Ordering Suggestions from Michael Robinson
My music is intended for close, even meditational listening, with elements of both adbhuta rasa (exhilaration) and shanta rasa (tranquility). There is an expressive feel different from live musicians that may deter some, but hopefully, you will give my medium an opportunity beyond that traditional expectation, and allow the import of the music to manifest. For an introduction to my music, I suggest any of the CDs from the first two categories. These CDs represent my current musical direction, which uses the meruvina and Indian ragas as a basis for composition. That said, Chinese Legend (1997), Kaunsi Kanada (2000) and Darbari Kanada (2007) are good places to start. The Listening Earth (1998), a compilation of shorter compositions, is also a good introduction to my music. If you visit the individual CDs on the homepage, there is information regarding specific instrumentation, and liner notes explaining the aesthetic and technical nature of the music. All Azure Miles CDs manifest a continuum of my experiences and perceptions of the inner and outer worlds through the realm of music. The recordings are divided into five main categories as follows:
Post-Raga CDs for Meruvina Music that is not based on specific ragas, yet exhibits a strong influence from my previous use of ragas. 5012 Ocean Avenue
5011 Nectar-Spells
5010 Mango-Bird
5009 Viridian Seas
5008 Lilac Dawn factory pressing
5007 Lilac Dawn
5006 Celestial Crocodile and Honu Morning
5004 Rajasthani Spring
5003 The Spirit Pool
5002 Hummingbird Canyon
CDs for Meruvina Based on Indian Ragas Music that uses Indian ragas as a basis for composition, simultaneously engaging your intellect, and inducing a trancelike state.
4038 Emerald Anklets (Kalyani)
4037 Carnelian Compass (Kirwani)
4036 Amethyst Labyrinth (Charukeshi)
4034 Onyx Sands (Gangeyabhusani)
4029 The Girl In The Photograph (Varunapriya)
4014 California Spring (Suryakanta)
4006 Dhani: Drut, Ati Drut & Ati Ati Drut Gats
3026 Bhimpalasi: Vilambit, Madhya & Drut Gats
3014 Indian Ocean (Nat Bhairav)
3013 Snow Leopard Meadow (Ahir Bhairav)
3012 Monsoon Clouds (Madhuvanti)
3010 The Listening Earth (Compilation featuring shorter pieces from eight of the CDs in this series)
3008 Luminous Realms (Marwa & Durga)
3007 Lunar Mansions (Lalit & Simendra Madhyam)
3006 Chinese Legend (Udaya Ravichandrika, Bilaskhani Todi & Gunkali)
3005 Indian Jasmine (Jog, Bhupali & Kedara)
3004 Adorned With Pearl (Basant Mukhari, Jaijaivanti & Chandra Lekha) 3003 Rainbow Thunder (Vasanta, Shri & Chandra Lekha)
3002 Tendrils (Nand Kedar, Kirvani, Madhu Kauns & Chandra Kauns)
3001 Hamoa (Mayamalavagaula & Mechakalyani)
CDs for Meruvina Based on Alap Alap, which translates to mean evocation, or conversation with God, is the opening section of Indian ragas. The musical profile and rasa are presented by a melodic voice floating over a tanpura or tanpuras. There is no tempo or percussion used in these CDs. Indians compare alap to the void that existed the world was created. The 2000 series CDs listed in this section were composed before I became involved with Indian classical music, yet they anticipate the form and feeling of alap. The 3000 and 4000 series CDs listed here are actual alaps. Please note that almost all of the CDs based upon ragas begin with alap before continuing with jor, jhala and gats, the later featuring percussion. If you happen to be looking for a CD to fall asleep to, Inspiration Point is extremely effective. Just set your CD player to repeat, and the hour-long piece will lull you away. What's great is that it is also interesting to listen to on an intellectual level if you are prepared for doing that. After hearing Inspiration Point in concert, a journalist approached me to enthuse that Inspiration Point was one of the greatest pieces of music he had ever heard.
4029 The Girl In The Photograph (Varunapriya)
4014 California Spring (Suryakanta)
Pre-Raga CDs for Meruvina The 2000 series features music composed during the five years prior to my study of Indian classical music. These compositions are highly colorful, rhythmic and contrapuntal, containing elements from both Western and World Music, including some tunings other than equal temperment.
CDs with Meruvina Realizations of Compositions Originally for Acoustic Instruments These are meruvina realizations of my second and third symphonies for orchestra, and second and third string quartets. Rather than attempting to recreate the sounds of a symphony orchestra and string quartet, I used the meruvina found on the 2000 series to create glockenspiel and vibraphone timbres chosen for their spare, transparent nature. The music is extremely contrapuntal and energetic, and you will notice traces of musical characteristics that define my later works. The Lotus Girl and The Abode of Joy each contain five of my earliest compositions, including the first piece I ever wrote: Promenade des Tortues, which is really fun to listen to, and the last piece I wrote for live musicians, Demesne, which is also a lot of fun to listen to. Other compositions originally for live musicians include two Piano Sonatas, four One-Act Music Dramas, a song cycle, numerous songs for voice and piano, and miscellaneous works, all of which I hope to make available in the future. 1001 The Lotus Girl (Symphony No. 2 and five shorter works)
1002 The Abode of Joy (String Quartet No. 2 and five shorter works)
1003 The Jewel Treasure of the Ocean (Symphony No. 3)
1004 The Abode of Snow (String Quartet No. 3)
Albums For the Original Meruvina 1984-1989
7001 A Danish Princess
7002 A Demon's Leisure
7003 Above the Door
7004 April
7005 Black Waves
7006 Cave Pond
7007 Charcoal Notes
7008 Distant Times
7009 Early Spring
7010 Foreign River
7011 Gift
7012 March Wind
7013 Neptune
7014 Oil Drops
7015 Persia
7016 Pictures On the Wall
7017 Pink Carnation
7018 Silver Grey
7019 Smokestack
7020 Stained Light
7021 Thursday Evening
7022 Welsh Witch
7023 Winter Fantasy
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