HurdAudio Rotation: American Icons

Charles Ives: The Symphonies / Orchestral Sets 1 & 2. 2001. Decca: B00004TTIK

Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus
Cleveland Orchestra
Academy of St. Martins in the Fields

Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 4
Second Orchestral Set
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3
Three Places in New England

My ears were quick to tell me "it's been too long" as they drank in a concentrated helping of Ives' symphonic writing.  This truly is a cornerstone of orchestral aesthetic.  Ives had an ear for texture, for tightly weaving in a rich tapestry of Americana and the Symphony No. 4 adds an astonishing use of quarter tones smeared across multiple ensembles.  The similarities between the final movement of Symphony No. 2  and the "Putnam's Camp" movement of Three Places in New England struck a nerve on this time through.  These pieces have a sense of place even as they reach toward an impossible ideal.  The distance between the student work of Symphony No. 1 and the self-confidence of the Symphony No. 2 is astonishing.  Each one of these begs for repeated listening.

Miles Davis: The Complete On the Corner Sessions [disc 5]. 1974-1975. Columbia Records.

These complete sessions are essentially a series of large jam sessions organized by Miles Davis.  The funk comes in large slabs of drums, congas and electric bass punctuated by Dave Liebman's soprano saxophone, Pete Cosey's electric guitar and smatterings of Miles Davis himself on trumpet.  The form can get fairly free and sprawling while the ears get lost in the groove.  And yet there is enormous beauty lurking in this generous expanse of material.  The start/stop textures of "What They Do" providing a nice contrast between density and individual parts for the ears this afternoon.  And the relatively short "Minnie" closing out this particular disc with a reminder of how tight Miles could make things when he wanted to.

Ornette Coleman: Beauty is a Rare Thing [disc 4]. 1959-1961. Rhino/Atlantic.

Free improvisation allows me to hear a musicians ears.  Hearing the same environment and stimulus that is feeding their own playing in the moment.  Their reactions often being a fluid balance between the internal and external sounds of a given occasion.  Free Jazz is the main attraction included on this fourth disc.  After a few tracks that sustain the raw energy of the quartet format from the first three discs of this collection we have a First Take with the Free Jazz double quartet followed by a 38-minute take on the record that helped propel an important discipline of full improvised freedom.  The collection of ears on this session is solid.  Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Scott LaFaro and Billy Higgins forming the quartet on the left channel while Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard, Charlie Haden and Ed Blackwell hold down the right.  These are some impressive ears and a forceful statement that freedom can soar and freedom can swing.  Like with so much free improvisation, focused and attentive listening is enormously rewarding even if the music never explicitly demands that one pay attention.  Leaving the pleasure of hearing Free Jazz exclusively to those who make the effort to listen.  And Free Jazz is arguably more rewarding than most.

HurdAudio Rotation: Of Funk and Hymn Tunes

Miles Davis: The Complete On The Corner Sessions [disc 1]. 2007. Sony/BMG Music Entertainment. 88697062392.

Miles Davis: trumpet

Dave Liebman: soprano saxophone

Chick Corea: synthesizer

Herbie Hancock: electric piano

Harold Ivory Williams: organ

John McLaughlin: guitar

Collin Walcott: electric sitar

Michael Henderson: electric bass

Jack DeJohnette: drums

Don Alias: congas

Badal Roy: tablas

Billy Hart: wood block, cowbell, percussion

Carlos Garnett: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone

Bennie Maupin: bass clarinet

Dave Creamer: guitar

Lonnie Liston Smith: electric piano

Al Foster: drums

When I was a student it was clearly fashionable within the academic set to revere the music of Miles Davis while exempting everything he recorded after the 1960s.  The dictates of this fashion required that people run a sharp scalpel along anything that was "plugged in" and "funky" as if it were an unfortunate aberration.  This opinion was still expressed at the time accolades and tributes were piled on at the passing of Miles Davis.  But there was this one DJ in Toronto who bucked this sentiment ever so slightly by stating that his aversion to the funk and fusion era Miles Davis was entirely his loss and not formed by a sense of that music being "inferior."  As my ears have steadily absorbed the decades of musical output from the staggering genius of Miles Davis I have concluded that no such separation is called for.  A willful "deaf spot" to any era of his music is a dishonest denial of the complete artistic arc that we are left with.  While these On the Corner sessions are a sprawling soup, they are a delicious sprawling soup.  The energy and texture of this music is enormously attractive in ways that are completely different from the bop, and Kind of Blue eras.  Yet there is that distinctive sense of musicianship that unifies this music with the greatness of those earlier sounds.  This is the sound that gave rise to so much that followed in its wake.  Some of the movements and styles that followed have aged well and some have not.  But On the Corner retains a timeless beauty that transcends its warts.  This box set has become something I look forward to each time it comes up in the rotation.

Charles Ives: The Sonatas for Violin and Piano. 1991. Bridge Records: BCD 9024A, B.

