Mamlok's scoring is vibrant and engaging, more so than that of any other American serialist this listener has encountered. The orchestral piece Constellations is a treasure trove of effective, short-duration timbral events. But Mamlok can also coax widely varied colors from small groupings, as the song cycle Der Andreas Garten amply demonstrates; the harp and flute writing here is imaginative and many-faceted. Her textures, while sometimes busy, are never opaque or dull. For example, the opening section of Girasol (a piece for mixed sextet) deftly interweaves contrapuntal lines with a nice ear for subtle contrast and clear overall unfolding. The composer's rhythmic sense is delightfully flexible, equally able to express timeless, seemingly unmeasured states (as in Der Andreas Garten) and intricate, engaging sprung-rhythm temperaments (as in the mixed quartet Polarities).
In those works where she uses older formats, Mamlok does so in a sophisticated and clever, not obvious or slavish, way. Girasol, while a set of variations, utilizes a germ melodic idea that readily submits to many roles, effectively serving as tune, bass line, inner voice, textural component, or background structural basis-thus keeping the sense of variation a subtle one. A cursory glance at the movement headings of Der Andreas Garten (which sport titles like "Rote Schiebe" and "Der Mond") might lead one to expect a Pierrot Lunaire clone, but despite occasional use of Sprechstimme, no toadying occurs here. The feel of this song cycle is autumnal and warm, not pathologically troubled, aided in part by the scoring but also in the way melodic and rhythmic ideas are expressed. The four-movement layout of Constellations suggests a small symphony, but the listener will search in vain for such things as scherzo-and-trio constructs. Instead, ties with older formats are delineated subtly. The first movement contains two melodic ideas, but does not use them to articulate a sonata-like entity. And the work's last movement makes conspicuous use of chorale-like material-in that sense, showing kinship to the finales of such symphonies as Brahms' First, Bruckner's Fifth, and D'Indy's Second -- while avoiding the traditional expression of the chorale as grand apotheosis.
Judging from the scores seen, this is not easy music to perform well, and bravos go to the fine ensembles appearing here: Parnassus, the Jubal Trio, the Cassatt Quartet, and the Seattle Symphony. All play wonderfully. Sound quality and editing are first-rate.
Sadly, Mamlok's worthy music is not as well known as that of some of her fellow serialists; this reviewer believes that she compares favorably to the most celebrated of her colleagues. This fine CD is a great place to discover her splendid talents.