Mel Powell - Six Recent Works
CD released in 1988
Die Violine (1987)
A Pierrot Lunaire setting for soprano, piano, and violin
Judith Bettina - soprano Mel Powell - piano Yoko Matsuda - violin
Only in response to the striking idea proposed by Leonard Stein would I have ever considered setting a German text [Die Violine] (for the first and no doubt the last time) and, moreover, setting it rather speedily. So it is friend Leonard who is responsible for this present addition to my collection of 'Overnight Pieces.' (Mel Powell)
Mel was immediately taken with the moonstruck atmosphere of the poem (no. 32 in the collection [Albert Giraud's Pierrot collection], and chose a most appropriate setting for the text with the violin as centerpiece, particularly as he had in mind as performers his dear friends Yoko Matsuda and Judith Bettina, for whom he had written several other pieces. (He did not have himself in mind as pianist. Happily, though, he was persuaded to join the others for this recording - the first time he has entered a recording studio as a performer in more than 30 years!) (Leonard Stein)
Madrigal for Flute Alone (1988)
Rachel Rudich - flute
"The culture of particular form has ended; the age of determined relationships has begun." Powell is fond of quoting Mondrian's famous remark, a remark which is in many ways reflected by the structural nuances shaping this lovely solo piece. ... It is just such perpetual variance - the manifold translations and reinterpretations - that projects a fixed "determined relationship" rather than a fixed "particular" utterance. If from the compositional point of view the piece accordingly proposes an elaborate associational maze, from any point of view it offers the listener a beautiful musical substance. (Peter Zaferes)
Strand Settings: "Darker" (1983)
A song cycle for voice with electronic-music accompaniment
Texts by Mark Strand from the collections of poems, Darker.
Judith Bettina - soprano
Mel Powell's mode of writing for the voice here aligns the composer with the great bel canto tradition and its ideals of vocal beauty. Along with Powell's tendency to avoid overly dramatic and noisily romanticized expression, this leads him to choose texts from poets such as Mark Strand. Strand's poetry shuns proclamatory drama. The collection entitled Darker is especially rich in images that fluctuate constantly between the interior world of "self" and the external world. All action is covert, lying deep beneath the surface. This conforms precisely with Powell's image of the essence of lyric poetry, which he once defined as the resonance of quiet obsessions. Perhaps there is an indication of Powell's feeling for these particular texts in the fact that, while melismatic treatment is a feature of most of his other vocal works, here the setting is largely syllabic. And the degree to which word and tone are correlated in this composition is suggested by Mark Strand's own comments. (Peter Zaferes)
I wish to say how much Mel Powell's settings of some of the poems in Darker have meant to me. They are exquisite, of course, and way beyond what anyone else has done with my work, but more than that, when I listen to them I reexperience my poems in a way that is actually pleasurable. They seem to have more life; they seem enhanced, not merely complemented; and they seem clear, free of any distortion. In Powell's settings, the poems have about them a kind of magical fullness, the result, I am sure, of a profound sympathy and understanding. (Mark Strand)
String Quartet (1982)
The Sequoia String Quartet:
Yoko Matsuda and Miwako Watanabe - violins
James Dunham - viola
Robert Martin - cello
Here is a brilliant example of Mel Powell's meticulous compositional craftsmanship and his singular skill at assembling complex musical structures that are at the same time richly expressive. In the present instance, the eloquent results are obtained by maintaining a judicious balance between multi-dimensional constructs, including varied 12-tone aggregates and other "scrambled" 12-note pitch sets - intricate techniques that have defeated other, less inventive practioners of the post-serial idiom, but which remain ripe with creative possibilities for Powell. (Mark Waldrop)
Computer Prelude (1988)
A "child of exasperation," Powell calls it. This is because the piece came to light first in quite different form: as a section of a work for two pianos. "After the composition was completed," Powell explains, "I began to assess various relevant 'practical' questions. How refractory were the individual and ensemble burdens here? How many months - years? - of rehearsal would be necessary in order for the players, however conscientious and well-intentioned they might be, to achieve reasonably accurate coordination? And so on. To my dismay, a stubborn inner censor kept asserting, more and more forcefully, that demands on the performers in this section of the composition were outrageous, entirely excessive. So, alas, at the end I decided that it had to be abandoned."