Gregory Fulkerson: violin
Robert Shannon: piano

Sonata No. 1 
Sonata No. 2
Sonata No. 3
Sonata No. 4


An artful and dedicated set of interpretations of these incredibly significant works for violin and piano.  The often dense threads of hymns woven into a fabric that frequently threatens to unravel within these re-imaginings.  "I Need Thee Every Hour" nearly always catches me off guard as it sneaks into the final movement of Sonata No. 3 with chilling effect.  A hymn that also haunts my own memories more than a few generations removed from Ives' New England.  The fact that these pieces will only become more celebrated and more ingrained as a high achievement within the repertoire becomes increasingly obvious each time one take the time to listen.  Gregory Fulkerson and Robert Shannon have set a high standard for bringing clarity to these complex montages of Ivesian memories.


Happy Apple: Youth Oriented. 2002. Sunnyside Communications/Nato Bear Series: SSC 3006.

Erik Fratzke: bass guitar, guitar
Michael Lewis: soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, double bass
David King: drums, toys, waterphone, megaphone, mellotron

This is one example of music that has taken root and thrived from the soil of On the Corner.  One of its tastier fruits as this is a funk-heavy jazz record with substantial staying power.  David King's drumming is a particularly strong draw here as this trio brings the same level of polish of his more famous trio; The Bad Plus.  But then the ears are pulled into the considerable gravity of Michael Lewis on saxophone and his ability to carve out spaces within this texture that alternate between foreground and background with equal shimmer.  Within that texture is Erik Fratzke's electric bass anchoring this sound with all the sophistication of a Michael Henderson (from On the Corner) with an updated sense of production.  Youth Oriented is a forceful example of a groove-oriented sound that never falls into an open-ended jam.  Each piece explores its own textural terrain with a healthy sense of variation. 

HurdAudio Rotation: Music of Pairs

Rene Lussier/Martin Tetreault: Dur Noyau Dur. 1997. Ambiances Magnetiques Etcetera: AM 057 CD.

Rene Lussier: acoustic guitar, electric guitar

Martin Tetreault: turntables, pick-up, radio

Lussier and Tetreault work with the raw materials of electricity and sound. Placing the listener at the unusual position of being extremely close to the point where the needle meets the vinyl, where the fingertips scrape guitar strings or at the exact position where electricity is converted into bursts of noise and sound. Dur Noyau Dur does retain fleeting moments of Rene Lussier's fantastical flights. But they are less geared toward sliding references toward other musics and more contained within the moment of these brief improvisations. The focus turned toward the energy and other-wordly atmosphere of these sonic materials. It's an uncompromising record that demands a great deal from the listener. With the result of taking the attentive ears into deeply unfamiliar territories.

Charles Ives/Ivan Wyschnegradsky: Quarter-Tone Pieces. 2006. Hat Hut Records: [now] ART 143.

Josef Christof: piano

Steffen Schleiermacher: piano

24 Preludes In Quarter-Tone System by Ivan Wyschnegradsky (excerpts)

Three Quarter-Tone Pieces For Two Pianos by Charles Ives

Etude sur le "Carre Magique Sonore" op. 40 by Ivan Wyschnegradsky

The Russian mystic and the iconic American maverick composer are performed together under the shared distinction of having written piano music featuring the interval of the twenty-fourth-root of two. The interval that divides the semitone in half to form the quarter-tone. Beyond the timbre of the piano and the doubling of harmonic resources these two composers are strikingly different. Ivan Wyschnegradsky's quarter-tone piano pieces sound like something Scriabin might have explored had he gone down this particular harmonic path. While Charles Ives retains the balance of awe and Americana that makes him one of the great composers of any era. Hearing the multiple worlds and melodic references of Ives run through the twin blades of his relentlessly creative energy and the 24-tone equal temperament makes this collection more than worth hearing. One can only imagine what these two composers might have done if they had access to better technology for realizing even more inventive harmonic constructions.

Daniel Levin/Tim Daisy: The Flower and the Bear. 2011. Relay Records: 003.

Daniel Levin: cello

Tim Daisy: percussion

Daniel Levin and Tim Daisy each work within an expansive sensibility respective to their instruments. Ready to switch up the timbral qualities of the moment in a manner that balances the reactive and the pro-active aspects of duo improvisation. Daisy's drumming takes on a particular urgency in this set as he alludes to, plays within or provides a parallel sense of time with plenty of fractured subdivisions of the organic pulse at hand. Daniel Levin's cello work takes this temporal material and stitches in his own contribution into the overall texture. The ears can almost sense the elasticity of this musical fabric as these master improvisers apply their push and pull to the elusive instant when they create this sound. There are many great duo recordings that feature great musicians at work such as this one. But this disc comes highly recommended as one of the more relentlessly listenable sets you're likely to find.

HurdAudio Rotation: Concord, Cash and Khoom

Henry Brant: The Henry Brant Collection, Volume 7: A Concord Symphony. 2007. Innova: 414.

