HurdAudio Rotation: Sacred and Secular Music

Johann Sebastian Bach: Bach Edition [IV-1]. 1999. Brilliant Classics: 93102/77

Funeral Ode BWV 198
For the 1st day of Christmas BWV 110

Holland Boys Choir
Netherlands Bach Collegium
Roth Holton: soprano
Marjon Strijk: soprano
Sytse Buwalda: alto
Knut Schoch: tenor
Bas Ramselaar: bass
Pieter Jan Leusink: conductor
Peter Frankenberg: oboe
Kristin Linde: oboe
Ofer Frenkel: oboe
Doretthe Janssens: traverso
Oeds van Middelkoop: traverso
Rien Voskuilen: cembalo
Vaughan Schlepp: cembalo
Freek Borstlap: viola da gamba
Ivanka Neeleman: viola da gamba
David van Ooijen: lute
Micheiel Niessen: lute
Jan Zwerver: alto
Martinus Leusink: tenor
Edward Wesley: oboe
Kate Clark: traverso
Brian Berryman: traverso
Susan Williams: tromba naturale
Frank Anepool: tromba naturale
Geerten Rooze: tromba naturale
David Kjar: tromba naturale
Frank Aarnink: timpani

Cantatas for two very different occasions. Could one differentiate between a Bach piece written for a funeral and one written for the first day of Christmas? The breadth of Bach's tonal language - a language he advanced in the same manner Shakespeare advanced the English language - lends itself to the solemnity of both human death and the birth of a messiah. Leaving the contemporary ear to ponder the variance between the profound and the secular. David Lang captures the conundrum of the contemporary ear confronted with the passionate belief of J.S. Bach when he states that Bach's music "goes to a place I simply cannot follow." Drawn in by the majestic reverence of the sound while acutely aware of the unfamiliarity of such profound devotion to Christ. I am struck by how little of this musical passion was ever present in the church music of my own youth. Somewhere along the centuries the sophistication of Baroque music was systemically supplanted by a decidedly bland, institutionally friendly approach toward hymn arrangements that favored homogenization over the sublime. A further reminder that these cantatas are a gift from a time, a mind and a belief that is lost to the ages.

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Complete Quartets volume VIII. 1994. Delos: DE 3038.

String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6
String Quartet in F Major, Op. 135
Grosse Fuge, Op. 133

Orford String Quartet
Andrew Dawes: violin
Kenneth Perkins: violin
Terence Helmer: viola
Denis Brott: cello

I've cycled through these Complete Quartets a few times (which are brilliantly performed by the Orford String Quartet on this collection) and it's clear that this is where the gauntlet was thrown that caused so many composers to take the medium of two violins, viola and cello so seriously. This is the seed from which so many great quartets have bloomed. The breadth of aesthetic purpose that Beethoven spans (and straddles) is incredible. The eighth volume in this set is the only one to feature three works. Staying with the pattern of early work followed by mid-to-late work. This time the distance between opus 18 and opuses 135 and 133 doesn't feel as wide. As my ears begin to connect the formal development of the late Classical with the temporal expansiveness of the early Romantic. Next time through, I'm tracking these with a score.

Albert Ayler: Holy Ghost [disc 7]. 2004. Revenant Records: 213.

Don Ayler Sextet - January 11, 1969 @ Town Hall, New York City
Don Ayler: trumpet
Albert Ayler: alto saxophone
Sam Rivers: tenor saxophone
Richard Johnson: piano
Richard Davis: bass
Ibrahim Wahen: bass
Muhammad Ali: drums

Albert Ayler Quartet - July 28, 1970 @ La Colle sur Loup: Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France
Albert Ayler: tenor saxophone
Call Cobbs: piano
Steve Tintweiss: bass
Allen Blairman: drums
Mary Parks: tambourine, hand clapping

In many ways, Albert Ayler represents a more contemporary manifestation of the faith and devotion of J.S. Bach. Only Ayler's love and belief exist decidedly outside of the protective walls of the church as employer and institution. Ayler's spirituality is unflinchingly honest and deep that it descends into madness. A reminder that true devotion does not necessarily lead toward comfort despite what the marketing promises of more institutionalized religions would have one believe. The seventh disc from this set is a tough one to sit through. Two sessions poorly recorded with the drums often saturating the recording completely and obscuring the rest of the sound. Don Ayler does flash a few moments that lead me to believe he had more unrealized potential than we'll ever know. This material is buried deep within this box set as it is not for the uninitiated.

HurdAudio Rotation: The B's

Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 [disc 8]. 2007. Firehouse 12 Records: FH12-04-03-001.

