Very Short Rant

You know what bugs the crap out of me? When a composer releases a CD of their music where none of the tracks were written before 2004, but the picture of the composer in the liner notes is from 1976. What is that nonsense? It happens ALL THE TIME.

NY TIMES ARTICLE

Complex Patterns Within a Simple Key

Hiroyuki Ito for The New York Times

Terry Riley’s ‘In C’: Mr. Riley, center, at Carnegie Hall, accepting applause for his groundbreaking 1964 piece.

By STEVE SMITH

Published: April 26, 2009

Any counterculture embraced by enough people becomes culture; works of art meant as blows against orthodoxy become classics worthy of enshrinement. A case in point is Terry Riley’s “In C,” whose 45th anniversary was celebrated at Carnegie Hall on Friday night.

When Mr. Riley created the piece, in 1964, modern music had long been dominated by serialism: rigorously controlled, intellectual in its appeal, often bone dry. Mr. Riley’s simple recipe — performers repeat each of 53 melodic kernels for as long as they like against a pulsating C in octaves, ending when everyone has played every section — asserted a view of music as a communal action and a key to transcendence.

“In C” made its Carnegie Hall debut on Dec. 19, 1967, when it was played in Carnegie Recital Hall (now Weill Recital Hall) by an ensemble from the State University of New York at Buffalo, which recorded it for CBS the next year. In The New York Times the critic Donal Henahan noted, among other observations, that the pianist responsible for the pulse wore gloves.

Katrina Krimsky, the same pianist, donned her gloves again on Friday, seated in the thick of a huge ensemble, this time in the main auditorium. Two more 1967 participants reprised their roles: Mr. Riley, beatific behind an organ at center stage, and the trombonist Stuart Dempster. Jon Gibson on saxophone and the composer Morton Subotnik, on clarinet, were among several players who had been heard either in the piece’s 1964 premiere or its first recording, from 1968.

Emphasizing a communitarian spirit, the Kronos Quartet violinist David Harrington gathered 70 diverse performers, including the composers Philip Glass and Osvaldo Golijov, jazz improvisers, rock musicians, two vocal groups, a recorder quartet, a koto trio and players of invented implements. Mr. Riley’s manuscript was projected on a screen overhead.

Following a gorgeous classical Indian alap sung by Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan over a rumbling bass drone, the first 21 cells made for a splashy, variegated opening. Timbres and rhythms mixed and evolved with the changeability of clouds. Dennis Russell Davies, billed as the “flight pattern coordinator,” used flash cards and hand signals to shape the sprawl.

Long, floating tones in Sections 22 through 26 amounted to an adagio. Syncopated fidgets starting in Section 27 suggested a quirky scherzo, followed by a dashing finale.

Some listeners rocked in place. Others sprawled in their seats, adrift; one hammered the pulse into his palm with a rolled-up program. At the end, after 98 minutes of muddy thunder and hypnotic bliss, Mr. Riley and his ad hoc community received a tumultuous ovation.

Playlist

My Playlist is titled:

"The Best of 2007-2008"

and features works of composers from our class that were performed in the US the last two years.

Enjoy!



Varese "Ameriques" - LA Phil, Jan 5, 2008
Chavez "Symphony No. 2" (Sinfonia India) - New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, Feb 9, 2008,
John Adams "Violin Concerto" - Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Sept 6, 2008
Phillip Glass "Cello Concerto" - la Jolla Symphony and Chorus, Nov 3, 2007
Elliot Carter "Elegy for Strings" - Brevard Symphony Orchestra, Jan 19, 2008
Steven Reich "Triple Quartet" - New World Symphony, Feb 8, 2008
Bernstein "Symphony No. 3" (Kaddish) - The Philadelphia Orchestra, Jan 17, 2008

My Playlist too!

Hi everyone. I wanted to go ahead and post my playlist before class. Maybe it could spur some discussion...maybe..yes? I tried to pick pieces that were strikingly different than what had come before both in American music and the composer's own work. I included two full albums in my list just because I thought they were stronger and more innovative when treated as opuses rather than singling out particular songs. Hope you enjoy!

1. Ives- Three Places in New England
2. Copland- El Salon Mexico
3. Morton Feldman- Extensions I
4. Cage- I Ching
5. Nancarrow- Study no. 41
6. Frank Zappa- Joe’s Garage album
7. Varese- Ionization
8. Reich- Come out
9. Elliot Carter- String Quartet No. 3
10. Dane Rudyar- Three Cantos
11.Adams- On the transmigration of Souls
12. John Coltrane- Ascension
13. Jelly Roll Morton- The Pearls
14. Caetano Veloso/ Gilberto Gil/ Tom Ze/ Nara Leão/ Os mutantes/ Gal Costa- Tropicália: ou Panis et Circenses album
15. Christopher Adler- Music for a Royal Palace

THE PLAYLIST!!!!

In this order:

Aaron Copland- Fanfare for a Common Man
Aaron Copland- Quiet City
Eric Whitacer- Cloudburst
John Cage- "4'33"
Steve Reich- Music For 18 Musicians
Frank Zappa- G-Spot Tornado
Hermeto Pascoal- Viagem
Charles Ives- Variations on America

If you think your play list is better, bring it!!! =) Let's start some conversations, and interesting discussions!!!!

Miles of Copland

Kudos to Eric for presenting an upcoming concert with the music of Copland, Miles, and Ewazen . I think it will be a very interesting concert to attend, and I hope to do so. These composers are so different from each other that it would be an exciting blend of many styles.

A few weeks ago Eric presented some excellent information about one of these musicians….Miles Davis. I had heard of him throughout the years but had never really listened to his music. Eric wanted to stretch his learning “edge” and learn more about Miles. I must admit, this type of jazz is on my “edge” also. While I like jazz, for some reason the jazz that I enjoy is from the big band era. I have tried for years to enjoy the type of modern jazz that includes jazz fusion.

I found what was more fascinating was the artist himself, not necessarily his music. Miles exudes a kind of presence of nonchalance that is quite intriguing. While I’m not a big fan of jazz of this type, I really liked the way that Miles continued to grow in his life, both personally and musically. After class, I went through some of the youtube archives and listened to more of Miles’ music throughout the years. His music does change and I think it challenged not only himself, but the listener as well. I don’t think that Miles performed his music to necessarily please his audience , ubt rathter to please himself. It was his way of expressing himself. As he told Harry Reasoner, he ‘hears’ music all the time. Even though his music wasn’t necessarily my ‘cup of tea’ or on my iPod’s top favorite songs (even I had one that is), I can’t help but admire the man for continuing to listen and re-create what he heard.

So off we go (either into the blue yonder or simply to bed!) trying to stretch our listening hibitions, trying to broaden what we recognize as 'safe' music and as 'comfortable' music. Edges aside, I think it our duty as musicians, as educators, as human beings, to continually stretch our own boundaries and explore the innovations out in the world.

Rudhyar Links

Here's a fantastic website about Dane Rudhyar.  Clink on "Bio" at the top to get an 11 page comprehensive bio, complete with quotes and lots of pictures.  There are also pages on his art, writings, and music.  It's more Rudhyar than you know what to do with!

http://www.khaldea.com/rudhyar/

Some final (but not too final thoughts)

Where did the semester go? And what a semester it has been! This class has been a whirlwind of new composers, new music and new ideas, from the crazy performances of Pascoal, Cage and Zappa to the expansion of established classical techniques and the creation of a uniquely "American" sound through the works of Whitacre, Copland and Rodgers & Hammerstein II.

