auscultations

SASSAS' Blast! [10] on May 19

2013-05-16T14:48:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, May 19 SASSAS will hold their tenth annual Blast! fundraiser at a private home in San Marino.

Blast! [10] features music by Lou Barlow, Dos (the two-bass duo comprised of punk rock legends Mike Watt and Kira Roessler), Killsonic, and Dani Tull.

There will also be a silent auction featuring work by Scott Benzel, Andrea Bowers, Rodney McMillian, Chris Kallmyer, Cindy Bernard, Krystal Krunch, Martin Kersels, Michael Smith, Simone Forti, Louise Lawler, Kori Newkirk, Julian Hoeber, Heather Rasmussen, Renée Petropoulos, Roy Dowell, Lari Pittman, Stephanie Taylor, Taft Green, Alice Konitz, and James Welling.

Get tickets and more info from the SASSAS website. Bid on the silent auction at Blast! [10] on Sunday, or if you can't attend place a proxy bid by midnight Saturday.

Marina Abramovic's Manifesto

2013-05-13T21:13:00.001-07:00

I've been thinking about Marina Abramovic's manifesto recently. Not her recent MOCA Gala controversy, but the written manifesto itself. Here's a video of her reading it aloud in Florence. Below that is the text, re-posted from Il Grande Vetro.

1. An artist’s conduct in his life:

An artist should not lie to himself or others
An artist should not steal ideas from other artists
An artist should not compromise for themselves or in regards to the art market
An artist should not kill other human beings
An artist should not make themselves into an idol
An artist should not make themselves into an idol
An artist should not make themselves into an idol

2. An artist’s relation to his love life:

An artist should avoid falling in love with another artist
An artist should avoid falling in love with another artist
An artist should avoid falling in love with another artist

3. An artist’s relation to the erotic:

An artist should develop an erotic point of view on the world
An artist should be erotic
An artist should be erotic
An artist should be erotic

4. An artist’s relation to suffering:

An artist should suffer
From the suffering comes the best work
Suffering brings transformation
Through the suffering an artist transcends their spirit
Through the suffering an artist transcends their spirit
Through the suffering an artist transcends their spirit

5. An artist’s relation to depression:

An artist should not be depressed
Depression is a disease and should be cured
Depression is not productive for an artist
Depression is not productive for an artist
Depression is not productive for an artist

6. An artist’s relation to suicide:

Suicide is a crime against life
An artist should not commit suicide
An artist should not commit suicide
An artist should not commit suicide

7. An artist’s relation to inspiration:

An artist should look deep inside themselves for inspiration
The deeper they look inside themselves, the more universal they become
The artist is universe
The artist is universe
The artist is universe

8. An artist’s relation to self-control:

The artist should not have self-c ontrol about his life
The artist should have total self-control about his work
The artist should not have self-control about his life
The artist should have total self-control about his work

9. An artist’s relation with transparency:

The artist should give and receive at the same time
Transparency means receptive
Transparency means to give
Transparency means to receive
Transparency means receptive
Transparency means to give
Transparency means to receive
Transparency means receptive
Transparency means to give
Transparency means to receive

10. An artist’s relation to symbols:

An artist creates his own symbols
Symbols are an artist’s language
The language must then be translated
Sometimes it is difficult to find the key
Sometimes it is difficult to find the key
Sometimes it is difficult to find the key

11. An artist’s relation to silence:

An artist has to understand silence
An artist has to create a space for silence to enter his work
Silence is like an island in the middle of a turbulent ocean
Silence is like an island in the middle of a turbulent ocean
Silence is like an island in the middle of a turbulent ocean

12. An artist’s relation to solitude:

An artist must make time for the long periods of solitude
Solitude is extremely important
Away from home
Away from the studio
Away from family
Away from friends
An artist should stay for long periods of time at waterfalls
An artist should stay for long periods of time at exploding volcanoes
An artist should stay for long periods of time looking at the fast running rivers
An artist should stay for long periods of time looking at the horizon where the ocean and sky meet
An artist should stay for long periods of time looking at the stars in the night sky

13. An artist’s conduct in relation to work:

An artist should avoid going to the studio every day
An artist should not treat his work schedule as a bank employee does
An artist should explore life and work only when an idea comes to him in a dream or during the day as a vision that arises as a surprise
An artist should not repeat himself
An artist should not overproduce
An artist should avoid his own art pollution
An artist should avoid his own art pollution
An artist should avoid his own art pollution

14. An artist’s possessions:

Buddhist monks advise that it is best to have nine possessions in their life:

1 robe for the summer
1 robe for the winter
1 pair of shoes
1 begging bowl for food
1 mosquito net
1 prayer book
1 umbrella
1 mat to sleep on
1 pair of glasses if needed

An artist should decide for himself the minimum personal possessions they should have
An artist should have more and more of less and less
An artist should have more and more of less and less
An artist should have more and more of less and less

15. A list of an artist’s friends:

An artist should have friends that lift their spirits
An artist should have friends that lift their spirits
An artist should have friends that lift their spirits

16. A list of an artist’s enemies:
Enemies are very important

The Dalai Lama has said that it is easy to have compassion with friends but much more difficult to have compassion with enemies
An artist has to learn to forgive
An artist has to learn to forgive
An artist has to learn to forgive

17. Different death scenarios:

An artist has to be aware of his own mortality
For an artist, it is not only important how he lives his life but also how he dies
An artist should look at the symbols of his work for the signs of different death scenarios
An artist should die consciously without fear
An artist should die consciously without fear
An artist should die consciously without fear

18. Different funeral scenarios:

An artist should give instructions before the funeral so that everything is done the way he wants it
The funeral is the artist’s last art piece before leaving
The funeral is the artist’s last art piece before leaving
The funeral is the artist’s last art piece before leaving

RIP Ray Harryhausen

2013-05-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, my mind was blown when my family rented a VHS tape of Jason and the Argonauts, featuring animation by Ray Harryhausen and music by Bernard Herrmann. Here it is on Dailymotion:

Harryhausen passed away on Tuesday, and undeniably left a huge legacy behind. Here is The Ray Harryhausen Chronicles, a documentary about him. If memory serves me, it was included as an extra on the 7th Voyage of Sinbad DVD.