Composition No. 357 dedicated to the composer Galina Ustvolskaya
The Anthony Braxton 12+1tet
Mary Halvorson: electric guitar
Nicole Mitchell: flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo, voice
Sara Schoenbeck: bassoon, suona
Reut Regev: trombone, flugelbone
Carl Testa: acoustic bass, bass clarinet
Anthony Braxton: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, clarinet, e-flat contralto clarinet
James Fei: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Andrew Raffo Dewar: soprano saxophone, c-melody saxophone, clarinet
Jay Rozen: tuba, euphonium
Stephen H. Lehman: alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone
Jessica Pavone: viola, violin
Aaron Siegel: percussion, vibraphone
Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet, flugelhorn, trumpbone, piccolo trumpet, bass trumpet, shell

Technically, these ghost trance music are focused upon pulse and the relationship between a large ensemble with pulse. It's a relationship that includes operating both within and without the pulse. Beyond that theoretical level, ghost trance music is also about realizing a flat hierarchy between players. Which in and of itself is about playing within and without sublimation. The openness to trance states (which is aided through performing for extended periods of time) this music forms a beautiful tapestry of timbral and improvisational range. The appearance of percussion at the focal point during part 3 of Composition No. 357 is both remarkable and augmented by the absence (or non-reliance upon) percussive elements before and after this point in time. A fabric that moves effortlessly between multiple sub-groupings of the 12+1tet. This music is high achievement and listening to it is pure Braxtonian bliss.

Johann Sebastian Bach: Bach Edition [disc II-1]. 1999. Brilliant Classics: 93102/24.

The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1
- Prelude & Fugue No. 1 - 12

Leon Berben: harpsichord

The Well-Tempered Clavier is a known, and understandable obsession. Offered here on harpsichord. An important timbre for Baroque keyboard music and one that reveals the startling clarity of lines and fugue in this performance. The systematic exploration of each major and minor tonality with a prelude and fugue is deeply appealing and speaks of an exercise in creative play. Here J.S. Bach demonstrates both his mastery of tonal language and his obsession with key centers and what each one suggests on a melodic and harmonic level. This is listening that has withstood the test of centuries.

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Complete Quartets [disc 6]. 1994. Delos: DE 3036.

Orford String Quartet
Andrew Dawes: violin
Kenneth Perkins: violin
Terence Helmer: viola
Denis Brott: cello

String Quartet in D Major, Op. 17, no. 3
String Quartet in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131

The pairings on these discs highlights the transition Beethoven's style underwent over the span of his career. Rendering an audible demonstration of the student of Joseph Haydn expanding outward from his classical roots. The C-sharp minor quartet exploring a much larger range of materials than the politely classical Opus 17. The variation in movement durations in the later work is striking with one movement lasting just forty-five seconds compared to the fourteen minute movement that follows it. The use of pizzicato, sul ponticello and mutes in the late work shows a compositional pallet that includes timbral considerations of the string quartet medium that was a bit more advanced than I would have assumed from Beethoven. The use of rhythmic propulsion is also startlingly contemporary sounding. The evolution of the string quartet clearly passed through these works.

HurdAudio Rotation: Ghost Trance Razumovsky

Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 [disc 6]. 2007. Firehouse 12 Records: FH12-04-03-001.

Composition No. 355 - Dedicated to the multi-instrumentalist/composer Gino Robair
The Anthony Braxton 12+1tet
Anthony Braxton: alto saxtophone, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, clarinet, E-flat contralto clarinet
Mary Halvorson: electric guitar
Nicole Mitchell: flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo, voice
Sara Schoenbeck: bassoon, suona
Reut Regev: trombone, flugelbone
Carl Testa: acoustic bass, bass clarinet
James Fei: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Andrew Raffo Dewar: soprano saxophone, c-melody saxophone, clarinet
Jay Rozen: tuba, euphonium
Stephen H. Lehman: alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone
Jessica Pavone: viola, violin
Aaron Siegel: percussion, vibraphone
Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet, flugelhorn, trumpbone, piccolo trumpet, bass trumpet, shell

Anthony Braxton is a conceptualist of the highest order. His music makes enormous demands upon the creative musician as well as upon the creative listener. The startling thing is how much this music gives back in return for one's efforts. A fully realized sonic universe that synthesizes a staggering array of ideas and sources. It's the kind of place these ears seek to inhabit. These ghost trance compositions are even more exciting. Each one presenting a 60-minute slice of altered beauty. Composition No. 355 builds upon layers of thematic development realized by one of the finest ensembles Anthony Braxton has ever assembled. Each disc within this box set is both interconnected and self-contained. Shedding new light upon different angles of a singular pocket of this Tricentric universe.

