[uncredited artist] - Sounds of West Africa: The Kora & the Xylophone
The Lobi-Dagarti Xylophone (or balophon) of Northern Ghana and the Kora harp-lute of Gambia produce some of the most striking instrumental music to be found anywhere in Africa. The culture of the Lobi and Dagarti people has resisted erosion from Islamic and European contacts and their music remains relatively pure even today. The kora, on the other hand, developed in the Savannah belt, an area profoundly influenced by Islam and North Africa. While retaining its essential sub-Saharan rhythmic character, the kora reflects North African culture in its tonality, timbre and harmonies.
The kora has 21 strings that can be tuned to absolute pitch in at least three distinct tonal modes. The following is one common tuning arrangement. In ascending order the strings are tuned: F, C, D, E, B flat, D, F, A, C, E, (left hand) and F, A, C, E, G, B flat, D, F, G, A, (right hand). (Francis Bebey, African Music, A People's Art, Lawrence Hill and Co.)
The kora is played by the Griots (praise singers and chroniclers) of Gambia, Senegal, Mali and Guinea Bissau. It is taught by father to son so that over the generations a whole lineage of kora players take shape. When a young boy begins to play he must learn countless epic tales, myths, histories of tribes and royal lineages so that soon he emerges as the oral historian par excellence of his people. The first kora player is said to have appeared in the royal court of Kelefa Senneh of Guinea Bissau and formerly all Griots were attached to royal families. But in modern times, with the disintegration of the traditional states, kora players are more or less "at large" and every kora player must have in his repertoire songs recounting the ancestral histories of any number of wealthy potential patrons.
When a Griot spots a "Great Man" in the street or the market he will shout his name and immediately launch into an epic musical account of the glories of the man's lineage. A crowd is sure to gather and the man, the obvious focus of all the commotion, feels constrained to be as generous as possible to the musician so that he will continue to sing his praise as opposed to his defmation. The Griot still depends entirely on patrons for his livelihood. Even today, to turn a Griot away from one's door empty-handed constitutes a major social disgrace.
The Lobi-Dagarti Xylophone
In both Lobi and Dagarti, the xylophone is central in all life events from weddings, funerals, work and recreational situations to cult events. The Lobi-Dagarti xylophone is a 14-key instrument of a type that is widely distributed throughout West Africa as well as in parts of Central and Eastern Africa (e.g. Zaire, Uganda, Tanzania and Mozambique). It is constructed so that the wooden keys, mounted on a wooden frame, vibrate over graduated gourd resonators. The gourds have small holes covered with a thin paper (made from spider webbing and glue) which vibrates when the keys are struck producing a continuous nasal buzzing sound. Although indigenous musicians are less concerned with absolute pitch than with relative tonal relationships, the xylophones generally conform to the following pentatonic arrangement:
It should be noted that while the Lobi and Dagarti use the same xylophone, they constitute distinct ethnic groups with mutually incomprehensible languages and different musical styles. (Richard Hill)
Tracklisting:
1. Bin kpe {4:41}
2. Kyipellu festival song {2:31}
3. Chedo {5:12}
4. Nyam born ti waa na {2:24}
5. High Life {2:32}
6. Jimbasin {5:36}
7. Tuntumggben {2:47}
8. Domme wa la sofgu {1:57}
9. Tu tu le tu {2:00}
10. Nabaya (My Beads) {2:55}
11. Ansu "Machhine" Menneh {1:44}
12. Ga da yina-funeral music {2:19}
13. Le ben doma {3:15}
14. Musa Koli {2:20}
15. Laminba {2:48}
16. Dembo {2:41}
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The Banda people - Central African Republic: Banda Polyphony
originally released in 1976; re-released in 1992
The Banda, who number about 400,000, form the largest ethnic group in the Central African Republic. Although their history cannot be reconstructed with any certainty, it would appear that they came from the East, probably from the valley of the Nile. They are thought to have settled in the region that corresponds to the present Sudanese-Central-African borders in the first half of the 19th century, and subsequently to have been driven into the interior by the raids of slavetraders. They now occupy the upper reaches of the Uaka, the Kotto, the Gribingi, a region of bush-covered savannah with forest galleries.
The Banda people are divided into more than fifty subgroups, each of which has its own customs, speech and music. The Linda and the Dakpa are among the most numerous branches of the Banda people. Being neighbours, and even having established themselves in the very heart of the Banda country, they share to a large extent their musical forms. It is, however, possible to distinguish certain modes of expression. For example, although the Dakpa and the Linda both have ensembles of horns, the form of the instruments, the repertoire and the techniques of musical elaboration vary markedly from one group to another. As in all parts of this cultural area, music is closely associated with social and religious life. Even now it still fulfills a central function at all the events of any importance held in the traditional village.
The vocal music of the Banda is largely monodic, whereas their instrumental music - which usually amounts to an "orchestration" of the sung melodies - can give rise to elaborate and highly complex polyphonic structures. This applies in particular to the music for horns of the Linda and the Dakpa. The ongo horn ensembles are closely associated with the ancestors cult and with the initiation of young boys. Today, however, the music for these instruments is also played at national festivals. The ensembles consist of anything from ten to eighteen instruments, the size of which varies from 20 to 160 cm. They are always accompanied by a pair of jingles struck together. (Simha Arom)
Tracklisting:
Linda Music
1. Music for ongo ensemble: Ndraje balendro, initiation song {4:22}
2. Music for ongo ensemble: Eci ameya, song for the cult of the twins [horns] {1:50}
3. Music for ongo ensemble: Eci ameya, song for the cult of the twins [voices] {1:59}
4. Music for ongo ensemble: Ebena ka cemato, lament {4:06}
5. Music for ongo ensemble: Music for dancing, gboyo {2:47}
6. Mvrele ensemble: flutes {2:21}
7. Mvrele ensemble: voices {4:25}
Dakpa Music
8. Little Suite for ongo-ngala {7:04}
9. Dance of initiates "Brother, I am suffering" {5:07}
10. Suite for the mbaya ensemble {5:52}
11. Damba lekpa, music for the mbaya ensemble {1:23}
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Olivier Messiaen - L'Ascension
released on LP
Charles Krigbaum - organ (Newberry Memorial Organ, Woolsey Hall, Yale University)
Among twentieth century compositions for organ the works of Olivier Messiaen must surely stand as authentic masterpieces. On first encounter they may seem curiously eclectic in their dazzling reflections of traditional and exotic ingredients: Dukas, Dupre, Debussy, Hindu rhythms, bird calls, Roman Catholicism, pantheism, mysticism, reverberent cathedrals, Cavaille-Coll and the French Romantic Organ - to name a few. However, out of these unusual and disparate elements Messiaen has fused an individual and elegant style that is sensuous, colorful, contemporary, and surprisingly coherent. He has done this with creative brilliance and unsurpassed richness of imagination.
