beyond the pale

We established on the day 1 that we couldn't get to everything we "needed" to. sure enough, we are succeeding admirably. =) There are literally hundreds of composers I could name who we won't get to, won't find out why their music is neat, cool, provocative, or important. We will be fortunate enough to scratch the surface of the 20 or so we will get to, though, most of us will have at least heard of some of these folks, meaning that there is only so much 'newness' to them (though how one can cease to find something new in Cage or Ives or Zappa I can't fathom).

That end, and roughly relating to my upcoming lecture on John Luther Adams, I would like to open this particular thread as a means of cataloging literature that may be useful to anyone who wishes to know some of these composers further. My initial list will be mostly works written by the composers themselves, but with the proviso that these works are usually the single best or most important examples of the written word through which to approach the aesthetic basis of the music we have studied. With the exception of just one or two on this initial list, these are the books I've read, books that have profoundly influenced my knowledge and perception of my musical education and the way I see the musical world these days. Anyone interested in any of the composers listed is obviously highly recommended to check the appropriate book(s) out.

Kyle Gann- Writings from the Village Voice
Alex Ross- The Rest is Noise
Steven Schick- The Percussionist's Art: Same Bed, Different Dreams
Harry Partch- Genesis of a Music
Henry Cowell- New Musical Resources
Charles Ives- Essays before a Sonata
John Cage- Soundings
Lou Harrison- Musical Primer
John Luther Adams- Winter Music
Morton Feldman- Give my Regards to 8th Street
Steve Reich- Writings on Music, 2000 ed.

This is of course just the tip of the iceberg. Other great places to read writings that I return to frequently include Peter Garland's Soundings journal from the 70s (a bunch of which we have upstairs) and back issues of Perspectives of New Music. The memorial issue on James Tenney is absolutely fabulous and includes writings or works from many of the people listed above.

If you have others, throw em up! I read. I want to read more.