Red River

for Clarinet, Violin, Cello, Piano, and CD Buy on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mason-bates-digital-loom/id323320911 PROGRAM NOTES Combining a chamber ensemble with the rhythmic power and drama of electronics, Red River traces the journey of the great Colorado River to its various destinations in the Southwest - Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, the California desert - where its overuse is a source of endless controversy. Perhaps no body of water better illustrates the age-old confrontation of humankind and nature than the great Colorado, whose very name embodies this struggle. Its early designation as Red River was a nod to the rich color arising from its special silt, which ultimately ended up trapped behind various dams erected along its way. The name changed to pay homage to the river's source, high up in the Colorado Rockies at the Continental Divide - and that is where this work begins. Various streams accumulate as the runoff from the Rockies builds into a formidable bod