Henry Brant: orchestration of the Charles Ives Piano Sonata No. 2, Concord, Mass., 1840-60.

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Dennis Russell Davies: conductor

This is such a brilliant reinforcement of two major branches of American new music. The mixture of Henry Brant's profound understanding of the music and ethos of Charles Ives with the personality and levity of Brant's own personality producing an orchestration that is completely on target for the gravity and expression of Ives' monumental piano work. The instrumentation opens up new shading into the rich substance of this piece. A valuable "collaboration" that deserves its own position in any repertoire of American identity.

Johnny Cash: Love, God, Murder. 2000. Sony Music Entertainment: C3K 63809.

Compilations produced by Johnny Cash.
Co-Produced by Steve Berkowitz and Al Quaglieri

It's hard to argue with compilations hand picked by Johnny Cash constructed around the themes of Love, God and Murder (on three separate discs). Each successive collection burrowing deeper into a raw nerve of human emotional tolls. But then, it's never wise to argue with the man in black. The deceptive simplicity bolstered by conviction and understanding. A willingness to speak out for the downtrodden without becoming more or less than any of us. A sense of faith without preaching or self righteousness. Johnny Cash was a rare soul.

Giacinto Scelsi: 5 String Quartets/String Trio/Khoom. 2002. Naive: MO 782156.

Arditti String Quartet:
Irvine Arditti: violin
David Alberman: violin
Levine Andrade: viola
Rohan De Saram: cello
plus
Michiko Hirayama: voice
Maurizio Ben Omar: percussion
Frank Lloyd: horn
Aldo Brizzi: conductor

String Quartet No. 1 (1944)
String Trio (1958)
String Quartet No. 2 (1961)
Khoom for piano 6 players (1962)
String Quartet No. 3 (1963)
String Quartet No. 4 (1964)
String Quartet No. 5 (1974/85)

Still one of my favorite narratives played out in abstract sound. The evolution of Giacinto Scelsi as he became his iconic (and eccentric) self. A progression from non-tonal ideas and aesthetic into the timbral obsessions and extreme textures that make Scelsi so important. Listening to his string writing from the first quartet through the fifth is an exercise in hearing personal growth unfold.

HurdAudio Rotation: Icons of American Symphonic Works and Free Jazz

Charles Ives: The Symphonies/Orchestral Sets 1 & 2. 1973, 1976, 1994, 1995, 2000. Decca Music Group Limited: 289 466 745-2.

Symphony No. 1
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Zubin Mehta: conductor

Symphony No. 4
The Cleveland Orchestra
Christoph Von Dohnanyi: conductor
Jaha Ling: second conductor
The Cleveland Chorus
Gareth Morrell: director

Orchestral Set No. 2
The Cleveland Orchestra
Christoph Von Dohnanyi: conductor

Symphony No. 2
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Zubin Mehta: conductor

Symphony No. 3 "The camp meeting"
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
Neville Marriner: conductor

Three Places in New England (Orchestral Set No. 1)
The Cleveland Orchestra
Christoph Von Dohnanyi: conductor

Is there any particular reason the Charles Ives Symphony No. 4 isn't the most revered work in the orchestral canon? It has all the substance, formal depth and psychological impact of any of the war horses. The creative and well arranged use of chorus equals - if not surpasses - the "Ode to Joy" of Beethoven's Ninth. The quarter-tone harmonies offer up a harmonic density that matches the rhythmic innovations that require a second conductor. And none of these devices slip into gimmick or superficial effect. I think that some of the resistance to a full embrace of this piece has its roots in the American-ness of its themes and its composer. Audiences of orchestral music - and lets be honest, they're a conservative assemblage by and large - are geared for Germanic heft and much less generous toward domestic accomplishments of equal quality and importance.

But time is on the side of the timeless. Audiences will lose their teeth and fade away. But the substance of these Ives symphonic works will endure and will eventually earn its own abuses of Ives Festivals equal to those afforded Beethoven, Mahler and Mozart. Fortunately, there are recordings such as these to reinforce such convictions for ears hearing well beyond what today's symphony subscription holder is prepared to accept.

Ornette Coleman: Beauty is a Rare Thing. [disc 4] 1993. Rhino Records: R2 71410.

Sessions from August 2, 1960 and December 21, 1960 in New York City
Ornette Coleman: alto saxophone
Don Cherry: pocket trumpet
Charlie Haden: bass
Ed Blackwell: drums
Scott LaFaro: bass
Billy Higgins: drums
Eric Dolphy: bass clarinet
Freddie Hubbard: trumpet

This is the disc that contains "Free Jazz." The ground breaking 1960 session that turned a double quartet loose for an extended period of free improvisation. The musicians and their ability to hear contributing to the outstanding results that have since opened up generations of players to free improvisation and ushering in a body of music that is profoundly inspiring. I notice that this session fell one day after a large ensemble collaboration with Gunther Schuller that produced an adventurous, meticulously arranged and innovative sound. There was something in the air in New York at this time that opened the minds and ears to this incredibly successful experiment. There was a willingness to mine a new sound coupled with a need to break past all rigid structural pre-meditation. So much was made possible by this music. An important touch stone buried within a box set rich with so many vibrant works from this initial period of Ornette Coleman's early sound.