James Klopfleisch's audio reviews

2013-05-08T18:48:00.000-07:00

Responding to a perceived dearth of experimental music reviews in Los Angeles, James Klopfleisch has taken it upon himself to create several audio reviews.

Here is one of the recent Monday Evening Concert:

And here is one for a recent house concert:

CONCERT REVIEW: Eclipse Quartet @ Artshare, 04/28

2013-05-07T12:08:00.001-07:00

On Saturday night, The Eclipse Quartet played a show at Boston Court as part of Microfest. Unfortunately, I couldn't be there to hear it, so instead I went to their show on Sunday, 04/28 at Artshare. The two concerts had two pieces in common: Lou Harrison's String Quartet Set and Ben Johnston's String Quartet #4 (Amazing Grace). On Sunday they played Ken Walicki's nada Brahma, which was replaced by Kyle Gann's Love Scene on Saturday.

The Harrison quartet, like much of his music, holds my interest in how surprisingly effective it is. When sculpting something so straightforward, austere, and often plaintive, it is the craft and nuanced detail that really gives the music the level of quality one expects from a Lou Harrison piece. His contrapuntal writing is finely constructed, sounding even more so by his diverse contextualizations - couched in medieval Palestinian songs, French baroque rondos, Turkish rhythms, and introverted melodies.

Ben Johnston's Amazing Grace is a fascinating piece, starting as extremely straightforward and slowly drifting down the microtonal rabbit hole through a series of variations on the theme of Amazing Grace. It sounds like an appeal to the mass public, slowly guiding them with extremely familiar melodic material towards the gilded heights of just intoned clouds.

Ken Walicki's nada Brahma had little in common with the other two pieces, though it laid claim to a transcontinental leaning, similar the Harrison. Written for the Kronos Quartet in 1997, it sounded like it was written for the Kronos Quartet in 1997 - incorporating amplified string quartet and and electronic rhythm track to portray the overlap of rock and Indian influences.

I was sad to miss the Kyle Gann, as I find his tuning systems to be quite interesting. If anyone has any thoughts on that piece, please do share them in the comments!

Both evenings sounded like they would be tremendous undertakings, as the Johnston quartet alone is extremely difficult. Nonetheless, The Eclipse Quartet were able to approach the music on Sunday with skill and delicacy. It is exciting and rare to hear some of these pieces live, as it is to hear ensembles like this take it upon themselves to champion this music.

The Eclipse Quartet will soon be releasing an album with percussionist William Winant, featuring music by Frederic Rzewski, James Tenney, and Zeena. Their most recent recording was of Morton Feldman's Piano and String Quartet with pianist Vicki Ray.

MURAL at Baldwin Hills this afternoon!

2013-05-05T08:43:00.000-07:00

sound. at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook features a new composition created for the Baldwill Hills Scenic Overlook by internationally recognized experimental duo MURAL (Jim Denley, Australia and Kim Myhr, Norway). Accompanying MURAL in realizing this new SASSAS commission are 8 Los Angeles area musicians including Matt Barbier, Ted Byrnes, Archie Carey, Claire Chenette, Daniel Corral, Jonah Levy, Heather Lockie, Jake Rosenzweig, and Greg Stuart (South Carolina).

This event is FREE and starts at 5:00PM

Street parking is available along Jefferson Blvd., but come prepared for a steep climb up the Overlook stairs. Limited parking is available at the top of the hill for $6.00. Carpooling is strongly encouraged.

"The Baldwin Park Scenic Overlook is unique in the greater Los Angeles area and California State Park system. A historically complex site, the Overlook offers 360 degree views of the Los Angeles Basin as it resides at the juncture of industry and parkland / preserve. Adjacent to the location of the 1963 Baldwin Hills Dam break and just north of an active oil field, the park was the site of a decade long development battle which was successful in fending off a 230-home development, but failed to stop the flat topping of the hill. Parts of the park have been regraded and in certain ways the land still looks as though it's recovering from the earlier violence."(Christopher Hawthorne, Los Angeles Times).

ALBUM REVIEW: The Melvins' Everybody Loves Sausages

2013-04-30T00:53:00.002-07:00

The Melvins have a new album out today on Ipecac Records! It's called Everybody Loves Sausage, and it is an album of covers. The songs are all from the late 70's and early 80's, clearly a personal nod to their influence.

Everybody Loves Sausage sees The Melvins in various stages of undress: with guest vocalists, sometimes with Big Business, sometimes with Trevor Dunn, and even a track with former bassist Kevin Rutmanis. It kicks off with Venom's Warhead, and who better to sing it than Scott Kelly from Neurosis? No one.

After that comes a surprisingly major key tune: Queen's You're My Best Friend, which the updated production makes come off as one of Ween's more pleasantly polished songs.

Black Betty features the Melvins' lineup with members of Big Business. It is an old work song, though the Melvins seem to be paying tribute to Ram Jam's rendition. I must admit I previously only knew the Leadbelly version, though the Ram Jam one is great too.

