aworks :: "new" american classical music

Variations on the Orange Cycle (1991). Elodie Lauten #links

1. The piece is modeled on the 24 hours of a day with its phases of activity, leisure, transport and rest. It was included in Chamber Music America's "Century List" (although I can't find the actual list online). Elodie Lauten
2. Robert Carl found the work New Age-ish but did say this: "The impressive trick of the piece is that every one of its four movements is based on some form of a low G pedal point, which either sounds as a drone or rhythmic ostinato." Fanfare
3. The work takes advantage of the percussive aspect of the piano and the "single tone" grounds the piece conceptually and emotionally. Tiny Mix Tapes
4. Elodie Lauten obituary after her death from cancer. New York Times 
5. "She was an oddly quirky, ever-upbeat personality with a touch of Zen mysticism." Kyle Gann
6. This is the version recorded by the composer; there is also a recording by Lois Svard.

aworks favorites :: john cage

• Four2 (1990)
• Latvian Radio Choir - Mythes Étoilés
• Three Dances (1945)
• Xenia Pestova - Works for Two Keyboards - 2
• The Unavailable Memory of (1944)
• Alexei Lubimov - As It Is
• Philipp Vandré - Complete Short Works for Prepared Piano
• A Room (1943)
• Giancarlo Simonacci - Cage: Complete Music for Prepared Piano
• Imaginary Landscape No. 1 (1939)
• Forbidden Planets (Music From The Pioneers Of Electronic Sound)

• Wikipedia: Four Imaginary Landscape John Cage John Cage compositions Alexei Lubimov A Room The Unavailable Memory of 
• YouTube:  A Room - Giancarlo Simonacci The Unavailable Memory of - Alexei Lubimov 
• Discogs: As It Is Cage: Complete Music for Prepared Piano Complete Short Works for Prepared Piano Forbidden Planets
• Google Books: Four2 Imaginary Landscape No. 1 A Room Three Dances The Unavailable Memory of

The Ensemble Chord in Eb with a Minor 7th and a Pump Organ Base (2007). Duane Pitre #tonegenerator

• This album is probably my current favorite; I've been listening to it all year, although it was a 2007 release.
• Is "Pitre" pronounced "Peet-ry," "Pie-ter," or "Pee-treh"?
• "Instruments include guitar, cello, viola, tone generator, and saxophone, but ultimately the individual voicings are less important than their choral impact." Split Foster
• mixing "the buoyantly repetitive sounds of Terry Riley’s pieces with the meditative tones of La Monte Young’s work along a linear musical path of varied instrumental drones" Jerry Pratt
• " a gorgeously elaborated, extended chord performed by a small ensemble consisting of Pitre (guitar), Casey Block (tone generator), Craig Colorusso (guitar), Julianne Carney (violin), Lathan Hardy (alto saxophone), John DeRosa (pump organ), Tianna Kennedy (cello) and Jon Elterman (viola)" Brian Olewnick
• Extech 40180 Tone Generator and Amplifier Probe Circuit Finder Kit on Amazon. I assume this is not the equipment used on the recording.

Borealis Music (1987). Eleanor Hovda #favorite #northernlights

I'm only vaguely familiar with the late Eleanor Hovda, but Borealis Music is an interesting work influenced by the environment but not necessarily an ersatz copy of it.

Stephen Ellis in Fanfare about the work:

...a soundpiece with brittle textures and harmonies. The music is slow and reflective, and at just ten minutes, its length is perfect for the material.

Linda Frye Burnham in High Performance, Volume 10:

...especially captivating--a fleeting soundscape of delicate gesture and musical imagery.

I haven't seen the Northern Lights since I was a kid in Michigan. Coincidentally, 1987 was the year I moved from Michigan to California.

The composer as person was interesting as well.

 

aworks organized list :: the standing room edition @thestandingroom @dwohl88

While we long-time bloggers in general wrestle with the declining reach of personal weblogs, this long-time blogger is also realizing that our mode of communcation is becoming a private channel to any  remaining readers, who by definition are sophisticated and worldly. Hello, sophisticated and worldy readers. 

I'll keep the channel open, if anyone is listening. Of course, that's not to say my blog posts will necessarily be as sophisticated and worldly as my readers...

In any case, in honor of the The Standing Room, here's my recent music rotation (hey, these days, rdio automatically computes and formats this output!).

aworks top ten artists of all time, this week's edition :: july 3, 2013 #fahey #hawkins @dwohl88

Symphony No. 6 (1955). Walter Piston #fave #lilwayne #lilwalter

On rdio, I found a bunch of new recordings on a interesting label, 2013 Ameritz Music Ltd. The label has various releases of modern classical music scattered among Karaoke and pop tribute music.

It appears the label is a distribution vehicle for pushing releases to digital music stores:

Yes, to artists who join Ameritz music we will be offering a “Non Exclusive” License which allows you to keep the rights to all of your music.

Various Artists – A lbum/Rich_as_Fk_(In_the_Style_of_Lil_Wayne_and_2_Chainz)_(Karaoke_Version)_-_Single/