But evidently Powell was still reluctant to part with the material. Rather than banish it to the file cabinet (where perhaps many such entities rest in peace), he called on a "performer" uniquely impervious to difficulties such as beset mortal executants: the computer. The envisioned complexities of temporal structuring were thus "facilitated." (Peter Zaferes)
Nocturne for Violin Solo (1969; rev. 1985)
Yoko Matsuda - violin
The loneliness of the unaccompanied violin is underscored by the extremely introverted nature of this lovely monologue. In a sequence of moment-to-moment shifts, a whisper, a meditation, an intense cry, it bespeaks the nocturnal, true to the title, seeming to reflect dreams rather than declamations.
The opposite of a glittering showpiece, this work keeps even its severe demands on the performer hidden, the "virtuosity" submerged, so to speak. The stark effect of the whole results from the way a thought here is picked up there - as continual rumination rather than development; proposing puzzles, but not puzzles to be unraveled. External worlds, ordinary rules of order in an ordinary usage of time seem distant from this intensely personal zone.
Powell once wrote of the work that its "structural underpinnings derive directly from, and present a modest extension of, the idea of registral invariance introduced by Webern more than a half-century ago." (R. G. Naldec)
Tracklisting:
1. Die Violine {2:55}
2. Madrigal for Flute Alone {2:18}
3. Strand Settings: "Darker" {18:54}
4. String Quartet {11:43}
5. Computer Prelude {2:27}
6. Nocturne for Violin Solo {7:17}
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[links may come back soon]
various artists compilation - Music in the World of Islam: The Human Voice/Lutes
In 1976 Tangent Records released Music in the World of Islam as a series of long-playing analogue records. With the advent of the compact disc and its attendant extended playing time we are able to present two LPs on one compact disc. The first two records in the series - The Human Voice/Lutes are presented here.
...
This anthology "music in the world of Islam" is an attempt to present highlights of music found within a huge area in Africa, parts of Europe, and Asia which are today, or have been in the past, Islamic.
As it is obviously impossible to cover adequately the music of any of these countries, far less all of them, the aim has been to divide the music into groupings so that the listener can hear, compare and learn to appreciate some of the almost limitless variety of musical styles - both vocal and instrumental - which have developed in this vast area. The diversity of cultures in the Islamic world is so great that it is strange to find unifying factors in the music. But Bedouins and nomads, farmers on the banks of the Nile, or in the Hindukush Mountains of Afghanistan or the High Atlas of Morocco or the fertile valleys of Pakistan and India. Turkish fishermen on the Black Sea coast and Malay and Javanese along the East China Sea or pearl divers on the gulf which divides Arabia from Iran, as well as the inhabitants of the great and ancient cities of Damascus and Baghdad and Cairo and Fez and Istanbul, Shiraz and Samarkand, all share certain musical traits and some of these, along with specialised music of each area, can be heard on this compact disc. (from the liner notes on the back cover)
The Human Voice LP - tracks 1-14
Lutes LP - tracks 15-23
Tracklisting:
1. [uncredited artist] - Recitation of verses of the Qu'ran {2:26}
(Al-Ateuf, near Ghardela, Algeria)
2. Ismail Ali Hasan and Abdel Hamid Abdel Aziz - Dhikr (remembrance) {2:18}
(A Sufi ceremony; Fayoum Oasis, Egypt)
3. Habibola Halika - Houri {1:21}
(secular vocal music; Sanandaj, Kurdistan, Iran)
4. [uncredited artist] - Bedouin wedding songs {1:18}
