Los Angeles Guitar Quartet Opalescent CD

Opalescent is a new recording by the Grammy-winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (LAGQ) that reflects the luminous nature of music. Dedicated to the memory of Australian composer Phillip Houghton, it features his pieces Opals and Wave Radiance, exploring the synesthetic intermingling of light and sound. Other works include Andrew York's Hidden Realm of Light, shimmering with propulsive grooves and bright splashes of color. Kevin Callahan's Alki Point captures the undulating currents and jazzy undertones of Seattle's early settlement site. In homage to the visionary fingerstyle legend Michael Hedges, Matt Greif arranged Aerial Boundaries, Hedges' ethereal anthem. Chorale by Frederic Hand transforms the guitar quartet into an a capella choir, in a lyrical style both profound and uplifting. Robert Beaser's exquisite Chaconne reveals aspects of it's unfolding harmonic pattern within multifaceted shards of light. Finally, Tilman Hoppstock, through his doppelg?nger Alan Willcocks, creates an imagined exhibition of Impressionist paintings in his Suite Transcendent.

1. Hidden Realm of Light 2. Alki Point 3. Aerial Boundaries 4. Opals: I. Black Opal 5. Opals: II. Water Opal 6. Opals: III. White Opal 7. Chorale 8. Chaconne 9. Suite Transcendent: I. Open Landscape 10. Suite Transcendent: II. La Grande Cathedrale 11. Suite Transcendent: III. a Breath of Wind (Fuga) 12. Suite Transcendent: IV. La Porte Du Ciel 13. Suite Transcendent: V. Danza Diabolica 14. Wave Radiance