The Uncovered Ruggles

Premiere recordings of unpublished sketches, transcriptions, and realizations by John Kirkpatrick Donald Berman, piano (with Christopher Oldfather, piano 2; Daniel Stepner, violin; Susan Narucki, soprano) "Creation is soul-searching. Nothing is ever finished." —Carl Ruggles Carl Ruggles (1876-1971) was a maverick American composer of short works that project a sense of infiniteness. His musical vision was majestic. However, like rare precious stones, his inimitable works were cast in print only a handful of times. To get to the essence of Ruggles, one can dig through piles of unpublished drafts and near-complete works that he left behind after his death in 1971. The circumstances around these works tell much about the creative process of his music and the philosophies that guided his craft. The incomplete works reveal triumphant music that swells the Ruggles canon, and deepens appreciation of his accomplishments. This recording offers a glimpse at Ruggles's grander transcendent art.