To the public at large, Wendy Carlos is best known as the mastermind behind Switched-On Bach rather than as a composer in her own right. Although “ambient music” and “sound design” hadn’t yet been invented when Sonic Seasonings was released on LP in 1972, such terms easily describe the suite’s four extended movements, each depicting one of the four seasons. Extra-musical “effects” like raindrops, rustling trees, and chilly winds are fashioned through purely electronic means, and interweave with simple yet evocative melodic gestures. Within the music’s leisurely parameters, subtle textural and harmonic shifts are goverened by Carlos’ meticulous craftsmanship, canny ear, and surety of proportion. A two-part 1986 suite, Land of the Midnight Sun, makes telling use of multi-layered sonorities, utilizing alternate tunings. The composer’s engaging annotations place the recordings in the context of their creation. And those who’ve hoarded the original vinyl all these years can toss that edition away in favor of this richer, deeper, more impactive CD refurbishing from the mastertapes.