The works themselves fall conveniently into three periods: early, middle, and late. The early period, essentially experimental in nature, includes
Le Banquet Celeste
Diptyque
Apparition de l'Eglise Eternelle
L'Ascension (four pieces)
The middle period, in which specific compositional techniques are systematically employed (cf. Technique de mon Langage Musical, Paris 1944), includes
La Nativite du Seigneur (nine pieces)
Les Corps Glorieux (seven pieces)
The late period, in which is evidenced a more extensive use of complex and exotic elements, includes
Messe de la Pentecote (five pieces)
Livre d'Orgue (seven pieces)
Verset
Meditation sur le Mystere de la Sainte Trinite
Le Banquet Celeste - This famous communion piece (1926) is an original evocation of ineffable mystery and reverence. The original version in 3/4 time was marked extremement lent. In a second version, the composer rescored the piece, doubling the note values and indicating "Tres lent, extatique".
Apparition de l'Eglise eternelle - An apocalyptic vision of the eternal church, utilizing parallelism, open fifths, and rhythmic ostinato figures. Stark, essentially static, and improvisatory in nature, it achieves a powerful effect through insistent repetition, hypnotic in nature, and through an extraordinary crescendo from pp to fff climaxing on a high-position, full C major chord with doubled pedal, followed by a gradual diminuendo to a pp ending on a low-position, open fifth C chord.
L'Ascension contains four symphonic meditations, each inspired by a passage from scripture or the service.
I Majeste du Christ demandant sa gloire a son Pere (Majesty of Christ praying that His Father should glorify Him) - a slow and majestic piece exploiting the prepared reeds on the Great and Positive divisions.
II Alleluias sereins d'une ame qui desire le ciel (Serene Alleluias from a soul longing for Heaven) - an impressionistic and tender expression of celestial serenity and happiness.
III Transports de joie d'une ame devant la gloire du Christ qui est la sienne (Outburst of joy from a soul before the Glory of Christ which is its own glory) - a tumultuous outpouring of Christian joy.
IV Priere du Christ montant vers son Pere (Prayer from Christ ascending towards His Father) - a moving and solemn expression of divinity. (from the liner notes)
Tracklisting:
Side One
1. Apparition de l'Eglise Eternelle {9:00}
2. Le Banquet Celeste {7:16}
Side Two
1. L'Ascension: I. Majeste du Christ demandant sa gloire a son Pere {5:51}
2. L'Ascension: II. Alleluias sereins d'une ame qui desire le ciel {6:33}
3. L'Ascension: III. Transports de joie d'une ame devant la gloire du Christ qui est la sienne {4:54}
4. L'Ascension: IV. Priere du Christ montant vers son Pere {5:44}
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various artists compilation - Musica Maximalista Vol. 12
released in 2006
Works on CD are the winners of the 6th International Electroacoustic Music Contest of Sao Paulo 2005
The International Electroacoustic Music Contest of Sao Paulo (CIMESP) takes place every two years and is promoted by the Studio PANaroma de Musica Eletroacustica da Unesp, directed by the composer Flo Menezes. The CIMESP is open to all composers, of any age and nationality, from both Brazil and abroad. In its sixth edition in 2005, the Contest was dedicated both to acousmatic compositions (for electroacoustic sounds alone), to mixed electroacoustic pieces and to mixed electroacoustic pieces with live-electronics. The CIMESP 2005 received 185 compositions by 130 composers of 32 nationalities from 29 countries and continues thus to be the most significant International Competition on this field in all the Americas. The Jury consisted of four members: Flo Menezes (President of the Jury: Composer, Director and Founder of Studio PANaroma, responsible of the idealization of the Contest, Doctor of Music degree and Professor of Composition and Electroacoustic Music at the State University of Sao Paulo, Unesp); Hans Ulrich Humpert (Composer, Professor and Director of the Studio fur elektronische Musik of the Cologne Music-Highschool, Germany); Gilles Gobeil (Composer, Professor for Electroacoustic Composition in Montreal, Canada); and Jorge Antunes (Composer, Professor for Composition at the Brasilia University, Brazil).
After having analyzed the received material, the Jury decided to select 11 finalists, whose works constituted the Final Concert on November 1, 2005, at the Goethe-Institut of Sao Paulo. After the Concert, the audience gave the Public Prize and the Jury announced the winning pieces:
1st Prize: Styal by David Berezan
2nd Prize: Sublimation by Kyong Mee Choi
2nd Prize Ex Aequo: Time Spell by Joao Pedro Oliveira
Public Prize: Broken Nerve by Diana Simpson
Honorable Mentions:
Vol d'arondes by Francis Dhomont
Historias by Jose Manrique
*La Schiuma dei Rumori by Roger Cochini
Finalist Pieces:
*Silk to Steel by Mathew Adkins
*(Un)folding by Daniel Barreiro
*Computer Music by Thomas Gerwin
*Eden by Robert Normandeau* not on CD
(from the liner notes)
Tracklisting:
1. David Berezan - Styal {14:14}
(2004) for stereophonic electroacoustic sounds
2. Kyong Mee Choi - Sublimation {7:15}
(2004) for marimba and stereophonic electroacoustic sounds; Sean Darby - marimba
3. Joao Pedro Oliveira - Time Spell {13:31}
(2004) for clarinet and 6-channel electroacoustic sounds (stereophonic version); Serge Conte - clarinet
4. Diana Simpson - Broken Nerve {10:15}
(2005) for stereophonic electroacoustic sounds
5. Francis Dhomont - Vol d'arondes {11:44}
(2001) for octophonic electroacoustic sounds (stereophonic version)
6. Jose Manrique - Historias {12:18}
(2002) for quadraphonic electroacoustic sounds (stereophonic version)
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Morton Subotnick - Touch
released on LP
Created by Morton Subotnick on the Buchla Electronic Music System
This is the stereo version.
Liner notes include letters to Morton Subotnick from Mel Powell, director of the Yale University Electronic Music Studio at the time of the album's release.
Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Tuesday
Dear Mort,
Many many thanks for the tape. I look forward to hearing the new piece, and according to present calculations ought to have the chance to do that by late tomorrow or the following day. There's an acre of dreary tasks at hand; as soon as all that's covered, straight to the tape deck.
In the meantime I'll try to shake out of my head the after-images of some dreadful tape pieces a couple of red-eyed tyros insisted on playing for me the other day. You know the kind of thing I mean: the old bromides, dopey sound, imbecilic composition, and even the archetypal program note about "infinite possibilities." That last item I thought had certainly had its day by now, and I mentioned to one of the culprits that the deep charm of electronic-music composition is its perilously limited array of options, so tightly restricted, so intractable, so unfriendly to humbug and ineptness, testing the ear, experience, knowledge, taste, skill of a composer in a way that allows camouflage about as generously as does, say, writing madrigals for unaccompanied voices.