(south of Wadi Musa, Jordan)
5. Jabr bin Husein - Ghazal, or Love Song {1:17}
(Tarif, Abu Dahbi)
6. Amir Mohammed and Baba Hakim - Gurdum Gurdum {3:16}
(love song; Daulatabad, north of Baikh, Afghanistan)
7. [uncredited artist] - Song at the feast after Ramadan {1:50}
(near Nafga, Entrea, Ethiopia)
8. Salim Alan - Haddadi {4:16}
(led by Salim Alan and a group of about twenty pearl divers; Muharraq, Bahrain)
9. Wasimxzama Khan Naseri and Nazir Ahmad - Kavali {4:37}
(a devotional song; Hyderabad, Deccan, India)
10. Dunya Yunis - Abu Zeluf {3:03}
(Beirut, Lebanon)
11. [uncredited artist] - Leader/Chorus song {2:23}
(a group of Gadabursi Somali; Jijiga, Harar Province, Ethiopia)
12. Mehein fin Baqid and Dahar fin Baqid - Radha/Hateim Atiya Khalil Sayed - Ga's {2:20}
(Sharjah, United Arab Emirates/Fayoum, Egypt)
13. Aqi Pishak - Love song {2:22}
(Aqcha, Afghanistan)
14. [uncredited artist] - Tahlil {6:18}
(sung by a Sufi group; Baghdad, Iraq)
15. Salman Shukur - Taqsim in maqam Iraq {3:30}
(Baghdad, Iraq)
16. Sultan Hamid - Taqsim in maqam Hejaz {6:04}
(Muharraq, Bahrain)
17. Aboubekr Zerga - Hausi in makam Iraq {5:02}
(Tlemcen, Algeria)
18. Hussein Ali Zodeh - Tar solo in dastgah Mahur {4:55}
(Teheran, Iran)
19. Baba Hakim - Tambur solo {4:44}
(Daulatabad, Afghanistan)
20. [uncredited artist] - Gunbri (Folk Song) {2:52}
(Foum el Ancur, Morocco)
21. Erol Sayin - Taksim in makam Nishaburek {3:29}
(Ankara, Turkey)
22. Jalal zur Fonun - Solo in dastgah af-Shari {4:19}
(Teheran, Iran)
23. Khan Mohammad, Aqi Pishak and Mohammad Omar - Wedding song (in Uzbek) {2:51}
(Aqcha, Afghanistan)
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various artists compilation - Istanbul 1925
CD released in 1994; music remastered from metal master 78 rpm discs recorded in 1925
Istanbul 1925 presents a collection of legendary performers from one of the most exciting periods in Middle Eastern music. Belly dancing, folk music and classical styles were merged together, creating a sound that became the rage of Istanbul - a city situated literally at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. The greatest cabaret singers, musicians, dancers and classical artists from various ethnic backgrounds - Turks, Armenians, Jews, Greeks and Gypsies lived in Istanbul, creating a musical style that dominated the city for more than half a century.
Hundreds of recordings were made by His Master's Voice in Turkey and issued on 78 rpm records. Presented here are performances of Turkey's greatest artists recorded during that era, digitally remastered from the original metal parts. (from the back cover liner notes)
Ernest Hemingway once said that the way to get rid of something was to write about it. In some way, it was with that thought in mind that this project was born. For this music, which was exposed to me from early childhood, had had an almost hypnotic effect on me, leading me twice to Istanbul and through countless hours of searching through records, photos and books for any scrap of information about the artists whose music had profoundly influenced my life. Istanbul 1890-1950 was a period which produced a genre of music as powerful and emotionally impacted as any age in musical history. It was, in many ways, similar to the musical scene in New York where audiences crowded into Carnegie Hall to hear new symphonies by Mahler, Dvorak and Tchaikovsky while uptown Harlem clubs were making musical history with the invention of jazz. Istanbul too harbored a rich cultural environment where music became the crossroads for Turkey's multi-ethnic population to come together. Turks, Greeks, Armenians, Jews, and Turkish gypsies merged their cultures to create a style of music which thrived in and around Istanbul for over half a century.
