Listening ( Cowell, Aeolian Harp (1923) and The Banshee (1925)

Aeolian Harp has a very oriental sound to it that conveys a authentic player. The use of minor scales gives this affect to the piece. I thought that it was interesting how they used a very low key on the piano as the loud affect. The harp doesn't sound like a harp that is found in a regular orchestra; it does not have that sweeping quality. The sound that is created in this piece is very truncated and direct. There are no following chords or sustained bars. Every phrase is plucked vehemently. The Banshee uses some of the most creative sounds I have heard on a recording. It is almost like Cowell was instructing his orchestra to run their nails down the strings of their instruments to give the piece that shifting sound. The only comparison that I can draw to this piece is the music from LOST. Since I am a big fan I know the music of the show, and Honolulu Symphony performs their music and they use quick slides on their stringed instruments as well as their trombones. It creates a tangy, yet exciting sound.