But so much for that. As I said, in a day or so I'll have a host of melancholy chores behind me and I'll be able to sit still and listen. I'm betting it's going to be a treat.
Best,
Mel
------------------
Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Friday
Dear Mort,
That was an easy bet to win. "Touch" is a treat, a great big lovely piece. I've heard it once and want to listen again. Sullen soul that I am, that's something I hardly ever find worth doing nowadays with any composition, very rarely with a recent composition, and almost never with an electronic-music composition.
Well then, I start by liking it very very much. And even so fastidious an artist as Henry James agreed that to say "I like it" (or the opposite) is to accomplish at once all the intricate tasks of analysis so far as art is concerned. But who today would let it go at that? Not me. These few things I have to mention at once:
- Three minutes from the opening you've uncorked a surreal amalgam of what in "real life" would have been mettalo- and xylophones, marimbas, mallet percussion of all sorts (running at this point for 30-40 seconds), and it's a model of sensitive synthesis: wonderfully clean hubbub, a prize voltage-controlled gamelan, delicious.
- I think the first extended lento music (starting at about the 5-minute point) is especially strong and right; no child's play - need I tell you? - to get that much fine solemnity paced that precisely.
- Maybe I've begun to view the whole of life as downright sinusoidal; or maybe I can't beat off a private eccentricity that propels me quickly past the acknowledgement of ad hoc dissimilarities into the perception of generic identities; whatever the case may be, the over-all contour of "Touch" fixes itself in my mind, at least for the moment, as a classic diarchy, hence a shuttling of "two musics," hence a husky rondo.
Words, words, words. And still more later. In the meantime, warn the family that I'll soon visit, expecting extraordinary viands and libations, and insisting that I hear "Touch" quadrophonically.
As ever,
Mel
Tracklisting:
Side 1
1. Touch (beginning) {14:26}
Side 2
1. Touch (conclusion) {15:04}
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Big Bertha Band Organ - Big Bertha Band Organ
released on LP
This great Band Organ was made in the late 1800's. Originally the big wheel operating the machine was turned by hand, but early in the 1900's the machine was changed over to operate by an electric motor. At this time, the exact identity of the maker is not certain, but we have been told that it is a Limonaire, made in France. In the early days, the organ played from cardboard books of music but now it plays from an 82 key North Tonawanda paper roll. Used along with two other big band organs on a huge handcarved Carousel in an amusement park in Grand Rapids, Michigan for years, it was later moved to Gulf Shores, Alabama and stored in a shed. Paul Eakins purchased two of the organs in August 1963, the third organ having been purchased by a gentleman who operates an amusement park in Iowa. Big Bertha, as this lovely Band Organ is now called, was the most dilapidated of the three machines. Over 2500 man hours were spent from August 1963 to June 1966 completely restoring it. Big Bertha gets its name from the lovely female Director who stands in front and directs as any band or orchestra leader does, using a baton. When she turns her head to the left, she lowers her left arm. When she looks straight forward again, she raises her left arm. The baton is held in the right hand. On each side of Big Bertha is a bell-ringer. One is a lovely girl and the other a strikingly handsome man. This great organ plays 369 pipes, bass drum, snare drum, two bells, and cymbal. The hand-carved embellishments are beautiful - the golden colored tassels that dangle like real ones, the figurehead on top resembling Columbus, the highly decorative newel posts, the ferocious looking gargoyle, along with the other elaborately carved parts, are all examples of the highly specialized art of wood-carving. The three figures on the front look like real people and are beautifully proportioned. All three organs that were on the old carousel are now owned by Paul Eakins. Since they are all completely different in sound, albums on the others will follow as soon as they are restored. (from the liner notes)
Tracklisting:
Side 1
1. Colonel Bogey {2:44}
2. When It's Springtime in the Rockies {3:33}
3. The Stein Song {2:51}
4. My Melancholy Baby {2:44}
5. Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella {2:24}
6. Away Down South in Heaven {2:10}
Side 2
1. All By Myself in the Moonlight {2:15}
2. I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream {2:53}
3. Skaters Waltz {6:20}
4. Wedding Bells are Breaking Up That Old Gang of Mine {2:17}
5. Queen City {2:26}
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Hans-Kristian Kjos Sørensen - Open Percussion
released in 2002
Hans-Kristian Kjos Sørensen - percussion and voice
Unlike other instruments, it is impossible to say that percussion is a specific instrument. Indeed one may argue that percussion is not even a group of instruments but numerous different groups. In total, percussion instruments range over the primary acoustic categories of sounds: stone, wood, metal and skin. The variations in size and shape, expression and sound are enormous and surely unique in acoustical music - from cymbals the size of an ear and objects of stone and wood to gigantic drums and gongs as well as tempered instruments such as vibraphone, marimba and glockenspiel.
This enormous arsenal of sonic possibilities has long fascinated composers; all the more so since the early works of Edgar Varese, Henry Cowell and John Cage. Besides the extended range of sonorities, what is new in composing for percussion lies in the possibility of distilling the pulse and rhythmical aspects of the music. Rhythm is in many respects just as complex a phenomenon as melody and harmony. In the pieces by Iannis Xenakis and Rolf Wallin on this disc it is the development of the rhythm and the sonorities that expand or bring the music to life. The rhythmical processes create tensions, relaxations, even pulses or chaotic surfaces. While in the pieces by Franco Donatoni and Ase Hedstrom there are also harmonic and melodic processes at work, here too the rhythmical progress is essential as a structural and expressive element of the musical tempus. With Cage one is more conscious of cyclical, repetitive rhythms. The works on this disc thus give us an understanding of the fascinating variety of writing for percussion. At the same time it is a programme which places great demands on its performer, demands for rhythmic and sonic precision in order to take us from the chaotically pulsating to the softly moving; from the extrovertly explosive in Xenakis and Wallin to the introvert and theatrical in Cage. (Henrik Hellstenius)Tracklisting:
1. Rebonds: I {7:19}
composed by Iannis Xenakis for percussion solo (1987-89)
2. Rebonds: II {6:59}
composed by Iannis Xenakis for percussion solo (1987-89)
3. Open I {5:12}
improvisation by Hans-Kristian Kjos Sørensen
4. Flow {7:44}
composed by Ase Hedstrom for marimba (1990)
5. The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs {3:05}
composed by John Cage for voice and piano (1942)
6. Omar: I {5:42}
composed by Franco Donatoni for solo vibraphone (1985)
7. Omar: II {8:55}
composed by Franco Donatoni for solo vibraphone (1985)
8. Open II {2:52}
improvisation by Hans-Kristian Kjos Sørensen
9. A Flower {3:47}
composed by John Cage for voice and piano (1950)
10. Stonewave Part 1 {8:40}
composed by Rolf Wallin, version for solo percussion (1990)
11. Stonewave Part 2 {4:54}
composed by Rolf Wallin, version for solo percussion (1990)
12. Open III {3:56}
improvisation by Hans-Kristian Kjos Sørensen
various artists compilation - Avant Garde Piano
released on LP
David Burge - piano
LUCIANO BERIO - Sequenza IV (1966)
Luciano Berio completed Sequenza IV during the spring of 1966, thereby adding another work to his series of solo Sequenze (the first is for flute, the second for harp, the third for voice, the fourth for piano, the fifth for trombone, and the sixth for viola.) In each of these compositions the composer has written a work of substance that is unique to its specific repertory. Having first thoroughly reassessed the potential of the given instrument (or voice, in the case of Sequenza III), he then seizes on those particular capabilities that best suit his extraordinary imagination and proceeds to develop them in an organic manner.
