(Aldo) Clementi's Canons of Cotton

[snyprrr]

Aldo Clementi (1925-2011)

Clementi is an Avant-Garde Composer of High Modernism, perhaps sounding like a combination of Donatoni and Feldman (and Cage). The main feature of his music is a canonic tapestry woven together and coming across as so many Feldman scores colliding into one another. It's all done piano, a la Feldman, but the textures are extremely fuzzy, somewhat amorphous, and lacking surface distinction. The effect is usually quite mellow, again, having the dynamic contour of Feldman, but with a waywardness that perhaps reflects Cageian processes.

Clementi's Discography is quite small, recently bolstered by Mode's two separate discs devoted entirely to him. There is also an Italian disc (I think it's Ricordi) that includes a viola concerto and some ensemble pieces, and a Stradivarius disc of ensemble pieces (with pieces by Riccardo Nova also- great cover art!), and finally, a HatHut/artHat (- you know, the 'white with red' guys) recital of ensemble pieces. Seriously, anyone interested probably need not go beyond these.

Clementi is by no means an 'also-ran', but his small output does put him behind the front rank. Still, he fits in comfortably with all, having a unique style that complements other Italians of the day. If you've collected Berio, Maderna, Donatoni, Sciarrino, and other like minded Composers, you should at least look into Aldo Clementi. Either the HatHut or the Ricordi or the Stradivarius discs are good ensemble entry-points; but the Mode discs are just as compelling.

Enjoy!

(Should I leave the 'Aldo' in the Title, or ditch it?- it kind of throws the rhythm)