Set It On Fire, Attitude, and Station to Station are fairly close to the original, though given an inevitable dose of extra heaviness from the Melvins update. That heaviness, somewhat lacking in the Kinks original, makes Attitude one of my favorites on the album.

Female Trouble features a deep groove by Trevor Dunn on the upright bass. Translated from the 70's funk of the original, the song gives Buzzo's growl a cool Tom Waits-esque context to wallow in.

Their cover of the Fugs' Carpe Diem captures something of the spirit of the song that seemed drowned in the relatively low-fi production of the original. Vaguely recalling the Beach Boys (but with more aggro interjections), this version recalls a hypothetical Mike Patton production.

For In Every Dreamhome a Heartache, they bring in Jello Biafra, drawing attention to how much his vocal vibrato is reminiscent of Brian Ferry's. While Ferry's version is an introverted, early evening aperitif, the cynical hysteria of Jello's voice lends it more of a 4am mushrooms kind of feel. It is also worth noting that for Roxy Music standards of living are "rising daily," while for Biafra they're falling…

Timothy Leary Lives brings back Trevor Dunn, who plays bass and sings the lead vocals. His bowed upright bass give the song a surprisng texture. Is it bad that the vocalise solo became a guitar solo? I can't decide

Tales of Terror's Romance also features Buzz on vocals. Along with Black Betty, it's chord progression sound the most like an Melvins song.

Tom Hazelmyer (of Amphetamine Reptile Records) sings The Jam's Art School. His voice is gutteral and intimidating, giving the song a new degree of believable menace.

The final track, Heathen Earth, seems at first like an album filler, but once you realize it's a Throbbing Gristle tune, it is all OK.

As a cover album of 70's/80's rock, I was reminded at times of Slayer's Undisputed Attitude. As an album featuring lots of guest musicians, I was reminded of Jay-Z's The Dynasty or The Melvins' own Crybaby. Of course, any album of covers depends on the song selection and the interpretation, and the Melvins found a solid lineup of collaborators to shine in both areas.

CONCERT REVIEW: Music of Christian Wolff 4/23

2013-04-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

On April 23, REDCAT presented music by Christian Wolff, one of Experimental Music Proper's most influential living composers. The second half of a two-night series of concerts, this show was lead by Wandelweiser-er Michael Pisaro, who has done much to extend the direct lineage of the American experimental tradition in Los Angeles.

The concert began with You Blew It, from Wolff's Prose Collection (available online for free at Frog Peak Unbound). Two things that are likely to send crowds running are: 1. someone explaining the music beforehand, and 2. audience participation. That Pisaro was able to introduce the audience to the piece and lead them in an all-around enjoyable 3 minute performance is a testament to his experience as an advocate and educator of experimental music. It was also an ample opportunity to draw the attention of neophytes to the game-like structures of many of Wolff's pieces - it is often music for participation, in which the ultimate vantage point is from the performers' perspective, rather than the audience's. In a genre where points of entry can be few and far between, this sort of conceptual dissemination is very important.

After You Blew It, regulars from the experimental music community centered around the wulf presented two excerpts from John Heartfield (Peace March 10). The first excerpt featured Casey Anderson on alto sax, Matt Barbier on bass trumpet, Eric KM Clark on violin, James Klopfleisch on upright bass, Kathy Pisaro on english horn, Michael Pisaro on guitar, Cassia Streb on viola, and Christine Tavollaci on bass flute. For the second excerpt, Cassia Streb rhythmically recited the life story of artist John Heartfield over a rhythmic/arhythmic bed of cardboard box percussion, making her probably my favorite Canadian rapper (with James Klopfleisch as her hype man - not Canadian, however).

In Trio V for James Tenney, new music piano virtuosi Vicki Ray and Danny Holt played four hands on one piano, joined by percussionist Colton Lytle on a multi-percussion setup. A delightful "unprepared" imitation of a prepared piano, I am particularly curious to see the score for this one (though James Tenney only occasionally wrote for the prepared piano, he had a penchant for performing Sonatas and Interludes. Last July, Hat Hut Records posthumously released a CD of his interpretation).

The first half of the concert finished with the Calarts Percussion ensemble doing Fall III. This piece included rhythmic notation, giving the musicians the opportunity to select their own timbres.

After intermission, Michael Jon Fink, Brian Walsh, and Andrea Young played For 1, 2 or 3 People. The potential "lesson" learned from the audience participation of You Blew It was most obviously applicable when spectating this seminal piece. Consisting of grouped symbols like the ones at right, it is the performers' role to act and interact cooperatively to realize the given system. All three musicians were sensitive and experienced improvisers, which can make a huge difference in a composition like this.

The concert concluded with Changing The System, performed by the same ensemble that played John Heartfield (Peace March 10). Pisaro's program notes state that the piece "might be one of the few successful 'political' pieces of music ever written." I was glad the concert ended on a high note with both lithophonics (musical stones) and floorcore (where musicians sit on the floor).

CONCERT REVIEW: Jon Armstrong Jazz Orchestra

2013-04-15T09:21:00.002-07:00

Photo by Erin Barnes

On April 6, Jon Armstrong presented a 24-piece jazz orchestra at the Blue Whale. It was the largest ensemble ever to play in that space, and the robust sound filled every corner.

Many of the tunes were originally written for smaller groups, including Slumgum (most of whom were in the band that night). These were refracted through a filter of orchestrational influences, including Vinnie Golia, Quincy Jones, Duke Ellington, and (70's) Miles Davis. Having the palette of an entire 24-piece ensemble will inevitably bring out new dimensions of any composition, transforming it into something new.