With the decline of the Ottoman Empire, many of the classical musicians sought employment in the night clubs of Istanbul. Here, the merging of refined Ottoman court music and urban secular music created a lighter style of the classical music known as fasil which was both sophisticated yet accessible to the young, westward-looking generation. Beginning with the reform movement of 1839, tanzimat, and later, as Kemal Ataturk began to introduce western ideology into the new republic, musical influences from other Middle Eastern countries and Europe also began to appear, though a definite Turkish flavor was retained. The emphasis on soloists gave rise to numerable singers and instrumentalists who attained pop star status. The introduction of larger ensembles, orchestrated arrangements and what today has become a main stream in Turkish music, Arabesque, was born in this era. Mohammed Abdel Wahab's westernization of Arabic music so intrigued Turkish musicians, that many, including Kemani Haydar Tatliyay, Kanuni Ahmet Yatman, Kemani Bulbuli Salih, Udi Hasan Dramali and Kemani Nubar Tekyay-Comlekciyan traveled to Egypt for extended visits.
Fortunately, many of the artists who pioneered the post-Ottoman musical era were recorded on wax cylinders and 78rpm records. Recording companies such as Regent and the Blumenthol Talking Machine Company recorded many of the leading artists. A Turkish division of His Master's Voice (Sahabinin Sesi) was already established in Istanbul by 1925. Kanuni Artaki Candan-Terzian (1885-1948), a noted Armenian musician and composer, served as the director of Sahabinin Sesi recording studios in Istanbul until his death in 1948. Under his supervision, hundreds of albums were recorded featuring the legendary artists of the day. Almost immediately, they appeared on 78 rpm discs in Europe and the United States through licensing agreements with RCA Victor, EMI, HMV and Columbia. (Harold G. Hagopian)
Tracklisting:
1. Sukru Tunar - Huzzam taksim {3:19}
2. Mahmut Celalettin - Neva Hicaz Gazel {3:21}
3. Munir Nurettin Selcuk and Sadettin Kaynak - Cikar yuclerden {3:02}
4. Udi Hrant - Cifte Telli {3:11}
5. Deniz Kizi and Kanuni Artaki - Daktilo {2:30}
6. Kemani Haydar Tatliyay - Raks Bedia {3:23}
7. Udi Hrant - Hicaz taksim {3:25}
8. Suzan Yakar - Sevda Zinciri {3:09}
9. Mahmut Celalettin and Udi Marko - Yuzu Pembe {3:14}
10. Sukru Tunar - Suzinak taksim {3:18}
11. Sukru Tunar - Karslama {3:08}
12. Mahmut Celalettin - Neva Ussak Gazel {3:10}
13. Udi Hrant - Huzzam taksim {3:22}
14. Munir Nurettin Selcuk and Sadettin Kaynak - Leyla {3:17}
15. Kucuk Nezihe Hanim and Sukru Tunar - Agladim aci Cektim {3:19}
16. Kemani Nubar - Bahriye Cifte Telli {3:42}
17. Udi Hrant - Kurdili Hicazkar taksim {3:19}
18. Kemani Haydar Tatliyay - Arap Oyun Havasi {3:20}
19. Mahmut Celalettin - Rast Neva Gazel {3:14}
20. Perihan Altindag and Rakim Elkutlu - Ne Bahar Kaldi Ne gul {2:49}
21. Hanende Agyazar Efendi - Kessik Kerem {3:06}
22. Sukru Tunar - Cifte Telli {2:45}
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Phong Thuyet Nguyen - From Rice Paddies and Temple Yards: Traditional Music of Vietnam
cassette released in 1990
This cassette accompanied the book of the same title as the cassette.
Phong Thuyet Nguyen, Ph.D. was raised in Can Tho province in the Mekong delta of South Vietnam, in a village called Tam Ngai. He was born into a musical family that played art music, music for festivals, rituals, ceremonies, Buddhist chant, chamber music and theatrical music.
...
Over the years he concentrated particularly on the dan tranh zither, dan nguyet lute, and dan bau monochord. When he was ten he moved to a town called Tra On, and several years later resettled in Saigon, where he studied Western music, earned a degree in literature and philosophy from the University of Saigon and taught high school literature and private music students. He was appointed principal of the high school and from 1970-74 introduced and taught classes in Vietnamese traditional music, not previously taught in schools, and only recently offered for credit. He left Saigon in 1974.
