Hold a single note or chord for a whole hour, and call it music.

Started by Mandryka, April 25, 2020, 04:40:20 AM

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Mandryka

Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

https://www.youtube.com/v/1v7onrjN6RE

Grisey Partiels.  The thing opens with a trombone playing a low note, E. Grisey shoved the sound into his computer, and got all the partials out. And these partials are what the other instruments are all playing (and clearly creating their own partials in so doing!)  This, in a very real way, the music is an analysis of all the sounds contained in that opening E on the trombone.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

Schoenberg argued tone colour is composed of two dimensions, pitch and timbre. Melody is a pattern of pitch, he called (the as yet unexplored) analogous pattern of timbre Klangfarbenmelodie.

QuoteThe distinction between tone colour and pitch, as it is usually expressed, I cannot accept without reservations. I think the tone becomes perceptible by virtue of tone colour, of which one dimension is pitch. Tone colour is, thus, the main topic, pitch a subdivision. Now, if it is possible to create patterns out of tone colours that are differentiated according to pitch, patterns we call "melodies," progressions whose coherence evokes an effect analogous to thought processes, then it must also be possible to make such progressions out of the tone colours of the other dimension, out of that which we call simply "tone colour" [timbre], progressions whose relations with one another work with a kind of logic entirely equivalent to that logic which satisfies us in the melody of pitches. That has the appearance of futuristic fantasy and is probably just that. But it is one which, I firmly believe, will be realised.

Scelsi wrote a composition in 1959 called Four Pieces (each one on a single note) -- or Quattri pezzi for short. 26 instruments, each one able to produce microtones. In each piece, the pitch remains constant, the timbre changes, as does the dynamics. In short, it is a study in Klangfarbenmelodie -- Scelsi has outSchoenberged Schoenberg.


https://www.youtube.com/v/MfTjz6emd7c

The fourth of the pieces is, I think, specially impressive, it starts at about 12'20'' on that youtube.

Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

vers la flamme

Quote from: Mandryka on April 30, 2020, 08:43:04 AM
Schoenberg argued tone colour is composed of two dimensions, pitch and timbre. Melody is a pattern of pitch, he called (the as yet unexplored) analogous pattern of timbre Klangfarbenmelodie.

Scelsi wrote a composition in 1959 called Four Pieces (each one on a single note) -- or Quattri pezzi for short. 26 instruments, each one able to produce microtones. In each piece, the pitch remains constant, the timbre changes, as does the dynamics. In short, it is a study in Klangfarbenmelodie -- Scelsi has outSchoenberged Schoenberg.


https://www.youtube.com/v/MfTjz6emd7c

The fourth of the pieces is, I think, specially impressive, it starts at about 12'20'' on that youtube.

The Quattro Pezzi blew me away when I first heard it probably close to a year ago now. I've been meaning to check out Scelsi more, but I don't know where to start. Is there a good CD out there that contains this and maybe more of his one-note music?

T. D.


For Scelsi, IMO the 3-disc orchestral/choral set dir. by Wyttenbach on Accord is THE place to start. It DOES have the quattro pezzi (corrected!) but is not a small investment.
I (also) have the latter on an old Hans Zender Series recording, but there may be better available.

vers la flamme

Quote from: T. D. on April 30, 2020, 01:07:44 PM

For Scelsi, IMO the 3-disc orchestral/choral set dir. by Wyttenbach on Accord is THE place to start. Sadly it doesn't have the quattro pezzi.
I have the latter on an old Hans Zender Series recording, but there may be better available.


Little out of my price range for now, but it's on my radar now, thanks. The Zender looks good. Also looking at this on NEOS:



Anyone ever heard it?

Mandryka

Quote from: T. D. on April 30, 2020, 01:07:44 PM

For Scelsi, IMO the 3-disc orchestral/choral set dir. by Wyttenbach on Accord is THE place to start. Sadly it doesn't have the quattro pezzi.