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Symphonies [disc 5]. 1994. The International Music Company: 205299-305.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Symphony No. 7 in A Major (op. 92)
Barry Wordsworth: conductor

Symphony No. 8 in F Major (op. 93)
James Lockhart: conductor

The reason for listening to these works (or any works, for that matter) is to develop one's relationship with the music. To understand and discover the ideas that make this music tick. Somehow, it becomes more challenging to do this with the Beethoven Symphonies because there is already a passing familiarity with them. A false sense of already "knowing" them. It takes a few times through the rotation to develop a fascination with the sequence of materials. Particularly in the seventh and eighth symphonies. There's an infallible sense of form at work well beyond the familiarity (these pieces both will and will not surprise these ears). And the seventh symphony is surprisingly loaded with contrapuntal mischief. It's clear why so many have emulated this material through this medium in the wake of these thunderous works. And the eighth symphony doesn't even begin to foreshadow the devastating impact the ninth would later have.

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Complete Quartets [disc 4]. 1994. Delos: DE 3034.

The Orford String Quartet
Andrew Dawes: violin
Kenneth Perkins: violin
Terence Helmer: viola
Denis Brott: cello

String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 59 No. 2 ("Razumovsky")

String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 95 ("Serioso")

A dip into the middle and late periods of Ludwig van Beethoven's considerable works for string quartet. A body of music that is both rich and not burdened with the excessive familiarity that comes with the fetishized symphonies. Juxtaposed like this, one can trace the creative journey that bridged the Classical and Romantic eras. The "Serioso" quartet hinting mildly at the excesses of Romanticism that would follow a generation or two later. But it is the middle period - and these "Razumovsky" quartets in particular - that hold the greatest fascination for me. The breaking away from the polite regularity of early Classical music's cadence structures and composing a new elasticity into the form. The focus shifts toward the development and Beethoven's uncanny sense of order. This particular performance of the Op. 59 No. 2 positively soars as a transcendent work of art.

HurdAudio Rotation: Sonic Excursions

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Complete String Quartets [disc 2]. Recorded in 1989. Delos: D/CD 3032.

The Orford String Quartet
Andrew Dawes: violin
Kenneth Perkins: violin
Terence Helmer: viola
Denis Brott: cello

String Quartet in G major Op. 19 no. 2
String Quartet in B-flat major op. 130

The Beethoven Symphonies have been a wide spread obsession for a long time. But those in the know realize that his String Quartets are where it's at. Not only did Beethoven's compositional career straddle the transition between the Classical and Romantic periods, but it could be argued that he almost single handedly pushed one aesthetic into the other with his expansions upon form and idea. This is profoundly impressive music.

Albert Ayler: Holy Ghost [disc 1]. 2004. Revenant Records: 213.

Herbert Katz Quintet, June 30, 1962 - Helsinki, Finland
Herbert Katz: guitar
Albert Ayler: tenor saxophone
Teuvo Suojarvi: piano
Heikki Annala: bass
Martti Aijanen: drums

Cecil Taylor Quartet, November 16, 1962 - Copenhagen, Denmark
Cecil Taylor: piano
Jimmy Lyons: alto saxophone
Albert Ayler: tenor saxophone
Sunny Murray: drums

Albert Ayler Trio, June 14, 1964 - Cellar Cafe, New York City
Albert Ayler: tenor saxophone
Gary Peacock: bass
Sunny Murray: drums

Few discs so succinctly trace the progression of Albert Ayler as he found his voice and the role that his time performing before European audiences had in drawing his artistry out. The polite takes on the standards of "Summertime" and "On Green Dolphin Street" giving way to the thrill of Ayler's fire breathing as he scorches the Earth somewhere between his stints with the Cecil Taylor Quartet and his own trio two years later. The raw emotional energy of that sound remains a challenge and a sonic wonder that resonates through decades of free jazz. Not surprisingly, the polite interpretations of his early ears remain only a curiosity like a dam that has not yet burst.

Michael Ellison: Invocation. 2010. Innova: 766.