The lineup of musicians was stellar (see below), and each performer was given a chance in the spotlight. The solos didn't feel like your typical jazz one-upmanship, as each soloist's style was surprisingly distinct and developed. Perhaps this is due to all but a few of the musicians having gone through David Roitstein's jazz program at Calarts. It was a kaleidoscope of voices, and their strategic placement through the music seemed to give each player a moment in their natural element. The solo highlights for me were Gary Fukushima's unaccompanied piano solo in the first tune, the tuba solo by Stefan Kac in the last tune, and some great moments by Gavin Templeton and Clinton Patterson.

Photo by Kubilay Uner

The compositions fit together through their diversity. Armstrong took the lead for one ballad, in which close mic'ing allowed you to hear the breath control and shifts of partials. The first tune of the second set reminded me of Pierro Piccioni, but in 7. Another tune featured the whole ensemble playing heavy interlocking patterns and harmelodic unisons, occasionally reminding me of Louis Andriessen's Workers Union.

The only "song" of the evening featured vocalise by Joon Lee, owner of The Blue Whale. I wanted the post-ambient intro to continue in suspended animation, as I always do with the third movement of Symphony of Psalms (rehearsal number 22 on...). However, the 6/8 that it transitioned into sounded refreshingly candid with Lee's vocals, the timbre of which one doesn't normally hear in jazz (which made it that much more effective).

It's a good thing that they got a solid recording, as I can imagine how hard it is to get all of these busy musicians in the same room at the same time on a weekend night. Here is the list of personnel:

Reeds:
Gavin Templeton
Phil O'Connor
Erin Armstrong
Brian Walsh
Andrew Conrad

Trumpets:
Mike Steever
Daniel Rosenboom
Josh Aguiar
Andrew Rowan
Clinton Patterson

Low Brass:
George McMullin
Ryan Dragonn
Duane Benjamin
Paul Rivera
Stefan Kac

Rhythm:
Trevor Anderies
Andrew Lessman
Randy Gloss
Chris Payne
David Tranchina
Gary Fukashima
Alex Noice

Vocals:
Joon Lee

REVIEW: REDCAT Spring Studio

2013-04-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

On March 30 and 31, REDCAT presented their Spring Studio, part of their quarterly series that "give[s] new artists an opportunity to hone their skills and offer[s] established artists a chance to test new material and works-in-progress before an audience."

Federico Llach's 11 Points started the program, performed by the Now Hear Ensemble. The quintet played a set of evolving musical cells, following the rhythm of a live ping pong game taking place downstage from the group. It was a compelling take on the role of the modern conductor, as well as the aesthetics of post-minimal music. The pendulum sway of the pulse was hypnotic, adding surprisingly expressive tempo fluxuations. The audience obviously felt the drama of ping-pong spectatorship, cheering and laughing through the piece. My favorite part was whenever someone scored, and the band stopped playing. At that point, their musical phrases were lended cadential variation by the ball bouncing away in the otherwise silent space.

This was followed by Kinetic Makeover, by Milka Djordjevich. Starting her solo piece facing away from the audience, Djordjevich stood completely still. She gradually introduced a pendulum-like kinetic motion that was morphed into various physical manifestations, including hip swaying, sliding on the floor, hopping, clapping, and full body gesticulation.

Alan Nakagawa's Organ of Corti was next. For this piece, the ushers handed out ear plugs and balloons. The audience members were asked to blow up their respective balloon and hold it in their palms (the earplugs went in their ears...). Nakagawa played an array of electronic instruments and gadgets, accompanying a projected video. If your balloon was blown up enough, you could feel the vibrations from the music in your balloon, making it a tactile as well as an aural experience. For me, this worked best with lower frequencies.

After intermission, Wilderness presented Leaves of Grass. This piece centered around a couple's seemingly idyllic relationship. A video of slow moving clouds played above a square of astroturf as the two performers lay in the grass and gazed at the sky. Snippets of pre-recorded conversation played, offering a glimpse into their inner world. While development in this piece was especially nuanced, it was possible to interpret it as an aesthetically pleasant distillation of static theater.

Justin Streichman's The Conduit was a neat series of solo theatrical vignettes. Of the influences claimed in the program, the one I could detect the strongest was Andy Kaufman. From the meta-narrative of the opening to the shining house lights at the end, Kaufman's influence was felt.

Mecca Vazie Andrews finished the program with Sandra Dee De E. The piece was book-ended by ensemble dances with music by Suicide and Liars, which is a good place to start. However, the strongest part of the piece was in the middle, with Andrews' spoken performance. I wanted to hear more.

Applications for REDCAT's summer studio are due this Friday, April 12.

Official James Tenney Facebook Page

2013-04-09T12:00:00.001-07:00

I have been helping organize the estate of the late James Tenney, and thought it would be useful to have a Facebook page where relevant performances, events, releases, articles, etc. can be shared online. Thus, allow me to introduce the official James Tenney Facebook page.

If you are interested, please Like the James Tenney Facebook Page and we'll do our best to keep you up to date on anything related to the life or work of James Tenney.

If you are releasing or presenting something related to Tenney, this is a great place to share it. Feel free to post it on that page, or send me info/links to post.

Please note that this is different from the pre-existing "community page."

Concert Review: LA Sonic Odyssey

2013-04-06T01:18:00.002-07:00

On March 27 and 28, LA Sonic Odyssey presented Legacy, a program of early electronic music primarily from the 1950's, at Pasadena's Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church. The focus was on spatialized music, with Stockhausen's Kontakte as the centerpiece.

