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Alumni Recordings
BY TAYLOR MCNEIL
Stephen Perillo (SFA
'79). Requiem for a Goldfish: Four Symphonic
Poems.
Centaur.
Perillo seems unlikely
to be a prolific composer: by day he runs an
international travel agency and only by night does
he don his composing hat. Yet his catalog is
extensive. His compositions are offbeat; you don't
even have to hear them to figure them out — look at
some of his titles: "Crushed Tomatoes" and "Requiem
for a Goldfish." But this CD shows Perillo has
talent as well as a sense of humor. Played by the
Russian Festival Orchestra, with Yuval Waldman
conducting, the music blends many styles. The
opening "Lullaby for Orchestra" gallops forward,
lurches to a halt, picks up tempo, and returns to a
quiet state — more than once. "Crushed Tomatoes" has
almost pop music stylings, while the "Requiem"
("composed in honor of the only pet I've attempted
to keep as an adult") has a surprisingly catchy
central theme. The Brass Symphony is most serious in
tone, but still betrays Perillo's playful touch.
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