String Quartet #2 (2002)
Borromeo String Quartet:
Nicholas Kitchen: violin
William Fedkenheuer: violin
Mai Motobuchi-Rosenthal: viola
Yeesun Kim: cello

Invocation-Meditation-Allegro (1996)
Helen Bledsoe: flute

Elif (2003) for hafiz and chamber ensemble
Kani Karaca: voice
Ahmet Toz: ney
Onur Turkmen: ney
Hasan Tura: violin
Emil Vilenescu: bass clarinet
Jeff McAuley: cello
Michael Ellison: conductor

Michael Ellison's music is born through an immersion within multiple cultures, guided by an ear and mind sensitive to the delicate connecting tissues that bind the East and West. Inspired by Sufi music and traditions, the American academic composer has made his home in Istanbul where he teaches at the Centre for Advanced Studies in Music of Istanbul University. These pieces display a unique sensitivity and participation within multiple traditions. The extended techniques and intonation applied in Invocation-Meditation-Allegro are grounded in Turkish traditions as opposed to more abstract constructions. This same reverence fills the monumental and substance rich String Quartet #2. Elif reveals a collaborative energy that is both haunting and brief. Overall, this is beautiful music born drawn from intense discipline and ears open to a focused cultural understanding.

HurdAudio Rotation: Sonic Monuments

Johann Sebastian Bach: Bach Edition [disc I-1]. Recorded in 2006. Brilliant Classics: 93102/1.

Concerto no. 1 in F major BWV 1046 (Brandenburg Concerto 1)
Musica Amphion
soloists:
Remy Baudet: violin, piccolo, leader
Frank de Bruine: oboe
Tennis van der Zwart: horn
Erwin Wieringa: horn

Concerto no. 2 in F major BWV 1047 (Brandenburg Concerto 2)
Musica Amphion
solists:
Remy Baudet: violin, leader
William Wroth: trumpet
Frand de Bruine: oboe
Pieter-Jan Belder: recorder

Concerto no. 3 in G major BWV 1048 (Brandenburg Concerto 3)
Musica Amphion
solists:
Remy Baudet: violin, leader
Sayuri Yamagata: violin
Irmgard Schaller: violin
Staas Swierstra: viola
Marten Boeken: viola
Mariette Holtrop: viola
Rainer Zipperling: cello
Richte van der Meer: cello
Albert Bruggen: cello

I'm sure nearly every sentient being has been exposed to the Brandenburg Concertos at some point either consciously or unconsciously (or both) at some point. They project an aura of sophistication and are frequently used as such as accompaniment. As works of art experienced as their own focal point the enduring qualities of this music is nearly overwhelming. In particular, my ears became fascinated with the use of repetition in this music. The carefully measured dosages and harmonic sequencing that gives this music such an organic quality. These are propelled by the pulsating, music-box like rhythmic quality of these Baroque gems. One can hear the enlightenment coursing through the veins of this music. Beyond that, the harmonic sequences jump out at me. So much contemporary music has this material at its roots. I can hear traces of punk and minimalism in this material. This music is a genuine wonder.

Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 [disc 4]. 2007. Firehouse 12 Records: FH12-04-03-001.

Composition No. 353 - Dedicated to the composer Butch Morris
The Anthony Braxton 12+1tet
Anthony Braxton: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, clarinet, E-flat contralto clarinet
Mary Halvorson: electric guitar
Nicole Mitchell: flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo, voice
Sara Schoenbeck: bassoon, suona
Reut Regev: trombone, flugelbone
Carl Testa: acoustic bass, bass clarinet
James Fei: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Andrew Raffo Dewar: soprano saxophone, c-melody saxophone, clarinet
Jay Rozen: tuba, euphonium
Stephen H. Lehman: alto saxophone, sporanino saxophone
Jessica Pavone: viola, violin
Aaron Siegel: percussion, vibraphone
Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet, flugelhorn, trumpbone, piccolo trumpet, bass trumpet, shell

The dedication to Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris is fitting. The art of "conduction" - or conducted group improvisation - is very much within the DNA of Composition 353 as well as much of Anthony Braxton's ghost trance musics. Part sublimation of creative effort into a communal whole and part social/spiritual ritual, this music soars through multiple dimensions. Leaving behind hour-long slices of a brilliant eternity. A sonic glimpse of the impossible.

The more I listen to these 9 Compositions (Iridium), the more I am struck by the intense qualities of this ensemble. The individuality that emerges as I get to know these players both within and outside of this music. This is a music that is democratically shaped even as it shapes everyone involved (listeners included). These 12+1 players represent a creative village of 26 active ears. A village I am lucky to inhabit one hour at a time.

