aworks :: "new" american classical music

Insext (2013). Daniel Wohl #rumble

2013-06-13T22:07:53-07:00

"A volcanic rumble also persists throughout “Insext” in a way that makes it seem ready to devour the other elements at any moment." Textura

Cello Concerto (2012). Nico Muhly

2013-06-03T20:27:28-07:00

"The first movement begins with a texture quite explicitly stolen from the first bar of Dutilleux’s Métaboles, and proceeds from there." Nico Muhly

aworks listening log :: what hath Bob Metcalfe wrought

2013-05-31T21:34:39-07:00

Cul de Sac

Cul De Sac and John Fahey - The Epiphany of Glen Jones
John Fahey - Americana Masters
Ethernet - Into the Woods - The Remixes (Tamarack Music)
Ethernet - Into the Woods (Tamrack Music).

That John Fahey/Cul De Sac album is really weird. And artistic. And weird.

In other oddities, there was a race condtion where Into the Woods was up on Spotify but not yet on rdio. Since rectified.

I've also listened to various John Cage works this week but not via album.

It's the 40th anniverary of ethernet the technology, although not ethernet the "group".

This blog, blogging, the Internet, and 21st century life in general, courtesy Bob Metcalfe.

aworks listening log :: amadou & mariam

2013-05-27T08:23:20-07:00

Amadou & Mariam. 1990 - 1995: L'Intégrale des Années Maliennes (Because Music / Syllart Productions)
Amadou & Mariam. Dimanche à Bamako (Nonesuch)
Amadou & Mariam. Wati (Universe Music Jazz)
Amadou & Mariam. Sou Ni Tile (EmArcy)
Amadou & Mariam. Folila (Nonesuch)
Amadou & Mariam. The Magic Couple (Wrasses Records)
Amadou & Mariam. La Réalité - 7 Remixes (All Other / Because Music)
Amadou & Mariam. Ce N'est Pas Bon (DJ Aero Remix) (Because Music)
Amadou & Mariam. Dougou Badia (Nonesuch)
Amadou & Mariam. Welcome to Mali (Nonesuch)
Amadou & Mariam. Tje Ni Mousso (Polydor)
Amadou & Mariam. Remixes (Nonesuch)
Amadou & Mariam. Paris Bamako (Live) (Because Music)

aworks sentences :: "a temple for the familiar"

2013-05-25T15:50:57-07:00

Isola di San Michele- Igor and Vera Stravinsky ( Wikipedia)

"In such an environment, a Temple for the Familiar if you will, new music—by its nature that which we have not before experienced—is doomed to failure, so the fact that Mackey’s piece, as stunning as it is, got any applause at all is a minor miracle." Frank Oteri

"Listen to some of today's leading composers and musicians as well as your favorite New York Public Radio hosts weigh in on the first time they heard Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, as part of next Wednesday's Rite of Spring Fever centennial celebration." Q2

"Co-productions are fine, whether in Mandarin or English, but don’t expect them to finance your quirky indie comedy or heartfelt drama unless it can shoot in China with Chinese elements." Robert Cain

"Losing market share to Claussen, the Vlasic executives wanted to take a hard look at a question that was, surprisingly, rarely asked: What kind of pickles did people really want?" Tom Vanderbilt

"Musically referencing American xenophobia ("Jihad Joe"), racial injustice ("Trayvon") and, most often, the plight of his native New Orleans in the shadow of Hurricane Katrina ("New New Orleans," "Danziger"), Scott is a continuation of the thread of social consciousness that has long run through the heart of jazz." Chris Barton

"But the album won me an award and some nice reviews and a profile as a soloist that I never intended let alone dreamed of having." Sally Whitwell

aworks operational note :: aworks temporarily redefined #amadouetmariam

2013-05-23T21:04:21-07:00

I'm spending the upcoming US holiday weekend listening to the music of Amadou & Mariam.

