Gérard Grisey (1946-1998)

[SimonNZ]

Man, I need to move to Milan...

Charme, Stele and Anubis et Nout are all short (ie ten minutes or less) small-scale (solo) works. If you're limiting yourself to just two more then I'd go for the biggies. For me that would be the percussion work Le Noir de l'Étoile and a toss-up between Jour, contre jour and L'Icône paradoxale. Of those two I might actually go for the latter. which has more variety in writing and instrumentation, including vocal parts, than the moody former, as well as more chance of providing a performance tellingly different to the cds.

[GioCar]

Man, I need to move to Milan...

Simon, that bonanza is just for a few weeks of the year . The rest of the concert season here is quite traditional...

Charme, Stele and Anubis et Nout are all short (ie ten minutes or less) small-scale (solo) works. If you're limiting yourself to just two more then I'd go for the biggies. For me that would be the percussion work Le Noir de l'Étoile and a toss-up between Jour, contre jour and L'Icône paradoxale. Of those two I might actually go for the latter. which has more variety in writing and instrumentation, including vocal parts, than the moody former, as well as more chance of providing a performance tellingly different to the cds.

I also was thinking at Le Noir de l'Étoile. And L'Icône paradoxale looks very intriguing, also because it will be paired with some Messiaen and Ravel. Thanks a lot! 

[Scion7]

Vortex Temporum (for six instruments) is listenable. I would have pruned it by every 3rd repeat of a phrase, though.   

[Mandryka]

Ok, this is a question for real Griseyians 
In less than one mounth I'll have the chance to listen to the below pieces, performed separately for this year's annual festival of contemporary music in Milan.

(Les) Espaces acoustiques (1974/85) - 14 October
Quatre chants pour franchir le seuil (1998) - 29 October
Jour, contre jour (1979) - 4 November
Charme (1969) - 12 November (afternoon concert)
Le Noir de l'Étoile (1989/90) 12 and 13 November
Stèle (1995) 13 November (afternoon concert)
Anubis et Nout (1990) 19 November
L'Icône paradoxale (1993/94) - 21 November

I have already planned to go for

(Les) Espaces acoustiques (1974/85) - 14 October
Quatre chants pour franchir le seuil (1998) - 29 October

If you have to pick no more than two other concerts, which ones would you choose? Thanks 

I think you should go to jour contre- jour and Anubis-nout. I don't know icone paradoxale, I'm not crazy about the percussion piece noir d'etoiles, though I imagine it would make an exciting concert.

[bhodges]

I also was thinking at Le Noir de l'Étoile. And L'Icône paradoxale looks very intriguing, also because it will be paired with some Messiaen and Ravel. Thanks a lot! 

Another vote for Le noir, which I had the great fortune to hear twice in three months, live, by different ensembles (and probably never again). If you like percussion, it's a marvelous experience.

The others, alas, I don't know (other than the two "big ones" that you've already booked).

--Bruce

[GioCar]

Bruce and Mandryka, thanks for your comments and recommendations.

Le Noir de l'Étoile will be performed by Les Percussions de Strasbourg, a great ensemble I do appreciate a lot. I already have their recording of the Grisey's piece but I've never heard them (or anybody else) playing it live, so I definitely won't miss that chance now.

If I hadn't promised Mrs GioCar I'd have limited myself to only 4 concerts...

[snyprrr]

The Grisey Spoon



thank you, snyprrr

[North Star]

The Grisey Spoon



thank you, snyprrr

Any particular reason it should be the [ɡʁizɛ] spoon?

[Rinaldo]

Vortex Temporum makes a surprise appearance at this year's Prague Spring festival, can't wait!

[snyprrr]

Any particular reason it should be the [ɡʁizɛ] spoon?

ahh... I'm not sure it matters how his name is pronounced... but, I'm not sure if you know the slang: "greasy spoon" means low class diner... even washing their dishes, they still always have a "greasy spoon"...

so, instead of "Grisey's Diner"... oh well, latent attempt at humore fails on a drizzly day

[Rinaldo]

Salzburg Festival: TIME WITH GRISEY

"The 2017 edition of the Salzburger Festspiele pays tribute to French composer Gérard Grisey (1946-1998) with a 6-concert series entitled TIME WITH GRISEY, featuring performances of his most important pieces by musicians of international stature."