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Symphonies [disc 3]. Recorded in 1995 and 1994. The International Music Company: 205298-305.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Symphony No. 4 in B flat major (op. 60)
Barry Wordsworth: conductor

Symphony No. 5 in C minor (op. 67)
Claire Gibault: conductor

Why listen to the Beethoven symphonies? Perhaps because they are transcendent. The first movement of the fourth symphony was particularly so for me this time. Reasons not to listen to the Beethoven symphonies? They've been pounded into the ground. I was less than thrilled with the fourth movement of the fifth symphony simply because it is both too familiar and such an obvious point of reference for much of the worst excesses of film scoring of the last half century. But it is unfair to attribute such sins to their obvious source. These are both amazing works and there is much to learn from each of them even if so many have over learned their thematic qualities. Beethoven had the distinction of perfecting formal progression. He could compose an introduction, a theme and development and a coda like no one else. Contemporaries who have borrowed from Beethoven have stripped this music of its formal qualities. It's good to have an aural reminder of how this music works when it's composed with a sense of time to go along with its arrangements.

HurdAudio Rotation: Standards and Opuses

Anthony Braxton: Piano Quartet, Yoshi's 1994 [disc 3]. 1996. Music and Arts: CD 849.

Anthony Braxton: piano
Marty Ehrlich: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet
Joe Fonda: bass
Arthur Fuller: percussion

I've returned to this recording more than a few times now and it's finally possible to hear beyond my disappointment with this music. The Braxton recordings of jazz standards have always been a mixed bag from an artist who is normally brilliant beyond belief in his composing and recording life. Having the master reeds player playing the ivories for this outing adds a new wrinkle to the experience. While this isn't one of his better projects, he does clearly state the case that his own creative endeavors are part of the same wellspring of music found along the full jazz continuum. These interpretations are jarring, surprising and performed with enormous passion and musicality. And Marty Ehrlich does an impressive take on Strayhorn's "Lush Life."

Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 [disc 2]. 2006. Firehouse 12 Records: FH12-04-03-001.

Composition 351 - dedicated to the composer/scholar Harvey Sollberger.

Anthony Braxton: composer, conductor, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, clarinet, E-flat contralto clarinet
Mary Halvorson: electric guitar
Nicole Mitchell: flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo, voice
Sara Schoenbeck: bassoon, suona
Reut Regev: trombone, flugelbone
Carl Testa: acoustic bass, bass clarinet
James Fei: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Andrew Raffo Dewar: soprano saxophone, c-melody saxophone, clarinet
Jay Rozen: tuba, euphonium
Stephen H. Lehman: alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone
Jessica Pavone: viola, violin
Aaron Siegel: percussion, vibraphone
Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet, flugelhorn, trumpbone, piccolo trumpet, bass trumpet, shell

This box set is practically an infinite opportunity to take in the brilliance of Braxton's ghost trance musical structures combined with an outstanding ensemble of creative improvisers. The totality of this offering (as with the totality of Braxton's recorded output) nearly shatters human dimensions. The hourglass measures out the temporal dimensions of a sonic texture that could easily expand indefinitely. The hour long slice provided on this disc representing the second set of the 12+1tet's week long residency at the Iridium in 2006. The gentle direction of Anthony Braxton's direction is barely audible even as the musical language is clearly his own. The fact that such a large collection of musicians fluent in the sounding universe that has taken a lifetime to realize is a testament to both the staying power of Braxton's ideas and his abilities as a mentor.

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Symphonies [disc 1]. Recorded in 1994. The International Music Company: 205294-305.

Symphony No. 1 in C major (op. 21)
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Barry Wordsworth: conductor

Symphony No. 2 in D major (op. 36)
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
James Lockhart: conductor

It's difficult to imagine these works having tweaked the sensibilities of their day. Historical accounts indicate that they did. Even these tame, deeply Haydn inspired classical works were already creating friction with the established formal constraints of the turn of the nineteenth century. The second symphony featuring a Scherzo movement where the Minuet would be. The cadences that stretch on and on (okay, it's not difficult to hear how his endless cadences would strike the ears of any era). It's even more difficult to imagine these works as being new and unfamiliar. Ingrained as they are in the symphonic repertoire and even passively as copyright free "background" music for so much media and public space. Though a focused listening does reveal that the durability of this music is no accident. I'm struck by how aggressive the writing is for the wind instruments.

HurdAudio Rotation: Bach, Beethoven, Ayler

Johann Sebastian Bach: Bach Edition [disc III - I]. 2006. Brilliant Classics: 93102/47.

