Ricks Orchestra & Chamber CD

General Info:
This CD is 1 of 6 CDs that together total over 60 musical compositions and are a representative sampling of over 800 musical compositions composed by Richard Strunk over the course of the past 3 decades (1974 - 2007). A substantial number of Rick's 800+ musical compositions are Classical pieces for solo instrumental players and include works for almost all the instruments existing within the modern symphony orchestra. There is also a large body of chamber music by Rick composed for both Classical ensembles such as String Quartets; Piano Trios etc, plus much that is written for Jazz quartets and quintets that utilize the fusing of either Pop song and/or Classical work with Jazz, as well as electronic music and some larger orchestra works too. Occasionally Rick has also written some Pop/Rock tunes through the years too. More CDs are coming soon. Enjoy!

Description:
Symphony For Strings (M 1) was first performed electronically at the Mighty Fine Cafe (NE Mpls) using a piano transcription for synthesized strings. It is the first movement of 10 movements making up my Symphony For Strings. The entire works duration is approximately 1 hour. A strong yet smooth opening movement without the hard edged interval quality of many of my works in the 3rd stream genre.

Description:
(?c. ‘80ish) String Quartet No. 1 is for 1st Violin; 2nd Violin, Viola, and ‘Cello. This work is in 4 movements and is entirely based on various versions of the interval succession ‘11-6-1-6’. A modified version of Milton Babbits Rhythm Time Point method was also used for determining pitch duration and the structure of the movements. It has a real midwest sound to it possibly on an overcast day in the plains of kansas with a brooding thunderstorm making up its mind to form or not. Or a sunset with forbidding clouds beginning to form and deepen the night to gloom yet with rifts showing up in the clouds now here and there to see some stars yet shining. Or make up your own program.
4:46 Movement No. 1
1:50 Movement No. 2
0:29 Movement No. 3
1:50 Movement No. 4

Description:
This work is an arrangement of one of my Kaleidoscopic piano pieces after JS Bach that is designed to reach out to non-classical listeners in a 3rd-stream tradition rather like some of Frank Zappa’s works. It is composed with a 12-tone methodology with its interval logic having been reconfigured wholistically from the original intervals within the piece and has a flavor that is quite unique and is a part of my series of 3rd stream compositions. Its got whistles and plenty of other fun timbers too. One of the Coolest Classical Small Orchestra Pieces Ever!

"Rock the Nation!"

Description:
This work was originally an Art Song I composed in 1975 using the poem 'Sea Fever' by John Masefield. Later I scored it for oboe and piano. The words that go with the melody are by John Masefield. The music mimics and expresses the mood of the text throughout. The link below pop ups the poem or text used to compose this work.

See Text

Description:
In 1978 while attending Grinnell College I was living off campus in a rather old House that had been converted into several apartments. I shared a bathroom with the other apartment on the 2nd floor, Larry's apartment. Larry a young butcher living in the other second floor apartment allowed me to use his kitchen table to write this composition since my apartment was too small to have any table. I used this experience as a title for one of my early Small Orchestra minimalist works. This music was composed in that apartment's kitchen area; I wrote most of the work sitting at Larry's kitchen table and thus the name.

This composition was my first minimalist work for a larger Ensemble and is scored for a small a \orchestra. The work was later performed in Herrick Chapel that same year with the New Music Association or Grinnell College Jazz Orchestra that both David Unger and I co-conducted for that semester. Plus some of the performance Instructors also sat in and played in its premier. It was a very successful performance and a lot of fun although the number of musicians performing it might have been a bit greater than the number of people in the audience.

Description:
(c. 4 /6 / ‘99) This work was very much intuitively composed in the way that I manipulated the interval content to try to musically depict the sorrow and reality of losing ones home as well as a lament for all the dead. The motor rhythms depict a walking stride in the first and third movements. Having been homeless myself, I felt a real kinship with the Kosovo refugee plight of that time.

The Kosovo String Trio is scored in 3 Movements for Violin, ‘Cello, Electric Bass.
-Movement 1 Walking Aimlessly Away From Home (10-1-10)
after 2-Part Invention No. 3 by J. S. Bach
-Movement 2 Lament For The Dead (10-1-10)
after 2-Part Invention No. 1 by J. S. Bach
-Movement 3 Walking Home (2-5-2)
after 2-Part Invention No. 2 by J. S. Bach

Description:
(c. Sept. / ‘99) The 'Homeless Quartet' is a Clarinet Quartet for Clarinet, Violin, ‘Cello and Piano. Originally composed as a 1st movement for a larger 5 movement work it is now a single composition in its own right. It is composed with a 12-tone methodology with its interval logic of (10-1-10) having been reconfigured wholistically from the original intervals within the piece after Bird’s Constellation . This work again focuses on integrating Classical & Jazz traditions. Stylistically, it sounds very much like a harsh Jazz BeBop, but is composed with a 12-tone methodology with its interval logic having been reconfigured within the piece making it a part of my series of 3rd stream compositions. All of these Kaleidoscopic pieces can be thought of also as variations on the original composition.

This work has hybrid orientations with an organic combination of elements from diverse sources, such as a Bartok like classical primitivism with a hard bopping jazz base. The melodic and harmonic intervals used in a constant pulse of 8th notes helps to express the seemingly unending anxiety, frustration, and anger that one becomes accustomed to when one is homeless (Not knowing where the next meal will come from or where to find a place to sleep for the night).

