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George Crumb - Makrokosmos II, Twelve Fantasy Pieces after the Zodiac (1972) [Audio + Score]
Alluding to Bartók’s Mikrokosmos, the first and second volumes of Crumb’s Makrokosmos bear the subtitle Twelve Fantasy-Pieces after the Zodiac. They require the pianist to go beyond that which is concrete and comfortable-beyond the security of the keyboard. For the listener, these pieces toe the line that separates fantasy from reality. They explore a world in which dreams can seem real and reality an illusion, leaving us to question the sources of otherworldly sounds-whether they are part of Crumb’s plan, or merely aural figments of our own imagination.
Crumb was born into a musical family in Charleston, West Virginia. After completing a master’s degree at the University of Illinois, Crumb enrolled for doctoral studies with Ross Lee Finney at the University of Michigan. Finney’s meticulous approach to musical notation is reflected in the exquisite calligraphy that distinguishes Crumb’s manuscripts, as evidenced in the last piece of each part of Makrokosmos II.
BIOGRAPHY
George Crumb (1929-2022) is one of the most frequently performed composers in today's musical world. Crumb was the winner of Grammy and Pulitzer Prizes. Crumb's music often juxtaposes contrasting musical styles, ranging from music of the western art-music tradition, to hymns and folk music, to non-Western musics. Many of Crumb's works include programmatic, symbolic, mystical and theatrical elements, which are often reflected in his beautiful and meticulously notated scores.
A shy, yet warmly eloquent personality, Crumb retired from his teaching position at the University of Pennsylvania after more than 30 years of service. Honored by numerous institutions with honorary Doctorates, and the recipient of dozens of awards and prizes, Crumb made his home in Pennsylvania, in the same house where he and his wife of more than 60 years raised their three children. George Crumb's music is published by C.F. Peters and an ongoing series of "Complete Crumb" recordings, supervised by the composer, is being issued on Bridge Records.