When I came into this class, I was pretty much focused on 20th Century opera composers and the American Musical Theatre. My big expansion was the works of Copland and Stravinsky (who both ventured into the opera world so they are only a small expansion). I wasn't sure what I was expecting, other than the possible introduction to some weird electronic composer that would make me want to leave the room, as had happened in a previous class (Nono and I are not buddies, I'm sorry to say). But I still needed a history class, and this sounded much more interesting than the other offerings.

I realized very quickly that my ideas of what constituted 20th Century innovation were FAR too narrow to even begin to encompass what we would eventually cover in this class. I would never have imagined listening to the beauty of Eric Whitacre's music one day, and then coming in on another day to watch John Cage pouring water into a bathtub while smacking a piano with a fish on national television. I was excited for my own presentation, and thoroughly enjoyed many of yours. What I enjoyed most was when the debates began, all of us arguing passionately about our own thoughts and feelings on what is music, and what is innovation. I don't think we will ever come to a group conclusion on either term, but I am willing to be that our own ideas are much clearer for having to defend them.

I know that Dr. Brunner was worried about how to gauge our learning in this course, and while I know I still have some writing to do, I would like to say this: every time I listen to music, any music now, I am hearing innovation and connections to this class. One moment in particular was this past Monday as I was driving to work, and listening to the NPR tribute to Andre Previn. My first thought was, "This is pretty" followed by "Wait, didn't he write 'Streetcar Named Desire' (the opera)" immediately followed by, " and he wrote for movies, jazz piano and is still conducting, never mind technically being Woody Allen's father in law?" I finally saw something that made innovation clear, at least to me. Besides the fact that there are so many wonderful composers that we DIDN'T get to talk about.

In the American music world, innovation is re-invention. With the advent of better recording equipment, movies and television, it was no longer important to cater to the tastes of one particular patron. American musicians had the freedom to compose what they liked, and when that didn't pay the bills, they often (though obviously not always, we are Americans after all) honed their skills writing for the masses, or the folks in "The Sticks" as Cohen always called them. But as time change, composers and musicians tried to keep from being bored, by trying out new and unusual ideas to see how they would fit within ones own style. There really are no rules, and the complex level of thought that brought us to this place is absolutely staggering, while the webs of interconnection between composers and performers is constantly revealed to be richer and more complex than I ever thought. Every new innovation is tightly connected to an older innovation, or even a simultaneous innovation. There may be nothing new under the sun, but there certainly is a place for the many new and not-so-new ideas.

Some Final Thoughts

         As the writer of Eccelsiastes said, there is nothing new under the sun.  In my own reflections on this class, mixed with my experiences at the new-music-crazed University of Louisville School of Music, I find myself coming back time and again to this very idea.  This line one draws between old and new, between innovation and tradition is blurry at best.  To my ear, the last brand new idea happened with dodecaphonic music.  Of course, Schönberg had his way of organizing the row, and Dallapicola had his own, as did Stravinsky, Babbitt, and Boulez.  But as varied as their approaches may have been, the underlying concept was the same.  In small ways, each innovated a new way of organizing twelve pitches into rows, but they did not revolutionize music with a whole new system of organization.

         Innovation is a slippery word, and it can take on different meaning in different contexts.  However, my refined conception of the idea after this class is that renovation rather than innovation is where some of the best parts of musical/stylistic development occurs.  In order for an stylistic shift to take root, there must be some familiar element onto which a listener can take hold.  Again, I return to the twelve-tone composers.  Twelve-tone music seems to have, to a large extent, lost art music its audience, and has henceforth continued to live on in the cave of academia, very rarely venturing out into sunlight of the real world.  The innovation was too great a change for the ears of most people.  They did not have enough to grasp hold of.  Now, approximately one hundred years later, more ears accept dissonances as perfectly normal and acceptable.  As much as John Cage may have resisted the control of musical elements, it is that very style that may well have helped to prepare many a mind to accept the cacophonous sounds he employed.

         Charles Ives seems to be at the cross roads of tradition, innovation, and renovation.  Had he been born fifty years, even twenty years, later, he might not have been the remarkable composer he is remembered to have been.  By mixing folk, popular, and hymn tunes (tradition) with harsh, sometimes biting, dissonances (innovation) he arrived at a unique result (renovation).  Charles Ives is an excellent example of the Hegelian Dialectic.  In this case, innovation (the thesis) seems to oppose the innovation (the anithesis), but in fact they can come together to renovate music (the synthesis).

         Eric Whitacre is another example of the Hegelian Dialectic enacted in musical composition.  The assertion that he is a “Neo-Impressionist,” as some have said, implies there is an element that recalls tradition, and yet the “Neo” part of that label also implies that he’s not simply reinventing the wheel.  He is, in fact, renovating, id est, synthesizing certain elements one recognizes from the “antiquated impressionists” with all the harmonic vocabulary (and dissonance) that the last hundred years have made acceptable.  And truly, his music is living in the real world, because it does not leap too far ahead, as one might expect pure innovation to do, for people to follow along.

         From experience and observation, I have become convinced that music has little or no value if people cannot relate to it.  Like language, music is given meaning by people, and as any communication class will reveal, meaning is derived from the receiver, the sender; it does not matter what the message’s intent was, because the meaning is determined by the one who hears the message.  This was certainly true in the case of Frank Zappa’s music, particularly the instances in which the listener may be unsure as to whether Zappa is wishing to parody or pay homage to another work.

         In a similar way, some of the music studied in class this term has little meaning to me.  Some, of course, has a great deal of meaning.  To others, the music in which I found little value may provide a wealth of significance.  But as a general historical trend, my sense is that purely innovative works gain less ground than renovative works because the audiences is unable able to give it meaning.

         Some artists and musicians claim that their work is for themselves and that it does not matter if anyone else appreciates it.  I cannot believe this is true.  If a work is only for the artist, then there would never be a need for anyone else to know.  If no one but the artist knows, then there is no need to make such an aloof statement.  Thus, the very statement becomes a plea for appreciation rather than disregard for it. 

         If one were to examine the historical role of music (or art) within most societies, one would find that the most recent century is unique in its understanding of the question: “what is the purpose of art?”  Trends would seem to indicate that the purpose of art is to try to push the envelope so rapidly that one neglects the fact that there is envelope [thanks to Cheryl for this metaphor].  There is no enjoyment or establishment of an "–ism" before it is replaced by a newer one.  This seems related in part to modern society’s swiftly paced lifestyle, disposable products, and urgent individuality.  Has the act of innovation become a tradition?  Perhaps the Hegelian synthesis would be trinnodation.

Recital Tonight

Hey ya'll,

Tonight at 7:30 in Memorial Hall is my Chamber reictal, and I'll be playing music by Ewazen, Stout, and Gustafson, all of whom are American composers. So come out if you can!

Keeping Score/Copland

Here's the link to MTT's presentation:

http://www.keepingscore.org/flash/copland/index.html

and i've created a gmail account with the copland rehearsal in the inbox

log into gmail

username: UKMUS690
psswrd: copland690

and download the mp3 attachment!

What are those strange sounds!?

We had a very interesting lecture/demonstration given by Dannica on alternative vocal techniques. So far in our class we have listened to various instrumental pieces by Cage, Ives, Zappa (yes, I dare to include him!). Some of these pieces require the use of instruments that weren’t yet developed. Dr. Brunner even brought in a book of “new” instruments which can be either used for performance or for display. The instruments looked interesting and I’m sure would be interesting to hear. I would say that some were downright strange! I wonder how many of those instruments will become part of our future musical heritage!