The concert began with Cage's Williams Mix, which I had previously only heard on the 25th Retrospective Concert album. Originally realized in the the studio of Louis and Bebe Barron, this piece was presented in it's original 8-channel glory, a rare treat for this and many of the pieces on this program.

Next was Xenakis' Diamorphoses, a piece composed at Pierre Schaeffer's influential GRM. Varese's Poeme Electronique followed, and both of these pieces were treated to a live spatialization by artistic director Jennifer Logan. With the inclusion of Poeme Electronique, one would expect Concert PH to accompany it, but LA Sonic Odyssey decided on Diamorphoses instead.

Ligeti's Artikulation followed, which was written in stereo and presented as such. This piece can be connected to Kontakte by having been composed at WDR, the same studio where Stockhausen's piece was made.

Though Bülent Arel's Stereo Electronic Music No. 2 was composed in 1970, it seemed aesthetically aligned with Kontakte. An underrated composer, Arel's piece is the only one on the program not included in UbuWeb's "History of Electronic/Electroacoustic Music (1937-2001)" page. It was an interesting programming decision, with more obvious choices being pieces by the likes of Schaeffer, Berio, Maderna, Babbitt, Tenney, Henry, Ussachevsky, Luening, etc. It's relevance to the rest of the program can be found in it's being the sole representative of the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center.

After an intermission, Stockhausen's Kontakte was presented. It was undeniably the most exciting to hear in it's original spatialization. I had only heard the piano/percussion version live before, a performance that used only stereo electronics. While Stockhausen's mythocracy can be distracting and his views are sometimes controversial, Kontakte demonstrates why no one disputes the Germanic genius of his artistry. The serial gestures sound like an extension of the symphonic aims of composers like Mahler, abstracted and distilled to an extremely potent concentrate in true post-WWII form. There are also plenty of spinny sounds, so the more visceral listeners can be just as entertained as the intellectuals in the audience. It is surprising that after 60+ years, these sounds still sound as alien and abstract as they do.

LA Sonic Odyssey's concert was the second time in roughly a month that multi-channel electronic works by Stockhausen and Cage have been presented together in LA. I recently reviewed Southwest Chamber Music's presentation of Stockhausen's Nebadon Aus Klang, paired with Cage's Muoyce II: A Reading Through "Ulysses" at Zipper Hall as part of their LA International New Music Festival. There must be something in the air.

Though LA Sonic Odyssey concerts seem to be few and far between, I look forward to the next one.

Concert Review: LBO's Camelia La Tejana

2013-04-06T00:19:00.002-07:00

On March 30, I was able to see/hear the Long Beach Opera production of Gabriel Ortiz's Camelia La Tejana: Only The Truth at Long Beach's Terrace Theater. Originally titled ¡Unicamenta la Verdad!, the opera is centered around Camelia La Tejana, a narcocorrido character initially made famous by Los Tigres Del Norte in the song Contrabando y Traicion.

The colorful orchestration and prominent rhythmic drive of Ortiz's music brought Silvestre Revueltas to mind, but there were also similarities to Anne LeBaron's Crescent City, which The Industry premiered last spring at Atwater Crossing. Both productions presented an unconventional staging, a prominence of video, folk and pop music elements incorporated into the score, occasional electroacoustic moments, a hyphenated opera genre (Videopera vs. Hyper-opera), and an apocryphal female lead character.

The libretto for Camelia La Tejana was collaged together by the composer's brother, artist Rubén Ortiz Torres, from various media about the main character. With a semi-mythological tabloid character such as Camelia La Tejana, this seems especially appropriate. A collaged libretto is a more accurate portrayal of the media-parsed contemporary consciousness than a singular vision of one writer.

The centerpiece of the set design was a square raked stage with a square hole in the middle, raised about 5-6 feet above the stage. The orchestra sat below the raised stage, while a bridge running parallel to the audience's sightline spanned the hole. The bridge would occasionally lift throughout the production. It provided an interesting representation of the Rio Grande/Bravo border, above which the immersive video design could dictate the mood of each scene. Though a clearly innovative confrontation of the problem of scale on such a large stage, this design seemed to provide a conceptual challenge for the director. The performers rarely appeared fully comfortable interacting with the stage, while the bridge raised and lower seemingly at random. On the other hand, the sight of that same set piece was so immediately striking that everyone commented on it as they entered the space.

The most ecstatic moment for me was at the finale, when Enivia Mendoza sang Contrabando y Traicion, the song which originated the myth of Camelia La Tejana. Ortiz stripped the song of norteño music's characteristic oompah's, transforming it into a powerfully lush and spacious aria. This moment also finally made good on the dramatic promise of the bridge. Mendoza began the song atop the bridge, which was raised to its highest point. Over the course of the song, the bridge slowly lowered, touching down just as the song ended. It was a simple yet powerful moment. There were also notable performances by Nova Safo, John Matthew Myers, Adam Meza, John Atkins, Maria Cristina Navarro, Susan Kotses, and David A. Blair. Throughout the piece, I imagined I heard some extra low brass, and talking to some of the musicians after the performance confirmed my suspicion. The lowest of brass was provided by tubist Luke Storm, who was uncredited in the program.

Being born and raised in Alaska, my knowledge of the rich musical heritage of Mexico feels a bit stunted. I imagine that having grown up with the original Los Tigres Del Norte recording would have added much contextual depth to the piece, as it must have at the 2010 professional premiere in Mexico City. As such, I would love to take another listen through Ortiz's vivid score. Has anyone considered making a recording?

Long Beach Opera's next production is in May - a double-feature of Stewart Copeland's Tell-Tale Heart and Michael Gordon's Van Gogh.

Hear Schönberg's pentatonic Pierrot l'Ane!

