Terry Riley (b. 1935)

[beclemund]

Recently I have been listening to this:



It's an unedited recording of a solo piano recital given by Terry at the Moscow Conservatory in April 2000, and successfully recalls the experience of attending a very similar recital, containing much the same material, at around the same time in Oxford, England.

I am glad you brought this discussion here. I saw you post this recording on the listening thread, so I was hoping you would share more about it here. After my experience with The Harp I am more than interested in more of Riley's solo piano work. I am not sure how I feel about the jazz vibe, however, as the pieces on The Harp that seemed to owe the most to jazz did not do it for me.

The soundtrack collection is on my to buy list--probably some time after I have investigated a few others (Shri Camel and Rainbow in Curved Air are atop my list). I think I would much rather find Santoni's film to see how it meshed as a whole. Lifespan looks to be available via Netflix, so I have just added that one to my queue.

[Choo Choo]

The soundtrack collection is on my to buy list--probably some time after I have investigated a few others (Shri Camel and Rainbow in Curved Air are atop my list). I think I would much rather find Santoni's film to see how it meshed as a whole. Lifespan looks to be available via Netflix, so I have just added that one to my queue.

FWIW I think this is absolutely the right way to go.  Rainbow and Camel are substantial works which stand in their own right.  The soundtracks album is fine - and a nice addition if you already have the others - but doesn't seem to me to have quite the same kind of unifying vision.  I haven't seen either film - would be very interested to see your report on these.

Congratulations BTW to everybody, that this thread has made it onto a 2nd page - and with good, pertinent posts throughout.  I am very much cheered by this.

[bhodges]

PS, on Sunday, August 12, for anyone near NYC, there is a concert at the Noguchi Museum in Long Island City by the American Contemporary Music Ensemble (a.k.a. ACME), which will be doing In C, along with works by Andriessen and Kevin Volans.

--Bruce

[beclemund]

I have not been on the boards much lately, but I did finally manage to acquire and listen to Riley's Shri Camel which is an extraordinary piece. Never a fan of electronic music, it did take some doing to get me to sit down and pay this piece the attention it deserved.

Interestingly, the first time I listened to it was in my cubicle at work. There is a wall near me with a machine room that exists behind it. There is a constant hum of small engines and pipes and Riley's piece seems to be composed in the same key. After a long day at the office, sometimes, the drone in Shri Camel can be confused with the machine room noise. It is not as bizarre a confusion as one might first suspect because unlike the organic unfolding soundscape of In C, Shri Camel seems to have a very mechanistic evolution--though that may be more due to the instrumentation (electric organ and computer). Listening to it is a lot like watching a colony of ants at work systematically bringing goods to and from the hill to feed their queen. That is not to say it is boring or predictable, however, as there are multitudes of sonic details that unfold for the listener. Another very welcome addition from Terry Riley.



I was reminded to post my thoughts on it as I am listening to it right now. 

[snyprrr]

is this the composer who gets on my nerves the most? all that "shaman" stuff really gets to me. all those Kronos discs....I've really really TRIED, but that last kronos disc with Wu Man was the last straw. maybe i really DON'T like hippies, but no, Terry, you're music does NOT help me commune with the spirit world, it just reminds me how i could tolerate the Grateful Dead until i met their fans.

my apologies to anyone who may feel differently. pass me the peyote, i need it.

[snyprrr]

yikes, i find myself in the middle of the riley fan club.

please disregard my rant! thank you

[bhodges]

yikes, i find myself in the middle of the riley fan club.

please disregard my rant! thank you

When I first heard his work, I didn't even have the "back story" of say, his all-night concerts and his interest in spiritual matters.  I just enjoyed his music.  Fast-forward to today, years after hearing many other composers like Elliott Carter, Michael Finnissy, Karl Henning......now I think Riley's In C is a brilliantly simple concept, very well executed.

--Bruce

[jowcol]

Shri Camel was a fave in college-- I only have it on vinyl.

Yes,  I like In C very much.    I want to hear the Bang on a Can version. There is a free version available here:
http://www.podcastalley.com/forum/showthread.php?t=134756

ONe thing I've wanted to do, but not had the time is to write a script for my composing software (Harmony Assistant-- great if you don't have the $$ for the expensive ones) that would use markovian  principles to generate different versions of In C, but use "sections" of the orchestra instead of the individual instruments.  I think you would get some intersting textures that often get lost if each when each instrument is going its own way.

I must admit though, that Reich's Music for 18 Musicians thrills me a little bit more. 


