Lost Atlantis/Trinity

by Barry Schrader

Overview

This CD salvages two electro-acoustic works composed by Barry Schrader in the mid-'70s on the Buchla 200, a keyboardless analog modular synthesizer. Not only were these pieces realized on a little-known instrument, but also they were originally quadraphonic. Few are the composers who truly mastered Buchla's innovative instruments and the quadraphonic electro-acoustic repertoire has been all but lost, so this CD is a very welcome release, both in terms of music history and listening enjoyment, for these two works remain fascinating, regardless of how they were conceived. "Trinity" (1976, 15 minutes) is a rather formalist exercise in theme and variations, where the theme consists of sound shapes instead of notes. It is dry, but it exploits and showcases the possibilities of the Buchla 200 to a nice extent, while featuring a high level of aesthetic elegance. In comparison, the 40-minute "Lost Atlantis" (1977) is gorgeously evocative, its sound poetry often reminiscent of Francis Dhomont's Cycle de l'Errance. A suite in ten parts (grouped into six tracks), the work depicts the lost continent as described by Plato in his Critias. The music is imbued with mystery, its reliance on non-melodic material empowering it with an ageless appeal that could as well be ancient. Schrader makes use of a wide palette of tones and textures, and his sense of space and drama create a mysterious place in which the listener is eager to lose himself or herself. "The Gardens of Cleito," especially, achieves a touching form of grace that is light-years away from the rigors of "Trinity." Recommended. ~ Francois Couture

Product Details

Release Date:	01/18/2005
Label:	Innova
UPC:	0726708662929
Rank:	204901

Tracks

1. Trinity
2. Lost Atlantis: Introduction: The Pillars of Hercules. the Great Harbor
3. Lost Atlantis: The Gardens of Cleito
4. Lost Atlantis: The Temple of Poseidon. The Dance of the Gods
5. Lost Atlantis: The Gathering of the Kings: The Hunting of the Bulls
6. Lost Atlantis: The Mystery Rites of Purification
7. Lost Atlantis: The Destruction of Atlantis. Epilogue "... and Atlantis Shall Rise."

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Barry Schrader   Primary Artist
Philip Blackburn   Director

Technical Credits

David Kean   Photography
Grant Richter   Photography
Barry Schrader   Composer,Digital Transfers
Sam Hernandez   Photography
Gary Chang   Engineer,Producer,Mastering
Peter Grenader   Art Direction,Graphic Design
Chris Campbell   Assistant
John Gilbert   Digital Transfers,Transfer Engineer
B. Hyams   Photography
Dennis Gilbert   Photography
Barry Ober   Transfer Engineer
Chris Strouth   Artist Direction,Production Director