Recordings

IO (New World Records)

“Margaret Lancaster has burst onto the scene as our leading proponent of the avant-garde flute . . . What distinguishes Lancaster is her versatility, her willingness to let her flute be the focus of anything from technopop to theater to tap dancing, along with a breathless fluidity of line that raises every performance above the merely technically correct….”—Kyle Gann, Village Voice

This gathering of music by five composers spanning more than 70 years demonstrates the richness and possibility of the stylistic freedom that is sometimes called the American experimental tradition. Timelessly potent for their careful exploration of musical material, these are works which have no cause to be esoteric, by leading American composers who deserve much higher regard. And in the hands of a performer and new-music advocate, Margaret Lancaster, who curates her repertoire with an attention to a continuum which composer Johanna Beyer calls “future, present, past,” we are given the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of how this tradition lives. These are all, with the exception of Seegersong #2, world-premiere recordings.

Sample Track: Daughter of Piker by Larry Polansky

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Download Liner Notes (PDF)

Robin Redbreast, for voice and piccolo (Corey Dargel and Margaret Lancaster, respectively, in fine performances), contrasts with the other pieces on the program in that it consists of a fairly straight forward melodic line in the voice, birdsong-like figuration in the piccolo part…The final work on this compelling disc is FlamingO, a large scale exercise in groovy eclectics.  It is one of the best uses of post-minimalist techniques I’ve heard.  The rhythmic patterns pile up in an almost Carterian maelstrom, only to resolve in a peaceful and musical satisfying swirl…The music and performances on Tell the Birds feel more lived in and spontaneous, and that’s just one reason i highly recommend this disc. — Steve Hicken, Sequenza 21

Flutist Margaret Lancaster, violinist Whitney LaGrange, and alto saxophonist Taimur Sullivan, the respective performers in Tweety, Panic, and Airline, play with great dexterity and virtuosic accuracy, and their compelling performances give Krause’s music a vibrant human dimension that is less evident in teh computerized soundscapes. – Blair Sanderson, AllMusic Guide to Classical Music

“Every piece is nearly flawless, exciting and played with tremendous passion.  All of the soloists (for example, Margaret Lancaster, flute) are consistently hailed for fine playing, so another heap of praise seems superlative.  If you know the players, and you should, you know you are in for a treat.”– Christopher Chaffee, American Record Guide.