Episode 4: Magenta

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(36MB MP3, you may need to right-click and choose "save target as") You can also read the announcement on Magenta's website.

Magenta:
Opus 3, from the 2004 EP "Broken"
Arrival, from the 2006 Album "New York Suite"

Howard Hanson: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
ii. Allegro molto ritmico
iv. Allegro giocoso

Rob Reed:
Theme, from his upcoming album ChimpanA

Magenta: The White Witch
from their first album "Revolutions" (2001):
iv. Reflection
v. The Spell

Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 5
iii. Allegro molto

Rob Reed:
Future One, from ChimpanA

Magenta:
Essence of Love, instrumental from
    upcoming 2006 single with
    Annie Haslam
Anger, from the 2004 album "Seven"
Joe, from the 2006 album "Home"

Notes:

About Magenta
The Welsh band Magenta was originally conceived as a studio project by Rob Reed; the first release, in 2001, "Revolutions" is a 2-CD album with four long suites of music (sound familiar, Yes fans?) on which Rob played most of the instruments himself and the talented Christina Booth provided most lead vocals. Success of the music led to demand for live shows, and thus Magenta became one of the most impressive new bands in progressive rock, with three albums, several shorter EPs, and a live DVD to their credit and much more on the way.

Rob Reed, primary composer and keyboardist for Magenta, has composed several short orchestral pieces, two of which premiere for the first time ever in this episode. They will appear on his upcoming side project release, "ChimpanA."

While Rob cites the classic '70s progressive bands as his chief influences, he is strongly influenced by classical music as well. Among his favorite composers are Debussy, Holst, Mathius, Sibelius, and modern film composers John Barry and John Williams. One of Rob's favorite symphonies is Sibelius' 5th, of which the final movement is featured on our show.

About Jean Sibelius
Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) is one the most important composers of the 19th and 20th centuries, and is often cited as a favorite by prog musicians. He is best known for his seven symphonies. His approach to this medium is quite unique, in that he often introduces several short musical "motives," which eventually combine to form the structure and melody of the entire piece. Other important works include the Finnish National Anthem "Finlandia" and a very "proggy" violin concerto, which will be featured in an upcoming episode.

About Howard Hanson
As I was listening to Magenta's "New York Suite," the parallels between it and the music of American composer Howard Hanson (1896-1981) suddenly came to me.

Hanson was the director of the Eastman School of Music for many years. Among his many accomplishments, Hanson developed a new theoretical approach to composition, which he called "Set Theory," which can be applied both to tonal and atonal systems. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his Symphony No. 4, subtitled Requiem. The two movements of his Piano Concerto featured in this episode demonstrate several similarities with Magenta's music, most notably its contrasts between exciting percussive sections and beautiful quiet passages, and in the use of time signatures that mix beat patterns of 3 and 2 (as in 7-8 time) which are so popular in progressive rock, and used extensively by Magenta.

Magenta Song Synopses
Magenta's music often has thought provoking lyrics, penned by Steve Reed (Rob's brother). Steve lists Delius and Vaughan Williams among his favorite composers. Notes on the stories behind each of the selections played on the show follow:

Home & The New York Suite: Just released in June of 2006, this album tells the story of a struggling young woman who leaves her home in Liverpool to find hope in America. The New York Suite comprises one CD, with for tracks telling of her "Arrival" and eventual departure from that city, while Home tells the rest of the story. Among the people she meets in her travels is Joe, a Native American whose insights lead her toward the hope she was seeking, and eventually back to her home.

The White Witch: All four epics on the double first album "Revolutions" deal with different facets of faith. This work tells of a woman , initially despised by her fellow villages for being a "witch," who through her knowledge of magic and herbs is able to save her village from a plague.

Anger: comes from their second album "Seven," which presents unique treatment of the deadly sins. Rather than focusing on the more obvious facets of this emotion, like rage or animosity, the lyrics express grieving and anger toward God at the loss of loved one -- though I hear strains of hope coming through as well.

Essence of Love: Magenta will soon be releasing Night and Day, a single that will feature the vocals of Annie Haslam, formerly the vocalist of the famous progressive rock group Renaissance. Annie has become an accomplished painter; the instrumental track "Essence of Love" was inspired by Annie's cover artwork for the project, and is presented here for the first time to the public. Click here for more information about this upcoming release.

Essence of Love, artwork by Annie Haslam
(used by permission)

More Information:

Wikipedia:
Magenta
Howard Hanson
    (Set Theory)
Jean Sibelius
Annie Haslam

Websites:
Magenta
Annie Haslam

Some of the information presented here and in the recorded show was taken from e-mail correspondence with band members.

I'd like to thank the members of Magenta for their input and the opportunity to premiere new music.