aworks :: "new" american classical music

String Quartet No. 4 "Buczak" (1989). Philip Glass /subtle ultra precise/

Brooklyn via Wikipedia

Michael McDonagh talks to Johnny Gandelsman of Brooklyn Ryder:

He’s especially keen on Quartet # 4 (Buczack ), which Glass wrote for his artist friend Brian Buczack (1954-1987), who died of AIDS — his fellow in Fluxus partner Geoffrey Hendricks commissioned it from Kronos who premiered it at NY’s Emily Harvey Gallery on the second anniversary of the artist’s death – the July 4, 1989. The violinist calls the second slow movement — there are three — ” a standalone piece, ” and its floating interweaving gestures, and subtle ultra precise voice leading are high water marks in Glass’ writing for strings. Gandelsman says Brooklyn Rider has concentrated on “color and texture” here, and that it’s as “profound as most Messaien ,and as spiritual as Bach.”

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• Serenade for Solo Flute (1963?). Philip Glass (rgable.typepad.com)

String Quartet No. 4 "Buczak" (1989). Philip Glass /heavy rotation/

Image via Wikipedia

After lala, I've mostly spent my music streaming time at rdio. Not as good as lala but it does have an iPhone app although Apple won't allow an update of that app but the social features are reasonable though the music catalog is not an expansive and the $10/month fee is a bit much yet they support last.fm scrobbling etc.

I'm aworks at rdio if you care (and I have eval invites to give out if you want one).

What's most interesting so far is the Heavy Rotation feature where the site prominently lists your most played albums, your network's most played albums or the most played albums for the entire site. Since I can't find many classical listeners yet, my network very much has a pop orientation. Here's all but one of the albums from my network's Heavy Rotation:

1. Broken Bells. Broken Bells.
2. This Is Happening. LCD Soundsystem.
3. Brothers. The Black Keys.
4. The Blueprint 3. Jay-Z.
5. The ArchAndroid. Janelle Monae.
6. Miike Snow. Miike Snow.
7. Destroyer of the Void. Blitzen Trapper.
8. Dear Science. TV on the Radio.
9. Treats. Sleigh Bells.
10. Body Talk Pt 1. Robyn.
11. Teen Dream. Beach House.

A nice combination of some good artists and some I've never heard of and two with "Bells" in their name (surprisingly, I preferred Sleigh Bells). 

But most importantly, that other album in Heavy Rotation? The Smith Quartet playing the Philip Glass string quartets.