LUIGI DALLAPICCOLA - Quaderno Musicale di Annalibera (1952)
For purity of melodic expression, few recent piano compositions can rival the Quaderno Musicale by Luigi Dallapiccola. Written in the classical twelve-tone technique, it has already become a "classic" work in the repertory. The work was commissioned by the Pittsburgh International Contemporary Music Festival in 1952, and "is dedicated to my dear daughter Annalibera on the day of her eighth birthday."
The title, Musical Notebook for Annalibera, is not without reference to another Musical Notebook - that for Anna Magdalena Bach. In fact, in the first movement one may hear the familiar B-A-C-H figure (always, however, transposed from the usual B-flat starting point - would the fastidious Italian have found such an overly direct homage ostentatious?) Like Bach, Dallapiccola is concerned with counterpoint; three of the succeeding ten movements are strict canons.
KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN - Klavierstuck VIII (1954)
As is the case with all the music on this recording, Karlheinz Stockhausen's Klavierstuck VIII is notated with extreme care with regard to pitches, rhythms, and dynamics. The ninety-six-second span of the work is articulated by assymmetrical phrases of great activity interspersed with moments of repose, the latter invariably consisting of single pitches which, however, are never of the same duration. This balance between activity and repose gives shape to the characteristically abstract, spatial nature of the music.
PIERRE BOULEZ - Premiere Sonate (1947)
The First Sonata by Pierre Boulez is an early work, often overshadowed by the massive Second Sonata and the fantastic maze which constitutes the Third. Astonishing in itself, the First Sonata is even more impressive when one considers the youth of its author and the time of its writing (the first two years after the cultural ravages of World War II). It is often said that this work and the early Flute Sonatine show the strong influence of Webern; this may be so, but it is an assertive, flamboyant type of Webernism unknown in the older composer's works.
...
The piano writing itself is remarkable. Virtually the entire keyboard is utilized at all times, especially in the rapid sections. In other passages a new kind of counterpoint depends for its effect not at all on the progress of individual voices, which are essentially unheard, but on the resultant sound of several equal voices moving at unequal speeds.
While Boulez continues to use bar lines in this and several succeeding works, they are not meant to imply metrical accents but are inserted "as visual aids" to the performer. Several summers ago I had a visit from Ernst Krenek at a time when I was preparing the First Sonata. I recall with amusement an hour or so during which I played passages over and over while that marvelous gentleman, in a flaming orange shirt, brown shorts, and sandals, strode around the room in a most concerned manner as he tried to coax me into completely eliminating any semblance of beat or bar line accent.
ERNST KRENEK - Sechs Vermessene (1958)
Krenek's own Sechs Vermessene also employ bar lines, and the pitches, rhythms, durations, densities, and dynamics are achieved by a process of serialization that is as close to "total" as is humanly possible. Thus, in a certain sense, the music is "composed" before a single note is set down (one may be reminded, obliquely, of the title of Machaut's rondeau: "Ma fin est mon commencement, et mon commencement ma fin"). Due to the complexity of the serialization, and in spite of the clarity of Krenek's notational solutions, some formidable performance problems, especially rhythmic, are presented to the pianist. Therefore it is interesting to note that the effect of much of the Six Measurements is that of random improvisation, a fact that genuinely delights the composer! (David Burge)
Tracklisting:
Side 1
1. Luciano Berio - Sequenza IV {9:23}
2. Luigi Dallapiccola - Quaderno Musicale di Annalibera {12:47}
Side 2
1. Karlheinz Stockhausen - Klaveierstuck VIII {1:36}
2. Pierre Boulez - Premiere Sonate {9:06}
3. Ernst Krenek - Sechs Vermessene {10:58}
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It was four years ago on this day that this blog was born. I would like to thank all of the contributors (both official and unofficial) who have helped make this blog a success. I also would like to thank my fellow bloggers for their good shares and support of the Closet. Last but certainly not least, I would like to thank all of the loyal visitors for their patronage and also to those who stopped by to check out the place.
I admit that posting has been slow during the past few months. I should be able to go back to regular posting very soon. I would like to get year #5 off to a good start. Also, I am thinking about making a few small changes in the blog, but that is for the future.
Meanwhile, this post is about the past. I have been looking back upon the four years this blog has been in existence. I have enjoyed my time running this blog. Despite my increasing busy schedule, I would like to continue adding to the Closet and try to make this blog even better. If you could do a small favor for me, would you tell me what are your favorite posts. The amount can be whatever you want to list, your top 5 or top 10 or whatever number. Thank you in advance.
Karlheinz Stockhausen - Zodiac: 12 Melodies of the Star Signs
CD (recording) released in 2003
piece composed in 1975
Performers:
Wolfgang Fernow - double bass
Stefan Hussong - accordion
Michael Kiedaisch - drums and vibraphone
Michael Riessler - bass clarinet
Scott Roller - cello
Mike Svoboda - trombone, music boxes and musical direction
The astrological zodiac is a construct based on observations of the heavenly bodies that people of earlier ages and various cultures used to project the circumstances of a macrocosm beyond human influence onto the microcosm of earthly life. The observation of the stars and the derivation of events on earth and the fates of human beings from the old divinities that guide them could not only become a more or less direct plan of action as well as a form of legitimation of control over others but could also satisfy a search for the meaning of existence. The zodiac is - as an expression of the recurrence of time - not only an expression of the immutability of natural life processes and human existence but also a way of ensuring the stability of cosmic and human relationships.
At first it may seem surprising that Karlheinz Stockhausen - a composer who until that time had been one of the first champions of a particular informed, rationalist approach to the craft of composition and the musical material - would organize a composition around a culturally charged tradition such as this one. It is, however, understandable against the backdrop of a general turn from the rigor of serial composition in the early 1970s - a development that can be explained by reference to a crisis in European composition. It resulted in a new orientation for Stockhausen himself, who now turned to "intuitive" music and to a style of writing that - without seeking to deny that the roots of the approach were based on technical approaches to music - focused the act of composition on criteria such as intelligibility of musical texture and immediacy of aesthetic experience.
