Alongside his achievements as improvising pianist, Chick Corea was always interested in written music, both as composer and player. His album Lyric Suite for Sextet was nominated for a Grammy Award 1984 in the Classical category. An earlier, decisive step in this direction was with the composition Septet, commissioned by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for the New World Festival in Miami in 1982.
Septet is an intricate chamber music piece in five movements. Chick suggested that its inspirational roots might be found in Stravinsky, the French Impressionists and composers of the Vienna School. “Writing the Septet,” he said, “was my first venture as a composer into creating a through-written piece of this length and complexity. I must say I had great fun doing it. I began with no idea of the form but only the idea that I would improvise the form as I wrote. The rhythmic independency of each part is what creates the technical challenge of playing the piece.”
The album also includes Chick Corea’s composition ”The Temple of Isfahan”.
Tracklist:
Septet
1 1st Movement 1:56
2 2nd Movement 2:16
3 3rd Movement 8:00
4 4th Movement 5:24
5 5th Movement 9:47
6 The Temple Of Isfahan 13:47
Cello – Fred Sherry
Design [Cover Design] – Barbara Wojirsch
Engineer – Bernie Kirsh
Engineer [Assistant Engineer] – Jeff Vaughn
Engineer [Mixing] – Martin Wieland
Flute – Steve Kujala
French Horn – Peter Gordon
Piano, Composed By, Producer, Liner Notes – Chick Corea
Viola – Steven Tenenbom
Violin – Ida Kavafian, Theodore Arm