Thomas Chapin Trio plus Brass: Insomnia. 1992 (re-released as disc 3 of the Alive box set in 1999). Knitting Factory Records: 35828 02482-2.

Thomas Chapin: alto saxophone, flute
Mario Pavone: bass
Michael Sarin: drums
with
Al Bryant: trumpet
Frank London: trumpet
Curtis Fowlkes: trombone
Peter McEachern: trombone
Marcus Rojas: tuba
Ray Stewart: tuba

All the reasons Thomas Chapin is remembered fondly documented in sound. The core trio that was Chapin's creative vehicle of soaring material combined with the arranging prowess of an expanded ensemble of brass. And there's not a weak musical link between each individual involved. The groove heavy, cathartic release of Coup D'Etat balancing well against the smooth choral arrangement of Equatoria. The two trio tracks turning inward to the core group that allowed so much improvisational freedom for every member. Music that spans an expanse that embraces whimsy and focused seriousness with the same degree of sweat. The lurching, pulsating grooves giving this sound an infectious physicality that effortlessly buoys the crackling whit and intelligence coursing through every vein of this breathing music. Heart and mind are rarely so cooperative as this.

HurdAudio Rotation: I Shot the Sheriff

Charles Ives/Ivan Wyschnegradsky: Quarter-Tone Pieces. 2006. Hat Hut Records: hat[now]ART 143.

Josef Christof: piano
Stefen Schleiermacher: piano

24 Preludes In Quarter-Tone System (excerpts)(1934/70) by Ivan Wyschnegradsky
Three Quarter-Tone Pieces for Two Pianos (1903 - 23) by Charles Ives
Three Page Sonata (1905) by Charles Ives
Etude sur le "Carre Magique Sonore" op. 40 (1957) by Ivan Wyschnegradsky

Where is the obsession due for Ivan Wyschegradsky? Come on, people. He's Russian. Russian composers are supposed to be over-exposed to the point where I'm tired of hearing them (think Shostakovich or Scriabin). He's even a wild-eyed mystic (like Arvo Part). Is it the microtonal thing that's holding back his exposure? Because I scratch and dig for recordings of this cat and I cannot get enough. The excerpts from the 24 Preludes is fantastic. And it's typical in the current recorded oeuvre of Wyschnegradsky that there isn't a complete edition readily available out there. Let's have an all-Wyschnegradsky festival at Tanglewood so these ears can get their fill of this important microtonal composer.

Charles Ives is another composer these ears have enormous appetite for. These works for two pianos tuned a quarter-tone apart are pure joy. And again, I know there is much, much more material like this out there. Hungry ears left hungry well after this beautiful appetizer. Especially the "Chorale" movement from the Three Quarter-Tone Pieces for Two Pianos.

This disc is harmonically rich, rich modernist music beautifully performed. The extra layers of dissonance and consonance afforded from dividing the octave into 24-equal parts opens up surprising vistas that remain an open frontier nearly a full century after these works were composed.

Andrew Violette: Sonata for Unaccompanied Violin. 2008. Innova: 711.

Robert Uchida: violin

A substantial composition for solo violin. Andrew Violette focuses squarely upon the linear development of melodic materials and their formal presentation as base constructs that are systematically and creatively deconstructed, varied and later reassembled.

The first disc of this double-CD includes .pdf files of the score and the liner notes. A practice I heartily applaud as following along with the score reveals the compositional integrity and prolonged focus of this piece. I am struck by the total absence of dynamic markings - leaving interpretive freedom to the individual performer taking on this long form and making it their own (something Robert Uchida has done with enormous musicality). Also missing to a large extent are rests. Or any vibration of string other than bowing (no pizzicato). Other than the space between movements, these are straight melodic slabs that meticulously work through the intervals found within the Aria (and its numerous variations), Bells (later appearing with trills and scales) and a long Chaconne.

Robert Uchida's performance brings this score to life with impressive depth. The prolonged focus upon the linear harmony of this music shimmers with a balance of disciplined playing and humanity. A work worthy of revisiting.

Bob Marley and The Wailers: Burnin'. Premium Audiophile pressing on heavyweight 180 gram vinyl of the 1973 classic. Island Records: 07314 54889414.

"Get up, stand up. Stand up for your rights." Words of truth and words of consequence in regard to fighting on the side of justice for the oppressed. Musically fascinating and resonant as a near-concept album espousing right in the face of power. My younger ears escaped the hook of this music. Now the appeal is immediate and embraced. Add to it the warmth of vinyl with a lazy summer evening and this soul hears something eternal in this expression of honesty combined with the intrinsic musicality of this production.