Holland Boys Choir
Pieter Jan Leusink: conductor
Ruth Holton: soprano
Sytse Buwalda: alto
Knut Schoch: tenor
Bas Ramselaar: bass

John Wilson Meyer: violin
Peter Frankenberg: oboe
Frank Wakelkamp: cello
Martin Mans: church organ

Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott BWV 80
Ich habe genug BVW 82
Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland BVW 61

Just in case it has been a while since you've indulged in a Bach cantata or two (or three) here is a reminder of the beautiful materials he was working with: early tonal language influenced by the Renaissance composers, voices doing breath taking things over a churning Baroque harmonic landscape and an expression of faith that is almost impossible to reconcile with contemporary beliefs. This is pretty awe inspiring music that is well performed and recorded. The sensation of how strong this musical root is is pretty hard to ignore. It's audible and it fills my secular space nicely.

Ludwig Van Beethoven: The Complete Quartets [volume VII]. 1994. Delos: DE 3037.

The Orford String Quartet
Andrew Dawes: violin
Kenneth Perkins: violin
Terence Helmer: viola
Denis Brott: cello

String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 18, No. 4
String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 132

The Opus 18 is a polite, classical number that would barely cause a ripple through the genteel class while the later Opus 132 offers a glimpse into the introspective soul searching of Beethoven. The gap in time, discipline and intention between the early and late works is particularly pronounced here. The terrifying ability to compose a theme and develop it in increasingly inventive ways takes a turn toward expansive formal considerations that thankfully erode at the genteel sensibilities. Beethoven found a way to make music far more important than just pleasant. An emphatic argument against music for the purpose of mood.

Albert Ayler: Holy Ghost [disc 6]. 2004. Revenant Records: 213.

Albert Ayler Quintet - June 30 - July 1, 1967 at Freebody Park, Newport, Rhode Island

Albert Ayler: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, vocals
Don Ayler: trumpet
Michel Samson: violin
Bill Folwell: bass
Milford Graves: drums

Albert Ayler Quartet - July 21, 1967 at St. Peter's Lutheran Church, New York City - John Coltrane's funeral

Albert Ayler: tenor saxophone, vocals
Don Ayler: trumpet
Richard Davis: bass
Milford Graves: drums

Pharoah Sanders - January 21, 1968 at the Renaissance Ballroom, New York City

Pharoah Sanders: tenor saxophone
Chris Capers: trumpet
unknwon: alto saxophone
Albert Ayler: tenor saxophone
unknown: tenor saxophone
Dave Burrell: piano
Sirone: bass
Roger Blank: drums

Albert Ayler - late August, 1968. New York City

Albert Ayler: tenor saxophone, vocal, solo recitation
Call Cobbs: piano, rocksichord
Bill Folwell: electric bass
Bernard Purdie: drums
Mary Parks: vocal, tambourine
Vivian Bostic: vocal

The sixth disc in this box set is such a mixed bag. Representing much of the passion, love and blind alleys Albert Ayler pursued in his far too short time in this dimension. The quintet set from Newport features plenty of Michel Samson's free improvising violin sound that compliments Ayler's creative world so well. Milford Grave's drum work makes this archival recording well worth the time spent listening. From there we move to the passionate expression of love and loss at John Coltrane's funeral and a rough, yet fascinating, run through Pharoah Sander's "Venus" and "Upper and Lower Egypt." Then this disc seems to step off a cliff into the New Grass territory with some out takes and rough takes (and even a sermon) from his collaborations with Mary Parks to meld Ayler's sound with rhythm and blues. Ayler throws himself at this material with plenty of verve. Even when he fronts the group as a vocalist (he's a much better on saxophone). In the end, these last tracks provoke a sadness and a cautionary example of what can happen when one takes an honest voice and works to make it artificially "accessible."

HurdAudio Rotation: Music of Journey and Escape

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Complete Quartets Volume V. Recorded 1986 - 1994. Delos: DE 3035.

Orford String Quartet
Andrew Dawes: violin
Kenneth Perkins: violin
Terence Helmer: viola
Denis Brott: cello

String Quartet in C Major, Op. 59 No. 3 ("Razumovsky")
String Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 74 ("Harfen")

Two tasty quartets from Beethoven's middle period. That point of transition where he begins flexing his expressive voice without entirely relaxing his grip upon the formal classical conventions of his time. Each is a four movement work, but the inner workings of these pieces begin to bend and torque under his growing sense of adventurous development. And aurally fascinating bridge between the classical and romantic eras without the excesses of the late Romantic period. It's funny how my ears crave excess in Classical music but resist it in Romantic music. Perhaps these transition pieces hit the desired balance.

Albert Ayler: Holy Ghost [disc 4]. 2004. Revenant Records: 213.

