1 Luc Ferrari: Unheimlich Schoen (1971)2 Howard Skempton: How Slow The Wind (1989)
Mary Wiegold - soprano
The Composers EnsembleDominic Muldowney - conductor
3 Howard Skempton: Lento (1990)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Mark Wigglesworth - conductor
Some very different pieces by two very different composers which fit together wonderfully:
Luc Ferrari: "Unheimlich Schoen" - musique concrète featuring the voice of Ilse Lau. Realised in 1971 at the studios of the Südwestfunk, Baden-Baden. Part of the Collection "Cinéma pour l’oreille", curated by Jérôme Noetinger. Released 1993 as a mini-CD.
Howard Skempton's "Lento" was released 2000 as a CD single and became something like an instant hit for the British New Music label NMC. As with nearly all of Skempton's works (mostly much shorter than "Lento"), there's an irresistible force behind the Satiesque simplicity, which most listeners can hardly escape.
"Lento owes much of its character to its original context; to the elevating proximity of Wagner's prelude to Parsifal, with which it was preceded at its first performance by the BBC Symphony Orchestra in the Barbican Hall in March 1991. Lento is monolithic, major and minor triads generate a sequence of processionals, and the tempo is more or less constant. ... Most of Lento is scored for strings only, and a central episode turns the spotlight on the trombones and the bassoons. ... This is a powerful work that demonstrates the timeless beauty of Skempton's writing." (Oxford University Press)
The "Online Journal of Experimental Music Studies" features two excellent articles on Skempton by Michael Parsons:
Howard Skempton: Chorales, Landscapes and Melodieshttp://www.users.waitrose.com/~chobbs/ParsonsSkempton2.html
The Music of Howard Skemptonhttp://www.users.waitrose.com/~chobbs/ParsonsSkempton1.html
Compilation & cover art by Earwicker
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Well stay out of my _mind_, earwicker...I was just preparing to put some Skempton up at DiffH20...in case you need it, and perhaps a nice transition from the languor of the De Leeuw VEXATIONS to the ardor (succor?)(turpor?) of UNHEIMLICH SCHOEN, by way of LENTO, maybe this little-too-lovely Skempton piano volume, with John Tilbury of AMM/Feldman-interp fame at the ivories...I have listened to it a few times and I still like it:
ReplyDeleteHoward Skempton: WELL, WELL CORNELIUS (aka PIANO WORKS, its reissue title):
http://rapidshare.com/files/69641241/Skempton_WellWellCornelius.zip
Hi Closeted Folk,
ReplyDeleteWe are WE’RE LATE FOR CLASS, an independent improv band that gives away our music. We’ve just released our 20th post, A Collection, and it features our best work from the last year.
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http://werelateforclass.blogspot.com/2007/06/codes.html
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We’re Late For Class is all improv and pro-herb, so an altered state of mind is highly recommend for optimum listening pleasure. You never know... you might even like us. We can be reached at werelateforclass@hotmail.com. Please feel free to tell us what you think. We’ve got thick skins and would love the feedback. Above all, thanks for taking the time to read and consider us. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DELETE ALL THIS CRAP FROM YOUR COMMENTS!
All the best...
WLFC
re-up please
ReplyDeleteIt's now reupped.
ReplyDelete