Dannica brought our attention to the use of our origin instrument – our voice. It is true that other cultures have other vocal sounds that we don’t have in the US. I would even wager that our language sounds are pretty ‘bland’ when held up to other languages. It was very interesting to hear Laurie Anderson singing "O Superman". The altered vocal sounds were exciting to listen to. I had to listen to the youtube recording when I got home to get the full effect of it. I was glad to see/hear a demonstration of modern music using our own natural voice. I remember hearing sprechstimme back in my early college years and thinking it was a very interesting technique. Little did I know that I use a similar technique when I give instructions to my elementary general music classes using my singing/speaking voice. (note: Yes, my students often look at me strangely when I do this, but it does get their attention!) Thank you Dannica for remembering the voice in today's modern sound!

That same day, on that evening, Chris Little gave a clarinet master’s recital (which, by the way, was excellent). His first piece started fairly traditional, with the Sonata for Clarinet and Piano by Charles V. Stanford. Then his recital had a change of pace with The Phoenix by Daniel Levin, who is only 27 years old. What was most interesting (and the reason for the connection with Dannica’s lecture) was the selection and playing of Ronald Caravan’s (b. 1946) Polychromatic Diversions for Clarinet. What Dannica had the class to do with our voices, Chris did the same with his clarinet. There were several techniques that he used – playing 2 tones at the same time, a tone that sounds similar to a vocal fry sound, overtones, and other techniques that I can't even label. He also played a piece on the clarinet while the pianist held the damper pedal throughout the piece. He played into the piano and it was interesting to hear the various tones throughout the room that were resonating because of the sympathetic vibrations of the piano strings.

Both demonstrations that day were excellent and kudos to both of you. Both complimented each other even though I don't think they knew it was going to occur on the same day.

Philip Glass and the Art of Imitation

First of all, I want to thank all for not running out of the classroom on the day of my presentation on Philip Glass screaming, "I've been cut! I've been cut!" (Think about that for awhile.) I first fell in love with Glass sometime in the early 80s, when I was a young lad just out of college. I believe a friend introduced his music to me. Now, this was a friend who couldn't read a bit of music, but loved opera (he could tell you all the character names after one listening) and innovative music. In fact, he gave me the cassette recording of Glass' "Glassworks," which I believe was performed by the Kronos Quartet.

There have been some interesting comments made in class about what music a composer is most well know for, especially their earlier musics which first brings us to attention. And then a very interesting statement was made about how a composer sometimes goes "commercial" with his/her work. Both statements, I find, are very interesting. If a composer does not "shock" the world and the musical community with his/her 1st works, then perhaps we would not know about them. It will be quite interesting in a hundred years to know by the musical community which composers are viewed as being significant and innovative. Wasn't Bach "discovered" by the larger community years after his death? So it would be interesting to see how our present-day innovators will be viewed and remembered a hundred years from now. And what is wrong with being "commercial?" A composer has to survive. But isn't it great that a composer can be commercial and still keep his musical integrity? I don't think that Glass has sold out. I just believe that we have become used to minimalistic music. Just listen to all the pop music that we have now. I keep hearing miminalistic music all the time on the radio and TV. I even thought I heard the beginning of a Glass piece for a commercial but then it diverted! lol Glass wrote in sequences and we hear this abundantly in today's music. I'm not sure but maybe it started with the Sugarland group in the late 70s with the 1st rap/hip hop music. Or maybe it started with Johann Pachebel and his notorious "Canon"!

Chris brought up an interesting point about the youtube clip on how to create your own Glass sound on the piano. While I thought it was funny myself, I strongly agree with Chris that imitation is the best form of flattery. Listen to today's pop music. There is a tremendous amount of imitation (aka...sequencing) that goes on in the recording studio. Just think of Eric Carmen's use of Rachmonioff's Piano Concerto #2 (second mvt.) in All By Myself or the use of Beethoven's 2nd mvt. of "Pathetique" sonata by Louise Tucker/Charlie Skarbek's Midnight Blue in 1983.

Philip Glass’s music may be somewhat commercial, but the appeal is there for everyone to enjoy. Time will tell whether Glass’ music will make the “cut” in American music history. Here are the websites I gave you in class. Enjoy!

www.philipglass.com (official website)

http://www.fullscaleeffects.com/dvd_pepsi_no_brainer_video_sm.htm (2000 Pepsi commercial featuring “Knee 1” from Einstein on the Beach)

http://www.philipglass.com/sounds/recordings/freezing.mp3 (“Freezing” from Songs of Liquid Days – 1985; Linda Ronstadt, vocals and Suzanne Vega, lyrics)

http://www.visionariesdebate.com/profile.php?id=12 (“Is Philip Glass the most visionary?” – video clip by BBC World News)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvIuzUF1fWs (Concerto Fantasy for Two Timpanists – 2000; YouTube)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNiOqa1nWgI (How to play piano like Philip Glass – YouTube)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmBuC6BPpEc (Symphony No. 8, mvt. 1 – 2005)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq-xuQgotbQ&feature=related (The Truman Show – 1998)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5antXqfUQrQ (Two Pages – for Steve Reich – 1968)

Chris Adler and American Music

The lecture that Christopher Adler gave a few weeks ago was very interesting. His music is quite intricate. In listening to him talk, you can tell that there is a lot of thought that goes into the creation of Cambodian/Laotian/Korean music. From some of the readings that I've done about Asian/Indian music, I know that the music contains multiple rhythmic and melodic patterns. We in the "Western" world don't always pick up these intricacies and hear them. So the lecture was indeed interesting to hear before we heard his compositions.
During the lecture I began to think about "American" music and what it really means. At first American music was defined by European influences until the early part of the 20th century. As the US became more of a melting pot of various cultures, so did the musical genres in the US. Musical influences from all over the world were being imported here (and it still is!). This makes true "American" music hard to define. If we go into any of the major US cities, we can easily find different cultures. As we enter these cultural areas we can also hear the different musical sounds that have been brought to this country. But it doesn't always stay in isolated areas. Soon it becomes part of the larger musical scene. One can always look at the early TV shows such as I Love Lucy and see how the character Ricky Ricardo brings his Cuban beat to the musical scene. American music is really a misnomer...there "ain't" such a thing!
American music is made from various cultural influences. Chris Adler added to this fact when he presented his own compositions. Clearly here was this Anglo-Saxon (one presumes) American creating music from Asiatic influences. Did it sound "American"? That's up to the listener. The interesting matter is that the music was created in America, performed in America, written by an American, but is it "American"? I hope that the answer is 'yes.' Music in America is as diverse as the people of America. I find it a wonderful asset to have this diversity in our musical heritage. Without this diversity and creativity, our musical culture would indeed become quite stagnant.

Aaron Copland vs. Miles Davis!!!!!!!!!!!!

American Innovator Recital May 2nd- 1pm Memorial Hall. If you have been reading the blogs then you will have heard of three men- Aaron Copland, Eric Ewazen and Miles Davis. On May 2nd I will be performing works from all of these composers. This will probably be the only time Aaron Copland, Eric Ewazen and Miles Davis will be on the same recital. This class has inspired me to create a recital containing composers who I would have to say "Are all really different" =). All great American Innovators and Composers of our time. This recital will be innovation! The first and hopefully not last of its kind. Aaron Copland vs. Miles Davis, who will win????

