Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Movie music
Vincent D'Indy's ''Souvenirs" was broadcast last night on KVOD in Denver. The announcer, Charles Andrews, commented that D'Indy would have been a wonderful movie composer. While I am familiar with D'Indy's "Symphony on a French Mountain Air", "Souvenirs" was new to me. As I listened I agreed with Andrews' comment and then began the mental game of imagining what movie I would be watching: a western; a forlorn big city romance; maybe a mystery; a documentary; certainly not science fiction or horror. I don't know exactly what it would be. That is music's limit. Instrumental music can't tell a tale or specify reality. Set the idea first, then music can help define it.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
John Ireland
Last night I turned on KVOD and heard the end of a nice piece: John Irelands's "Orchestral Poem", a 15 minute work. The announcer commented at the end that it's too bad that we don't get to hear it more often. I've never heard it performed, but it certainly sounds like it would please an audience.
The announcer proceeded to play Brahm's "Tragic Overture". Okay, KVOD, do what you suggest. The "Tragic Overture" has been broadcast 129 times in the last 1996 days (since 2003). If Ireland's "Orchestral Poem" is that nice, how come KVOD has only broadcast it 21 times over the same 5 and a half years? For every time Ireland's work is played, you play the "Tragic Overture" over 6 times.
I suspect orchestras don't play music by John Ireland much because audiences aren't familiar with him. An English composer, Ireland (1879-1962) has a late-romantic, impressionist sound. I've just downloaded some mp3's from Amazon of his piano concerto and two symphonic studies. Amazon doesn't seem to have the "Orchestral Poem" in its catalog -- too bad. We'll see how much I like the others.
The announcer proceeded to play Brahm's "Tragic Overture". Okay, KVOD, do what you suggest. The "Tragic Overture" has been broadcast 129 times in the last 1996 days (since 2003). If Ireland's "Orchestral Poem" is that nice, how come KVOD has only broadcast it 21 times over the same 5 and a half years? For every time Ireland's work is played, you play the "Tragic Overture" over 6 times.
I suspect orchestras don't play music by John Ireland much because audiences aren't familiar with him. An English composer, Ireland (1879-1962) has a late-romantic, impressionist sound. I've just downloaded some mp3's from Amazon of his piano concerto and two symphonic studies. Amazon doesn't seem to have the "Orchestral Poem" in its catalog -- too bad. We'll see how much I like the others.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Apollo and Dionysus
Listening to KVOD last night, the announcer Charles Andrews introduced Bruno Walter conducting Beethoven's Symphony #8. KVOD has broadcast this symphony 14 times thus far in 2008, compared to only one time for Symphony #9, by the way. Andrews normally has interesting comments and insight. He said something about the Apollonian versus Dionysian characteristic of Bruno's Beethoven. Apollo represents harmony, order, and reason while Dionysus represents ecstasy and disorder. Was Andrews saying Beethoven's symphony was an example of reason conducted in a disorderly fashion by Bruno Walter? I was confused by the comment but I wondered since the performance was very good.
Later, in the middle of Bach's Violin Concerto, I noticed something that we don't often hear in Boulder -- the sound of rain. I turned off the radio and listened to its quiet trickle on the roof. Apollo and Dionysus were still wandering in my head when it dawned on me that I was right in the middle of both. The sound from the skylight was Dionysus: quiet, pleasant random rain. On my right, with the window slightly open, I could hear the steady uniform plunk of water dripping into the gutter. Dionysus in the skylight, Apollo sliding down the roof. Thank you Charles Andrews!
Later, in the middle of Bach's Violin Concerto, I noticed something that we don't often hear in Boulder -- the sound of rain. I turned off the radio and listened to its quiet trickle on the roof. Apollo and Dionysus were still wandering in my head when it dawned on me that I was right in the middle of both. The sound from the skylight was Dionysus: quiet, pleasant random rain. On my right, with the window slightly open, I could hear the steady uniform plunk of water dripping into the gutter. Dionysus in the skylight, Apollo sliding down the roof. Thank you Charles Andrews!
Monday, May 12, 2008
More on the Alaskan John Adams
In an earlier posting, I mentioned John Luther Adams, the "Alaskan" Adams, to differentiate him from John Coolidge Adams, the "California" Adams, and the more well known John Adams. John Luther Adams had been written up in an article by Alex Ross in The New Yorker. Impatiently I had downloaded some of his music from Amazon, all done by the Cincinnati Percussion Ensemble. I wasn't overly impressed by it, but I decided to wait it out and see what the mail might bring. I had also ordered Earth and Great Weather, a piece commented on by Alex Ross in his New Yorker article. Today it arrived and I'm listening to it as I write this. "Earth and Great Weather" or, as the composer calls it "Nunavlusilaqpauvlu Nan Kak Nats'aa Gweedhaa", is more of the same and, unfortunately, I'm not much impressed. In both Ross's article and in the liner notes there are references to Morton Feldman. I have but one piece by Feldman, his Piano and String Quartet with Aki Takahashi and the Kronos Quartet. Apparently like a lot of Feldman's works, it goes on and on and on -- for an hour and 20 minutes. I like it. While I wouldn't quite rate up in my top 10, I do enjoy listening to Feldman. Unfortunately, I was somewhat disappointed with the "Alaskan" John Adams.