Wrong Answer

The Baltimore Symphony @ The Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, Baltimore, MD
Friday, February 20, 2009

Marin Alsop: conductor

Charles Ives: The Unanswered Question
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 29 in A Major
Camille Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, opus 78 ("Organ")

The Unanswered Question was composed as "A Contemplation of a Serious Matter" (the title Ives originally gave this work). Serious contemplation was missing in the aurally crippling liberties exercised by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Friday's performance, and botched attempt to re-work this quietly insistent piece into a spatial construct, offered a poor answer that undermined the serious sincerity behind one of the twentieth century's great sonic portraits.

Composed for the three independent units of strings, flute quartet and solo trumpet, the Ivesian signature of giving each unit its own tempo and key is intended to give the piece a feeling of a collage. The strings maintain a steady, tonal presence over which the trumpet poses its "question" while the flutes attempt to answer with increasingly atonal turns. It's an impressive work. The solo trumpet part is played off stage, adding an element of theater and space that gives its "question" unusual transcendence.

The Baltimore Symphony chose to have the strings perform off stage as well. Further separating the compositionally distinct units and completely undermining the collage, balance and intent of this piece. Visually having Marin Alsop conducting upon a large stage populated by four flutes and an army of empty chairs was bad theater. Having the trumpet part sounding unseen from different parts around the space was bad theater. Rendering the string part nearly inaudible exposed the Achilles Heel of the Baltimore Symphony: its insufferably unsophisticated audience. Much of this crowd clearly had no idea that the stings were playing at all as its subtle presence was just beyond their ability to hear it.

On most occasions, I am willing to tolerate the mindless chatter uttered during performances along with the inevitable intrusion of ring-tones and unearthly amounts of phlegm being coughed up. But if the decision is made to dissect and obliterate a great work into deep pool of uncomfortable silence then there needs to be more effort on the part of the BSO to address this long-standing and predictable problem. Most venues address the cell phone problem up front with a simple announcement prior to a performance. This is a common courtesy in this day and age that the Meyerhoff has yet to catch up on. Individuals who allow their phones to ring and ring and ring repeatedly (a common occurance at the Meyerhoff) should be removed. I would even encourage a level of self enforcement within the audience toward shutting down phones and chatter during a performance. We wouldn't tolerate individuals spraying grafitti upon paitings displayed at the Smithsonian. Why endure the moral equivalent at the concert hall?

But most of all, given the wealth of compositions that are intentially and sucessfully spatial (i.e. the outstanding works of Henry Brant), there is no reason to remake The Unanswered Question into something that it is not. Adding more theater is not the same as good theater. Interpreting the off-stage trumpet call as "good gimmick" should not invite "more gimmick."

The syrupy, sticky sweetness of Mozart's Symphony No. 29 in A Major was a bit much to take in the wake of botched Ives. Especially given the thick irony of programming Mozart after Ives given the well documented low opinion Ives held of Mozart's "overly pretty" aesthetic.

The Saint-Saëns "Organ" symphony was a large scale, bombastic crowd pleaser. I had difficulty warming up to it. But I was there for the Ives.

HurdAudio Rotation: Emerson, Hawthorne, The Alcotts, Thoreau, Love, God, Murder and Scelsi

Henry Brant: The Henry Brant Collection, Volume 7: A Concord Symphony - Charles Ives: Piano Sonata No. 2, Concord, Mass., 1840-60 Orchestrated by Henry Brant. 2007. Innova: 414.

Henry Brant: arrangement
Charles Ives: composition
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Dennis Russell Davies: conductor

Wow! If there is any work than can truly be regarded as "sacred" the Charles Ives Concord Sonata could be that work. Hearing James Tenney performing that thorny, sprawling piano work from memory is one of the most profound experiences of my own music education. It seems fitting that Tenney's former teacher, Henry Brant, would take it upon himself to transcribe that juggernaut for orchestra. Hearing the density of this music smartly laid out along the expanded instrumental pallet coaxes a new, solidly Ives-esque orchestral experience into existence. It is stunning in its scope and incredibly beautiful. I could even pick out the optional flute part in the "Thoreau" movement that is part of the original work. This is a deeply rewarding piece of music cast in a new light and this recording delivers the experience flawlessly.

Johnny Cash: Love, God, Murder. 2000. Sony Music Entertainment: C3K 63809.

Triple CD compilation produced by Johnny Cash, Steve Berkowitz and Al Quaglieri.

The voice of Johnny Cash had a rare quality that pulled poetry from unlikely materials. There's the shock of recognition of the truth of human frailty so accurately and sympathetically expressed. There is the humble, personal expressions of faith that stand in sharp contrast to the intolerance and self-righteousness associated with the Bible belt. And there is the uncanny ability to give voice and sympathy to the downtrodden. All of this holds strong gravity and appreciation for ears willing to chart a wide course to include an unusual genre for this space. But that is the reach and transcendent quality of Johnny Cash's legacy. And with a compilation of tracks hand-selected over a long career, it's a pleasure to hear things that fall outside the "hits." Here the focus is clearly on what Cash had to say and it's a strong argument for why this troubadour will endure.