The twelve signs of the zodiac - which can be divided into fire, water, earth, and air signs or spring, summer, fall, and winter signs - represent a rationally organized whole that lends itself easily to serving as the foundation for a composition that (as a "composition on formulas") makes use of systematic organizational methods just as much as Stockhausen's earlier works did. The orientation of the twelve melodic shapes of Tierkreis: 12 Melodien der Sternzeichen [Zodiac: 12 Melodies of the Star Signs] (work no. 41 1/2) on the astrological zodiac also entails an orientation around the planets and mythological gods that are associated with them and the twelve basic human types that derive from them.
...
The twelve melodies - each of which is to be repeated at least three times in any realization - are marked by extreme conciseness, concentration, and beguiling simplicity. Each melody uses all the notes of the chromatic scale. The brief melodies, which differ in overall duration, tempos, and range, are completely free of motivic elaboration; they are almost totally indifferent to tonality. At the same time, they seem to have been stripped of any memory of the usual techniques of New Music, such as traditional methods or serial procedures. Stockhausen's compositional decisions were clearly occupied entirely with the desire to give each melody an unmistakable character. He himself described the melodies (of Sirius, which are identical with those of Tierkreis) as "neither diatonic nor tonal nor atonal. It [the melody for 'Libra'] is a new kind of centered twelve-tone melody." (Rolf W. Stoll)
recording contains two realizations" realization 1 for bass clarinet, trombone, accordion, percussion, cello, bass and music boxes: tracks 4 through 9 and tracks 16 through 21
realization 2 for six improvisors, music boxes and tape: tracks 1 through 3, tracks 10 through 15, and tracks 22 through 24
Tracklisting:
1. Capricorn {3:14}
2. Aquarius {3:17}
3. Pisces {3:22}
4. Capricorn {2:56}
5. Aquarius {2:54}
6. Pisces {4:22}
7. Aries {2:11}
8. Taurus {3:58}
9. Gemini {3:15}
10. Aries {3:00}
11. Taurus {2:58}
12. Gemini {3:24}
13. Cancer {1:50}
14. Leo {3:49}
15. Virgo {2:26}
16. Cancer {2:30}
17. Leo {3:01}
18. Virgo {2:02}
19. Libra {4:36}
20. Scorpio {4:41}
21. Sagittarius {2:18}
22. Libra {2:52}
23. Scorpio {2:33}
24. Sagittarius {3:48}
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Syntonic Research, Inc. - Environments Disc 3
LP released in 1971
Be-In (A Psychoacoustic Experience)
Sheep Meadow, Central Park, New York City (April 6, 1969)The 1969 Easter Be-In in New York's Central Park has come to be regarded as a sort of high-water mark for the now almost vanished Love Generation. The tremendously diverse crowd kept growing and gathering momentum until almost everyone marveled at this spontaneous "thing' that had taken place in the park. This Be-In was certainly not the biggest gathering of young people to take place in 1969. However, there are many things that happened during this recording that make it a rare, almost magical moment. The recording captures with honesty and total realism this particular instant in time which in retrospect seems more than a bit unreal. Be-In is the real experience of running barefoot in the grass on a beautiful spring day, surrounded by thousands of half-innocents exhibiting little, if any, trace of paranoia or guilt. If you were ever at a massive, totally spontaneous gathering in 1969, we think you know the feeling we mean. This particular disc is unlike anything you've ever heard before; we call it a "psychoacoustic experience". It recreates an event with such realism that it actually seems to be happening again. We think that once you experience the total immersion of this encounter, you'll agree with us that Be-In is something special.
Additional notes: The Be-In recorded during 1969 (on this record) was the third annual Be-In. Notable anti-establishment rock musician David Peel appears on this recording and performs one of his songs "Legalize Marijuana" which another version would be placed on his 1970 album The American Revolution. Later in the day after the recording was finished, there was a confrontation with police that involved rock throwing. Apparently, the Be-In ended on a not-so-happy moment.
Dusk at New Hope, Pennsylvania
(Night Environment) (August 1970)Imagine a warm summer night deep in the verdant backwoods of Eastern Pennsylvania. An infinity of sound stretching out before you. The steady, yet constantly changing drone of countless tiny insects, reminding you of the serenity and timelessness of nature. Far in the distance, a hound occasionally barks. You feel as if you are a thousand miles from the annoyances of city life. If you can imagine such a night, you pretty much know what our recording of Dusk at New Hope is like. This highly realistic stereo sound took almost a year of location work and patient testing to perfect. In its present form, it is a perfect compliment to the other natural sound recordings in the series. In an urban setting, we think you'll be amazed by the profound changes that take place when you play the disc as a background sound. Many people find that the sounds of night in the country are second to none in creating a setting for increased interpersonal relationships. Dusk at New Hope can be left on for very long periods of time without inducing fatigue or boredom. Once you become familiar with the sound, we are certain that you will find many new uses for the effect.
Note: This repost has been re-ripped to 320 kbps and includes scans of the liner notes. The original post was ripped to 192 kbps. This LP was originally posted almost four years ago. If you already got this, you may want to grab the upgraded rip. This was among the first recordings posted at the beginning of this blog on the old blogspot site.
Tracklisting:
Side 1
1. Be-In (A Psychoacoustic Experience) {33:28}
Side 2
1. Dusk at New Hope, Pennsylvania {36:31}
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Dan Gibson - Solitudes Volume Eight
cassette released in 1983
Sailing to a Hidden Cove
The tug of the waves at the helm, the boat heeling until the lee rail slashes the surface, the workaday world far behind. And then, the sound of the winch, as the genoa is trimmed to a new course heading between land and a few small reefs, where gulls scream at our passing. Up ahead is a small island. When we sail close, we can hear the waves crashing on the rocks. An explosion of wings and cries tells us we are intruding on pristine territory. When we change course again, a following wind drives us through the narrow mouth of a long fjord-like bay. The boat slows as we move into protected waters, and we see the cove, hidden now by sheer cliffs and a rocky point. Driftwood rises in tortured shapes from the small sand beach. On a low hill above the cove, a beaver dam and the sounds of wildlife everywhere. We drop anchor and row ashore, towards the sounds - sounds from the trees, from the pond, from the sky. Superb digital recording, as true to life, will help you recognize each creature of the hidden cove.
