University of Nebraska–Lincoln Marguerite Scribante Professor of Piano Paul Barnes’ new CD titled “New Generations” will be released by Orange Mountain Music on Nov. 20. The CD is available on iTunes and Amazon and other retail outlets.
“This is the culminating event of a two-year project,” Barnes said. “I’m thrilled with how well the recording came out and look forward to many CD release recitals in the future.”
“New Generations” celebrates Barnes’ 20-year association and collaboration with composer Philip Glass, as well as younger composers including Jason Bahr, N. Lincoln Hanks, Zack Stanton, Ivan Moody, Lucas Floyd and Jonah Gallagher.
Disc one includes eight tracks of Glass’ music, including the newly published Piano Etudes No. 5, 6, 8, 11, 16, 18 and 20, as well as “Dreaming Awake” (2003).
Disc two includes Bahr’s “Two Preludes,” Stanton’s “Scene Route,” Hanks’ “Monstre Sacré,” Floyd’s “Piano Thoughts, Vol. II,” Moody’s “Fioriture” and Gallagher’s “Ad infinitum.”
“Each piece is just an incredibly different musical impression,” Barnes said. “The sonic result is a breathtaking panorama of the energetic and expressive landscape that is 21st century piano music.”
Barnes’ project began last Fall when he was booked to be the convention artist for The Christian Fellowship of Art Music Composers national festival (CFAMC) in Los Angeles and selected pieces from this group of composers for his program.
“In this recital, I had someone in his 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s,” Barnes said. “I had a composer writing through every generation.”
And thus, the title “New Generations” was born. Gallagher was just a sophomore at Biola University when Barnes selected to play his piece last Fall.
“He was the youngest composer I had every programmed in my life,” Barnes said. “I realized this program I was doing had this interesting generational span, where I had this 21-year-old kid all the way up to Philip Glass, who is in his late 70s.”
The CD was recorded last May in Kimball Recital Hall on campus with Assistant Professor of Composition Tom Larson serving as the recording engineer. Barnes has received support from the Hixson-Lied Endowment and the Glenn Korff School of Music for the recording.
“As with my two other solo piano recordings on Orange Mountain Music, it was a joy to work with Tom Larson on the recording and editing process,” Barnes said. “I’m extremely proud of the final result and happy to be at an institution that supports the creation and promotion of new music.”
Barnes is excited about bringing this new repertoire to more people.
“My job is working with young musicians, and it’s my job to inspire them,” he said. “When they realize there are young composers writing music that is so exciting and is really fun to play, then it gets them involved in that creative aspect.”
He noted the response he received at the concert in Los Angeles last year.
“The recital I gave in Los Angeles got a standing ovation, and nobody in the audience had heard one note of any of this music before,” he said. “That to me is a huge sign that there’s hope for the future of classical music. If it all goes well, it can really move and touch people and get them really excited. That means there is a future for what we do, so that’s really important.”
Barnes has already performed the recital version of “New Generations” in Portland, Los Angeles, Seoul, New York and Vienna. His upcoming performances include Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, on Jan. 20, Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers on Feb. 4 and at the Amalfi Coast Music Festival in Maiori, Italy, this July.
The official CD release recital in Lincoln, Nebraska, will be on March 2, 2016, at 7:30 p.m. in Kimball Recital Hall. A reception will follow the performance. Copies of the CD will be available for sale, and Barnes will sign autographs at the reception.
“There is no better way to celebrate this CD release than a recital at the institution that made it possible,” he said. “I have so many dear friends and supporters here in Nebraska and cannot wait to play for them on March 2.”
To view some videos of Barnes’ performances of the tracks on “New Generations,” visit http://go.unl.edu/pbarnes.