Giacinto Scelsi: 5 String Quartets/String Trio/Khoom. 2002. WDR/Montaigne: MO 782 156.

The Arditti String Quartet:
Irvine Arditti: violin
Avid Alberman: violin
Levine Andrade: viola
Rohan De Saram: cello

Michiko Hirayama: voice
Maurizio Ben Omar: percussion
Frank Lloyd: horn
Aldo Brizzi: conductor

String Quartet No. 1 (1944)
String Trio (1958)
String Quartet No. 2 (1961)
Khoom (1962)
String Quartet No. 3 (1963)
String Quartet No. 4 (1964)
String Quartet No. 5 (1974/1985)

Somewhere between String Quartet No. 1 in 1944 and the String Trio of 1958 something affected Giacinto Scelsi's sensibilities. In that first quartet we hear an accomplished, expressionist minded composer. From the String Trio onward the distinct and individual voice of Scelsi take form as he turned increasingly inward. The impressive harmonic forms and constructions of that earlier work give way to an obsessive focus on single tones. String Quartet No. 3 becomes a prolonged study in unresolved cadences. String Quartet No. 5 is a brief snapshot from a mind deep in meditation. The transformation that becomes audible through this cycle - and Khoom is a brilliant addition to this cycle - is a compelling narrative of an artist reclaiming his own soul and spiritual sensibility in the wake of personal and creative crisis. In many ways it is a narrative that mirrors the 20th century experience.

HurdAudio Rotation: Three American Originals

Charles Ives: The Symphonies/Orchestral Sets 1 & 2. 2000. Decca: 289 466 745-2.

Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Zubin Mehta: conductor

The Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus
Christoph Von Dohnanyi: conductor
Jahja Ling: second conductor
Gareth Morrell: chorus conductor

Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
Neville Marriner: conductor

Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 4
Orchestral Set No. 2
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3 "The camp meeting"
Three Places in New England (Orchestral Set No. 1)

This is simply some of the most impressive orchestral music I am aware of. Much of it is dense with ideas as the sound coalesces into an aural portrait of a New England lost to the mist of time. The quarter-tone smears in the second movement of Symphony No. 4 holds particular interest for me even as the breathtakingly ambitious scope (multiple conductors, multiple tempos, poly-harmonic textures, etc.) of this Symphony makes it one of the most awe inspiring works in the repertoire.

Thomas Chapin Trio plus Brass: Insomnia. 1992. Re-released as disc 3 of the Alive box set. Knitting Factory Records: 35828 02482 2.

Thomas Chapin: alto saxophone, flute
Mario Pavone: bass
Michael Sarin: drums
with
Al Bryant: trumpet
Frank London: trumpet
Curtis Fowlkes: trombone
Peter McEachern: trombone
Marcus Rojas: tuba
Ray Stewart: tuba

There's a rocking, Dirty Dozen Brass Band quality to this music. Hearing these familiar Chapin pieces expanded into this larger ensemble setting is a real treat and the flute playing is fantastic. Thomas Chapin had an understanding of how to steer the delicate, overtly beautiful sound of the flute toward gritty, earthy improvisations with enormous appeal. The chemistry of that core trio of Chapin, Pavone and Sarin remains the engine that drives this larger ensemble sound.

Anthony Braxton: Piano Quartet, Yoshi's 1994 [disc 2]. 1996. Music & Arts: CD 849.

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


Anthony Braxton is a brilliant composer, performer and theoretician. However, he is not the person to bring his sonic vocabulary to the piano. I have such high expectations for Braxton's endeavors that I can't leave these piano quartet excursions alone even when confronted by the disbelief at his plodding, harsh technique on the instrument. As a reedsman, Braxton's playing soars - even when interpreting the jazz warhorses of standards. Marty Ehrlich does an excellent job on reeds on this set. The whole quartet is outstanding - except for that sore spot on ivories from the band leader. When one manages to listen between the offsetting solos there is a richness to this recording that makes it worthwhile. This band is at its best when interpreting Thelonius Monk and this second disc does feature "Nica's Dream" and "Pannonica."

HurdAudio Rotation: Quarters, Poems and Duets

Charles Ives, Ivan Wyschnegradsky: Quarter-tone Pieces. 2006. Hat Hut: hat[now]ART 143.

Josef Christof: piano
Steffen Schleiermacher: piano

24 Preludes in Quarter-Tone System (excerpts) (1934/70) Wyschnegradsky

Three Quarter-Tone Pieces For Two Pianos (1903-23) Ives

Three Page Sonata (1905) Ives

Etude sur le "Carre Magique Sonore" op. 40 (1957) Wyschnegradsky

The language of microtonal discourse is caught within a peculiar deference to the displacement of writing a music that so thoroughly exposes the conventions and weaknesses of both notation and instrument design. The quasi-spiritual assertions of just intonation advocates Lou Harrison and Ben Johnston as "prophets in the desert" as found in the liner notes of this 2006 release serves to reinforce the cult-like mystique of deliberately throwing the 12-tone-to-the-octave order into disarray.