So for now, the "a" in "aworks" stands for "African", "Amadou", and/or "Attractive." This means no music with violin, well, except for Teree La Sebin. Unfortunately,I can't find an online version of that song so here's a recommended album instead:

aworks sentences :: day five #tastemakers

2013-05-23T17:57:35-07:00

Hotel California

"For aspiring tastemakers, especially those who view themselves as evangelists rather than snobs, the good news is that the sheer volume of musical options (and the ease with which we can listen) will always make it possible to stay ahead of people with less free time to do so." Stephen Thompson via Tim Niland
"Much better than I anticipated—but I’m a sucker for this kind of thing:" Lucas Schleicher
'In high school, the only radio stations I wanted to hear were the ones that weren’t playing “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac or “Hotel California” by the Eagles. I wasn’t in search of well-programmed radio stations that played the hits.' Sean Ross
"I didn’t even go to listen to most jazz groups anymore, because they were only playing the same musical licks that we played way back with Bird, over and over again; that, along with some of the things that Coltrane introduced, and maybe Ornette." Miles Davis via Thomas Patteson
"Godfrey Reggio and Philip Glass make a film together only once every decade, so yesterday's news that Reggio's new film will finally premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8th is a very exciting development." Richard Guérin

aworks sentences :: day four, bumping heads

2013-05-20T18:08:35-07:00

Milton Babbitt in Juilliard School of Music, 1999 (Wikipedia)

'Polish Folk Songs, inspired by song sung at his grandmother's funeral, juxtaposes fragments of southern Polish folk songs, allowing them to, in the words of the composer, "bump heads as well as to interact peacefully."' WQXR
"In fact, I think that will be its core (though probably implicit) value proposition: interacting with cool people that you don’t know, or don’t know that well." Josh Miller
"Right now, though, I'm all too painfully aware of all those composers who may be on your lists but who didn't make the 50 chapters of the guide, all of whom could have done: Milton Babbitt, Giacinto Scelsi, Mauricio Kagel, Steve Martland, Michael Gordon, Mark-Anthony Turnage, James MacMillan, Henryk Górecki, Krzysztof Penderecki, Howard Skempton, Julian Anderson, Christopher Fox, Michael Nyman, Salvatore Sciarrino, Christian Wolff, Sofia Gubaidulina, Jo Kondo, Richard Barrett, Frederic Rzewski, Paavo Heininen." Tom Service
"Nothing in the Los Angeles Philharmonic's repertoire calls for 135-ton trains." Mike Boehm
"Are there too many jazz/avant releases coming out these days?" Grego Applegate Edwards
"The opening strum is pure Duane Eddy, the deep swelling rumble that summons up vast empty geographic spaces, but the way the tremulous tone continues to reverberate sounds more like something out of Robert Moog’s workshop." Mark Weidenbaum
"Some point to religious fanaticism that sees music as a distraction from single-minded devotion." Sujatha Fernandes

aworks listening log :: the day the music stood still

2013-05-16T17:42:57-07:00

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Philip Glass Ensemble. Music in Twelve Parts (Orange Mountain Music)
Adele Anthony. GLASS, P.: Violin Concerto / Company / Prelude from Akhnaten (Naxos)
Bernard Herrmann. The Day the Earth Stood Still (Classic Records)
William Grant Nabore. American Piano Music of the 20th Century (Doron Music)
Chris Smith. Cabin Fever (Emperor Jones)
Disco Operating System. Ultrasonic Bath (Lotta Continua)
Bruce Brubaker. Glass Cage - Music for Piano by Philip Glass and John Cage (Arabesque Recordings)
Brad Lubman. Glassworks - Signal Live At (Le) Poisson Rouge (Orange Mountain Music)
Andrew Zolinsky. David Lang: This Was Written By Hand (Cantaloupe Music)

Rubhitbangklanghear Rubhitbangklangear (2010). Charlemagne Palestine + Z'ev

2013-05-12T10:48:00-07:00

Palestine: "i met z'ev in amsterdam!! i'd known him for 20 years before he suggested one day that we perform together, which we did at lem barcelona in 2007!! later after seeing and hearing the carillon at my studio in brussels he suggested that we perform and record together there, which we did in 2010!!"

Long and either unique or commonplace, not sure yet: