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.

 

 

 

Bioplasm

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"[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