KAMRAN INCE: Kac! (Escape! From "A") (1982)

Allen Rippe, alto saxophone James Baird, percussion Kamran Ince, piano from Albany TROY310 (1998) http://www.albanyrecords.com Kamran Ince is rapidly emerging as one of today's most exciting and original young composers. He was born in Montana to American and Turkish parents. His early musical training was in Turkey at the Ankara and Izmir conservatories. Later he attended the Oberlin Conservatory and the Eastman School of Music, where he earned a Doctorate. Among his teachers were Christopher Rouse and Joseph Schwantner. He is currently a member of the music faculty at the University of Memphis. About Fantasie of a Sudden Turtle the composer writes: "First of all the title has nothing to do with ninja turtles. The contradiction between sudden and turtle is a reflection of my love for contrast and also represents this particular turtle's desire to do a lot of things it cannot. The work consists of a sequence of fantasies, dreams that a turtle might have." About Kac! (Escape from "A") Ince writes: "Kac has the meaning in Turkish of How many? or Escape. The work contains extreme contrasts with sections ranging from complete stasis to raw, savage activity." And finally about Kocekce Ince writes: "Kocekce is the name of a folk dance found in the Black Sea region of Turkey. The music is always very fast with constant irregular meters. It is usually played by the Kemence, a string instrument similar in size to a small violin." Contents: Kamran Ince, composer Fantasie of a Sudden Turtle for Piano Quartet Susan Waterbury, violin, Leonard Schranze, viola, Paul Gmeinder, cello, Kamran Ince, piano Kamran Ince, composer Tracing for Cello and Piano Paul Gmeinder, cello, Kamran Ince, piano Kamran Ince, composer Lines for Violin and Piano Susan Waterbury, violin, Kamran Ince, piano Kamran Ince, composer Kac! (Escape! From "A") for Alto Saxophone, Percussion & Piano Allen Rippe, saxophone, James Baird, percussion, Kamran Ince, piano Kamran Ince, composer Kocekce for Violin and Piano Susan Waterbury, violin, Kamran Ince, piano Review: "Kamran Ince's music continues to gain in maturity and depth. The piano quartet Fantasie of a Sudden Turtle is his best piece that I have heard. It is engaging and challenging, where many pieces, including much of Ince's earlier work, are happy just to engage. Ince's music still has its post-minimalist rhythmic drive, but now the composer's gestural and harmonic vocabularies are much wider, and his expressive range has blossomed accordingly. The performances here are uniformly outstanding, and the recording is spacious and clear." (American Record Guide)