[SimonNZ]

Salzburg Festival: TIME WITH GRISEY

"The 2017 edition of the Salzburger Festspiele pays tribute to French composer Gérard Grisey (1946-1998) with a 6-concert series entitled TIME WITH GRISEY, featuring performances of his most important pieces by musicians of international stature."

Looks wonderful. Will you be going to them? At least Quatre Chants and Espaces Acoustiques, I hope.

[You did it]

The Grisey revelation for any beginner starts out as follows:

1. Eh, Partiels is pretty good!
2. OMG, PARTIELS IS A MASTERPIECE, THIS IS ONE OF THE CANON MASTERPIECES ALL CLASSICAL MUSIC!!
3. Huh what? Partiels is only one piece in a 2 hour cycle, it's only the 'hit' of Espaces Acoustiques 
4. ESPACES ACOUSTIQUES IS THE GREATEST PIECE OF THE 20th CENTURY!!!!!
5. Huh what? Grisey wrote other works too!!!!!
6. Repeat for every other piece 


Seriously though, you know it's true 

[Rinaldo]

The Grisey revelation for any beginner starts out as follows:

1. Eh, Partiels is pretty good!
2. OMG, PARTIELS IS A MASTERPIECE, THIS IS ONE OF THE CANON MASTERPIECES ALL CLASSICAL MUSIC!!
3. Huh what? Partiels is only one piece in a 2 hour cycle, it's only the 'hit' of Espaces Acoustiques 
4. ESPACES ACOUSTIQUES IS THE GREATEST PIECE OF THE 20th CENTURY!!!!!
5. Huh what? Grisey wrote other works too!!!!!
6. Repeat for every other piece 

Seriously though, you know it's true 

I can vouch for the accuracy of this.

[You did it]

I can vouch for the accuracy of this.

 

[You did it]

So Partiels is an absolute masterpiece, one of the greatest things written last century.


But I think I'm an even bigger fan of the second half of the cycle:


Modulations
Transitories
Epilogue

It is.......is......is.......is:













Completely incomparable, even Stockhausen's Licht (which I'm a huuuuuuge fan of) doesn't quite reach what Espaces Acoustiques reaches 

[You did it]

When I'm in the mood, Grisey absolutely floors me.

Sort of like with Scelsi, it is really "music from the other side" isn't it?  (in a positive way)

[snyprrr]

When I'm in the mood, Grisey absolutely floors me.

Sort of like with Scelsi, it is really "music from the other side" isn't it?  (in a positive way)

"When I'm in the mood" being the key for me here... I think what I need is "Son of Espaces Acoutiques"... who has written the HitParade version of EA? OK, maybe I'll take it to work today...

[bhodges]

The Grisey revelation for any beginner starts out as follows:

1. Eh, Partiels is pretty good!
2. OMG, PARTIELS IS A MASTERPIECE, THIS IS ONE OF THE CANON MASTERPIECES ALL CLASSICAL MUSIC!!
3. Huh what? Partiels is only one piece in a 2 hour cycle, it's only the 'hit' of Espaces Acoustiques 
4. ESPACES ACOUSTIQUES IS THE GREATEST PIECE OF THE 20th CENTURY!!!!!
5. Huh what? Grisey wrote other works too!!!!!
6. Repeat for every other piece 


Seriously though, you know it's true 

*chuckling*

Les espaces acoustiques is definitely one of the greatest of the 20th century (among too many contenders). And yes, Partiels is fabulous -- but then, I adore all sections of the piece. Still hoping some ambitious orchestra will do the entire thing live in New York. Spectral scores are still challenging for most conventional orchestral musicians. (I've heard more of his music from new chamber music groups, like the International Contemporary Ensemble, for example.)

--Bruce

[North Star]

*chuckling*

Les espaces acoustiques is definitely one of the greatest of the 20th century (among too many contenders). And yes, Partiels is fabulous -- but then, I adore all sections of the piece. Still hoping some ambitious orchestra will do the entire thing live in New York. Spectral scores are still challenging for most conventional orchestral musicians. (I've heard more of his music from new chamber music groups, like the International Contemporary Ensemble, for example.)

--Bruce

Susanna Mälkki and the Helsinki Philharmonic did Les espaces acoustiques in February. I wish I could have been there..