Dr. Nguyen earned his Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France, and served the National Center for Scientific Research through the mid-1980s. His research centered around various aspects of Vietnamese music, including traditional song, modal systems, and the mixture of Western and Vietnamese elements in the music of contemporary Vietnam and Vietnamese-American communities. He is now considered to be one of the two recognized exponents of Vietnamese music on the international scene. A well-known and widely respected teacher and scholar, he has trained a number of students (some of who have gone on to teach traditional Vietnamese music in Vietnam), performed on numerous recordings on the Lyrichord and other labels, directed and participated in international concerts in Asia, Europe and America, and has further contributed to the field of Ethnomusicology through his books and articles. He has been the recipient of a number of grants by the United States and French governments to aid in the collection and preservation of Vietnamese musics. (from biographical information in the book that included this cassette)
Tracklisting:
Side A
1. Hat Dum {0:30}
performed by an uncredited chorus
2. Cum Num Cum Niu {0:25}
performed by an uncredited chorus
3. Xay Khan {0:22}
performed by an uncredited chorus
4. Co La {4:48}
performed by Phong Nguyen - zither and monochord
and an uncredited chorus
5. Ly Chim Quyen {1:38}
performed by Phong Nguyen - zither
Thu Van and an uncredited chorus
6. Qua Cau Gio Bay {1:44}
performed by Phong Nguyen - zither
Tinh Trang and an uncredited chorus
7. Do Doc Do Ngang {2:28}
performed by Phong Nguyen - zither
Thu Van and an uncredited chorus
8. Ly Tinh Tang {2:13}
performed by Phong Nguyen - zither and monochord
Tinh Trang and an uncredited chorus
Side B
1. Kim Tien {1:53}
performed by Phong Nguyen - zither
2. Ly Ngua O {1:08}
performed by Phong Nguyen - zither and lute
3. Voice of the Trong {1:48}
performed by Phong Nguyen and Thu Van - drum and wooden bell
4. Chinh Phu Ngam Khuc {8:52}
performed by Phong Nguyen - zither; Dan bau - monochord; Dan Nguyet - moon shaped lute; Dan Tranh - 16 or 17-stringed zither; Mo - wooden bell; Trong - drum; Phong Nguyen, Thu Van, Tinh Trang, Phuong Chi - solo vocalists; Huong Lan, Kim Van, Kim Thanh, Mong Tuyet, Thu Van, Tinh Trang - chorus
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Sounds of the World - Music of East Asia: Chinese, Korean, Japanese
set of 3 cassettes released in 1986
About Sounds of the World
Publications in the Sounds of the World series consist of two elements: high-quality stereo cassettes containing narration, interviews, and music examples; and an accompanying illustrated teacher's guide with background information and suggestions for using these materials with students from elementary to college levels.
Ethnomusicologist Karl Signell has provided MENC [Music Educators National Conference] with episodes from his "Music in a New World" series, originally produced for National Public Radio. For this series Signell traveled across America to record the music, songs, and stories of recent immigrants to this country, immigrants keeping alive their musical traditions in their new home.
General Characteristics of the Music
Melody
* Both five- and seven-tone scales are common in a variety of forms, but pentatonic scales predominate.
* Subtle slides and shakes are common in the melodies of East Asia. Korean music is characterized by more pronounced "wavering tones."
Rhythm
* Both free rhythm and strict rhythm are present.
* The meter of Chinese and Japanese music is predominantly duple or quadruple. Korean music often cast in triple meter.
* Syncopation is rather common in East Asian musics.
Texture
* East Asian musicians use a variety of textures. They place an emphasis, however, on clearly defined musical lines.
* Monophonic texture is common, particularly in solo compositions.
* Heterophonic texture (simultaneous variations on a musical line) is quite common when singers or instrumentalists perform together.
* Some harmony is indigenous (for example, that of Chinese sheng music). Western homophonic texture is common in contemporary music.
Timbre
* The timbre of East Asian music varies considerably. Tense, nasalized timbres characterize some vocal genres.
* A variety of aerophones, chordophones, idiophones, and membranophones are used in the area. Chordophones and aerophones predominate.
