What does this sound like?<<<
I'm lousy at describing this music. Downtown Music Gallery has this to say: ELLIOTT SHARP - Racing Hearts/Tessalation Row/Calling (HR.Musik.De 0018) 'Racing Hearts' (1998) and 'Calling' (2001) are both performed by the Radio-Sinfonie Orchestre of Frankfurt, while 'Tessalation Row' (1986, revised 1996) is performed by a string quintet from members of Ensemble Modern. "Racing Hearts" is a marvelous work in which focused orchestral fragments balance between spacious and dense areas. "Tessalation Row" is an intense and frenzied work that evokes the restless spirit of many of Elliott's early pieces. "Calling" is certainly one of Elliott's richest and most varied works. It begins with some ominous, churning strings and evolves through some stark, suspenseful areas and moves through a variety of kaleidoscopic waves. While I occasionally find some of Elliott's music too exhausting, this piece works wonders, the (invisible) thread which holds it together is not hard to follow, it makes perfect sense. This cd includes a most informative 38 page booklet. Limited supply of this German import CD for $20. While I never find Sharp's work 'too exhausting' and enjoy him the more 'intense and frenzied' he gets, the relatively varied dynamic range of the orchestral pieces is delightfully satisfying. Minimalist expressionism? I'm also enjoying Rowe/Tilbury's 'Duos For Doris' as well as Ducret's 'big band' offering 'Qui parle?.' I've come back from a several year focus on singer-songwriters to find these instrumental works most gratifying.