Ionisation (1929-31). Edgard Varèse /bafflement, continued/

As planned, I listened to the music of Edgard Varèse during the month of February. I have no great insights to report about the music. On the other hand, I now realize that I like to listen to his music but I'm not sure I actually like the music. I'm still intriguted by it, though. After I discovered John Adams had channeled Edgard Varèse in preparation for the opera Doctor Atomic, closer listening led me to the following comparison which still stands:

Having listened to the works of Varese for the last several weeks, in comparison, Doctor Atomic isn't dour, confrontational, confusing, overwhelming etc. It still has its challenges, though.

I've also been thinking through what work I would recommend to someone who hasn't heard this music before. Un Grand Sommeil Noir is beautiful but not representative. Maybe Ionisation since people expect percussion music to be strange in any case? Richard Friedman suggests Octandre as a great short piece.

Several recent Varèse comments in the blogosphere:

• Calimac thinks John Adams' The Flowering Tree has hints of Varèse in the choral parts.
• The Sequenza21 thread about Starbucks asks if Varèse should be considered accessible. Maybe this concert was well-received but I'm dubious about this music being "accessible" although I'd be interested in hearing other data one way or the other.
• Finally, Roger Bourland blogs about his, presumably mythical, discovery of a conversation between Edgard and his aspiring acolyte Frank Zappa, after the latter's recent death. Despite the connection between the two artists, what I don't understand is why is there no significant Varèse-ian school of music? Because of the radical nature of the musical ideas? The (possibly) abrasive personality? The professional and political climate of the time? Maybe American composers only accept French influence via Nadia Boulanger?

(If you are reading this from a feed reader, click here to see the "What's your favorite Varèse work" poll).

Comments

[Daniel Wolf]

My favorite is Hyperprism, almost a perfect little piece.

I think that there isn't a Varese "school" largely because (a) his work was held together largely by force of musical personality and not as part of a larger theoretical project, and (b) his own personality was completely unsuited to a leadership role of the sort.

Nevertheless, Lucia Dlugoszewski and Chou Wen Chung were his students, and there are an even larger number of composers for whom the Vares example was critical -- Tenney, Mumma, Reynolds, perhaps Erickson. And the impact of single works of Varese on other composers -- for example Poeme Electronique on Stockhausen, Offrandes on Boulez, or Octandre on Ferneyhough and Density or Ionisation on dozens of composers -- cannot be underestimated.

[richard friedman]

Lutoslawski claimed to be a disciple of Varese. I might be able to locate a quote somewhere someday. But where does the idea that a composer must be the inspiration for a "school"? Daniel's comment about Varese's personality not being suited for that role (think Schoenberg as the model) is right on. Also, in Varese lived the confluence of a number of historical dynamics which will probably never intersect again: surrealism, pan-americanism, urbanism. His music reflects his time and culture, both of which no longer exist. Also, there are so few pieces (compared to the output of other composers) that it is hard to see the whole picture. Still, many composers have been influenced by his music .. his techniques, sound .. because of what they heard, and because it was so different and so personal.

Sometimes great things come in small packages.

[david toub]

Varese has always been one of my favorite composers ever since our school music teacher Mr. Griggs played ionization for us on a recording in 7th grade. My favorite works would include octandre, deserts, integrales and arcana. But if I had to pick just one, it would be a tie between ameriques and integrales. Just too hard to choose.

Without question, varese has been, and continues to be, a major influence on a lot of composers. I'm not sure why he seems to not be in great favor anymore, however. Perhaps it was the variety of factors that have been alluded to by richard and daniel.Regardless, his music should be heard more often.