Dynamics
* Some musical genres (particularly those involving small ensembles) feature soft dynamic levels (for example, Chinese zheng and xiao music). Even larger ensembles, such as the Japanese gagaku orchestra, have predominantly soft dynamic levels. Other genres, such as Peking opera, often have loud dynamic levels.
Form
* Variation form is quite common.
* Suites (compositions comprising a number of related segments) are also frequent.
* Reverting form (for example, ABA) occurs, particularly in contemporary musical selections.
* Some East Asian music uses indigenous formal structures (for example, the tripartite design in Japanese music known as Jo-Ha-Kyu.)
* Programmatic music is very common.
Tracklisting:
cassette 1
1. Chinese {28:10}
cassette 2 missing (Korean)
cassette 3
1. Japanese {28:12}
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Sounds of the World - Music of Southeast Asia: Lao, Hmong, Vietnamese
set of 3 cassettes released in 1986
About Sounds of the World
Publications in the Sounds of the World series consist of two elements: high-quality stereo cassettes containing narration, interviews, and music examples, and an accompanying illustrated teacher's guide with background information and suggestions for using these materials with students from elementary to college levels.
Ethnomusicologist Karl Signell has provided MENC [Music Educators National Conference] with episodes from his "Music in a New World" series, originally produced for National Public Radio. For this series Signell traveled across America to record the music, songs, and stories of recent immigrants to this country, immigrants keeping alive their musical traditions in their new home.
THE INDOCHINESE REFUGEE
The Old World
Directly south of China and to the east of India is the region of Southeast Asia, comprising mainland countries and island nations. "Mainland" Southeast Asia refers to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, and Malaysia. Of diverse origins, the variety of peoples, lifestyles, and cultural traditions is striking within the region. Influences from China, India, and the Middle East shaped their philosophical beliefs, which are uniquely and originally expressed through their music and arts.
Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia are countries once referred to as Indochina. Despite their physical separation from neighboring China and India by mountains and often-flooded river valleys, a significant exchange of cultural practices was evident for many centuries. Many Indian artists and scholars enjoyed enjoyed a high status in the courts of Southeast Asia while they introduced aspects of Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Indochinese youths were often sent to India for training in literary, artistic, and cultural practices. Trade routes between the two regions remained firmly established until at least the tenth century.
A diversity of ethnic groups entered Southeast Asia from South China, moving down the Mekong River valley. The Mon, Lao, Shan, Siamese, and Khmer settled in Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand, while the Hmong migrated from China less than two hundred years ago. The Vietnamese became thoroughly Sinicized in the first century B.C. when China annexed the region. After an attempt to pursue an India-style civilization, around 1400 they reverted to traditional Confucianist ethics, an elite mandarin system of government, and a Chinese style of Buddhism.
The Western impact on the area was felt as early as the sixteenth century with the advent of missionaries, culminating in the colonization of the Indochinese peninsula by the French three centuries later. Despite the continued French rule until World War II, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia each maintained their unique cultural identities that had been developing for at least a millenium.
"Indochinese" is a generic term referring to the many Southeast Asian peoples who came under French colonial rule in the late nineteenth century. There is a diversity of ethnic and linguistic peoples in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. While there is a homogenous majority in each country - for example, 85 percent of those in Vietnam are Vietnamese - minority groups include Chinese in Cambodia, Hmong in Laos, and Chinese and Montagnards in Vietnam.
The New World
The disintegration of the South Vietnamese government in 1975 and similar political upheavals in Cambodia and Laos led to an unprecedented influx of refugees to the United States. They came as their governments were collapsing around them, journeying from camps in Thailand, Hong Kong, and Guam to reception centers in California, Arkansas, Florida, and Pennsylvania. Educational programs were established to facilitate the assimilation of the refugees into American life, and language, vocational, and recreational programs were initiated for adults and children. The transition was difficult as basic American values of independence clashed with the traditions of extended families and submission to one's elders. Sponsorship from church-affiliated agencies and state welfare funds provided food, clothing, and shelter for refugee families until they became self-supporting outside the centers.