My copy has it on CD 2 -- confirmed on discogs. I agree it's good and the Zender's outstanding too.

https://www.discogs.com/Scelsi-J%C3%BCrg-Wyttenbach-Orchestre-De-La-Radio-T%C3%A9l%C3%A9vision-Polonaise-De-Cracovie-Ch%C5%93ur-De-La-Philha/release/2732590
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

Quote from: vers la flamme on April 30, 2020, 01:11:59 PM
Also looking at this on NEOS:



Anyone ever heard it?

Yes for two minutes, sounded very good.

If you want one note, you should try to hear the trio.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

T. D.

Quote from: Mandryka on April 30, 2020, 01:18:06 PM
My copy has it on CD 2 -- confirmed on discogs. I agree it's good and the Zender's outstanding too.

https://www.discogs.com/Scelsi-J%C3%BCrg-Wyttenbach-Orchestre-De-La-Radio-T%C3%A9l%C3%A9vision-Polonaise-De-Cracovie-Ch%C5%93ur-De-La-Philha/release/2732590

Right you are...sorry for the senior moment, I was at work, distracted and didn't see the track listing on the Amazon page.

Pohjolas Daughter

Quote from: steve ridgway on April 25, 2020, 08:24:30 PM
Astronomers say they have heard the sound of a black hole singing. And what it is singing, and perhaps has been singing for more than two billion years, they say, is B flat -- a B flat 57 octaves lower than middle C.

https://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/16/science/music-of-the-heavens-turns-out-to-sound-a-lot-like-a-b-flat.html
I found this online which was quite interesting.  Trying to figure out how they take gravitational waves and turn them into sound waves?  And what is a gravitational wave?   :-[  Wish that I understood physics better.   :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IdVyArDlZ4

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

Mandryka



Saturne is a piece of about 40 minutes, busy music mostly, but the last 5 minutes is almost one note, not sustained, almost  in the style of Dumitrescu, Dufourt makes it breath, maybe the breath of Saturn digesting his snack.

Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

https://www.youtube.com/v/dk_2bg3utv8

Georg Frederick Haas Quartet 9. Jack. There's a lot of this stuff about -- I mean overtone based music. It would be "interesting" to compare and contrast it all. Are they all doing much of the same sort of thing, tinkering around at the edges with an idea which is basically limited mileage. Haas is very good I think.

There's a lot of Georg Frederick Haas's quartets on youtube, often with decent sound.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mirror Image

I think Justė Janulytė qualifies here:

https://www.youtube.com/v/a0Pcydv0MuI



Justė Janulytė (born 1982 in Vilnius) studied composition at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (with Bronius Kutavičius and Osvaldas Balakauskas), Milan "Giuseppe Verdi" Conservatoire (Alessandro Solbiati) and in various masterclasses (Luca Francesconi, Helena Tulve etc.).

