Gubaidulina is one of the rare figures in the history of music who is truly original. Now Always Snow is radiant and permanent. Ashoka's Dream , Lieberson's first opera, is both splashy and stirring in its revealing of the majesty of its storytelling. It is passionate music in which one feels the force of progress and senses not only its power but also the scariness of change. Perhaps opera's single most meaningful contribution to civilization is its ability to uniquely convey monumental personal conversion.
Melodies seem to coagulate in space and quickly dissipate.
Even a passing dissonance flows into an irresistible stream, and it leaves you with a sense of unshakable wonder. The Silver River skillfully fuses eastern and western musical impulses, merging song, speech and movement, with tight percussion-laced rhythms. With a sweet simplicity, their chamber opera creates magic before our eyes. Tower's breathtakingly coloured Piano Concerto mesmerized the ear and took us over the top. She is a brilliant orchestrator and an extraordinary colourist, with an exotic musical imagination.