2013-04-01T01:24:00.001-07:00

Though Arnold Schoenberg renounced his brief but fruitful pentatonic period, his remaining sketches from that time provide valuable insight into the psychological effect of Germany's larger socioeconomic transformation before the first world war. Musicologists have recently unearthed cylinder recordings from the first reading of his initial sketches for Pierrot Lunaire (Op. 12). Originally titled Pierrot l'Ane, it is a little-known fact that the piece was composed during that discarded pentatonic period. Inspired by the incidental mistakes of the musicians' sight reading, his revised version incorporated the added chromaticism and became the Pierrot Lunaire that we know and love.

The pentatonic row
used in Pierrot et l'Ane

Schoenberg's development of the dodecaphonic system is well documented, but his transitional pentatonic period is less commonly taught. Before settling on all 12 pitch classes as his theoretical harmonic palette, he experimented with other numerical bases. In the same Francophilic spirit that inspired his use of Giraud's poetry, Schoenberg's enthusiasm for Parisian composers like Ravel and Debussy influenced his choice of pan-diatonic pentatonic and heptatonic systems based on the interface of the piano keyboard. These relatively simple harmonic schema were treated to the same sorts of row transformations that became hallmarks of later serial compositions.

For the first time, you can now listen to those original cylinder recordings of Schoenberg's Pierrot l'Ane online! Though the instrumental ensemble is unknown, the singer is Albertine Zehme, who premiered the finished piece at the Choralion-Saal. Schoenberg officially disowned the recordings once the piece was developed into Pierrot Lunaire (Op. 12), but these historically important documents offer a glimpse of the composer's then-nascent iconoclastic musical revolution.

RIP Beyond Music

2013-03-28T09:43:00.002-07:00

Early this morning, Daniel Rothman announced that Beyond Music will be suddenly ending after this weekend's concert.

"Dear Friends,

since January 2011, Beyond Music has been a valuable and vital program to the community, which I have directed at Beyond Baroque's invitation and often at my own expense. In response to having discovered only when their new website had been launched, this week, that Beyond Music will cease to exist, Beyond Baroque's Director, Richard Modiano, gave no credible reason for precipitously canceling its season and not communicating that to me.

Selected past Beyond Music performances may be appreciated on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/BeyondBaroqueMusic/videos?view=0 and I urge you to write to Richard (richard@beyondbaroque.org) and its Board President, Doug Knott (dougknott@earthlink.net) to impress upon them how important it is that Beyond Music continue without interruption.

Please come out to hear Claire Chenette & friends this Saturday night at 8:30."

Beyond Music has become an essential part of the new music world in LA, presenting exciting contemporary music groups such as the Eclipse Quartet, Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble, Wild Up, and Ulrich Krieger. As I said in my Carl Stone concert review, "if I travel west of the 405 to hear a concert, there is an approximately 85% chance it's one curated by Daniel Rothman."

If you feel strongly about new music, consider contacting Beyond Baroque to voice your opinion on the end of Beyond Music.

Auscultations Amazon Store

2013-03-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

Auscultations now has an Amazon store! Any items that are mentioned on Auscultations and are available on Amazon will be shown in the store.

There is a link on the right sidebar for it.

Kilbourn by Run Downhill

2013-03-21T23:53:00.001-07:00

Run Downhill creates skillfuly crafted music that draws inspiration from the sound of old, good country - meaning artists like Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Jimmie Rogers, etc. These influences are filtered through a Steely Dan sophistication and DIY intuition.

Run Downhill recently released a video EP called Kilbourn. The music for Kilbourn was recorded live in one day, while the comic book inspired video tells the story of a harvest dance in a small western town called Kilbourn. These sharp updated-country songs were written by vocalist/percussive-polyglot TJ Troy, and the artwork was designed by Scott Angle.

Here is the Youtube video playlist where you can watch all five Kilbourn videos:

You can also download Kilbourn's five music tracks from Bandcamp:

<a href="http://rundownhill.bandcamp.com/album/kilbourn">Kilbourn by Run Downhill</a>While you're on Bandcamp, you can also check out Run Downhill's 2011 album, Giants:

<a href="http://rundownhill.bandcamp.com/album/giants">Giants by Run Downhill</a>

Accordion Babes Revue 03/22

2013-03-19T21:45:00.002-07:00

This Friday night, the Accordion Babes Revue will return to Fais Do Do!

Chosen as one of LA Weekly's Top Picks of the week, the Accordion Babes Revue features musicians from the Accordion Babes Pin-up Calendar, a pin-up calendar of women accordionists. It also includes a CD with tracks of each artist's music.

The Accordion Babes calendar is organized by Renée de la Prada. This Los Angeles show is being presented by Mrs. Hobbs (of Ketchup Soup, also a member of Free Reed Conspiracy) and The Petting Pantry.

03/22, 9pm at Fais Do Do
5257 W. Adams Blvd.
Los Angeles, California 90016

Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door.
Purchase advance tickets here: http://2013-la-accordionbabesrevue.eventbrite.com/

The Residents' Freak Show

2013-03-18T12:37:00.003-07:00

In seventh grade I got The Residents' Freak Show CD-ROM, which my parents' Performa PPC was just barely powerful enough to handle. It was based on the 1990 album and designed by Jim Ludtke, whose work now seems dated but fantastic nonetheless. The Residents later collaborated with Ludtke on several other projects, including Gingerbread Man and Bad Day on the Midway.

In Freak Show, you could wander backstage at a freak show tent and learn about the stories of the various performers, sometimes through music videos and/or animated short stories. For me, Freak Show was a sort of gateway drug to the Residents' catalogue and a lot of other strange music. Sadly, I don't think it will play on modern computers, and may thus remain a discarded byproduct of technology's rapid evolution during the 1990's (I personally think it should be made into a website).

