aworks :: "new" american classical music

Sounds of Venice (1959). /for solo television performer/

The CageBlogger is back. He was the one listening to and blogging about all of the recorded works of John Cage. Me, I'm good for about ten tracks by a composer and I feel like I need to move on, for the day anyway. Anyway, from today's Cage post:

I like listening to this recording more than I enjoyed listening to Water Walk, just because the emphasis here seems to be more heavily on miscellaneous sounds (of Venice, no less!)--including birds, gondolier recordings, occasional bursts of music from a radio, a telephone, and what is supposedly a cat meowing, but what I swear sounds like a human just saying "meow."

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johncage.info: sounds of venice

aworks :: this post title unavailable due to ipod wash woes

Since we recovered my iPod from the wash cycle, I'm struggling to track what I've been listening to. The iPod works except for the display and sometimes when syncing. My response has been to load it with John Cage music and let 'er rip. But often I have no clue what I've actually heard. It's debatable if this is an issue with said composer.

My overall reaction to all this Cage is to seek out music even more unconventional than Cage. I'm open to suggestion but even after a bout of Xenakis, I can't find anything.

Histories and Theories of Intermedia, in a post on Tony Conrad, happens to speak on why it's tough to top Cage at his own game:

Conrad saw contemporary music as being at a crisis point. John Cage's radicalism, and Young's Fluxus verbal scores (listening to butterflies as a piece of music) indicated music being dismantled in an unsurpassably extreme manner

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Note that next week, I plan to replace my 3.1GB of Cage on the crippled iPod with the music of Terry Riley. No conclusions yet although be forewarned it could result in a who owns the sixties post.

Cartridge Music (1960). John Cage /huh?/

I like lots of the music of John Cage and I understand the need to experience music versus being judgmental about it. But, Cartridge Music in particular strikes me as bizarre. I can appreciate the diverse sounds and even the playing of Heart's Magic Man in the background, but the short vocal is painful and the most unnatural part of the piece. Here's the YouTube clip:

From Richard Kostelanetz's Conversations with Cage:

The piece we're setting up now [Cartridge Music] uses electronics, but it also uses junk things that are part and parcel of everyday life. We have a complex situation with three performers, and objects with cartridges and contact microphones. We enter a situation that resembles people trying to get through the tunnel into New Jersey.

Here's more conventional Cage music I happen to like:

Bacchanale (1940). John Cage /drm freedom/

Amazon's new MP3 store is up and I am pleasantly surprised with some of the composers on their featured classical composers list:

1. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

2. Johann Sebastian Bach

3. Ludwig van Beethoven

4. Franz Liszt

5. John Cage

6. Fryderyk Chopin

7. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

8. Claude Debussy

9. Sergei Rachmaninov

10. Erik Satie

11. Charles Ives

12. George Frideric Handel

13. Vivaldi, Antonio

14. Johannes Brahms

15. Leonard Bernstein

I'd recommend Margaret Leng Tan's Daughters of the Lonesome Isle for $8.99 with no Digital Restrictions Management. The Arditti Quartet playing music of California composers is only $3.96.

There are a few oddities on the website e.g. the historical periods classical list ends at 1910. I can think of several people who wouldn't see this as an error.

By the way, if you go to a composer's page, click on the preview all button to continuously hear all the music, albeit as 30 second clips. Here's the Philip Glass page. I also used this to preview Lisa Bielawa's album.

Dream (1948). John Cage /international edition/

I've started reading This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession. No impression until this parenthetical declaration:

(Well, to me all accordions sound alike, and the sweetest, most enjoyable sound I can imagine is the sound they would make burning in a giant bonfire.)

As a counter-argument, I'll nominate accordionist Teodoro Anzellotti playing works like John Cage's Dream and Souvenir. He produces a somber yet compelling mix of simplicity and vibrant tone.

For the record, I don't hold any strong opinion about those Polish (German?) polka tv shows from my youthful days in Michigan although I liked the pickled bologna.

johncage.info on Dream:

Throughout the composition resonances are sustained, either manually or with the pedal. The music is essentially a single melodic line, except for the last few bars.