Albert Ayler Quintet - April 17, 1966 at La Cave, Cleveland, Ohio
Albert Ayler: tenor saxophone
Don Ayler: trumpet
Frank Wright: tenor saxophone
Michel Samson: violin
Mutawef Shaheed: bass
Ronald Shannon Jackson: drums

An hour long blast from the fire hose of Ayler's expressive talent. Backed up with a great ensemble and unfortunate production techniques in documenting this historically significant set. Michel Samson's free jazz violin sound remains a fascination that begs for more sonic evidence. And Ronald Shannon Jackson's drumming is spot on for this kind of collaborative creation. Hearing these particular twists on Ayler's core tunes adds a great deal to understanding his sonic imprint.

Yuanlin Chen: Away from Xuan. 2009. Innova: 721.

Away from Xuan
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Tan Dun: conductor

Wondering along the Journey
Melody of China
Yuanlin Chen: conductor
Hannah Addario-Berry: cello
Wanpeng Guo: sheng
Peter Josheff: clarinet
Xian Lu: dizi
Eric Myers: keyboard
Hong Wang: erhu
Shenshen Zhang: pipa
Gangqin Zhao: percussion
Yangqin Zhao: yangqin

Chasing the Sun
The Minneapolis Guitar Quartet
O. Nicholas Raths: guitar
David Crittenden: guitar
Alan Johnston: guitar
Joseph Hagedorn: guitar

The program notes for Chasing the Sun reads:

This music was inspired by an ancient Chinese legend about a man who craved to embrace the sun. He noticed that the sun always moves from east to west and he believed that the place behind the mountain in the west must therefore be the home of the sun. He started to chase it to the west. He believed that once he climbed up the mountain, he would reach the home of the sun, and then could embrace it and enjoy sunlight forever. The man ran resolutely towards the west. H jumped over streams, swam rivers, crossed through jungle and climbed up the mountain. The sun, however, was found behind another mountain far away. The brave man did not give up. He persisted in his belief and continued chasing the sun. He crossed rivers, forests, jungles , and climbed mountains. The poor man finally died of thirst and loneliness in a desert. He had never reached the home of the sun.

Instead of emphasizing the aspects of the suffering and martyrdom for a steady belief, I interpret the sun-chaser to be a happy man. He was always full of hop; he appreciated the world around him; he enjoyed every moment and all his experiences during his rough journey. Although he died of thirst before reaching his destination, he had no regret for his life.

The music depicts the spirit and the mood of the sun-chaser, as well as the landscape of this story. Both tonal and atonal music are used to describe the hardship of the journey. Special playing techniques were used to interpret the natural elements such as wind, forest, jungle, mountain, river, and desert. At the end, the music reaches a climax and then the man's spirit is transfigured. The music becomes pure, quiet, and fades out in the air.

As a piece of program music Chasing the Sun is impressive. The beauty of the story and the interpretation afforded to it is reflected throughout the music as it unfolds. All three of these wildly different compositions are impressive. Away from Xuan ripples with color, intense orchestration and rich dynamic contrast while Wondering along the Journey mines textures built out of a mixture of traditional Chinese and Western instruments. Each worthy of multiple listenings and wonderings.

HurdAudio Rotation: Magnum Opuses

Harry Partch: Delusion of the Fury: A Ritual of Dream and Delusion. 1971 (re-released in 1999). Innova: 406.

Danlee Mitchell: conductor

Still the definitive recording of this too rarely performed work. This exclamation point on the end of Harry Partch's creative output. And sadly an incomplete documentation of the full corporeal experience that Delusion of the Fury is when experienced in person. The sense of story telling relies upon the dance, costume and the mystical presence of these amazing instruments on stage. The music itself relies on few words in an of itself. An interesting destination for an uncompromising aesthetic motivated by the natural harmonic and rhythmic contours of spoken word.

Anthony Braxton 12+1tet: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 - disc 7. Firehouse 12 Records: FH12-04-03-001.

Recorded live: March 18, 2006 at Iridium Jazz Club, New York City.