There are over half a million people from Indochina now settled in the United States, living mainly in such cities as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Dallas; many continue to move from rural areas to increasingly viable and cohesive communities in the urban centers. Life in the New World holds promise for the refugees, although coping with language and cultural differences, isolation, and the separation of families has been difficult. For some, unemployment - or underemployment - and radical changes in social status have resulted in depression and loss of self-esteem. The position of the Indochinese in American society is still emerging, and the children of the refugees may know more success and security in the years to come. (from the liner notes)
Tracklisting:
cassette 1
1. Lao {28:16}
cassette 2
1. Hmong {28:03}
cassette 3
1. Vietnamese {28:21}
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Harmonites International Steel Orchestra - Men in Harmonites
LP released in 1981
There are many steelbands but few like Harmonites Steel International.
Harmonites Steel International has catapulted to the summit of Antigua's music. Although the Band has acquired such heights, it is ever-changing; ever-seeking new ways to develop its craft. Versatility is the key to the Orchestra's continued success; today's functions demand dedication. The ease with which the Orchestra switches from the Golden Oldies to a Reggae or a Calypso, the strains of a Viennese Waltz to the top ten speaks for itself.
The Harmonites Steel International presents its second album with a difference. We would like you to sit back and enjoy real pan music. (from the liner notes)
Harmonites International Steel Orchestra recorded a few albums including this one which is supposedly famous according to the Antigua Carnival site. This LP was produced and pressed in Jamaica according to a small sticker on the back cover. This accounts for the music being drenched in echo and a few tracks have electronic bleeps that weave in and out of the mix. The first track is the only original tune which was written by leader at the time Fitzroy (Champ) Martin. The rest are renditions of classical music, other reggae tunes and the famous piano rag "The Entertainer". This particular steel orchestra was founded in the late 1960s and it still exists to this day.
Tracklisting:
Side One
1. Men in Harmonites {4:28}
2. Air on a G String {4:33}
3. Always in My Heart {5:58}
4. Disco Dumplin {3:06}
Side Two
1. Blue Danube Waltz {6:42}
2. Stars and Stripes Forever {3:43}
3. The Entertainer {3:46}
4. Frenzy {4:56}
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Bornand Music Box Collection - Old Music Box Waltz Melodies
released on LP
This record celebrates the 10th anniversary of "OLD MUSIC BOX MELODIES" with 26 familiar, always popular, old and new world waltzes. It is recorded from two large fine Swiss cylinder music boxes and four of the various size disc music boxes, among them the "King of Music Boxes" the 27" disc Regina.
It was at the turn of the century, when Mr. Edison's phonograph, "The Talking Voice" made its appearance, that music boxes surrendered their place of honor in the parlor, to that sensational invention. No industry ever suffered such a sudden demise. Rare old instruments, many representing the life's work of some Swiss, French or German craftsman, were suddenly old-fashioned, and relegated to the barn, attic or the cellar; there to remain for half a century or more if not demolished by children at play, destroyed by the elements, carted away by a junkman, or perhaps the more fortunate ones, rescued by searchers for antiques.
As time cures many ills, it began to right this injustice; one after another, music boxes came back - museums became interested - collections were started, and the services of Joseph Bornand, one of the last surviving factory trained experts in this field, were again in demand. It was a great joy for Mr. Bornand to open his music box shop again and he in turn taught his son Adrian V. all the secrets of this long lost art, a Bornand family business in Switzerland since 1825.
