The two works recorded here were both commissioned and premiered by the New York Philharmonic. Both works, in their distinctively individual ways, exploit the infinitely rich varieties of orchestral color available. Like all of George Crumb's music, A Haunted Landscape is a unique sonic experience, tone color being paramount. Of this work, Crumb says, " The title reflects my feeling that certain places on the planet Earth are imbued with an aura of mystery…The contemplation of a landscape can induce complex psychological states, and perhaps music is an ideal medium for delineating the tiny, subtle nuances of emotion and sensibility that hover between the subliminal and the unconscious."
William Schuman's Three Colloquies (Rumination, Renewal, Remembrance) progresses emotionally and harmonically from the clanging, dissonant seven-note chords that open Rumination to the peaceful chorale of major triads that closes Remembrance. The outer movements are in slow tempi-the first dramatic, the last lyrical. The central and largest movement is a lively symphonic scherzo. There are no pauses between movements.