I don't expect to hear any performances of either Feldman or Luther Adams locally, even in a town like Boulder where somewhat adventuresome music is often performed. Percussionists may know Russell Peck's "The Glory and the Grandeur" a concerto for 3 percussionists. I heard it for the first time about 10 years ago at the Colorado Music Festival, under Giora Bernstein. It was fun to listen to, and, equally important, fun to watch. Now, the Boulder Philharmonic is planning on performing it this fall. Unlike the Luther Adam's pieces I've heard, it's percussion AND orchestra, not just percussion. Perhaps that's why I like it more.
Is it performed on the radio? Not on the stations I monitor. It is available on CD since I have a copy, but do they play it. No, but perhaps that's best since you only really appreciate it in a live performance.
I don't expect to hear any performances of either Feldman or Luther Adams locally, even in a town like Boulder where somewhat adventuresome music is often performed. Percussionists may know Russell Peck's "The Glory and the Grandeur" a concerto for 3 percussionists. I heard it for the first time about 10 years ago at the Colorado Music Festival, under Giora Bernstein. It was fun to listen to, and, equally important, fun to watch. Now, the Boulder Philharmonic is planning on performing it this fall. Unlike the Luther Adam's pieces I've heard, it's percussion AND orchestra, not just percussion. Perhaps that's why I like it more.
Is it performed on the radio? Not on the stations I monitor. It is available on CD since I have a copy, but do they play it. No, but perhaps that's best since you only really appreciate it in a live performance.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
John Luther Adams, at first blush
Today, I got my weekly New Yorker and found an article by Alex Ross. Entitled Letter From Alaska, it is about John Luther Adams. This Adams is not to be mistaken from John Coolidge Adams, the "California" Adams of "Nixon in China", "Dr Atomic", "Death of Klinghoffer", and so forth -- the one we really listen to and appreciate. I'm a fan of contemporary music and actually saw a reference to this article earlier this week on Alex Ross's blog "The Rest if Noise". I've read Ross's book of the same name and enjoy reading his writing. I though, good, another new composer! What is he all about? Is this going to be another winner?
After finishing the article I went to Amazon and looked for "John Luther Adams" and found several hits. I looked for titles that Ross referenced and found that some that were available. A few were only available as CD's, so I ordered one "Earth and the Great Weather". I could immediately download some mp3's for only 99 cents, so I did. I patched them into my home-grown mp3 database and listened. Perhaps my choices weren't any good, but I was disappointed. There were 5 pieces, performed by the Cincinnati Percussion Ensemble. They were uninspiring and frankly boring. Dare I say it? Like tedious Edgar Varese.
Ross wrote about 20Th century composers in his book "The Rest is Noise". Prokofiev, Messiaen, Stravinsky, Sibelius, Strauss, -- all the major 20Th Century composers. He also mentioned many many composers like Varese and Feldman, two he referenced in the New Yorker article. Are they Important? I don't know. Listenable? Again, I don't know. I remember getting a record of Varese's music: Ionisation, Density 21.5, Integrales, Octandre, Hyperprism and Poeme Electronique. I still have the record, though I haven't converted it over into mp3's yet. I'm not sure it's worth the effort. Luther Adams from my first brush with him appeals much like Varese.
Morton Feldman does have his appeal. Perhaps the CD of Luther Adam's work Earth and the Great Weather will be more like Feldman than Varese. I'll have to wait for delivery to find out.
Does the radio audience get to hear John Luther Adams? Not for the FM classical stations I monitor. Looking for "Luther Adams" I found nothing with both names together. There were 1170 broadcasts of "Adams" and all appear to be the California one, not the Alaskan one. Luther was found 40 times, but were either by Martin Luther or involving Lutheran.
After finishing the article I went to Amazon and looked for "John Luther Adams" and found several hits. I looked for titles that Ross referenced and found that some that were available. A few were only available as CD's, so I ordered one "Earth and the Great Weather". I could immediately download some mp3's for only 99 cents, so I did. I patched them into my home-grown mp3 database and listened. Perhaps my choices weren't any good, but I was disappointed. There were 5 pieces, performed by the Cincinnati Percussion Ensemble. They were uninspiring and frankly boring. Dare I say it? Like tedious Edgar Varese.
Ross wrote about 20Th century composers in his book "The Rest is Noise". Prokofiev, Messiaen, Stravinsky, Sibelius, Strauss, -- all the major 20Th Century composers. He also mentioned many many composers like Varese and Feldman, two he referenced in the New Yorker article. Are they Important? I don't know. Listenable? Again, I don't know. I remember getting a record of Varese's music: Ionisation, Density 21.5, Integrales, Octandre, Hyperprism and Poeme Electronique. I still have the record, though I haven't converted it over into mp3's yet. I'm not sure it's worth the effort. Luther Adams from my first brush with him appeals much like Varese.
Morton Feldman does have his appeal. Perhaps the CD of Luther Adam's work Earth and the Great Weather will be more like Feldman than Varese. I'll have to wait for delivery to find out.
Does the radio audience get to hear John Luther Adams? Not for the FM classical stations I monitor. Looking for "Luther Adams" I found nothing with both names together. There were 1170 broadcasts of "Adams" and all appear to be the California one, not the Alaskan one. Luther was found 40 times, but were either by Martin Luther or involving Lutheran.
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