Praise for Rands’ “now again”— fragments from Sappho

November saw the world premiere of Bernard Rands’ “now again”- fragments from Sappho at the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia performed by the Network for New Music. David Patrick Stearns of The Philadelphia Inquirer praised Rands’ ability to effectively ‘enshrine’ the Greek poet Sappho and applauded the composer’s setting of the ancient poetic verse, writing:

“Rands seized upon the fragmentary qualities of surviving Sappho verse, drawing the ear deeper into speculative implication… The piece had a wonderful strangeness and mystery… with a diverse instrumentation deftly employing effects from alto flute, muted trumpet and two non-soloist singers answering and commenting upon the main text.  You longed for an instant encore.  As with all great pieces, so much was implied by so little.”

For more information on Bernard Rands please visit www.schott-music.com

Learn more about the Network for New Music at www.networkfornewmusic.org