aworks :: "new" american classical music

The Other Piano (2007). Morton Subotnick /present and past/

Composer Morton Subotnick will be at this week's Other Minds Music Festival in San Francisco, with his new piece The Other Piano:

The Other Piano is for piano with surround sound processing.  It has 4 continuous sections: Within, Lullaby, Alone and Rocking.  Each section has its own distinct character as well as a special approach to how the piano sound is processed throughout the space of the auditorium.  For instance, Lullaby unfolds slowly with great care taken to the details of exact timing of each note as well as the subtle evolving changes of the melody.  Individual notes are captured by the computer and form lingering chords that float through the auditorium.

He also has a reflection in the new artforum feature on Stockhausen:

Stockhausen was well known for his incredible ego, which I found fascinating, even charming. ...But having a few such people in the world doesn’t hurt. Stockhausen was quite exotic. Maybe it’s really true that he was from Sirius.

A Fluttering of Wings (1981). Morton Subotnick

Michael West asked in the comments the other day if Morton Subotnick was still at CalArts. Marc Weidenbaum and Richard Friedman report that he is (see here and here).

This gives me an opportunity to blog about that 12-CD set of Southwest Chamber Music: Cage, Harrison, Partch, etc. that includes a CD of Morton Subotnick's music. Mike Silverton calls the set "a necessary addition to the new-music enthusiast’s library." 10% off at Amazon so only $150.99 ($17.98 for just the Subotnick CD).

On the CD: A Fluttering of Wings was written for the Juilliard String Quartet and is one in a series of pieces for instruments and ghost-box electronics.

rgable: aworks consciousness revolution era subotnick: wikipedia yahoo audio singingfish viewfour disquiet richard friedman a fluttering of wings: program notes Amazon: CD sales rank #281,821 Where Electronic and Classical Intersect listmania!