In a message dated 5/9/2000 3:55:08 PM, improv@... writes:
>I'm also not generally a fan of compilations, especially those that try
>to
>sum up an entire musical genre, but the Ohm collection really works for
>me
>because it has a bunch of stuff I don't have otherwise, and the compilers
>really seem to have put some effort into making it a really listenable
>collection, at least IMHO. I've pretty much been playing at least one disc
>from the set every day lately while I work, and I'm enjoying it still.
And I bet your coworkers love it too! Yeah, I think it does the history as
well as it could be done on 3 discs, but great liner notes too (going to the
composers in most cases).
>I'd heard about the Early Modulations set, but haven't seen a copy yet.
>Is
>there much crossover between it and the Ohm collection?
Not much in terms of pieces, but definitely in terms of composers. Here's the
list:
1) INCANTATIONS -- Luening and Ussachevsky
2) BICYCLE BUILT FOR TWO -- Max Mathews
3) ETUDE AUX CHEMINS DE FER -- Schaeffer
4) CONCERT PH -- Xenakis
5) IMAGINARY LANDSCAPE NO. 1 -- Cage
6) TRENI D'ONDA A MODULAZIONE D'INTENSITA -- Vittorio Gelmetti
7) PIECE FOR TAPE RECORDER -- Ussachevsky
8) TETE ET QUEUE DU DRAGON -- Luc Ferrari
9) SILVER APPLES OF THE MOON -- Subotnick
Some of these are excerpts (Silver Apples is only the second half), and the
"liner notes" aren't really about the music (as in duration, when recorded,
let alone equipment and other technical stuff) so it's not nearly as good as
the Ohm set. But a good companion if you don't have any of this stuff.
Has anyone seen the movie "Modulations"?
>Great price on the Henry CD! The new Wire reviews a new and huge box set
>of
>his stuff, pretty tempting, but since it's like 8CD's and a French import,
>I could probably buy a few modules for the price.
That's got to be one of Paul Simon's fifty ways to leave your lover. You just
pick up the 8 CD Pierre Henry box set at import prices and play it repeatedly
saying, "this is so good! Isn't it honey?"
The Nancarrow collection
>is essential, I have most of it as individual CD's, and it blows my mind
>on
>a regular basis. One observation: my girlfriend Melissa, who is generally
>a
>fan of non-normal musics, in fact she's probably a bigger free-improv fan
>than I am (I know, I'm incredibly lucky to be with someone like her!),
>cannot stand Nancarrow. She says it's the most annoying music she can think
>of.
Sorry to hear that, though be thankful for general tolerance there. I can
point to Nancarrow as one of the most important reasons I got into EM. In the
late 70s I got some experimental piano records from the library mainly to
hear the quarter tone stuff, and was blown away by Cage's prepared piano and
Nancarrow's player piano. Absolutely blew away my preconceptions about the
piano and music.
Hi Chuck,
>I've been sitting here reading the daily digests of these proceedings
>for about a month and figured it's time I put in my two cents worth...
>To John B.; I'm going to get those CD's too. May I also suggest John
>Cage's "Indeterminancy" (Smithsonian/Folkways SF40804/5), a 2-CD set.
>It's a 90 min. lecture made up of 90 stories with a zen slant. The long
>stories are spoken rapidly, while the short ones are drawn out, all the
>while David Tudor is banging on a prepared piano and twiddling a short
>wave radio. One of MY favorite party albums, but then, I have weird
>parties.
I know I've heard the records. I've got to start getting this stuff on CD --
you're right, this is classic. You'll have to invite us to a party sometime
-- BYOMOTM.
JB