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Speaking of John Cage, Copyriot just said this while linking to an aworks post regarding the composer and Sonic Youth:

Men inbitna Cage-fans sparkade bakut, såklart.

The machine gives this English equivalent:

But inveterate Cage-fans kicked batch out, såklart.

Voiceless Essay (1985-6). John Cage

In an uncanny foreshadowing, I found this mesostic that John Cage wrote in 1971:

	John adams
symph	O adams
c	Hina
g	Narly
	Charles
ives	Adams
bi	G
conc	Erto antheil

Oh wait, if you enter http://rgable.typepad.com/aworks/ into this page, you get the same result. Never mind...

johncage.info: voiceless essay wikipedia: mesostic (with example self-definition) john cage john adams charles ives george antheil china gates symphony concerto big

Souvenir (1983). John Cage /gadget-based synchronicity/

As a software guy, I waste my time trying every iTunes plugin. But this week, I found two of real interest -- Google's gtalk and iCueMix from exabre. The former, via srubio, displays your current iTunes track in Google's gtalk messenger window. Who knew Manu Chao would lead to such boomer rock artist synchronicity between Steve Rubio and myself (click on the Google image for the westmp side of our "date").

The latter, iCueMix, indexes your iTunes library and then creates playlists. I seeded it with John Cage's Souvenir and got a surprisingly diverse cross-genre playlist:

• Souvenir (1983) John Cage / Stephen Drury
• Greyhound Part 2 (Remix) / Jon Spencer Blues Explosion/ Experimental Remixes
• Phoenix Riddim  / Kid606 / Wire Tapper 13 
• Yoko Ono - Georgia Stone / A Chance Operation: The John Cage Tribute (Disc 1)
• Leb Wohl / Neu!
• Forgiveness / Joseph Curiale / The Calm
• Kneel To The Boss / Cabaret Voltaire / DJ Kicks - Four Tet Electronica/Dance
• Etude No. 6 / Stephen Drury / John Cage / Contemporary Piano Music
• Friends / Led Zeppelin III
  
• Two Cups Of Blood / Gravediggaz /  Late Night Tales - Four Tet
  
• Jesus / Paul Honey / The Calm
  
• Fire / Nigel Kennedy  / Stone Free: A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix
• Dazed And Confused / Led Zeppelin
  
• Epiphany / David Sylvian / Approaching Silence 

I don't particularly associate John Cage with Zeppelin and Hendrix (or Nigel Kennedy for that matter) but I may be myopic about the sixties zeitgeist.

On the other hand, Google's music trends chart for classical is way too overloaded with Mozart (in my opinion).

Williams Mix (1952-3). John Cage /crazy detailed music meme/

Via Don Nunn, here's the "crazy detailed music meme." I'll mutate it by counting composers instead of bands

Name your top 10 most played composers (on iTunes):

1. John Cage
2. Charles Ives
3. Philip Glass
4. Aaron Copland
5. Virgil Thomson
6. Henry Cowell
7. John Adams
8. Lou Harrison
9. Samuel Barber
10. Steve Reich

What was the first work you ever heard by 6 (Henry Cowell)? 
On an old cassette, Hymn and Fuguing Tune No. 2 for string orchestra.

What is your favorite album of 2 (Charles Ives)?
Concord Sonata. Songs. Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Susan Graham.

What is your favorite text that 5 (Virgil Thomson) has set or composed?
A Prayer to Saint Catherine.

Saint Catherine of Sienna, If this song pleases you,
then be good enough to answer the prayer it contains.
Make the person that sings this song less shy than that person is,
And give that person some joy in that person's heart.

How many times have you seen 4 (Aaron Copland) performed live?
I don't really know. 25?

What is your favorite work by 7 (John Adams)?
Either the one I heard first, Shaker Loops, or the one I saw most recently, his clarinet concerto, Gnarly Buttons.

What is a good memory you have involving the music of 10 (Steve Reich)?
Thinking that I could hear the name of a friend's step-son being repeated in Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices, and Organ.

Is there a work of 3 (Philip Glass) that makes you sad?
Music from the Screens with Foday Musa Suso

What is your favorite text that 2 (Charles Ives) has set or composed?
Although less than a minute long, Ann Street. ("Broadway!").

