Musica De Palladium

CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL
Puerto Rican composer, Dan Roman, presents several short chamber-music suites plus one longer piece. The variety of styles and instrumentation makes for a pleasing and interesting listen. While minimal, the music is quite listenable with mainly tonal, lyric melodies. Can be played as suites or as individual tracks.

All instrumental. No FCC issues

* “Musica de Palladium”, a suite for violin, viola, cello, and piano
1 Slow. Short prelude. Piano arpeggios & gentle bowed strings. (1.22)
2 ** Mid-fast. Urgent bowed strings; loud expressive piano. Exhilarating. (3:25)
3 ** Slow. Lovely, warm, legato strings. Music-box piano. (4:14)
4 Fast. Complex, syncopated, anxious. (4:36)


** “La Machina Line”, a suite for alto saxophone and viola
5 ** Mid-fast. Bouncy, exuberant counterpoint. (4:12)
6 * Slow. Pastoral tone poem. Sax has beautiful bassoon-like tone. (4:22)
7 ** Mid-tempo. Playful, impish melody on sax, mimicked by viola. (3:54)


“Retrospectos”, a suite for cello and piano
8 Fast, light-fingered piano accompaniment. Deep angry theme on cello. (2:14)
9 Very slow. Thoughtful, searching cello. Minimal accompaniment on piano. (3:51)
10 ** Fast. Alternating pizzicato/arco cello. Some jazzy passages. (3:16)
11 Very slow. Quiet, eerie start. Merest hint of piano. Second half quite melodic. (4:49)
12 Fast. Piano & cello chase each other around. (3:56)


“Fabulas”, a suite for violin and piano
13 Very fast. Little repeated figure on violin. Piano pounds fff and strums inside. (3:00)
14 Very slow. Passionate violin with miles of vibrato. Piano like dripping water. (5:00)
15 Very fast. Much like #13, but with added pizzicato sections. (3:40)


“Passing Puntos”, a longer work for violin, cello, and piano
16 Fast; slow; fast. Violin & piano locked in a duel. Steady cello. Dramatic. (10:00)