Composer Bio:

Born in Casper,WY in the summer of 1957, Richard Byron Strunk by age 4 was taking piano lessons at his pre-nursery school. In the late ‘70’s & early ‘80s at Grinnell College he studied advance piano techniques with concert pianist John Jensen & musical composition with composers Alan Leichtling (Student of the great composers Darius Mihaud & Vincent Persichetti), and Jon Wellstead, and Lee Cloud (Students of the great experimental American composer Peter Todd Lewis). Mr. Strunk’s early electronic works and conceptually-based instrumental compositions earned him the reputation early on in College as a pioneer within the Advance Front of New Music. His works to date cover a wide and diverse spectrum of musical types embodying both conservative elements and radical innovations.

"A true innovator, full of life and passion, Richard Byron Strunk's music embodies conservative elements and radical innovations. His repertoire includes Classical, Jazz, New Age, Minimalist, Rock & too many to list! Such diversity enables Listeners from all walks of life to relate to Strunk's works." * Sonic Awareness

Mr Strunk originated the kaleidoscopic music method in the late 1970's & very early 1980’s and it is essentially a way to make Cubist music in any genre. His purpose in doing this was because he saw a need in the fragmented craft of modern music of bridge building between the fragmented orientations of listeners.

The kaleidoscopic music method allowed for the expansion of the Musical Form Theme and Variations to Composition and Variations and was originated by Mr. Strunk. Unfortunately, like numerous other original contributions that Mr. Strunk has made through the years from the fringes of society accurate and appropriate accreditation will probably be long in coming if ever. Today it is not significance which makes for fame, but fame which makes for significance. Today one may originate an important idea and gain no recognition for so doing. either another at a later date derivatively comes up with a similar notion and successfully popularizes it; or by word-of-mouth it is eventually picked up by another who again is more adept at popularizing and advertising the idea 2nd hand then actually having any real substantive capacity for creating such an idea in the first place; but because of being well networked and so adept at being able to popularize this idea they actually are given the accreditation and acknowledgement of having originated the idea when this was not and is not the case. Today, Significance does not make Fame but sadly Fame makes significance.

Today to accomplish and originate a significant idea or work does not insure that accurate and appropriate accreditation or acknowledgement will follow; its politics in the Arts now and those who one knows and those that know you means much more then any significant accomplishment in ones work or inventive accomplishment in ones musical craft or Art. Sadly, Vincent in today's world would still be tragically left on the fringes and pretty much ignored. For more information on this sad state of affairs please see Rick's essay called 'Western Musical Culture.'

In the early ‘90’s Mr. Strunk was diagnosed with a severely functionally debilitating illness and his career seemed over. Yet even with being beset with both his illness, and being homeless for quite a number of months at several different times during this past decade, he continued to compose by gaining access to pianos in area churches. Much of the music he wrote during these difficult times reflects the beauty and joy of life rather than of only focusing on his suffering, and speaks to the heart, with substantive meaning for the mind, of one man’s triumph of hope persevering over despair.

Mr. Strunk believes that disability does not mean inability. Like many of the severely disabled, he is living proof that the disabled can and often do make valuable contributions to their communities and Society. All contributions from people at whatever level of development or recovery are valuable. Mr. Strunk's first steps in 1990 in occupational therapy of making a leather wallet and continuing on to his next projects that he had the then diminished capacity to do, helped him to redevelop and recover slowly over time his lost or damaged abilities necessary for the more involved and demanding musical constructions done in the late 1990's. The point is at whatever level of development one is currently at ones works are of value and even if ones life has not turned out for the best for whatever reason, life can get better and still be good with and even without our help for life is bigger then our understanding or aspirations; if one just keeps going.

Since 1990 after being diagnosed, he began treatment and steadily acquired new and useful skills for himself to better manage his illness. Prior to 1990 his ability to manage his illness and life was at best haphazard. Over the past 15 years he has salvaged the unfinished works of his young adult life and continued onward to further explore new intriguing musical possibilities and visual art too. Even with many needed breaks and working at a fairly slow pace due to his illness, he has over the long haul been able to accomplish much work. He has learned and is adept now in how to work within the limitations of his illness and how not to aggravate it unnecessarily. Today Mr. Strunk is quite successfully managing his illness, in part, thanks to some friends and family, a lot of patience, his medications, a number of helpful social programs, learning helpful skills and coping techniques to better manage his illness, constructive behaviors and productive projects, his commitment to Christ and church, his ethical sense, plus his own self-determination to recover, restore and make a good life for himself again.

When Mr. Strunk is not engaged in treatment for his illness; working on his Music and Visual Art projects or doing his household chores, he does enjoy watching a wide assortment of movies or playing computer games such as Baldurs Gate, Diablo, NeverWinterNights, and more recently EverQuest on the Mac server.

Currently Mr. Strunk has been exploring the New Salon Venue of performance for his works via Computer/Internet broadcasts and distribution of his music and visualizations now available for home listening and viewing on CD and DVD. Thus Like Chopin involved within the earlier tradition of the Old Style Salon recitals; Mr. Strunk's Music and visual works are being performed/played in the homey comfort of the modern audiences living rooms. To Date, Mr. Strunk has composed over 800 musical compositions.

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