Composer Steven Ricks released the classical album Mythological Fragments on Oct. 10, 2025, through New Focus Recordings, featuring a collection of works that explore Greek mythology through disorienting electronic textures and chamber music arrangements.
Musical Composition and Themes
The album, released under the catalog number fcr474, consists of a total runtime of 66 minutes and 9 seconds. It features two primary compositions: the extended work Medusa in Fragments and the chamber opera Baucis and Philemon. According to New Focus Recordings, Ricks utilizes electronics in these chamber works to provide an element of disorientation, employing glitchy and disjunct textures to keep the music off balance while exploring his subject matter from multiple prismatic angles.
The Medusa Monodrama
The work Medusa in Fragments is described as a striking monodrama for piano, surround-sound electronics, and pre-recorded, video-projected soprano Jennifer Welch-Babidge. The piece begins with ominous and alienated electronics that establish a disturbing sound world before Keith Kirchoff's solo piano enters with dramatic, powerful chords and trilled figures. This keyboard figuration is subsequently imitated by glitchy, halting fragments in the electronics, reinforcing a modular approach to motivic manipulation.
After the introductory section, the music transitions into a section titled 'Concerning Athena' following an ascending electronics gesture and glistening rolled chords. The composition is noted for its ferocious tenor and its ability to bring Dionysian catharsis to the listener.
Baucis and Philemon Structure
In contrast to the intensity of the Medusa piece, the chamber opera Baucis and Philemon offers a relatively pacific experience characterized by Apollonian wonder. This larger work features a diverse array of performers, including soprano Madison Leonard, baritone Shea Owens, and flute/piccolo player Jillian Townsend. The ensemble is supported by harpists Anamae Anderson and Marilyn Dodson, percussionist Matt Coleman, cellist Michelle Kesler, and conductor Nathan Haines.
Additional contributors to the work include narrator Barta Heiner, wind sounds provided by Kevin P. Anthony, and a metal tree sculpture created by Brian Christensen. The opera is structured through several movements and interludes, including 'Introduction: The Gods Came as Peasants,' 'A Home for Birds (spring),' 'The Arrow of Time (summer),' 'Marcescence (fall),' and 'The Hidden Lives of Trees (winter).'
Mythological Inspiration
Ricks draws inspiration from two specific tales from Greek literature for this release. The composer's approach focuses on letting the stories speak for themselves while capturing the internal reactions they provoke through his unique perspective. The album aims to harness the energies of the source material, using the contrasting nature of the myths to drive the musical narrative.
Availability
The full album is available through various platforms including Bandcamp, Apple Music, and Presto Music, with direct FLAC and Apple Lossless options available via the New Focus Recordings website.
Composer Background
The composer, born in 1969, uses his musical vehicles to explore the intricacies and implications of these ancient tales, bridging the gap between classical tradition and modern electronic manipulation.