In Conclusion

After a semester in which numerous composers were looked at and their innovative contributions to American music, it is very difficult to give a clear concise summary of what has learned. In fact, such a statement would be ludicrous, since the purpose of the classroom environment is not to serve as the sole place learning occurs, but as the springboard from which one is able to leap forth into greater exploration.
So with this final blog post, instead of looking back at what has been accomplished over the course of this semester, I will look forward to the future, taking what has been discussed and attempting to use it as a compass from which further explorations can originate from.

After all, the concept of innovation is one which attempts to discover and experiment, not look back at what has happened. That is the role of the historian: to look at what has gone on before and to explain it in its proper context. It is a tremendously important job, since in order to understand where we must go, we must first understand where we have been. In order to be innovative, one must understand where the heritage lies so that he can build off of it to create something that is new and different from what has preceded.

So a balance then is in order; while it is obviously terrific to look back at this class and marvel at all the composers of the different decades of the twentieth century, it is just as important to look at the new music being written right now. Is David Maslanka ready to write his ninth symphony for band? Is John Adams ready to write a sequel to his opera "Dr. Atomic", or is Milton Babbitt about to begin writing in the neotonal idiom?
Questions raised above might sound ludicrous, but in reality, they aren't. What one composer is doing now could be the exact opposite of what he will be doing next year. The winds of change blow strong, and a constant effort in order to understand what is going on in the world of music needs to be made, or else one will be left in the dust.
So that is my conclusion for the semester. Instead of saying that I have learned a great deal about alot of composers, I have realized my knowledge to be painfully insufficient. As a DMA student in performance, I need to have a much greater working knowledge of what is new so that I can better communicate it to the audience in a highly comprehensible way.

In a few days, we will all go our separate ways for the summer, with most of what has happened in this class being relegated to distant memory. Yet, the idea of innovation should stick with us all, since it is something that we will need to face not only today or tomorrow, but for the rest of the time that we are creative artists. Thank you all, for an educational semester.

Coming to an end....

I can’t believe we’re almost at the end of another semester! And as I begin to assemble my blogs to hand to Dr. Brunner, I am fascinated by the sheer volume and variety of music that we have touched over such a short time. This is definitely not my last blog for the semester but I would like to suggest a few interesting reads if, like me, you require closure.

I, like Brad, frequent Kyall Gann’s blog regularly. In his archives as well as on the Mavericks site, there are several incredible essays that Gann has written. Particularly, there is a whole section on American music, one of my favorite being ‘What is American about American Music?’. In the essay Gann covers a whole spectrum of American music making traditions (1770-1970) way back to William Billings and the ‘New England Psalm Singer’. He reveals the two schools of thought regarding the origins of American music and the sense of pride that is inherent in each composition.

And in Gann’s most recent blog he describes his opinions on the future of music
‘the future of music lies in increased sensitivity and perception…

music now needs to turn inward, to become more meditative’

The musical world is forever changed because of the innovations of Ives, Partch, Cage, and Cowell. Genres were created because of composers like Young, Riley, Zappa, and Miles Davis. And even today, composers are still finding new innovative ways of connecting with listeners eg. Whitacre, Adler, and the electronic world that allows anybody to compose. So whether the future of music, like Gann said, needs to become more meditative, or whether it will become more inclusive, who knows. I’m just happy to be a part of the learning and the listening.

Innovations during this semester!

The semester is almost over and while I am dealing with picking up the last things for the baby’s room, preparing the house for my parents’ arrival, washing baby’s cloths (they are soooo cute!!!!!!!), attending childbirth classes (yes, I cannot get rid of school… even to deliver a child they expect me to attend class… hahahaha, by the way – just to relax a little during this horrible last two weeks – check this hilarious video with Bill Cosby about Natural Child Birth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFMVeZyhagI and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w-AG_yF1Uw&feature=related ), and finishing the school assignments for this semester I realize what a novelty semester this one has been.

During this semester I found out the baby’s gender, this semester I felt her moving for the first time, this semester I picked up the colors and theme for the nursery, in this semester our guest room is being transformed in the cutest place of the entire house, during this semester I was sitting still in class while was being experience a horrible heartburn, this semester I found strength to wake up and walk to class even when all I wanted (and probably needed) was to be in bed, in this semester I discovered that a very simple activity such as tie your tennis shoes can became an extremely challenging task and that at some point you WILL need your husband’s help, during this semester I had my learning edges and comfort zone expanded, this semester I have been introduced to more new (for me) composers than what I have in the last two or three years, this semester I realized that I don’t like an enormous amount of things and that I might like other stuff I have never thought before I would.

At the same time all this things come to my mind and I feel as they are all new I know that for some people this is only a Déjà vu. Today I heard about the birth of a fourth child of a former church family, not that the emotion and happiness would be different from what they felt with the first one, but I am sure that by now they know how things work and what is going on. I think that this also happens in music – as well as in other aspects of life. We saw so many things this semester that we consider innovation – and I am not daring to say that they are not, but hey really look more as an adaptation of what exists around us. I remember when Dannica talked about extended vocal technique, it seems so innovative – and it is – from the perspective of the singer however most of it was nothing more than a tentative to incorporate into the vocal repertoire vocal sounds which are present in other aspects of life (a good example was the different types of vocal clicks from African dialects that Nicola mastered so beautifully).

I believe that music – and all the other forms of art – is part of everything which was created and it is there for us to explore and the so-called innovation will only be the result of this exploration. Music is there, in everywhere for us to try the novelty of its experience. The greatest novelty in the Rodrigues’ life is yet to come – the birth of our baby girl. I know (or should I say I hope) that this will not be any novelty for anybody in the delivery room except for Higo and me, but we will explore this moment and let all the beauty and magnitude of it fulfill our hearts with thanksgiving. At that time I am sure that everyone in that room regardless of how used they are to do this will be able to see that we have never felt this way before and this experience will make all things NEW!

Thelonious Monk (1917-1982)

Monk was an American composer and jazz pianist. He was an innovator in the bebop era and is considered one of the founders of bebop in early 1940s. His sound and style are totally unique – one of the most desirable qualities for a jazz musician and Monk’s style is a part of the jazz canon today.

One of his first influences was Teddy Wilson whose style is very smooth and flowing with a very tradition type of technique. His mature style can be seen as an extension of Duke Ellington’s piano style. His sound and style are so unique that it can be instantly recognized as Monk, and imitator of Monk, or someone playing in Monk’s style.

The Monk’s style:
• Unorthodox technique: this created a very bright and expressive tone color. (this element of his playing is often misunderstood, because people assume that he was uneducated or improperly trained in piano technique. This is a mistake because it discounts the artist’s goals in choosing a method to produce a sound). About 3’10’’ of this video clip, we will see the unique way he chose to create the sound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmhP1RgbrrY

• Rhythm: Monk chose angular, irregular rhythms and syncopations that were at the core of the bebop movement’s ideals. Some of his compositions are primarily rhythmic in nature, consisting of only a few pitches. (Thelonious, Evidence - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHtZ66EcZnU&feature=related, Raise Four, etc.) Another one of his innovations is using space and rhythmic development. They are sometimes unsettling and purposely angular.
• Dissonance: He chose to voice chords in a way that maximized the dissonances (Sometimes inverting intervals to enhance dissonance or using major/minor seconds in a melodic line).
• He would play tone clusters that subtly resolve by letting go of only a few notes and uses the interval of a tritone very often.

As a composer, he developed an individual voice as a composer in jazz. The compositions were not “transcribed improvisation” or contrafactum (taking the chord and composing a new melody for them). Monk is one of the major figures in jazz composition. These figures include Wayne Shorter and Duke Ellington. His compositions have become jazz standards and pieces used in education curriculums.