WILDLIFE SPECIES FEATURED:
Herring and Ring-billed Gulls, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Common Loon, White-throated Sparrow, Yellowthroat, Swamp Sparrow, Common Glicker, Osprey, Pileated Woodpecker, Tree Swallows, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Bullfrogs, Gray Tree Frogs, Whip-poor-will
Hiking Over the Highlands
Sailing forever is the dream, but we are awakened from that dream by a sound so mysterious that we hardly realize that we are awake; the sound seems to be an extension of the dream - the eerie cry of the loon. But there is another sound too. Something more prosaic - the slap of the waves against the side of the boat. Breakfast aboard attracts voracious gulls from the rocky point - they circle and scream demanding their share. The gulls won't follow us after breakfast; because we're leaving the boat at anchor, rowing ashore and hiking over the hills to listen to many sounds we seldom hear at home and to try our luck fishing a small mountain stream. If you have fished such a stream you will relive the experience. And if you've cooked your catch over a wood fire, you will just about taste again the tender fish when you hear its magic sizzle hitting the hot buttered pan. After lunch we follow the stream down to the lake. The gulls hover over the reef expectantly and in the distance we can see our boat waiting.
WILDLIFE SPECIES FEATURED:
Common Loons, White-throated Sparrow, Yellowthroat, Herring and Ring-billed Gulls, Swamp Sparrow, Spring Peeper Frogs, Catbird, Swainson's Thrush, Winter Wren, Wood Thrush
Tracklisting:
Side 1
1. Sailing to a Hidden Cove {29:54}
Side 2
1. Hiking Over the Highlands {29:59}
(1)
Denis Smalley - Impacts intérieurs
An important distinguishing feature of the five works on this compact disc is the relationship between gesture and texture. Musical gesture, derived from our experience of physical gesture, is concerned with the tendency for soundshapes to move towards or away from goals in the musical structure; it is concerned with growth, temporal evolution, sense of forward direction, the impact of events, dramatic surface. Texture, however, is more about interior activity, the patterns inside sounds, about encouraging the ear to contemplate inner details; it is often more about standing still and observing the behaviors of sounds rather than pressing onwards through time. Gesture can be textured, and textures can be formed from gestures - the interplay and balance between them lie at the heart of our experiences in musical time. (Denis Smalley, September 1992)
About Denis Smalley (from the liner notes)
Denis Smalley's musical output is made up entirely of electroacoustic works, many of which have received international prizes - the Fylkingen Prize (1975), awards at the Bourges International Electroacoustic Music Competition (1977, 83, 92), the Special Prize of the International Confederation of Electroacoustic Music (1983), and the Prix Ars Electronica (1988). In his writings and lectures he has made original contributions to the field of electroacoustic music, in particular his investigations into the listener's perception and interpretation of electroacoustic music, and his development of the notion of 'spectromorphology' (the shaping of sound spectra through time).
He was born in Nelson (New Zealand) in 1946. Having showed early talent as a chorister, pianist and organist he first studied music at the University of Canterbury, moving to the Victoria University of Wellington to take a first class honors degree in composition. He was also active as a recital organist giving the first New Zealand performances of music by Messiaen and Ligeti. After leaving university he was Head of Music at Wellington College for almost three years before receiving a French Government bursary for study in Paris where he spent a year in Messiaen's composition class at the Conservatoire de Paris. At the same time he took the electroacoustic composition 'workshop' of the Groupe de recherches musicales (GRM), completing the Diplome de musique electroacoustique et de recherche musicale. He next settled in York (United Kingdom), completing his doctorate in composition at the University of York. In 1976 he was appointed Lecturer in Music at the University of East Anglia, Norwich (UK). In 1988, he became Senior Lecturer and also the Director of its Electroacoustic Music Studio.
Tracklisting:
1. Valley Flow {16:57}
(1991-1992)
2. Piano Nets: 1st Movement {6:57}
(1990-1991) Philip Mead - piano (all Piano Nets movements)
3. Piano Nets: 2nd Movement {4:19}
4. Piano Nets: 3rd Movement {6:38}
5. Wind Chimes {15:15}
(1987)
6. Clarinet Threads {13:28}
(1985) Roger Heaton - clarinet
7. Darkness After Time's Colours {13:58}
(1976)
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Herbert Brün - Wayfaring Sounds
Non SequitIur VI (1966)Performers: Carolyn Ho - flute; Sarah Wiseman - cello; Ann Warde - piano; Shirley Blankenship - harp; J. C. Kilbourne - marimba I; Jeff Magby - marimba II; David Madden - percussion I; Ian Ding - percussion II; Arun Chandra - conductor
For the "instrumental" parts, a program written by the composer in SCATRE, calling on MUSICOMP, was executed by the computer IBM 7094, resulting in a printout, which was recoded into a score and parts for musicians to read. The "tape" sections, however, were programmed by the composer for the then new D/A sound synthesis system. The resulting sound was used without modification just as the composer and converter system had synthesized it. (from the liner notes)
Wayfaring Sounds (1958)
I regard the term "work of art" with misgivings and therefore gave my composition the name Wayfaring Sounds. Sounds are wayfaring, not only for me, not only in electronic studios. Everywhere, in theater, in poetry, in language and in music a powerful movement has started, scorning all categorization and mocking the conventional associative patterns. Everywhere sounds are on their way to take possession of articulation and of communication, augmenting them and trying to liberate them from outdated routines of misunderstanding. (Herbert Brün)
on stilts among ducks (1997)
Performer: Eckart Schloifer - viola
I, Viola, loves Duck
for not being I.
Duck never sounds Viola
who never plays Duck.
Eckart the Schloifer had
asked for it has
waited for it for I said
yes:
on stilts among ducks -, (Herbert Brün)
Sonoriferous Loops (1964)
Performers: Patrick Purswell - flute; Ernest Bastin - trumpet; Thomas Fredrickson - double bass; William Parsons, Michael Rosen, and Jon Dutton - percussion; Herbert Brün - conductor
The structure of the composition, defined by elements and rules together with an algorithm which operates in and on the structure as a looping generating function, was translated by the composer into two programs: one for the instrumental section and one for the tape section. Both programs call on MUSICOMP, were written in SCATRE, and were executed by the computer IBM 7094. The "instrumental" output, a printout, thus had to be recoded by the composer into a score and parts legible to live musicians. The "tape" output, a deck of cards, was converted into actual sound by the computer CSX-1 and stored on audio tape. The final performance tape is the result of extensive modification on the CSX-1 sound, achieved with the analog equipment of the Experimental Music Studio, University of Illinois. (from the liner notes)
Infraudibles with percussion (1968-1984)
Performers: Percussion Group Cincinnati: Allen Otte, James Culley, Russell Burge
In the Sixties I taught a computer at the University of Illinois to assist me in composing a piece of music and then to actually perform it.
The piece I called Infraudibles, and you'll hear the computer play it from tape through the loudspeakers.
