Richard Festinger has long been an essential part of Northern California Bay Area musical life, his works described as having a “combination of propulsive energy with an impeccable sense of poise and balance” (Tanglewood Contemporary Music Festival). Each of the works on this recording is a quintessential example of his approach to composition. Diary of a Journey is a metaphorical circle described in exhilarating forward motion and uncertain stillness. The Coming of Age reflects Denis Johnson’s poetry in its intimate precision, and wildly kinetic and mournful personas of the cello are at the center of Laws of Motion. A Dream Foretold is a rich tapestry of enigmatic eloquence, masterful counterpoint and constant surprise.