The Anthony Braxton 12+1tet
Anthony Braxton: composer, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, clarinet and Eb contalto clarinet
Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet, flugelhorn, trumpbone, piccolo trumpet, bass trumpet, shell
Andrew Raffo Dewar: soprano saxophone, c-melody saxophone, clarinet
James Fei: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Mary Halvorson: electric guitar
Stephen H. Lehman: alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone
Nicole Mitchell: flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo, voice
Jessica Pavone: viola, violin
Reut Regev: trombone, flugelbone
Jay Rozen: tuba, euphonium
Sara Schoenbeck: bassoon, suona
Aaron Siegel: percussion, vibraphone
Carl Testa: acoustic bass, bass clarinet

Disc 7 = Composition 356 - dedicated to the writer/scholar Noam Chomsky

As ghost trance music, this one is clearly a trance inducing performance. One can hear the moment when the ensemble steps through the improvised texture and into a collective state of singular flow. The sonic material ripples through the late hour of the performance and into a creative zone that shimmers in a near suspended state. The alert listener is drawn into this same state as the sequence of sounds follows a an intuitive logic like neurons firing in just the right sequence to conjure up lost memories and ideas. Then the whole ensemble settles into a well crafted - yet spontaneous - coda that restores the mind to its normal state. Collective improvisation shaped and formed by one of the masters.

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Symphonies [disc 6]. Recorded in 1994. The International Music Company: 205299-305.

Symphony No. 9 in D minor (op. 125)
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Raymond Leppard: conductor
Soloists: Gilian Webster, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Martin Hill, Robert Hayward
The Ambrosian Singers
John McCarthy: choirmaster

Possibly the largest juggernaut in the symphonic canon. The best way to set this one aside is to indulge from time to time. The turn toward choral writing at the tail end of the final symphony is startling. It also fits as a gesture toward how much Beethoven changed symphonic writing - particularly after this piece. It's much easier to understand the Romantic era after internalizing the bombast of the Ninth.

HurdAudio Rotation: Boxing Edition - Box Sets of Braxton and Beethoven

Anthony Braxton 12+1tet: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 - disc 5. Firehouse 12 Records: FH12-04-03-001.

Recorded live: March 18, 2006 at Iridium Jazz Club, New York City.

The Anthony Braxton 12+1tet
Anthony Braxton: composer, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, clarinet and Eb contalto clarinet
Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet, flugelhorn, trumpbone, piccolo trumpet, bass trumpet, shell
Andrew Raffo Dewar: soprano saxophone, c-melody saxophone, clarinet
James Fei: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Mary Halvorson: electric guitar
Stephen H. Lehman: alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone
Nicole Mitchell: flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo, voice
Jessica Pavone: viola, violin
Reut Regev: trombone, flugelbone
Jay Rozen: tuba, euphonium
Sara Schoenbeck: bassoon, suona
Aaron Siegel: percussion, vibraphone
Carl Testa: acoustic bass, bass clarinet

Disc 5 = Composition 354 - dedicated to the composer Charles Wuorinen

These hour long slices of Braxtonian textures do manage to induce a ghost trance state. The layers of pulse, of composed line meeting up with the intensity of long form group improvisation. The unison passages that emerge between different members of the 12+1 ensemble revealing startling compositional support structures within a music that is willfully non-hierarchical. Slabs of sound that invite an intense creativity from the individuals of this ensemble while still remaining completely consistent with the sonic universe of Anthony Braxton. Braxton's own solos operating in a world apart through the depth of his voice and ideas. Box sets such as this offer up an improbable wealth of his music that retains a consistency that may take generations to completely absorb and appreciate.

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Symphonies [disc 4]. Recorded in 1993. The International Music Company: 305298-305.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Mark Ermler: conductor

Symphony No. 6 in F major (op.68) "Pastorale"

An early example of program music from a composer not normally associated with spinning narrative through the abstract voices of a symphony. And it only barely hints at the excesses (and heavy handedness) that would follow as the Romantic Era picked up in earnest. Even a casual listening to this work makes it clear that this symphony lives within a major root of Western music traditions. Within the details of this tranquil visit to the countryside through sound lurk the formal sensibilities that are so strongly associated with Beethoven. The formal construction (and his willingness to deviate from conventional practice) along with the unerring ability to develop themes over time. For these ears it is the arrangement of these themes and the manner that they unfold that gives this piece its longevity.

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Complete Quartets, Vol. III. 1986-1994. Delos International: DE 3033.

The Orford String Quartet
Andrew Dawes: violin
Kenneth Perkins: violin
Terence Helmer: viola
Denis Brott: cello

String Quartet in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1 ("Razumovsky")
String Quartet in A Major, Op. 18, No. 5

The Razumovsky quartets may be more deserving of the fetish poured down upon all nine symphonies. Thankfully, they are not. Leaving these ears to hear them fresh in a way not possible with the over-exposed symphonic works that require a zen mind to hear past the crushing familiarity. It is through these string quartets that the intimidating accomplishments of Beethoven can be appreciated, approached and savored (if not completely digested).