Later, I added, by hand and without computer, parts for live instrumentalists.
In Infraudibles with percussion, the instrumentalists play a musical analogy to the music on the tape. Whereas in Infraudibles with quintet, the five instrumentalists play a musical response to the music on the tape.
In the analogy, the tape plays one music and the percussion another music. The two musics speak two languages about one content.
In the response, however, tape and quintet play one music, speaking one language about two contents. (Herbert Brün)
Sentences Now Open Wide (SNOW) (1984)
For Marianne Brün
Performers: The Performers' Workshop Ensemble: Lesley Olson and Megan Lyden - flutes; Ja'acov Ziso - French horn; Charles Lipp and Mark Enslin - bassoons; Sarah Wiseman - cello; Arun Chandra - guitar; Herbert Brün - piano; Pamela Richman, Susan Parenti, and David Friedman - voices
Composed for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Experimental Music Studios of the University of Illinois
The text - my words and where I want them - has accumulated since 1970. It responds with discontent to the commonplace of power: "Let us do our best for you, or else!"
The tape I made - using methods similar to those of 25 years ago - with the generators, oscillators, filters of the University of Illinois Experimental Music Studios. It plays music constructed in analogy to social movements which will, if we fail them, fail us.
The instruments - strangers between text and tape - wonder how they got here, while calling with remembered and with invented gestures for answers to the questions: "What was? What is? What next?" (Herbert Brün)
Herbert Brün first turned to electronic sound production for the composition of music during the late 1950s in the Paris, Cologne, and Munich studios, particularly guided by Gottfried Michael Koenig. Before that, and at the same time, he composed works for acoustic instruments: small and large chamber ensembles and orchestra.
He also worked as a composer and conductor of music for the theater, gave lectures and seminars on the function of music in society, and did broadcasts on contemporary music. After completing a lecture tour through the United States in 1962, he went to the University of Illinois to do research and to teach; he is presently Professor Emeritus there.
Herbert Brün was born 1918 in Berlin, Germany, and studied with Eli Friedmann, Frank Pelleg, Wolf Rosenberg, and Stefan Wolpe. (about Herbert Brün from the liner notes)
Tracklisting:
1. Non Sequitur VI {12:50}
2. Wayfaring Sounds {4:29}
3. on stilts among ducks {18:10}
4. Sonoriferous Loops {14:19}
5. Infraudibles with percussion {10:30}
6. Sentences Now Open Wide (SNOW) {11:00}
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Harrison/Perry/Gyring - Harrison/Perry/Gyring
released on LP
Suite for Percussion
composed by Lou Harrison, performed by The Manhattan Percussion Ensemble conducted by Paul Price
Lou Harrison was born in Portland, Oregon on May 14, 1917. He is today one of the most important of America's Pacific Coast composers. Two of Harrison's most prominent teachers have been Henry Cowell and Arnold Schoenberg. Like John Cage, another of Cowell's students, he became fascinated by strange and unorthodox sonorities, and incorporated such curious sounds as those vibrating from automobile brake drums, lengths of plumber's pipes, galvanized wash-tubs, glass bowls and the like. As early as 1944, he devised a method for composing on the "photo-phonograph", a precursor of tape-recorder music.
...
SUITE FOR PERCUSSION (1940) is a late work of his "San Francisco" period. (from the liner notes)
Homunculus, C.F. for 10 Percussionists
composed by Julia Perry, performed by The Manhattan Percussion Ensemble conducted by Paul Price
HOMUNCULUS, C.F., FOR TEN PERCUSSIONISTS was composed in Akron, Ohio, during the summer of 1960 in my apartment situated on the top floor of my father's (physician and surgeon) office, equipped with all the necessary facilities except a piano. These clinical surroundings evoked memories of the medieval laboratory where Wagner, youthful apprentice to Faust, made a successful alchemy experiment, fashioning and bringing to life a creature he called homunculus. Having selected percussion instruments for my formulae, then maneuvering and distilling them by means of the Chord of the Fifteenth (C.F.), this musical test tube baby was brought to life. The chord of the fifteenth was created from a succession of superimposed thirds:
E, G#, B, D#, F#, A#, C#, E#
1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15
The first twenty measures of this pan-tonal composition proceed at moderate speed, punctuated with subtle rhythmic nuances. Snare drum anticipates wood block in imitation. In the succeeding twenty measures, juxtaposed dynamics between the wood block's medium-loud intensity against the cymbals' dynamics marked a trifle softer with the bass drum's intensity still softer, create a complexity of timbre and dynamics. The triple kettledrum entry on G#, D# and F# is marked very, very soft, increasing its intensity to medium loud; and it is the kettledrum that establishes E as the fundamental tone of the chordal structure in the subsequent duet with harp. The xylophone pivots in the transmutation of material. Superimposed thirds increase in dynamic intensity reinforced with vibraphone, celesta, harp and piano. (Julia Perry)
Piano Sonata No. 2
composed by Elizabeth Gyring, performed by Mitchell Andrews
Elizabeth Gyring's PIANO SONATA No. 2 was composed in 1957. It is in the traditional four movements, the first being a modified sonata form, the second a scherzo, the third a songlike slow movement and the finale a rondo. The composer says that, as in all of her music, the inspiration was the melodic idea and that all the counterpoint and harmonization should be considered merely accompaniment.
The work was premiered by Mitchell Andrews in New York in 1958, where the correspondent for Neues Oesterreich described it as "strongly rhythmic," and "expressive in its dancing flow ... This is highly spiritual music ... that again and again concentrates in dramatic climaxes." (from the liner notes)
Tracklisting:
Side 1
1. Lou Harrison - Suite for Percussion {9:31}
2. Julia Perry - Homunculus, C.F. for 10 Percussionists {5:02}
Side 2
1. Elizabeth Gyring - Piano Sonata No. 2 {20:22}
(1) or (1) [links may come back soon]
Echoes of Nature Sampler: The Natural Sounds of the Wilderness
CD released in 1993
As the title says, this is a sampler of the environmental/nature recordings in the Echoes of Nature series which consist of familiar yet well recorded sounds from the natural world. This post is different from the others in that instead of field recordings focusing on one type of area, just about all of the areas are covered. Listening to this all the way through is like going on a trip through several types of environments in just over an hour. Each track which is approximately seven to eight minutes long is an excerpt from different Echoes of Nature releases. If there are any particular ones that you would wish would last longer, you could use the "repeat" feature on your player of choice or find the release the track came from.
*special thanks to my friend KL from NYC for sharing this
Tracklisting:
1. Ocean Waves {7:29}
2. Morning Songbirds {7:04}
3. Bayou {7:54}
4. Tropical Rainforest {7:27}
5. Jungle Talk {7:25}
6. Wilderness Rivers {7:00}
7. Thunderstorm {6:55}
8. Frog Chorus {8:37}
9. American Wilds {7:43}
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Dan Gibson - Solitudes Volume Seven
cassette released in 1983
*Special thanks to a friend for sharing this with me.