Furthering this sense of spiritual isolation we have the deeply mystical pronouncements and compositions of Ivan Wyschnegradsky. The fact that recordings of his music are frustratingly rare and hard to obtain only enhances the image of a wise seer perched at the highest mountain top. When the music is rendered audible in recordings such as this, I am struck by how transcendent it truly is. The microtonal qualities gives Wyschnegradsky's music an added profound chromaticism that is striking and irresistible. Here, 12 of the 24 quarter-tone preludes are presented. When will a full set be available on record? The hunger to feed these ears a more complete representation of Wyschnegradsky's musical universe grows with this sampling.

With the Charles Ives quarter-tone pieces we find a different attitude toward expanded harmonic materials, something less steeped in mystical overtones. In Ives' universe the quarter-tone serves as expansion, period. The sound is changed by the additional harmonic possibilities. But that sound is still rooted in a world of familiar melodies and idiomatic styles. The allusion to rag-time piano music or unorthodox harmonizations of "My Country 'Tis of Thee" keeps an earthiness in the sound that suggests a healthy alternative to the mystical detachment or righteous assertions of breaking with prevailing harmonic conventions.

Richard Strauss: Tone Poems. 1988 (Collector's Edition of recordings from 1957, 1958). Deutsche Grammophon: 463 190-2.

Karl Bohm: conductor
Staatskapelle Dresden
Berliner Philharmoniker

Eine Alpensinfonie op.64
Don Juan op.20
Waltzes from Act III
Also sprach Zarathustra op.30
Festiches Praludium op.61
Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche op.28
Dance of the Seven Veils from Salome op.54
Ein Heldenleben op.40
Tod und Verklarung op.24

There was a time when I'd be lost in these sweeping, long narrative symphonic works. A younger version of myself had written off the romantic syntax and rejected the notion that an abstract sequence of sounds could convey image and story. As I revisit that impression with more wisdom in the ears I find the scope of these epic tales to be human and surprisingly easy to understand and follow. Three discs of Strauss tone poems is a heavy dose of Germanic music to take in one sitting (which is exactly how I've approached them as an avoidance of the spectacle playing out on American television this Sunday). I am struck by the orchestrations Strauss applies to these works. Particularly the use and incorporation of organ in Eine Alpensinfonie (heralding the storm) and Festival Prelude (presumably calling the masses to celebrate).

Lee Konitz: The Lee Konitz Duets. 1967 (Re-released in 1990). Milestone: OJCCD-466-2.

Lee Konitz: alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, varitone saxophone
in duets with:
Marshall Brown: trombone
Joe Henderson: tenor saxophone
Elvin Jones: drums
Karl Berger: vibraharp
Eddie Gomez: bass
Richie Kamuca: tenor saxophone
Ray Nance: violin
Jim Hall: guitar
Dick Katz: piano

In the middle of this collection is "ERB," possibly the most exquisite free improvisation between alto saxophone (Konitz) and guitar (Jim Hall) ever recorded. The presence of this three-minute, atonal gem would be startling in midst of any collection of duets - especially one with as many bop oriented tunes as this one - except that the same quiet, shimmering inventiveness of Hall and Konitz is found on every track no matter how "free" each piece may or may not be. "Tickle Toe" presents a focused, sparkling two tenor take on the Lester Young classic (performed by Konitz and Richie Kamuca) while "Struttin' with Some Barbecue" offers up a spirited slice of soulful sax and valve trombone (Marshall Brown) complete with some light overdubbing on the final chorus. "Alphanumeric" closes out this set with a full ensemble of players unloading all the restraint that makes the duets so taut, lean and brimming with verve. These players are so good, even Konitz's typically understated excellence nearly boils over. This is a great album and one well worth dusting off and rediscovering.

HurdAudio Rotation: Be Bread, Beirut and Three Places in New England

Myra Melford/Be Bread: The Image of Your Body. 2006. Cryptogramophone: CG131.

Myra Melford: composer, piano, harmonium
Brandon Ross: electric guitar, banjo, voice
Cuong Vu: trumpet, electronics
Stomu Takeishi: electric bass, acoustic bass, electronics
Elliott Humberto Kavee: drums

Any Myra Melford led ensemble that includes Stomu Takeishi on bass is welcome within these ears. There hasn't been enough recorded documentation of Melford's ensemble projects over the years, but what is there plots an evolving set of compositions (and an expansive approach toward individual and group improvisation) that have taken root and grown in some remarkably organic ways. This particular take on "Equal Grace" with Cuong Vu's fluid trumpet work is outstanding. The increasing influence of Melford's studies in India manifests in pleasantly surprising ways that tap into a deep well of spiritual expression.