Ahh... at some point we need to launch a LaMonte Young thread... or maybe it's already happened.

[snyprrr]

i have to retract some of my rant.

i just remembered i used to have a bass, drums, guitar, keys 2cd set of "g song", which i thought was the best grateful dead jam i've heard (i'm being sincere). it was kind of like the music i really wanted to play as a guitar player...blusey, bitches brew type stuff. i would have appreciated a little more rock "flash", but overall i think it made my point to myself about riley-types: that many times, their ideas sound better with "popular" instrumentation such as the hybrid rock bands.

also, mayyybe i can take In C a little.

WAIT A MINUTE...it's NOT riley....it IS laMonte Young on "G Song" yeeeesh.

[jowcol]

Just a brief update.   I have now heard the "Bang on a Can" version of In C, and I like it very much.  There is a bit of urgency there (as well as some great interplay) that is going to make this one the first version that shows up in my MP3 player. 

I've also grabbed Rainbow in Curved Air, and I am kicking myself for not getting this earlier.  I can see how this made an impression in the late 60s.  One thing I like is how the two "sides" (remember when albums had sides?) had a yin and yang.  The first side very sunny and busy (but very engaginng)-- the second side much darker with a lot more space (but very engaging...)

[Dax]

Just a brief update.   I have now heard the "Bang on a Can" version of In C, and I like it very much.  There is a bit of urgency there (as well as some great interplay) that is going to make this one the first version that shows up in my MP3 player. 

I've also grabbed Rainbow in Curved Air, and I am kicking myself for not getting this earlier.  I can see how this made an impression in the late 60s.  One thing I like is how the two "sides" (remember when albums had sides?) had a yin and yang.  The first side very sunny and busy (but very engaginng)-- the second side much darker with a lot more space (but very engaging...)

In terms of ancestry, it's revealing to compare some of the saxophone phrases subjected to tape delay echoes on Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band to John Coltrane's soprano sax playing on My favourite things. Coltrane much impressed La Monte Young and Steve Reich as well, of course.

[jowcol]

In terms of ancestry, it's revealing to compare some of the saxophone phrases subjected to tape delay echoes on Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band to John Coltrane's soprano sax playing on My favourite things. Coltrane much impressed La Monte Young and Steve Reich as well, of course.

Very interesting point.  I think another element which may tie the two strains together was a common interest in Indian Classical music-- as I recall both the minimalists and Coltrane had dipped into it in the late 50s-early 60s. (Hence Coltrane's song India-- some versions of which had a tambura playing along). 

I'm a rabid coltrane fan-- in case my handle rings a bell.

[monafam]

I only have "The Book of Abbeyozud," which I really enjoy.  I understand it isn't typical-Riley though, and I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations/must-haves, etc.

[monafam]

I thought I would revisit my last request one more time, especially since I didn't really phrase it like a question  .   Are there any Riley pieces that anyone would recommend?   

Thanks as always in advance. 

[bhodges]

Definitely get a recording of In C, if you don't have one already.  I love the version by Bang on a Can, but there are about five or six recordings available, and I haven't read a bad review of any of them.  The second one below is with the Shanghai Film Orchestra on traditional Chinese instruments, and fascinating if you like those timbres.

--Bruce

[monafam]

Thanks for the recommendation.  I had a download to burn and the "Bang on a Can" version was available so I got that last night.

I am listening to it at work -- very intense piece.  I feel like I need to catch my breath, and they just won't let me!   

I read a little about the work itself and it was amazing how varied it can actually be.  One thing that stands out to me is how beautiful it sounds -- must be the notes they are given to play -- despite the potential chaos that sort of freedom could lead to!

[bhodges]

You may have run across the score to In C already, but if not, it's here.  It's fun to examine while you're listening, to see when people decide to go to the next pattern.

--Bruce

[monafam]

You may have run across the score to In C already, but if not, it's here.  It's fun to examine while you're listening, to see when people decide to go to the next pattern.

--Bruce

Thanks for the link!  I hadn't seen the score (just a write-up on Riley's notes) and it's really interesting.  I am at work now, but at some point I definitely want to listen this in conjuction with the score itself.

Thanks again for the suggestion and the score!

[Dax]

Incidentally, patterns 22-26 should consist of quavers: so all the dotted crotchets should contain slanted lines to denote this - for some reason they've been omitted.

[offbeat]

have never heard anything by Terry Riley before but listening to contemporary classics radio and they are playing The Cusp of Magic -is this well known piece - its pretty cool