Lee, Kristin, Conor Hanick, Metropolis Ensemble, Andrew Cyr Fung: Dreamscapes (CD)

Dreamscapes is a contemporary classical album released in 2012, featuring works by composer Vivian Fung performed by the Metropolis Ensemble under conductor Andrew Cyr, with violinist Kristin Lee and pianist Conor Hanick as soloists. Drawing from Balinese gamelan traditions, the music blends exotic scales, syncopated rhythms, and sudden tempo shifts with Western orchestral elements, creating a multicultural soundscape that evokes dream-like vignettes of savage energy, jazzy steadiness, sweet reverie, and rude awakenings. Fung internalizes influences like interlocking gamelan patterns and prepared piano techniques to forge an original voice, reflecting her experiences in Bali's lush landscapes and spiritual sites. The album captures Fung's innovative fusion of Eastern and Western idioms in the contemporary genre, where haunting calm contrasts with brutal power, and otherworldly effects emerge from shimmering harmonies. Commissioned and premiered by the Metropolis Ensemble, these pieces highlight the ensemble's virtuosity alongside the soloists' expressive prowess, earning acclaim including a Juno Award for the violin concerto. Dreamscapes stands as a vivid exploration of the composer's multicultural identity, balancing tranquil postludes with schizophrenic dream intensities in a seamless, single-movement flow.