: Bachirvanas:
• 18 Sagebiel: Bachirvanas 06:38
• Takuma Tanikawa (b. 1989): Mist:
• 19 Tanikawa: Mist 09:01
• Gyan Riley (b. 1977): The Landloper:
• 20 Riley: The Landloper 16:05
• Marco Oppedisano (b. 1971): Two of a Kind:
• 21 Oppedisano: Two of a Kind 09:43
• David Loeb (b. 1939): Concerto for Four Guitars and Guitar Orchestra:
• 22 Loeb: Concerto for Four Guitars and Guitar Orchestra: I. Lento 02:59
• 23 Loeb: Concerto for Four Guitars and Guitar Orchestra: II. Grazioso 01:11
• 24 Loeb: Concerto for Four Guitars and Guitar Orchestra: III. Moderato 02:08
• 25 Loeb: Concerto for Four Guitars and Guitar Orchestra: IV. Allegretto 01:18
• 26 Loeb: Concerto for Four Guitars and Guitar Orchestra: V. Adagio 01:36
• 27 Loeb: Concerto for Four Guitars and Guitar Orchestra: VI. Allegro Spiritoso 01:41
• Richard Charlton (b. 1955): Inner Voices:
• 28 Charlton: Inner Voices: I. Misterioso 03:35
• 29 Charlton: Inner Voices: II. Allegretto con Moto 02:37
• Joseph Parisi: Guitar Brigade:
• 30 Parisi: Guitar Brigade: Movement 1 05:57
• 31 Parisi: Guitar Brigade: Movement 2 02:43
• 32 Parisi: Guitar Brigade: Movement 3 03:20
• Total Runtime 02:22:42

Info for Spectra: New Music for Guitar Orchestra

The New York City Guitar Orchestra, conducted by Jason Sagebiel and Nicoletta Todesco in collaboration with artistic direction by John Olson, releases Spectra, a collection of newly composed works for multiple guitars by such luminaries of the plucked string world as David Leisner, Frederic Hand, David Loeb, William Anderson, and João Luiz. Music for multiple players on the same instrument has grown in recent years, perhaps inspired by the success of percussion ensembles. Works by prominent composers for several bassoons, or flutes, or pianos have made their mark on concert programs. The guitar is a natural fit for similar ventures, inhabiting its own space in the concert music world, increasingly integrated with other instruments but retaining its unique profile. The music and spirited collaboration on this recording reflect the sense of community that is only further enhanced by projects of this sort.

New York City Guitar Orchestra
Jason Sagebiel, director
Nicoletta Todesco, director

The New York City Guitar Orchestra
has undertaken an ambitious project of commissioning seventeen new works for multiple guitars. The result is Spectra, an exuberant celebration of the possibilities afforded by the guitar orchestra format and the variety of compositional approaches taken by the composers who were involved in the project.

Frederic Hand’s poignant Chorale opens the program, threading lyrical, contrapuntal lines through the ensemble in a warm opening. The piece intensifies with a driving, mixed meter middle section before a return of the opening thematic material.

David Leisner’s Medanales Morning is inspired by the vibrant colors and effervescent signs of life in the New Mexico desert at sunrise. Leisner uses an aleatoric score to allow the sonic ecosystem to evolve organically, providing the performers with a series of evocative gestures, including bends that explore microtonal shadings of pitch, repeated cells and scalar gestures, and a cyclical, modal bass figure. As the performance grows, and the desert “wakes up,” the overlapping harmonic implications create a cacophonous halo.

Dave Hart’s Granada is an earnest, lilting portrait of the Spanish city so central to the guitar’s lore.

João Luiz’ Three Brazilian Pieces is a musical portrait of three forms of expression from his native country. The opening movement is inspired by the Brazilian martial art of capoeira, in which the fight (jogo) occurs inside a circle (roda) and incorporates dance and acrobatics within the discipline which Luiz evokes through an infectious, syncopated rhythm. A toada is an Amazonian style that melds Indigenous, traditional, and African influences; “Kirsten” features a triplet motif that glides easily through the shifting melodic material. Maracutu is a collection of styles from Pernambuco in Northeastern Brazil; in “Alfaia e Mare” a clock-like repetitive figure in harmonics serves as an anchor for a pugnacious theme.

Jason Sagebiel
is the founder of Sage Music School, faculty at the City University of New York, and director of the NYC Guitar Orchestra. He is a US Marine veteran of Iraq where he served as a Scout-Sniper, yet also studied Iraqi music and the oud with the locals.

After suffering a traumatic brain injury in the war, his recovery that led him to the research of how people best learn and function. Through this, he became fascinated with the learning process. This led to his founding of Sage Music School.

Beyond just teaching music, Sagebiel teaches people how to learn best. This allows his students maximize potential in all areas of their lives. This has resulted in his students staying enrolled 3 times the industry average, and caused students to fly from all over the US to study at his school in New York City.

In addition, Sagebiel has had an exceptional career as a musician.

He has given more than 30 world premiere performances. He has conducted at Carnegie Hall multiple times, and has appeared as a soloist and conductor.

He has appeared on multiple recordings. And he’s worked with members of the Philip Glass Ensemble, The Metropolitan Opera, Nine Inch Nails, the B-52s, and several and several Grammy and Emmy award winning artists.

He is published by Earth Songs Music.

His inspiring story has been featured on TV, radio, and in two books: Listening to War, and Sound Targets.

This album contains no booklet.