Because of his eccentric musical language and technique, people sometimes think that he just crazy and this did not help other aspects of his acceptance. But the musicians of his day (Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Deter Gordon, many others) valued his contributions as a pianist and composer.

Bebop was a difficult music for some of the previous generation to accept. It represented a change from the idea of music for dancing to music for listening. Bebop was kind of art type music and more virtuosic. The rhythm is more complicated than in the previous jazz style known as Swing. This clip “Evidence” is primary about the rhythm:

Coleman Hawkins was a major figure in the history of jazz saxophone, and a musician of the previous generation. His particularly strong support of the new style (bebop) and Thelonious Monk was an important stamp of acceptance at a time in Monk’s career that helped to establish a foothold in the music industry.

There is a great documentary about Thelonious Monk which is separated by 10 video clips on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2z67tTQIvI&feature=PlayList&p=087A76022393117D&index=0&playnext=1

Nancarrow reflection

Here I sit, after having finished my Dallapiccola analysis (those of you out there know what I'm talking about) and am drinking a glass of wine listening to Nancarrow's piano studies.  Here's what's on my mind:

I think Nancarrow was a genius, not just for what he composed, but for the fact that he is the only person I know to compose something for an acoustic instrument that will be performed exactly the way he wanted it to be performed, EVERY TIME!  This is an amazing feat as a composer, because I know that composer always deal with performers taking "liberties," when in fact what the composer wrote is probably what they intended to hear.  And with Nancarrow, he made his legacy exactly how he wanted it, with no interpretational issues.  What a genius.  I remember someone bringing up that with electronics/synthesizers/finale it is possible to play anything you can imagine, but for someone to take something that has no electronic sounds and make it sound the way he did is just unbelievable to me.  I only wish that someday I can go and listen to the player piano in person so I can fully experience the keys moving in front of me.

Anyways, that's all.

Make sure to RSVP for the Listening/Wine gathering.

Brad

End of Year MUS690 Listening/Wine Party

Hello all, I just posted, but here's something completely random that I forgot to bring up at the end of class today.

I know me and Nicola were discussing having a party at the end of the semester where everyone brings their IPOD, CD player, etc. and brings two pieces of music that everyone listens to while hanging out.

I definitely want to do this, so what I'm inviting everyone to is a party Thursday, May 7th at 8pm to my house.  The theme would be to bring your music and a bottle (or box) of wine.  We'll drink to the end of the semester and the beginning of summer, while experiencing some music that hopefully you haven't heard before.

Please do respond to this post if you're up for this or not.  That way I can find out wether its worth doing this or not.  And if not...well, I might just go buy a bottle of wine and listen to the people on my Itunes that I've never noticed before. :o)

Please RESPOND, thanks!

Brad

P.S. - I live out in Hamburg if that affects anyone's plans.

Self-Confidence

Lately, I've been reading Kyle Gann's blog regularly.  I used to catch it about once or twice a month, but that was all.  Recently, I've been checking it daily and will continue to do so based on how I find his subject matter to be just as educational as the classes I attend (and pay for).

Yesterday, Gann posted on "What Composer's Talk About," and I was caught off guard in a surprising way.  I try to be as modest as possible when people come up to me after concerts.  Some people come up and do the stock compliment "great job" or "nice work," which I always appreciate.  I actually appreciate it when anyone comes out to any recital of mine, I know how busy people's schedules are and I am even grateful for the percussion studio who is required to come to my recitals.  But every now and then, someone will come up and talk about how they really experienced a certain piece and that something I played had changed their life.

Just as a side-note, I don't play to get praise from anyone else, I love playing music and will always keep playing, no matter my health, age, or profession.  But I also can't lie and say I don't get a kick out of influencing someone else's life.

But when people saying things like "that was amazing, you are very talented," I always deflect and say something along the lines of, "thanks, I'm just glad I made it through the recital."  Why do I immediately go try to be modest, especially when it's something I've been working on for over 5 months.  Wouldn't it be more appropriate to say, "Thanks, I thought it I was awesome, too."  I mean, I've worked by butt off to get the pieces to where there at, and the only thing I have to say for myself is "Well, at least I didn't blow it."

I don't think this level of ego should be displayed, but on the other hand, I don't think we as performers give ourselves enough credit.  I have a sophomore recital that I've never listened to because I messed up in the middle of one of my marimba solos, and that one 5 second mistake has kept me from thinking that anything else on that recital is worth listening to.  

My point isn't that we should go about, gloating about what great musicians we are, but I do know for a fact that at least some of us suffer from a lack of self-confidence.  So, maybe after your next recital, just take a minute, go into the bathroom (do whatever you may have to do while in there), then look in the mirror and tell yourself that you did a great job and what you did was the best you could ever do at that time.

Now, I know that this doesn't really apply to American Innovators all that much, but it does for me.  I will be playing both Cages 4'33" and Fritz Hauser's "Double Exposition."  These pieces are about as far out there as it can get (although my dad my contest that after hearing me play a piece for siren), but I've had reservations about these two pieces in particular.  Finally, I've come to terms with what these pieces are, they're not virtuosic displays of how well I can play a certain instrument, but instead, these pieces are written out experiences.  One can say every piece is an experience, and that is true, but these pieces do not feature anything virtuosic, or even challenging at times (yes, I know the term challenging has many different meanings, but for now I'm referring to chops or technical capability).  So, in the end, I feel like anyone coming to my recital will leave with an experience they may not of had the chance to have any other time in their life.

Yes, I am shamelessly promoting my recital (May 6th, 7:30pm at Singletary), but after reading Gann's blog, I knew that I had something to say, and didn't know what it was until about half-way through this post.  So, for all of you who made it to the end, thanks for reading and I hope that it made sense.  And for all those who didn't read the whole thing or haven't read any blogs at all...well, you can go On A Boat for all I care.

Aesthic Filters

This is Part 1 of a post which I made the other night – then de-posted because I sensed that my intent was not clear. That was confirmed later. My ponderings seem to relate to those of Chris and Mike. Part II will follow soon.

Each of us came into this class with a unique aesthetic filter developed over years and which continues to evolve – the lens through which we see, hear, and experience the world around us – and which influences our aesthetic response to and “judgment” of the music we have listened to during this class. The music we heard in our homes, the types of art we saw, the ideas and thoughts shared, the general world view of our larger and smaller cultural circles, spiritual and religious practices, our elementary school background,* middle and high school background, early personal musical experiences, later musical experiences, undergraduate musical experiences and music exposure, the musical tastes of our friends – and the list of influences could go on and on. The list would be different for each of us. We attempted to discuss this early on specifically in regard to Charles Ives – and what in his background influenced his compositional voice.

There may be some of us who grew up in areas similar to what was referred to in class Tuesday as a “cultural desert.” [I would like to be on record as saying I do not subscribe to the idea that one culture is superior to another – or that a lack of particular influences which may be deemed by some as “higher” than others marks a given culture as being “drier” than another. I believe it marks it as being different. I do, however, believe in cultural sharing – which is how so much of the music we have listened to developed.] In other words, we may not have had exposure to a wide variety of musical styles, visual art styles, theater, etc. As conservative as my home was in some ways, my parents gave my sister and I an incredibly varied artistic environment. We also grew up around people from all over the world so were exposed to their music and art from a young age.

Most of us probably spent time with a standard music history text and anthology focused on The Canon – being guided in what makes “representative” music. I do not think any of us would have chosen to take this class if we did not have filters which allow our taste to stretch and take in new and varied music. It could be possible that some of us felt we needed or wanted to consciously expand and adjust our filters. However, there will be some sounds which some of our filters will reject as being sounds we are not currently in need of hearing again any time soon. Throughout this semester, I have wondered from time to time which of the pieces we have listened to will be adopted into The Canon as representational of what are now current trends – which pieces will endure the “test of time.”

