Philip Glass- Music in Twelve Parts (again), part 11.

I really wonder if I'll ever get over the sheer radicalism of early Glass. This is one of the prettier parts of the 12, despite its true minimalist austerity and constant pulse. The composer once described his music as functioning like wheels in a machine, which makes perfect sense to me. These arpeggios become conceptual spinning disks that morph with the music like clay on a potters wheel.

So to approach this music do we have to be armed with metaphors to describe it? Or can we just listen and enjoy? I think, since the music is so extreme in its forms and unconventional, that the only way to become accustomed to it is to approach it with this mindset. This adds to the music's radicalism, since it has to be understood through a conceptual framework, rather then through standard, accepted formulations, even for a 20th century avant-gardist. I would happily argue that the early work of Glass is some of the most challenging of the century, yet it has opened up avenues of thinking-in-music that never existed before. Suddenly music ceases to follow any western narrative form, no begining, no middle, no end. Music becomes the experience of sounds and rigorous patterns where a chord could be held for 20 minutes. Sustained tones become important-in-themselves, sustained patterns are the music. Change is not a given, it becomes a surprise.

End of Quarter Laziness

im just sitting around, being rather un-productive. eating, surfing Youtube,etc. Anyway, the other day I found a video of my favorite work of Philip Glass, Music in a Similar Motion ( its broken into two videos, actually, since it goes over youtube's video time limit.)

And its lovely. During my roadtrip across California and Oregon this summer it was music that kept me calm in stressful moments of (generally California) driving. My passenger was not always pleased, but he was able to deal with it, and i think it might have even rubbed off on him.





So here are some pics from said roadtrip..
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Terry Riley- Music for the Gift III

I stumbled upon this little gem on Youtube just today, so i thought i'd share it. Im no expert on Riley's music, but i do love it, and every now and then something just appears online that really just faciniates me, like this little piece. Its tape-looped jazz quartet from 1963, and this avant-garde work really sets the stage for what came directly after it- In C, and consequently the entire minimalist "idea". Whats surprising is how early it was made, and yet its still so refreshing. These kinds of pieces support my thinking that Mr. Riley is one of the most under-rated of major composers from the last 50 years

Oh sweetnesss that is all sweetness. Some of you may yawn or have already seen this but the motherload for a glassfan has been found at youtube, some videos of a much younger, longhaired vaguely stallonesque looking radical playing what is my favorite excerpt from Einstein, (train) in a recording i'd never heard. Theres also a second part where they perform the spaceship section of einstein.

Each recording of glass' early work sounds vastly different from the next, and this is no exception, allowing the listener familiar with other recordings (me) to enjoy subtlies never before made so audible, and i do have to say, im a fan of this particular performance. There are also a few words from the maestro himself in middle of the two recordings.

This discovery certainly isnt mine, so i owe it to Soho the Dog, who posted Glass' performance from the year of my birth (1986) of Rubric on an unnamed american late night tv program, which is also a quality recording. This is the point where i mourn the fact that contemporary music could have continued to play a role in american television, but seems not to. A comment on Soho's blog mentions ornette coleman being on this program at one point.... hm.

Terry Riley - You're no good

That Terry Riley (re?)Mix, You're nogood, reposted (and hosted) by Mr. Gable at aworks has been stuck in my head for days, floating in and out. I listened to it once (well, maybe twice) and its stuck- but theres no wonder in that, but this post has opened a link to two newish blogs which hold my interest (the two that posted this before Mr. gable and long before me) The colorfully named Dinosaur Gardens and music for maniacs. Both will probably be frequenly visited by yours truely.

I was taken back at first by the music's radicalism, particularly the excruciating opening which reminded me of no other riley i knew, followed by what might be possibly classified as pop-art music.All of the blogs above do a better job at describing the piece than i, and you'll have to go to Aworks to hear it.

Terry Riley- Rainbow in Curved air.

Youtube has become an easy way for me to become acquainted with some unknown contemporary music...and amateur art-video. There are three of these short videos which use this music, so im really only familiar with fragments, but I love them all the same. If I had the chance, when I have a chance, I might ask such a CD for a birthday present. Gorgeous stuff.

and while im at is, i'll also profess my love for adult swim comedy. This clip, also from Youtube involves "an old friend", a bebop cola machine, who contains such flavors as orangette coleman, fizzy gillespie, and dave bruberry.