How did you get into 3 (Philip Glass)?
When I was a teenager, the local public library had the Tomato Records recording of Einstein on the Beach, although it took a decade before I really appreciated it.

What was the first work you heard by 1 (John Cage)?
No idea. A high school buddy prepared the choir piano with erasers and other detritus so let's say Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano.

What is your favorite work by 4 (Aaron Copland)?
Four Piano Blues although previously El Salon Mexico (on piano) or Our Town.

How many times have you seen the music of 9 (Samuel Barber) live?
Maybe five times.

What is a good memory you have involving 2 (Charles Ives)?
Reading A Union of Diversities: Style in the Music of Charles Ives by Larry Starr opened up my ears to better hear the music of Ives.

Is there a work of 8 (Lou Harrison) that makes you sad?
Not really. I'm sure he had his struggles but I think of Harrison as a jovial, enlightened guy.

What is your favorite album of 5 (Virgil Thomson)?
Chamber Works on CRI.

What is your favorite text that 3 (Philip Glass) has set or composed?
The Knee Plays in Einstein on the Beach -- my favorite parts of the opera (e.g. "123412345612345678").

What is your favorite work of 1 (John Cage)?
It varies. Souvenir, 4'33", In a Landscape, In the Name of the Holocaust, or First Construction (in Metal) or if I'm really in the mood, Williams Mix including the audience response at the end.

What is your favorite work of 10 (Steve Reich)?
It has varied over the years. This year again, it's Music for 18 Musicians.

How many times have you seen 8 (Lou Harrision) performed live?
Handful. Not enough. Need to read more about his as well.

What is your favorite album of 1 (John Cage)?
Margeret Leng Tan's Daughters of the Lonesome Isle or Stephen Drury's Contemporary Piano Music.

What is a great memory you have considering 9 (Samuel Barber)?
Playing Adagio on saxophone in a woodwind choir.

What was the first work you heard by 8 (Lou Harrison)?
Probably his Piano Concerto played by Keith Jarrett.

What is your favorite cover by 2 (Charles Ives)?
How about The Housatonic at Stockbridge in an alternate tuning by Daniel Anthony Stearns. Or else, the jazz group T.J. Kirk playing The Unanswered Question.

Name your top 10 most played composers (on iTunes):

1. John Cage
2. Charles Ives
3. Philip Glass
4. Aaron Copland
5. Virgil Thomson
6. Henry Cowell
7. John Adams
8. Lou Harrison
9. Samuel Barber
10. Steve Reich

What was the first work you ever heard by 6 (Henry Cowell)? 
On an old cassette, Hymn and Fuguing Tune No. 2 for string orchestra.

What is your favorite album of 2 (Charles Ives)?
Concord Sonata. Songs. Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Susan Graham.

What is your favorite text that 5 (Virgil Thomson) has set or composed?
A Prayer to Saint Catherine.

Saint Catherine of Sienna, If this song pleases you,
then be good enough to answer the prayer it contains.
Make the person that sings this song less shy than that person is,
And give that person some joy in that person's heart.

How many times have you seen 4 (Aaron Copland) performed live?
I don't really know. 25?

What is your favorite work by 7 (John Adams)?
Either the one I heard first, Shaker Loops, or the one I saw most recently, his clarinet concerto, Gnarly Buttons.

What is a good memory you have involving the music of 10 (Steve Reich)?
Thinking that I could hear the name of a friend's step-son being repeated in Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices, and Organ.

Is there a work of 3 (Philip Glass) that makes you sad?
Music from the Screens with Foday Musa Suso

What is your favorite text that 2 (Charles Ives) has set or composed?
Although less than a minute long, Ann Street. ("Broadway!").

How did you get into 3 (Philip Glass)?
When I was a teenager, the local public library had the Tomato Records recording of Einstein on the Beach, although it took a decade before I really appreciated it.

What was the first work you heard by 1 (John Cage)?
No idea. A high school buddy prepared the choir piano with erasers and other detritus so let's say Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano.

What is your favorite work by 4 (Aaron Copland)?
Four Piano Blues although previously El Salon Mexico (on piano) or Our Town.