I do know that the more I have listened to music representational of the various styles and composers we have been exposed to this semester, the more my own aesthetic filter is open to accepting as music I “like.” Some of the music we have listened to, I appreciate on a level other than “like” – and feel no qualms about that. When I was little, I did not like broccoli; I like it now. I do not anticipate “liking” Brussels sprouts anytime soon – even though I might eat them sometime because I know they are good for me. I hesitate to say, however, that I will never like them. “Never” is a dangerous word.

*I grew up in a "Dewey"-influenced school where the arts were integral to our daily routine. We had pianos in every classroom and sang every day. We drew our own pictures to color. We wrote and illustrated poetry and stories. In the upper grades [4th through 6th], we had visual art class everyday as a regular class for half of the year -- we had music everyday for the other half. In all we learned, we were encouraged to respond creatively and with our own artistic "voice."

Adams and Pop Music

Today in class we got to see an innovator of a different type. Most of the innovators we have dealt with we what could be labeled as working within the classical heritage. While Zappa did work within that specific tradition, it was his pop music that he was most innovative in.

Adams integrated some aspects of the pop music tradition into his compositional style, but remains firmly within the classical heritage. Yet, it is actually the incorporation of these pop elements within the classical tradition that makes Adams approach to pop music and its different elements so innovative.

In his opera The Death of Klinghoffer, Adams writes mostly within the classical tradition, with the exception of the Aria immediately preceding the death of Klinghoffer at the hands of the Palestinian Hijackers. This is sung by a girl on board, and in more ways than one, serves as a means of alleviating the tension that has been building up. The driving, motoric rhythms that Adams has used throughout have helped to generate significant tension, which this aria serves a a brief respite from. This Aria is written with the accompaniment of synthesizers in the background, which almost gives the feel of a rock concert.

Another innovation that Adams has used in some of his works is the nontraditional usage of the trap set. While the traps set has not had a very long history, there are certain techniques that have become somewhat standard. In his orchestra works, Adams takes the trap set and writes coloristically and instead of rhythmically. This is highly innovative, since the trap set is always associated with the rhythm section of rock or jazz bands, not an instrument used to provide different colors for the ensemble.

In addition, Adams homage to pop music is even greater than meets the eye. As a composer, he has written music that appeals to audience, hence it is "pop" music. Nothing could be more important to any type of music than popular audience appeal. While there are different distinctions between styles that do need to be drawn, Adams has realized this need for audience appreciation of the music. So while Adams remains highly innovative and creative in his approach to composition, his works have audience appeal which ensures their popularity for years to come.

In coming back to Zappa, that is where Adams and Zappa are similar. They both were innovative and in some cases, quite daring (Zappa's progressive music that he knew would never get aired on public radio, and Adams use of electronic music and quarter tones in a piece commemorating the terror attacks on the World Trade Center). Yet despite this progressive thinking and search for expression and greater musical vocabulary, they never lost sight of the most important thing, which not only classical, but pop require in order to survive: popular appeal.

In many ways, as we have seen throughout the course of the semester, that is the greatest challenge that an innovator of any nationality faces. Obviously a progressive mentality is of the utmost importance, or else the music will become static and banal. It is the ability to take these innovations and not necessarily make them relevant to the general public, but to make them accessible. Innovation without an audience is just as bad as sterile music making with one. They both fail to achieve anything of substance. One fails because it has nothing to say, while the other fails because the audience cannot relate to it in any way.

Instead, a balance needs to be achieved. The audience does need to sense some type of rapport with the music, while there does need to be a depth to the musical statements. Adams has achieved this without sacrificing quality; instead, he has enhanced it.

In defense of Philip Glass

So I haven't written anything on the blog in a while, but I'm coming out of self-induced hibernation to write this.  During the presentation on Philip Glass, we all got a good laugh out of the ease with which it is possible to imitate Philip Glass' compositional style.  I'll be the first to admit that it's hilarious that a ten-minute YouTube video can teach you how to play the piano like Glass but don't give up on his music because of that.  Here are some reasons why:

1. Philip Glass is laughing all the way to the bank, right now, as you're reading this.  ($$$)

2. Minimalism isn't dead or passe....if you don't want it to be.  Minimalism seems to be (have been?) an "-ism" that was cliche about five minutes after it began.  Tonal, intensely repetitious, rhythmic, often laid-back in character.  It's usually easy to spot in TV commercials, concert programs, and movies.  But these adjectives also characterize Mozart pretty well too!  Not to mention many other Classical Era composers.  And their music is also in TV commercials, concert programs, and movies.  Except they don't get flak for their style (except maybe in mutters).

The point is, minimalism was a valid response to total serialism and Cage's love of chance and since culture here in the U.S. changes daily, it became left behind, an orphan of the 80s.  Unjustly, I think.

3. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  Yes, Glass is easy to caricature.  Again, so is Mozart.  Peter Schickele has made an entire career out of doing this!  (Writing really skillful, funny music in the process)  In the visual art world, art students would create copies from the works of the "Great Masters" in order to learn from them.  No judgement was implied.

4. His music is beautiful.  Personally, I love Philip Glass' music.  There is a disc of solo piano music where Glass plays Metamorphoses based very loosely on the Kafka story of the same name.  They are each very repetitious, with three chords in arpeggios, and they are gorgeous.  Sometimes trances can be a good thing.  Plus, when the 14th Dalai Lama made his first appearance in New York City in 1981, Glass was there, playing his "Mad Rush" for organ...not a bad career move.

More Hermeto, finally!

Finally!!!!!

That’s true I have finally put the links I used for my presentation on Hermeto Pascoal in here (as we say in Brazil, “better late than never” ☺
There are only two “biographical” websites that are recommended by him, which he calls his “official websites.”
They are:
( Cheryl, I still CANNOT make this thing work... sorry, but you all have to copy and paste... )

http://www.hermetopascoal.com.br/english/index.asp

http://www.hermetopascoalealinemorena.com.br/english/index.asp

You can find several songs to download for free, pictures, and the scores for the “Musical Calendar.”

Here are the clips that we watched in class:

“Everything is sound, everything is music”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2YDd9ipAYM (dentisit office)
(the two songs he mentions)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceBdGz3eTFg (“O Trem das Onze”)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCJVGtQswOw (“Cidade Maravilhosa”)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGaaxlvP-BA&feature=related (playing beard, whistle, and boiling pan)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCJY6AEGL2s (playing piano and aluminum bow)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06Qm-Z5OsHw (“Musica da Lagoa” – “Lake Music”)


“The Sound of The Aura”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrgveUpwCnM (Yves Montad)

http://www.hermetopascoal.com.br/english/musicas.asp

The Changing Pace of Innovation

Symphonic 'Enlightenment' In The 18th Century

By Bill Morelock

Hear The Orchestra Of The Age Of Enlightenment In Concert

[46 min 58 sec] add to playlist

Eric Richmond

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment specializes in 18th-century music.

Concert Program

Hear pieces from the concert separately.

Mozart: Divertimento in D, K. 136

[15 min 28 sec] add

C.P.E. Bach: Symphony in B minor

[10 min 57 sec] add

J. Haydn: Violin Concerto in C major

[20 min 28 sec] add

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, in concert in St. Paul, Minn.