Below are some of the music videos related to the main characters of Freak Show. It is only a mere fraction of the art and content that was on the CD-ROM.

Everyone Comes to the Freak Show

Harry the Head

Herman the Human Mole

Wanda the Worm Woman

Jello Jack

Benny the Bouncing Bumb

Mickey the Mumbling Midget

This song, called Lillie, wasn't in the CD-ROM but was on the original 1990 album.

Nobody Laughs When They Leave

DuoSolo at Chapman University

2013-03-11T08:10:00.001-07:00

Don't miss the energetic DuoSolo
ensemble recital which brings to
Chapman University all-21
st-century program of flute and piano solos and duos!

Michael Kirkendoll and Mary Fukushima-Ki
rkendo l
l will perform:

David Lang’s *Vent*
Ian Clarke’s *Zoom Tube*
Bruno Mantovani’s *Appel d'air*
Frederic Rzewski’s *De Profundis*

on *Wednesday, March 13* at *8pm* - *Salmon Recital Hall* at Bertea Hall,
Chapman University.

Click here to read more about DuoSolo and to purchase online tickets:
http://chapman.universitytickets.com/user_pages/event.asp?id=402&cid=38

Ticket info: $10 general admission; $5 senior citizens, students and alumni

Address of Salmon Recital Hall: 245 E. Palm St., Orange, CA 92866

Google map: http://goo.gl/maps/0lnhD

Facebook e-vite: https://www.facebook.com/events/140677722765187/

Tribulation 99

2013-03-09T10:58:00.000-08:00

Hey look, you can watch Craig Baldwin's classic Tribulation 99 on Vimeo!

However, my favorite Baldwin film is Spectres of the Spectrum, which you can't watch online. Here's the trailer:

LA International New Music Festival 2013

2013-03-08T00:53:00.000-08:00

The two concerts that made up the second half of Southwest Chamber Music's LA International New Music Festival 2013 highlighted the diversity in programming that the ensemble is capable of. The first of the two concerts took place on 02/23 and was all about electronics versus the soloist. Stockhausen's Nebadon Aus Klang and Cage's Muoyce II: A Reading Through "Ulysses" both involved 8-channel audio and a solo performer, french horn player Andrew Pelletier and musical director Jeff Von Der Schmidt respectively. In contrast, on 03/02 the group returned to their usual chamber ensemble formation to present music by composers from USA, Mexico, and Argentina.

Nebadon is part seventeen of Stockhausen's Klang, an unfinished series work in which every piece represets one of 24 hours. The title references the Book of Urantia, on which his Licht operas were based (in the book, Nebadon is the universe in which the Earth is located). Stockhausen's esoteric cosmology can be confounding without prior knowledge, but in a stimulating piece like this you can take the encounter with the unknown at face value. Andrew Pelletier performed in an orange scarf in reference to Klang's Welhelm Ostwald-inspired color coordination, within which Nebadon is HKS-10 (orange). As he wandered searchingly around the empty stage playing an occasional gesture on the french horn, I thought of the early history of the horn as it was used by European hunters and how that connection might relate to Nebadon's extramusical content. I also considered Stockhausen's use of electronic loops of varying lengths, and how it related to Brian Eno's similar technique on Music for Airports (with drastically divergent results).

Nebadon was paired with Cage's Muoyce II: A Reading Through "Ulysses,"a piece involving one reader accompanied by traffic sounds. These city soundscapes were taken from all over the world and spread through the 8 channels around the hall. Artistic director Jeff Von Der Schmidt took charge as the reader, and his interpretation was drastically different than Cage's own reading style. Cage's speaking voice was always relaxed, monotone, and Zen-like. In contrast, Schmidt emoted, whispered, gesticulated, and even stood up yelling in a rage. Though considerably different, one would be hard pressed to place a value judgement on what must have been a conscious aesthetic decision. Von Der Schmidt embraced the differences between himself and Cage, and I was reminded of another Zipper Hall concert: Steve Schick's performance of Kurt Schwitter's Ursonate at Monday Evening Concert last April.

The concert on 03/02 opened with Alison Bjorkedal's skilled performance of Carlos Chavez's Inventions III for solo harp. The tonal dissonance of the piece caught me off guard, as I am most familiar with his symphonies and percussion ensemble music. I thought of Copland's Piano Variations, being a more dissonant work by a composer known primarily for his populist style. This seems appropriate, as it is was written in commemoration of Copland's teacher, Nadia Boulanger.

A much larger ensemble came on for Alberto Ginastera's Serenata, which featured baritone Abdiel Gonzalez and cellist Peter Jacobson. Ginastera made good use of his musicians, creating a aurally rich soundworld for his Neruda text to live in. Gonzales did a fantastic job speaking, singing, and testing the lower extremities of his range. Jacobson seemed to blow smoothly through what might otherwise be a treacherous path of exposed double stops. Each instrument in the ensemble was given a brief solo moment, besides the soloists who were given ample opportunity to shine (which they did).

Anne LeBaron's Some Things Should Not Move was commissioned for the 25th anniversary of Southwest Chamber Music, and this was it's world premiere. The most notable aspect of Some Things Should Not Move is LeBaron's rare ability to write for the harp. Being her native instrument, it is no surprise that her use of extended harp technique sounds natural in a way that most composers struggle with. The autobiographical tale of poltergeist-like activity in a Viennese apartment is revealed by soprano Elissa Johnston, supported with a colorful web of extended techniques employed by harpist Alison Bjorkedal, flutist Larry Kaplan, and bassist Tom Peters. This delightful macabre vision (with a libretto by Yvonne Eadon) opened itself to all manner of surprising sounds, from disembodied flute mouthpieces to bowed bass tailpieces.