NIGHT IN A SOUTHERN SWAMP
Can a 14 foot alligator surface under a canoe and overturn it? What creature belongs to that eerie scream that comes from somewhere above the water, surrounded by the jungle of giant cypresses.
Why are we paddling through this southern swamp at night anyway? A search for danger? Excitement? Adventure at any price?
In fact , it's an experiment in time - a search for antiquity - a return to the primeval. For here, amid the cries of the night, under a dome of stars and walled by the ancient and towering trees, we move ever deeper into the strangness of the great swamp. The paddle dips and plays a gentle, watery obligato to the calls from the treetops, from the jungle shores, from the sky and from the hidden retreats among the swamp grasses. We have left routine behind - primeval night surrounds us. Slowly we relax into this old world, our only contact with the outside world is the feel of the paddle prodding the dark, moving us ever further into the unknown waters of the swamp - ever further away from reality.
WILDLIFE SPECIES FEATURED
Chuck-will's widow, Red-tailed Hawk, Barred Owls, wood Ducks, Great Horned Owl, Common Gallinule, Snowy Egret, Pine Woods Tree Frogs, Southern Swamp Chorus Frogs, Barking Frogs, Cricket Frogs, Gopher Frogs, Screech Owls
DON'T FEED THE ALLIGATORS
You remember those walks along a sandy, shell-strewn shore? With the surf rolling in? And the seabirds crying in a sunny sky? Most of us long to do it again at the very first opportunity. It will all come flooding back to you, now, in three dimensions. And perhaps it will add something new as well. After you stroll along the beach, you turn inland, following a trail through the heavily forested wetlands that contrast dramatically with the beach scene. Here, among ancient cypress trees four or five hundred years old, strange and distant cries float towards you through the moss-hung air. Intimate sounds surprise you - wing sounds, water sounds, unexpected splashes. From what? A waterbird? The flail of an alligator's tail? It's all part of the lush and private world of the southern swamp. The three dimensional effect is stunning - your room, or your mind will transform, your environment will change. You will be there. And just when you yearn again for the beach, you will hear the surf and the gulls in the distance. You are moving towards them. Soon you break out into the sun, sea and sky. Once again the sea wind is on your face, cooling your skin. And you are strolling back along the sand.
WILDLIFE SPECIES FEATURED
Mockingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Great Crested Flycatcher, House Wren, Great Egret*, American Wigeon*, Laughing Gulls*, Ring-billed Gulls*, Snowy Egret*, Common Gallinule*, Fish Crow*, Tufted Titmouse, Red-headed Woodpecker, Rufous-sided Towhee.
*Numerous water and shore birds in the background.
Tracklisting:
Side 1
1. Night in a Southern Swamp {29:38}
Side 2
1. Don't Feed the Alligators {29:27}
(1)
Dan Gibson - Solitudes Volume Four
cassette released in 1982
NIAGARA FALLS, THE GORGE AND GLEN
No matter how many photographs of Niagara Falls you've seen, your first real sight of The Falls is unforgettable. But equally unforgettable, even awesome, is the thought of descending some 180 feet to the basin of the falls, suiting up in a waterproof outfit, and sailing through the swirling waters, waters as deep as the falls are high, then through the enveloping mists, past the cascading American Falls, right up into the thundering heart of the Horseshoe Falls. The Maid of The Mist landing is the starting point of Side 1. The falls are heard in the near distance, and the gulls and terns provide an unexpected nautical feeling to the start of the adventure.
Soon we are right alongside the staggering cataract. This is the roar you will remember for the rest of your life. A roar that can dependably conjure up memories of mists and the rainbow that curves through the mists on any sunny day.
When we cross the parklands, again with the falls in the distance, we hear song birds, the cardinal and common flicker. We are on our way to the place that has enticed film producers and daredevils, one of the most treacherous stretches of white water in North America, the Niagara Gorge.
The canyon floor of the gorge, where we hear the swiftly plunging, and dangerous rapids, is 230 feet down. Now we can hear the violence of the river, a violence that has taken many lives of those who have challenged it.
From the excitement of the falls and the violence of the gorge, we move downriver to the ancient beauty and tranquility of the Niagara Glen, where, along the nature paths, past the debris of Ice Age avalanches, we hear the sounds of spring in the glen, chickadees, a nuthatch, a brown thrasher, even a chipmunk and in the background a red-tailed hawk.
Along the calmer reaches of the river, a little further downstream, a chorus of robins, some old squaw ducks, and easiest of all to identify a flock of Canada geese that happens to pass overhead.
Niagara has many moods, and each one has a vital sound that brings memories of a tour through the area flooding back.
On Side 2 we'll continue the tour through a totally different kind of Niagara experience.
WILDLIFE SPECIES FEATURED
Ring-billed Gulls, Common Tern, Cardinal, Common Flicker, Gray Squirrel, Black-capped Chickadees, Eastern Chipmunk, Red-tailed Hawk, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Thrasher, Robins, Old Squaw Ducks, Canada Geese
AMONG THE PONDS AND STREAMS OF NIAGARA
Meditation is a method of relaxation that doesn't come easily to everybody. We need help, a stimulus of some sort, something to trigger the meditating process.
Side 2 might do it.
A few minutes walk up river from the falls brings us to a delightful area of ponds and streams, diverted from the main river. Here, amid woodland trails, lovely islands, and grassy knolls, you can wander for hours, lost in a miniature Eden.
The hypnotic tunes of the rushing stream harmonize perfectly with a myriad of bird calls. This is a sequence to accompany the mind as it drifts away from 'now', and moves back to 'then.'
But, one can't drift forever, even in meditation. To bring you gently back to reality you find yourself at the river rapids above the falls, and then, the distant roar of the falls themselves urges you back into the present, and the raucous cries of herring gulls and black-backed gulls confirm the fact the meditation is over. You are back where you began the Niagara experience ... back at Niagara Falls.
WILDLIFE SPECIES FEATURED
Song Sparrow, Belted Kingfisher, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-throat, House Wren, Red-winged Blackbird, Mourning Dove, Northern Oriole, Common Crow, Mallard Ducks, American Toads, Robin, Cardinal, Eastern Phoebe, Herring Gulls, Black-backed Gulls
(from the liner notes)
Tracklisting:
Side 1
1. Niagara Falls, The Gorge and Glen {29:09}
Side 2
1. Among the Streams and Ponds of Niagara {29:05}
(1)
It should be noted that while the Lobi and Dagarti use the same xylophone, they constitute distinct ethnic groups with mutually incomprehensible languages and different musical styles. (Richard Hill) 
