Local Music Review: Mythological Fragments

Steven Ricks
Mythological Fragments
New Focus Recordings
Street: 10.10.2025
Steven Ricks = John Cage + Christian Wolff + Ovid

Mythological Fragments by composer Steven Ricks takes two classical narratives and reconstructs them as intimate, psychological portraits using technology not as ornamentation, but as a window into emotional states that traditional instruments cannot fully express. This beautiful collection paints a story that feels at home both in an opera house and within the immersive soundscapes of your favorite RPG video games. Ricks weaves electronics into his chamber textures to blur lines between beauty and aggression, unsettling listeners as he examines familiar myths from differing perspectives.

Steven Ricks’ Mythological Fragments is an achievement in contemporary classical music. Strong and intellectually rigorous, Ricks’ album is an exploration of two Greek myths, transformed through compositional language and cutting-edge sonic technologies. He serves as both conductor and interpreter throughout the album.

“Medusa in Fragments” is a 20-minute musical exploration of Medusa’s rage; demonstrated through the chaotic clarity of soprano vocals, beautiful yet aggressive piano movements and ‘glitchy’ electronics. The track is the center of the album and it loops and echoes over and over, mirroring Medusa’s never-ending torment.

The work of “Baucis & Philemon” tells of the unwavering devotion between two characters, whose love was honored by Gods. These tracks offer a study in compositional skill and harmonious order. The chamber opera moves with a softer pace. It feels more transparent and its language more settled. Where “Medusa” destabilizes, “Baucis & Philemon” grounds listeners.

Some of the samples of birdsong, rainfall and trickling water in tracks like “Interlude 2: Rainfall, Runoff, River,” place the listener right into the mythical love story. It’s a beautifully performed piece featuring stunning harp arpeggios and piccolos alongside singing birds, who all vocally validate Baucis’ and Philemon’s love and devotion. It flows perfectly to “The Arrow of Time” with glorious solos from baritone Shea Owens and soprano Madison Leonard, creating a swelling storm that breaks in the album’s final moments of calm. The final monologue in “Afterlife,” reinstates Ricks’ hopefulness for gaining new understanding from the old stories.

Ricks demonstrates remarkable thoughtfulness in the production of Mythological Fragments, allowing silence and space to carry as much weight as sound. Ricks’ use of electronics here is notable and the textures shake listeners to the core. It’s a rewarding release, proving two things: Ricks is a most impressive contemporary composer and narrator, and that myths live because they transform. –Kamryn Feigel

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