TITLE by PRISM Quartet

Liner Notes by Bruce Hodges

What do words have to do with our perception? How do they lead us (or not) down certain paths? These are only a few of the questions that Adam Silverman discreetly poses in TITLE (2022), inspired by random puzzles from Wordle, the wildly popular online game. Like the word “sonata,” Silverman’s title stubbornly refuses to betray any allegiance to a program or underlying concept. But the titles of each of the six movements — culled from the thousands of five-letter solutions since the game’s public debut in 2021 — give clues to their disparate moods. And as if to increase the enigmas (or encourage speculation), each title includes a number, indicating the order in which the puzzle answer appeared.

The series opens with “Quiet (16),” a contemplative moto perpetuo with a flow so gentle that the players’ key clicks become part of the texture. Its three minutes bubble with introspection, while showing off the glistening timbres of the instruments. As the final phrase disappears into the ether, it paves the way for the rugged landscape of “Thorn (250),” the longest movement, and also in constant motion. A motif of four notes heralds pumping rhythms and brief melodic fragments, before the players unite in a final phrase, rocketing upward like a lightning bolt.

After a heraldic opening, the jazzy “Ultra (238)” finds its groove in patterns of glassy falling thirds, before it evaporates in scarcely two minutes. “Rogue (145)” bears out its title with insouciant lines punctuated by pauses, and while the ensemble pings back and forth, a “rogue” solo takes flight, before two decisive chords bring the merriment to an end.

The penultimate section, “Yearn (62),” brings a completely different vibe to the party. Its slow-moving phrases glow with nostalgia, solitude, and peace. And for the concluding “Helix (32),” rapid-fire rhythms dart like fireflies, with the foursome in swirling, chugging lines that seem to echo each other. The spirals continue until the final few seconds, when upward arpeggios conclude the reedy array.

But the unifying force is Silverman’s unwavering focus on the sound of the ensemble, and his distillations create an atmosphere that alternates between intensity, delicacy, and bold outbursts.

The PRISM Quartet seeks to place the saxophone in unexpected contexts, chart fresh musical territory, and to challenge, inspire, and move audiences. “A bold ensemble that set the standard for contemporary-classical sax quartets” (NY Times), PRISM has been presented by Carnegie Hall, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and as soloists with the Detroit Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra.

prismquartet.com
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