Roger Reynolds' Positing was also commissioned for the 25th anniversary of Southwest Chamber Music and given it's premiere performance at this concert. It brought a sextet of acoustic musicians together with the electronic playback of Paul Hembree. A series of characteristically inventive musical gestures were played by the musicians and responded to by electronic playback. The two melded and overlapped to varying degrees, creating an acousmatic sonic stew that reminded me of Varèse's Deserts.

The difference in format between these two concerts demonstrated the disparate points on the musical spectrum that Southwest Chamber Music is willing to approach. I only have a few criticisms of the festival. The focus was entirely on entrenched composers. There were no works by the multitudes of up-and-coming composers that are starting to take over the musical landscape. Of the living composers involved in the festival, half of them currently live in the United States, though they may have more diverse roots. While the Americas, Europe, and East Asia were well represented, I wished to hear more from other parts of the world where music is a vibrant force. For an International festival, it would be great to hear music from places like the Middle East, Central or Southeast Asia, Africa, India, Australia, Iceland, or even Canada.

Overall, the festival was quite musically diverse, a testament to the successfully inventive programming of artistic director Jeff Von Der Schmidt. I look forward to hearing more new music from this forward thinking ensemble.

DISLIKE tonight at the Electric Lodge

2013-02-26T23:48:00.000-08:00

I am happy to announce that tonight, March 1, Dislike will premiere at the Electric Lodge in Venice! It is a free show starting at 9pm, and there will be a cash wine bar with all proceeds going to the fantastic musicians involved.

Reserve a spot to see/hear Dislike through Brown Paper Tickets!

Dislike exposes the dark side of online anonymity and open-forum communication by deconstructing 24-hours worth of comments on the most "disliked" video on YouTube. Members of The People’s Microphony Camerata will speak and sing a text taken from comments left on the video’s YouTube page. Taken as a singular libretto, the result is a surreal text full of of anger, naivety, homophobia, desperation, and mischief.

Dislike is my new piece featuring experimental accordion orchestra Free Reed Conspiracy and experimental choir The People's Microphony Camerata.

Meanwhile, members of Free Reed Conspiracy will create a post-ambient soundscape with 8 accordions. In contrast to the extremity of the libretto, the musical accompaniment for Dislike is a lush, enveloping sonic world in which one can be simultaneously comforted and disturbed by the tenacity of the text. The result is a surprising blend of Brian Eno, Robert Ashley, and Raymond & Peter’s “Shut Up, Little Man.” Dislike is a 21st century operatic documentation of a unique repository for the darker emotions swirling around the internet.

It's FREE! The show starts at 9pm, but seats are first come, first serve, so come a little early.

ADDRESS
Electric Lodge

1416 Electric Ave
Venice, CA 90291

Dislike is part of High Voltage, a new series at the Electric Lodge featuring premiere works by local LA artists.

Reserve a spot to see/hear Dislike through Brown Paper Tickets!

Brief Tangent on Nothing

2013-02-25T23:45:00.000-08:00

We know John Cage's thoughts on Nothing from his Lecture on Nothing. Here are a few other takes on the subject.

Sun Ra:

Alan Watts:

Lee Hazlewood:

ALBUM REVIEW: Rattle Rattle

2013-02-19T12:39:00.002-08:00

Dorian Wood has a new album called Rattle Rattle, and it sounds enormous. He has been working on it for several years now, and he's brought in an army of musicians to finish it off.

Rattle Rattle brings the weight of a massive personnel. The instrumentation expands and contracts greatly, matching the varying degrees of intimacy in the music. "Americana" has the smallest instrumentation, featuring a trio of piano/vocals, guitar, and percussion. It conjurs up a warped mixture of Gary Jules' version of "Mad World," Boys for Pele, and a broken music box. On the other extreme, "A Gospel of Elephants/Hpssos" features Dorian's regular live band (princess Frank, Sebastian Steinberg, Leah Harmon, and Michael Corwin), augmented by no-wave/jazz ensemble Killsonic and The Difficult Women, a 45-person choir. Daniel Rosenboom's trumpet adds a nice layer to several tracks, and violinist Paul Cartwright also adds some nice violin touches.

Dorian's time as a member of Killsonic is evidenced by the apocalyptic dirge of the opening track, "Bodies (The Levitant)." His duet with Eddika Organista of El Haru Kuroi, "La Cara Infinita," seems to be the closest thing to a traditional radio-friendly single on the album, while "The Lady" is reminiscent of the micropolyphonic chroma of Ligeti's Lux Aeterna. "Glassellalia" and "Pearline" have been previously released as EP's, and you can hear them on Bandcamp. "We Are The Heart of Human Hair" is like Nick Cave leading a twisted gospel choir, and "O" is a great closing track that gently releases you back into your own world.

One can hear the influence of artists like Scott Walker, Tom Waits, or Nick Cave (who just released an album on Monday...). The softer, prettier solo piano moments bring singers like Rufus Wainwright or Jeff Buckley to mind. But while someone like Wainwright seems content to idly dawdle on the pretty side of music, Dorian is more inclined to turn it over and play with its dirty, surreal, and noisy underside. The resulting contrasts make the songs and performances far more believable and emotionally raw.

On March 5th, there will be a CD release for Rattle Rattle at The Echo with Killsonic and WIFE. If you can't wait, then this Thursday there will be a preview listening session at High Fidelity Vinyl.