How many times have you seen the music of 9 (Samuel Barber) live?
Maybe five times.

What is a good memory you have involving 2 (Charles Ives)?
Reading A Union of Diversities: Style in the Music of Charles Ives by Larry Starr opened up my ears to better hear the music of Ives.

Is there a work of 8 (Lou Harrison) that makes you sad?
Not really. I'm sure he had his struggles but I think of Harrison as a jovial, enlightened guy.

What is your favorite album of 5 (Virgil Thomson)?
Chamber Works on CRI.

What is your favorite text that 3 (Philip Glass) has set or composed?
The Knee Plays in Einstein on the Beach -- my favorite parts of the opera (e.g. "123412345612345678").

What is your favorite work of 1 (John Cage)?
It varies. Souvenir, 4'33", In a Landscape, In the Name of the Holocaust, or First Construction (in Metal) or if I'm really in the mood, Williams Mix including the audience response at the end.

What is your favorite work of 10 (Steve Reich)?
It has varied over the years. This year again, it's Music for 18 Musicians.

How many times have you seen 8 (Lou Harrision) performed live?
Handful. Not enough. Need to read more about his as well.

What is your favorite album of 1 (John Cage)?
Margeret Leng Tan's Daughters of the Lonesome Isle or Stephen Drury's Contemporary Piano Music.

What is a great memory you have considering 9 (Samuel Barber)?
Playing Adagio on saxophone in a woodwind choir.

What was the first work you heard by 8 (Lou Harrison)?
Probably his Piano Concerto played by Keith Jarrett.

What is your favorite cover by 2 (Charles Ives)?
How about The Housatonic at Stockbridge in an alternate tuning by Daniel Anthony Stearns. Or else, the jazz group T.J. Kirk playing The Unanswered Question.

Etudes (1931 or 1932). John Cage /listening log/

Not sure where I am going with this, but I'm in a bit of a wtf mood...

• As You Said. Wheels of Fire. Jack Bruce, Pete Brown. Cream. And who would Pete Brown be?
• Fantasia after Music by Bach. Ferruccio Busoni. Egon Petri. Not that I know who Egon Petri is, for that matter.
• Etude No. 1. John Cage. Stephen Drury. What's Elliott Carter's opinion of John Cage? Just wondering...
• Depth Perception. Paul Rosas. The Frog Peak Collection. Short piece that could be misconstrued as coming from an ailing computer.
• 2005-06-20. John Maxwell Hobbs. Cinema Volta. Would Mozart have been this good at daily podcasting? His, John's that is, new podcast, Sporadic Outbursts, here.
• Build My House. Marcia Henderson. 100 Years of Peter Pan. Is Marcia related to Skitch or Florence? Were Skitch and Florence related?
• Etude No. 6. John Cage. Stephen Drury. What exactly was Cage's educational agenda with these pieces? This one is a little too sparse and uneventful, even for me. On the other hand, if he really wrote these in the thirties, they were radical beyond belief, an homage to Satie, or both.
• Etude No. 2. John Cage. Stephen Drury. Ok, that's better. It has so much energy it even reminds me of ragtime. Ok, not really.
• When Soft Winds. George Antheil. George Antheil. Antheil Plays Antheil. This is a choral piece. Antheil can also sing?
• Willie the Pimp Part One. Frank Zappa. Fillmore East, June 1971. This is so unlike the stellar Captain Beefheart/Frank Zappa studio version on Hot Rats. Even the FZ guitar solo on this version is lacking. So what's the story between those two? Any Zappa-ologists in the audience?

Freeman Etudes (1989-90). John Cage

The John Cageblog fills in a few missed works after finishing his survey of Cage's canon. He also does something astounding with the Freeman Etudes:

This time for a change of pace I actually tried to use them to help me sleep and, surprisingly, it worked pretty well.  The screeching complaints of the violin as it is tortured do not strike me as relaxing, but somehow the lack of melody or rhythm in the performance made it easy to break that concious focus that keeps me awake.

Tortured screeching indeed.

recent listening: cello sonata/ligeti/haimovitz. the way you look tonight/astaire. everything you do is a balloon/boards of canada