Home
Bio
Works
Concerts
Contact
Recordings
Commissions
Dial-a-Mood
Links
Essays
Jazz/Film/TV
Purchase
Alex Shapiro, composer email
Above and Beyond: Bioplasm

 

Above and Beyond


(
LAFQ Records
The Los Angeles Flute Quartet
0605

featuring
Alex Shapiro's
Bioplasm

recorded by
The Los Angeles Flute Quartet:

Colleen Carroll, Eileen Holt Helwig,
Peter Sheridan and Lisa-Maree Amos.


This CD also includes works by:
J.S. Bach, W.A. Mozart, Christopher Caliendo, Joseph Jongen, Lalo Schifrin, Arvo Part and Mark Lathan.


Bioplasm has been featured on many radio broadcasts across the United States, including repeatedly on the Modern Masterpieces series on Los Angeles' classical KUSC-FM 89.5, and on New Sounds on New York City's WNYC-FM.


 

Above and Beyond CD

 

Purchase

Amazon.com link

Apple Music link

Read about Bioplasm

read
Listen:

 

Hear pitched key clicks

hear

Hear singing and playing; faster

hear

Hear pitch bending,
end surprise

hear

  Purchase the score
and parts
more
     
     

 

Bioplasm

L.A. Flute Quartet

The Bioplasm recording session with The Los Angeles Flute Quartet
at Citrus Studios 3/27/04.
From left to right: Colleen Carroll, Lisa-Maree Amos, Alex Shapiro,
Peter Sheridan, and Eileen Holt Helwig.

 

 

     
 

 

 

Stretching the boundaries of flute quartet repertoire, Alex composed Bioplasm for the ever-daring Los Angeles Flute Quartet. Bioplasm takes flutes to new territory in a piece that the Quartet members declared expanded their concepts of what a flute ensemble could be. You'll just have to hear the whole piece on Above and Beyond, which the Quartet performs live as brilliantly as they do in this recording.

 

Bioplasm was the result of Alex being named the 2004 California MTNA Commissioned Composer by the California Assn. of Professional Music Teachers, and it won a 2005 award from the Music Teachers National Association. The piece, which includes two bass flutes, two alto flutes, two C flutes and a piccolo, is created with many extended techniques including percussive pitched key clicks, pitch bending, and vocalizing while playing, as can be heard in the audio excepts below.

 
 

The Los Angeles Flute Quartet premiering Bioplasm
in Long Beach, California, February 2004.

 

 

 
     

 

At the recording session, from left to right: Colleen Carroll, Lisa-Maree Amos, Alex Shapiro,
engineer Mike Aarvold, Eileen Holt-Helwig, co-producer John Steinmetz,
and Peter Sheridan, all poised to attack with a full arsenal of weapons.

 

 

 

     

 

 

Above and Beyond CD Tray

 

 

     
 

 

Reviews

 

 
American Record Guide

 

The Jan/Feb 2006 issue of the American Record Guide gave a terrific review to Above and Beyond. Christopher L. Chaffee writes, "I am especially taken with the Shapiro "Bioplasm," a slightly bizarre but attractive new piece. I hope other flutists play it too."

 

 

 

 

"[Bioplasm] was a particular favorite, receiving strong gusts of applause and even shouts of approval. As such, it was a well chosen finale, sending the audience home in an elated mood."

 

—Jules Langert, San Francisco Classical Voice

 

 

"A welcome flair for showmanship. Right from the start their collective sounds bloomed!"

 

—Richard Ginell, The Los Angeles Times

 

 

"A brilliant and satisfying offering of original and arranged music for four flutes. The use of bass flute as percussion is not to be missed. A welcomed addition to anyone's collection of woodwind music. Especially delightful for flute aficionados."

 

—Laura Brodian KMZT-FM, Los Angeles

 

 

"From the evidence of their new CD Above and Beyond, with its commissioned works (especially Alex Shapiro's "Bioplasm"), the LA Flute Quartet seems poised to become the "Kronos" of the flute!"

 

—Martin Perlich, KCSN-FM radio, Los Angeles

 

 

"An inspiring recording of music for flutes. Wonderful transcriptions and original works showing off the beauty and versatility of chamber music for the flute family."

 

—Amazon.com

 

 

 

 


Alex Shapiro, composer email2
Home
Bio
Works
Concerts
Contact
Recordings
Commissions
Dial-a-Mood
Links
Essays
Jazz/Film/TV
Purchase

©2000-2024 by Alex Shapiro. All rights reserved to design and content.