The Bornand music box collection containing many rare one of a kind instruments from all parts of the world, has long been recognized as one of the foremost in existence. To share this beauty and give the world this music which will probably never be produced in its original form again, the Bornands have recorded it for the modern record players. Thus the phonograph, which ended the music box business so long ago, is now the means of bringing this music into thousands of homes, which would otherwise not know of its existence or enjoy its nostalgic beauty. (from the liner notes)
Tracklisting:
Side A
1. Invitation to the Dance {0:54}
2. Artists Life Waltz {1:48}
3. Merry Widow/Treasure Waltz {2:09}
4. Faust Waltz {2:44}
5. Little Fisher Maiden/Skater's Waltz {1:42}
6. Estudiantina/Chimes of Normandy {3:15}
7. Tales of Vienna Woods {1:44}
8. Waves of the Blue Danube/Lagunes Waltz {2:51}
9. Espana Waltz {1:21}
Side B
1. Blue Danube Waltz {1:54}
2. Carnival of Venice {1:56}
3. On a Sunday Afternoon {3:21}
4. In the Good Old Summertime {1:41}
5. Edelweiss Glide {2:05}
6. When the Leaves Begin to Turn/After the Ball/Southern Roses {2:31}
7. Wine, Women & Song {2:45}
8. Mikado Waltz/Loin du Bal/Angot Waltz {2:54}
9. Romeo & Juliet Grand Waltz {1:37}
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Georgia Hesse and Russell Johnson - Melawat Malaysia
cassette released in 1985
This cassette is narrated by notable travel writer Georgia Hesse and producer and radio and TV host Russell Johnson. Melawat (Malay word for "visit") Malaysia is the second in a series of electronic travel guides produced by Travelmedia. All of the sounds and music were recorded in Malaysia. I am still trying to find out how many of these electronic travel guides were produced and released.
This tape gives a glimpse of the cultural background of Malaysia including the music, cuisine, traditions, marriage ceremonies, harvest celebrations along with the demographics (at time of recording), the fauna that inhabit the country and travel tips.
Tracklisting:
Side 1
1. Beasts, Brits and Bumiputras: From Jungle Cries to Semiconductors {17:24}
Side 2
1. Temples, Traditions and Travel Tips: From Cat Kites to Cuisines {17:17}
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various artists compilation - African Tribal Music & Dances
*special thanks to KL from NYC for this
CD released in 1993
The material on this CD are from LP releases Music of the Malinke/Music of the Baoule on Esoteric Records [CPT-529] (tracks 1-13) and Sonar Senghor and His Troupe - African Tribal Music and Dances on Olympic Records [OL-6121, released in 1976) (tracks 14-22, these tracks are only on the A side or first side of the LP).
Experience the sounds of the Malinke tribe, the Baoule and several other peoples from various countries in Africa. Male and female choruses are featured in selections such as "The Dance of the Hunters" and "Dance of the Women". Solo instrumental performances are played with the flute, musical bow, and xylophone in "Solo for Musical Bow", "Duet for Flutes" and "Xylophone Solo". Vibrant African drums and other percussion instruments are played throughout the CD.
Tracklisting:
1. Music of the Malinke - Festival Music {3:26}
2. Music of the Malinke - Solo for the Seron {2:41}
3. Music of the Malinke - Hymn of Praise {3:34}
4. Music of the Malinke - Percussion Instruments {1:34}
5. Music of the Malinke - Festival of the Circumcision {2:19}
6. Music of the Malinke - Dance of the Hunters {3:24}
7. Music of the Malinke - Dance of the Woman {3:18}
8. Music of the Baoule - Invocation, Entrance, & Dance of the Glaou {7:59}
9. Music of the Baoule - Duet for Flutes {2:16}
10. Music of the Baoule - Solo for Musical Bow {0:48}
11. Music of the Baoule - Xylophone Solo {2:30}
12. Music of the Baoule - Male Chorus & Harp {2:09}
13. Music of the Baoule - Dance of the Witch Doctor {4:26}
14. Sonar Senghor & His Rhythms - Sicco {1:40}
15. Sonar Senghor & His Rhythms - Toffi {3:03}
16. Sonar Senghor & His Rhythms - Ibonga {1:39}
17. Sonar Senghor & His Rhythms - Gnounba Gnibi {2:50}
18. Sonar Senghor & His Rhythms - Dianka Bi {3:38}
19. Sonar Senghor & His Rhythms - Sibi Saba {3:08}
20. Sonar Senghor & His Rhythms - Sindhio {3:28}
21. Sonar Senghor & His Rhythms - Didrenquo {3:52}
22. Sonar Senghor & His Rhythms - Bonomiollo {2:58}
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