APM, April 15, 2009 - We're used to thinking of the 20th century as the high point of technological and cultural change. The case is easy to make: A generation which knew the horse and buggy watched Neil Armstrong's moon walk. There was Einstein, two world wars, a smallpox vaccine, Elvis Presley and laptop computers.

But two and a half centuries ago, subtler dramas of ideas led to upheavals every bit as volcanic as our recent spectacles. The London-based Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment specializes in the soundtrack of this time. And the ensemble recently made its case for nuanced but significant musical revolutions in works by Mozart, Haydn, and C.P.E. Bach.

Mozart wrote his Divertimento in D, K. 136 at age 16. We hear the charming and graceful prodigy announcing his genius — a familiar, even comforting sound. But rebellion lurks beneath the surface: This teenager is out to change things. He abruptly wrenches the complacent listener from one key to another. And those clever turns of phrase, are they really quite polite?

Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach was another disturber of the peace. Superbly trained by his father, this second son of Johann Sebastian had his own things to say. His style was expressive, even stormy, with no built-in impedance against the display of human emotions. This symphony in B minor, with its stabbing rhythms and dissonance, gives us a forward-thinking C.P.E. Bach in the year 1773.

Again, it might take an act of the imagination to hear the danger in this music today, but the rules of proportion and procedure in a coherent world were being ignored. Such breaches might be a prelude to anything: the rights of man, anarchy, bewigged noblemen hogtied in tumbrils awaiting guillotines.

Finally, Rachel Podger is the soloist in Joseph Haydn's Violin Concerto in C. Another innovator, and an inventor of lasting things, Haydn developed both the string quartet and the symphony. On the surface, his style in the Concerto says "Empress Maria Theresia," but the virtuosic solo part anticipates the humanity of Beethoven and Brahms. These men — living after the Reigns of Terror and the Napoleonic promise and nightmare — inherited the Haydn legacy of change and then felt it accelerate.

Trains broke the 25 mph barrier in the 1830s. This was too much, and Cassandras in the press warned, "The end is near!" Our shifts — from slide rule to nanotechnology, from Kitty Hawk to the Mars Rover — have conspired to make change almost routine. Can we ever again know the equivalent shock of a C.P.E. Bach symphony?

Congratulations Steve Reich

I was reminded this afternoon on my drive back home that musical history is made every single day. For those of you who didn't read it in the New York Times or hear it on NPR, Steve Reich won a Pulitzer Prize for his Double Sextet (premiered last year, 2008) today. Hopefully I can listen to a recording of the work so that I have the sounds to go with the historical event. 

Toru Takemitsu

Since being introduced to blogging and consequently Kyall Gann’s blog in this class, I find myself routinely reading Gann’s insights and opinions on music and musicians. In fact, I am sincerely disappointed when he does not blog everyday. I find his entries along with our class discussions, an excellent point of departure for my own musical explorations (it doesn’t take very much to peek my musical interest nowadays).

Gann’s Friday blog entry referred to an interview where the composer/performer Aron Kallay made considerable reference to Toru Takemitsu, another composer that I recall only learning flippantly during my undergraduate degree. Considering the fact that we’ve incorporated several international/internationally-influenced innovators (Hermeto Pascoal, Christopher Adler, Julian Carrrillo) in our studies over the past months, I thought it only appropriate that I do my own little digging into Takemitsu.

Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996) a Japanese composer inspired by Bach, Debussy and Messian, was most known for his innovative musical timbres both instrumentally and orchestrally. He composed a large body of film scores, both in the USA and in Japan. Takemitsu gained much of his Western musical influence through the music predominantly introduced in Asia through military bands during the war. It was only after meeting Cage that he started to root his compositions in the traditional Japanese culture though. It’s my understanding that Cage’s interest in Zen directly influenced Takemitsu’s decision to draw from his traditional roots and incorporate those into his compositions and subsequently resulted in his further studies in traditional music and instruments.

The interview recording posted on the blog had some interesting food for thought regarding Takemitsu’s perception and preferences for joining eastern and western music. Firstly, reference was made of a quote by Takemistu, saying that “Japanese do not appreciate the sound of Allegro”. He goes on to talk about the aesthetic ideas behind the making of music “we are rarely aware that our ears are always hearing, and our eyes are always seeing, that our breath is always breathing .…if you open up to those senses, you have an extraordinary continuity. Silence and Sound are joined”.

If you take a moment to listen to a clip of Takemitsu’s music, you can experience what he is referring to (I highly recommend a rainy Sunday afternoon to appreciate and truly absorb the experience). There is an obvious escape from ‘Traditional tools of music, melody, harmony, rhythm’ and a definite Cagean influence (a statement I can say with authority and confidence now).

Listen to From me Flows what you call time 

http://uky.naxosmusiclibrary.com.ezproxy.uky.edu/catalogue/item.asp?cid=ABC454516-2

It’s fascinating how Takemitsu uses the instruments as elements of nature as opposed to simply virtuostic machines. There are some interesting extended techniques and most importantly, beautiful timbres and sonorities (perfect for my overloaded and overstressed mind on a Sunday evening).

On a personal note, the aspects of the interview that spurred my consequent readings on Takemitsu, were the extreme contradictions that Takemitsu brings to light between eastern and western traditions. The reference to ‘erasing the ego’ that is so contradictory to the culture that we live in. But in the same breathe, the need for a ‘Universal language’ in music and society. In reference to Cage’s influence on Takemitsu, Kallay quoted “Takemitsu’s music is the best music that Cage ever wrote”. Meaning that Takemistu understood Cage’s musical ideas and took it a step further by adding Asian continuities.

Those are my random thoughts for the evening.....I'm far more interested in the sounds....

Martin Bresnick: a "WebQuest" of sorts

American Innovator Friends,

Thank you for your support in my time of technological troubles. In anticipation of this possibility, I had prepared these links to various resources so that I could put them on the blog -- so you can learn a bit more about Martin Bresnick and hear more of his music if you so choose.

Cheryl

"Martin Bresnick has not become nearly so well known as the quality of his music deserves; no other recent uptown composer possesses a style so elegantly smooth or can say so much with so few notes. Bresnick's works are marked by an economy of materials and lyrical intensity. The secret of Bresnick's language is that he has developed an intervallic way of working with tonality that allows for a smooth continuum between tonality and atonality." ~ Kyle Gann, American Music in the Twentieth Century, Schirmer Books

Martin Bresnick: Web Links & Library Resources

Martin Bresnick – The Official Website -- Check out the "Works" page.
http://www.martinbresnick.com/

Yale Alumni Magazine – Anne Midgette – Mar/April 2007 [I feel this is a wonderful and comprehensive piece!]
http://www.yalealumnimagazine.com/issues/2007_03/bresnick.html

New Music Box – Interview – (9:22) -- focuses on the team aspect of Bresnick and Moore
http://www.newmusicbox.org/article.nmbx?id=5858

Vic Firth – “Grace” Video – (12:26) -- about the writing of the double marimba concerto
http://www.vicfirth.com/features/bresnick.html

Behind the Beat – Audio Portraits (2:00 – 3:00 each)
http://www.behindthebeat.net/genre.asp?g=198

New York Times – Steve Smith – 12.3.2006 [focus on teaching]
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/03/arts/music/03smit.html?_r=1


On YouTube

For the Sexes: Gates of Paradise (based on poetry and engravings of William Blake)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgUbYnoiSZM (5:40)

Pine Eyes (1998)
· Scene 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuUrnh8u3NE (2:31)
· Scene 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taJN15COtUs (4:29)
· Scene 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p08hN6Ad_Q (6:26)

Willie’s Way - Lisa Moore, piano
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmY8dd6u4ZE (10:54)


Bang on a Can: http://www.bangonacan.org/
Mission Statement: Formed in 1987 by composers Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe, [note: all former students of Martin Bresnick at Yale] Bang on a Can is dedicated to commissioning, performing, creating, presenting and recording contemporary music. With an ear for the new, the unknown and the unconventional, Bang on a Can strives to expose exciting and innovative music as broadly and accessibly as possible to new audiences worldwide. And through its Summer Festival, Bang on a Can hopes to bring this energy and passion for innovation to a younger generation of composers and players.