Mazen Kerbaj: Brt Vrt Zrt Krt. 2005. Al Maslakh Recordings: 01.

Mazen Kerbaj: trumpet

Beirut free improviser Mazen Kerbaj plays trumpet, draws comics and blogs. And every one of these endeavors is unique, startling and profoundly shaped by the sad reality of living through the ongoing violence and unrest in Lebanon. (Check out this link to a "duet" between Kerbaj - trumpet and the Israeli Air Force - bombs). Brt Vrt Zrt Krt is all live solo trumpet without cuts, overdubs or electronics. And at times it's hard to believe that this raw pallet of sound is somehow emanating from that instrument. With close listening one can indeed make out the familiar plumbing of the trumpet as the resonating chamber for this incredible sound design. With titles like "Vrrrt," "Ffffss" and "Tagadagadaga" that allude to the oral contortions involved in shaping these sounds Kerbaj demonstrates an intense focus on the minute details of these sculpted sonic excursions.

Charles Ives: The Symphonies / Orchestral Sets 1 & 2. 1973, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1995. Decca Music Group: 289 466 745-2.

Symphony No. 1 - performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zubin Mehta
Symphony No. 4 - performed by the Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Christoph Von Dohnanyi
Orchestral Set No. 1 - performed by the Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Christoph Von Dohnanyi
Symphony No. 2 - performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zubin Mehta
Symphony No. 3 - performed by the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, conducted by Neville Marriner
Three Places in New England (Orchestral Set No. 1) - performed by the Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Christoph Von Dohnanyi

I believe this is the first time I've listened to all of the Charles Ives Symphonies and Orchestral Sets in one sitting. This is music that gets more astonishing with each exposure. It used to be the orchestration and the juxtaposition that pulled at my attention and established Ives' greatness within my mind. But there are so many more layers at work than just those details. The quoting of hymn tunes and the off-kilter mixing of tempos and simultaneous parts is no gimmick. These are vivid images in sound of an entire world of Ives' experience that is lost to the passage of time. Even the Symphony No. 1, a "student composition" started while Ives was completing his undergraduate studies at Yale in 1898, quotes more hymn tunes than I had remembered as it careens through several European influences in a manner that only hints at what Ives would later do for Americana. Symphony No. 4 is a grand scale work with its reaching toward "the diverse answers in which existence replies [to] the searching [spiritual] questions of What? and Why?".

In Praise of Decoration Day

National Orchestra Institute Chamber Orchestra @ Elise & Marvin Dekelboum Concert Hall, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD - Saturday, June 16, 2007

James Ross, conductor
Jon Spelman, narrator

Symphony No. 4, op. 60, B-flat major by Ludwig Van Beethoven
Decoration Day (from New England Holidays) by Charles Ives
Eine Alpensinfonie, op. 64 by Richard Strauss

I've always imagined the first movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 4 as being a bit of a music box composition. One can wind it up and it moves under its own momentum. Under the baton of James Ross I can now appreciate just how much effort it takes to keep the dynamics under control as those familiar themes churn. He did a great job with a well thought out program of music. The juxtaposition of Beethoven and Ives in the first half made for an exceptional presentation of two giants separated by just a single century. And with performances like these one can expect more opportunities to hear their music in concert halls in the years ahead.

Decoration Day was moving in ways I hadn't anticipated, even for an Ives' work. Jon Spelman's narrative contribution to this performance was well within the spirit of the piece and added a contemporary dimension to the overall substance and subject of this work. Before the music started, Spelman read Ives' original postface to the score, which is a colorful description of the childhood Decoration Day observances of Danbury, Connecticut that Ives reproduces in sound. Ives depicts parades and respectful memorials to the sacrifices made by fallen Civil War soldiers not yet forgotten. After allowing the music to set the tone, Spelman then worked in spoken descriptions by soldiers fighting in modern day Mesopotamia and the anguished accounts of loss written by their loved ones.

Decoration Day - the holiday - has since become Memorial Day. A paid holiday without even an echo of the observations Ives described in words and music. The tradition of proud service and self sacrifice is starkly different to what it was at the time of Charles Ives' childhood. And yet so many who practiced a tradition of avoidance have since ordered others to serve. Even as these lame duck chicken hawks stand at hollow photo ops every Memorial Day, the substance of real loss and real sacrifice is the same as it was a hundred years ago. In the foolishness of invading another country under false pretenses and thoughtlessly asking others to make the sacrifices they were unwilling to make in their own day the need for the substance of a true Decoration Day grows.

The post-intermission half of the evening belonged to Strauss' epic tone poem, Eine Alpensinfonie. I'm rarely a fan of late-romatic program music. But this one works. The sweeping depictions of the Swiss Alps rendered in orchestral colors is convincing and succeeds because of the quality of the orchestration. The addition of the organ through the "storm" sequence was a particularly nice touch. I'd like to hear this one again.