Composer William Susman (courtesy of Crossover Media)
It has been a while since I have encountered a new album of compositions by William Susman: almost five and a half years to be specific. Over that time I wrote about three of his previous albums on Belarca Records, as well as Nicolas Horvath’s recording of Quiet Rhythms, Book I. The title of his latest Belarca release is Scattered Threads, which accounts for six works composed between 1974 and 2013 scored for violin and piano.
The title of one of the selections is “Seven Scenes for Four Violins,” which was composed in 2011. The violinist is Dylan Hamme, accounting for all four instruments through overdubbing. The other five tracks are duo performances, with Susman accompanying Hamme at the keyboard on the final track. The pianist for the remaining four tracks is Nicole Brancato.
“Quiet” continues to be the operative adjective in Susman’s compositions. When I wrote about the release of his album A Quiet Madness in January of 2021, I cited the advance material I had received, which described him as “working in a post-modern, post-minimalist language.” These days reflections on that language run the gamut all the way from aggravating to sincerely nostalgic. I have done my best to keep my own impressions midway between those two extremes.
Nevertheless, in the context of technology now at our disposal, I suspect that many listeners are likely to appreciate Susman’s work by listening to individual tracks, each with its own merits, rather than an entire album.