UK Library Holdings:

Sound Recordings:
· My Twentieth Century – CD9106 (Grace, the double marimba concerto, is on this CD)
· Opere Della Musica Povera – Works of a Poor Music – CD 2484
· String Quartet No. 2: Becephalus; Wir weben, wir weben – LP6728
· Music for Strings – CD2484

Also on:
· Conspirare: Chamber Music for Solo Flute – Patti Monson – CD4186
· Trio – The Monticello Trio – CD932
· Long Distance – Seth Josel (Bag O’ Tells – solo mandalin!) – CD2592
· The New York Woodwind Quintet – CD1117

Video Recording: Cadillac Desert – Jon Else – AV-V4267 (original music, Martin Bresnick)

Martin Bresnick

Here is a very brief blog version of an introduction to Martin Bresnick. We'll chat a bit about the man and his music in class tomorrow - Thursday, April 16.

Standard bio:
http://www.martinbresnick.com/bio.htm

A little more info may be found in Gann’s American Music – just check the index.

For further contemplation, you might read the following:

“Where I’m From” ~ by George Ella Lyon
http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html

“On the Puppet Theater” ~ (1811) by Heinrich von Kleist (1777-1814)
http://academic.udayton.edu/bradhume/hst348/Kleist.htm

Adams: In a class by himself

Yesterday, we heard a fascinating presentation about Philip Glass, and his minimalist compositions that sprung him to fame. I personally am not that well acquainted with the life and work of Glass, but I did know enough about him to understand that his style of choice is minimalism.

The early career of Adams bears striking similarity with much of Glass's output. Some obvious differences would be that Adams is not nearly as prolific as Glass (he has not written any symphonies in name, but Harmonielehre is essentially his one and only symphony). However, the paths that these two men took could not be any more different.

While it was Glass's association with Minimalism that has helped distinguish his career, it is Adam's procession from Minimalism to a highly original style of composition that sets his music apart.

As any serious student of music history is well aware of, the 20th and 21st centuries have been dominated by ism's. These ism's have been attached to composers and serve as a means of distinguishing between composers in a cosmopolitan compositional setting. Schoenberg is associated with serialism as much as Cage is associated with Aleatoric composition. Riley is seen as a minimalist composer, while Stravinsky is labeled as a neoclassical composer.

So with all of these different stylistic schools of composition which identify composers, and almost serve as a means of wiping out national boundaries between them, it is Adams progress from an identifiable style to a more diverse, ambiguous style of composition which has caused the entire musical world to take notice.

Since he can't be effectively pigeonholed without misconstruing the content of his compositions, every new composition by Adams needs to be viewed thoroughly upon its own merits without taking into account anything else he has written. Obviously, as with anything and everything else in life, there will be stylistic similarities between each work, but these similarities are not enough to suggest a type of mold which the composer uses to fashion every single work after. Instead, the similarities between each work are more of a genetic type, one that is found in a family. While Brothers and sisters do share certain characteristics that identify them as kin, they are obviously not the same person.

While the experienced listener can identify the connection between Adams works, each work has something highly original and creative to say. Much of his work can only be labeled as belonging to a certain genre, not because it obviously belongs there, but because it give some structure to any observer as to how one should approach Adams work. There is never anything banal or synthetic about Adams' work, and each composition almost needs to be viewed as its own independent entity

What should be pointed out is that the term ambiguity (as used above) is not intended to be used negatively. Instead, it is intended to convey the idea of unpredictability. Instead of everything being clear cut all the time, Adams mixes the elements to somewhat cloud the situation, but only to the point that it causes us to step back and realize the originality of his statements.

In fact, ambiguity remains an important aspect of much music. Instead of making everything simple and easily understood, it forces the listener to carefully examine and take into account all of the different possibilities of interpretation that could be set forth. Look at the opening prelude of Tristan und Isolde. The unresolved chords here intensifies the drama of the opera. Or take the opening of Beethoven's first symphony. The opening cadences in keys other than C major cause the listener to wander what the significance of such a gesture is and if there is some significance.

With all of this in mind, the final aspect that accentuates Adams' importance as a composer is what was pointed out last week: he uses traditional models to achieve this. As a result, his achievements and artistic statements are highlighted. Adams, as an innovator, is in a class by himself.

Captain Beefheart's "Trout Mask Replica"

In 1969, Captain Beefheart (aka Don van Vliet) released the album many consider to be his masterpiece, Trout Mask Replica.  Produced by childhood friend Frank Zappa, the album is a complex and unique blend of rock, blues, folk, psychedelic, free jazz, and other music traditions.

The sounds on this album can probably be best described as "striking."  Grooves that just barely hang together in tracks like "Frownland" and "Moonlight on Vermont" are juxtaposed with field-recording imitations like "The Dust Blows Forward 'n' the Dust Blows Back" (which was supposedly improvised on the spot; you can hear the tape recorder switch on and off between each line of the song as Beefheart thinks up the next one).  Free improvisations on woodwind instruments on which the performers have no classical training also appear throughout the album. Combine this with Beefheart's gigantic vocal range, which allows him to sound like several different people, and you've got a sound (or a variety of sounds) that CANNOT be reproduced.  For better or for worse.

Another reason why Trout Mask Replica sounds so unique is the album's production process. Beefheart took accomplished musicians, sequestered them, and basically made them re-learn their approach to their instruments according to his specifications.  He taught them the tunes on the album by rote, which caused the process to take approximately 8 months.  During recording, musicians were separated in different rooms and had to listen through walls to line up with each other, creating a sense of (probably not unplanned) disjunctness in the resulting grooves.

As for the lyrics, Beefheart runs the gamut from serious political issues ("Dachau Blues," Veteran's Day Poppy") to social commentary ("Moonlight on Vermont") to sex ("Neon Meate Dream of a Octafish") to the downright absurd (the song "Pachuco Cadaver" begins with the line "A squid eating dough in a polyethylene bag is fast and bulbous.  Got me?").

Trout Mask Replica is a deceptively entertaining album that is very much in line with the traditions of twentieth-century music.  To the casual listener, it sounds like so much amateurish garbage.  However, a little investigation into Beefheart's methods reveals a fascinating array of carefully-chosen sounds.  I love the album (in small doses), and for those of you who haven't heard it, I highly recommend it.  For those of you familiar with it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Extended techniques...on tuba

I am very aware of the fact that not everybody can appreciate the tuba as a solo instrument, as I have for the past 20 years. However, considering the fact that MUS 690 has opened our ears and minds to new musical experiences, I was REALLY hoping I could share this with you in preparation for Thursdays extended techniques class. 

Oystein Baadsvik is undoubtedly the most innovative and successful solo tubist that has ever graced the musical stage. If you have 4 minutes, listen to this clip, it makes use of a lot of the extended techniques that Dannica, Claire and I have mentioned in the earlier blog (pitch bending, multiphonics, slap tonguing).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHMyrhilkdo

I am really looking forward to this topic, take it away Dannica!!!