Janulytė's music has been played in Europe, USA, Canada and Australia, by many Lithuanian performers as well as Teatro La Fenice Symphony (cond. Eliahu Inbal) and Gothenburg Opera Symphony (cond. David Björkman) Orchestras, BBC National Orchestra of Wales (cond. Garry Walker), Polish National Philharmonic Orchestra (cond. Jacek Kaspszyk), Brno Philharmonic (cond. Maciej Tworek) and French Flute Orchestra, Riga Sinfonietta (cond. Normunds Sne), Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble Bit20 (Bergen), Orchestrutopica (Lisbon), Estonian Philharmonic (cond. Paul Hillier), Danish Radio chamber (cond. Fredrik Malmberg), Latvian ''Kamer'', French Sequenza 9.3 and Polish ,,Camerata Silesia" choirs, Quasar (Montreal), Xasax (Paris) and Flotilla (UK) saxophone quartets, cellists Francesco Dillon (IT), Henri Demarquette (FR), Anton Lukoszevieze (UK), flutist Manuel Zurria (IT) and others. Her works were included in the programmes of the Sydney festival, Schleswig-Holstein festival, Venice Biennale, Holland festival (Amsterdam), Warsaw Autumn (PL, 2011, 2012, 2015), Music Gardens (Warsaw), Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (UK, 2008, 2010), SonicA (Glasgow), Maerzmusik (Berlin),  Musica festival (Strasbourg), RomaEuropa, Musikprotokoll im steirischem Herbst (Graz), World New Music Days (2009, 2014), Musicadhoy (Madrid), Vale of Glamorgan Festival in Cardiff (UK), Expositions of New Music, Moravian Autumn (Brno, CZ), Cesis Art Festival (LV, composer in residence 2012), Gaida (Vilnius, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2015) among others.
Justė Janulytė first came into public view in 2004 when her graduation work White music for 15 strings was awarded as the best chamber piece at the competition organized by the Lithuanian Composers' Union. Furthermore, she has been awarded for the best orchestral work (Textile, 2008), the best chamber work (Elongation of Nights, 2010) and the first prize among 2010 Lithuanian pieces for Sandglasses at the same competition. In 2009 Aquarelle for choir won the 1st prize (in the category of composers under 30) at the International Rostrum of Composers in Paris. Witihin the span of several years her experimental and highly visionary works have earned her international renown and official recognition at home in the form of the Young Artist's Prize awarded by the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture of 2011. On the 18th of December 2013 her concert installation "Sandglasses" was performed at the Flagey Center, Brussels at the closing event of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Majority of the works by the author, written for 'monochromatic' ensembles (e.g. 24 flutes, 21 string, 16 voices etc.), represent slow and gradual ''thermodynamic'' metamorphoses of texture, timbre, register, articulation and dynamics. While balancing between the aesthetics of minimalism, spectralism and drone music, Justė Janulytė composes acoustic metaphors of optic ideas (Silence of the Falling Snow, 2006; Pendulums, 2011, Observation of Clouds, 2012 etc.) and researches the visual nature of musical phenomena in the works where sound and image are fused together (Breathing Music for string quartet, electronics and kinetic sculptures, 2007; Eclipses for violin, viola, cello, double bass, live electronics and soundproof glass installation, 2007/Integra, Sandglasses for 4 cellos, electronics and installation of video, lights and tulle, 2010/Réseau Varèse).

Since 2006 Janulytė has been teaching a course on contemporary music language at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. In 2011 she was a jury member at the Czech composition competion called NUBERG, organized by the Berg Orchestra in Prague and the guest lecturer at the Nordplus Music Labaratory "Process 2013" in Nida (LT). In 2014 May Janulyte held 3 days composition masterclasses at the Sassari Conservatoire (IT). In 2014 her first portrait double album "Sandglasses" was released by the Lithuanian Music Information and Publishing center, consisting of a DVD with Sandglasses and CD with the most important acoustic works. The composer has also written critics and articles on music. Lives and works in Vilnius and Milan.

https://soundcloud.com/juste-janulyte

Mandryka



Hafler Trio, Cleave: 9 Great Openings. Rich texture to a drone sounding like a deep deep cello, full of interesting overtones which are explored during the hour of music. This is part of a three hour long triptych - if the other two are as successful as this first one then it's a masterpiece of drone. It's like a force of nature - irresistible and engulfing, yet refined and subtle.

If anyone has explored the music of The Hafler Trio and can point me in the direction of other good things to explore, I'd appreciate it very much.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

https://www.youtube.com/v/vLd9L-dpkpA&ab_channel=NonPiano%2FToyPianoWeekend

Mathias Spahlinger's Farben der Frühe is one note for about 10 minutes in the third movement, then it breaks free.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

https://www.youtube.com/v/G-JnXRaQS3E&ab_channel=vox_ritualis

In Voice  Piece- One-Note Internal Resonance Investigation, Joan La Barbara  does the usual spectral trick of exploring the overtones of a single note for 15 minutes. Enough already! We've already had a shed load of this sort of thing, there's zero point of any more! But the difference is, Joan La Barbara uses her voice and not  an instrument.

OK, small difference maybe.




Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

Michael Pisaro's Harmony Series is music based on a response to poetry. In No. 17, which has the nickname "Only" the poem in question is Void Only by Kenneth Rexroth

QuoteTime like glass
Space like glass
I sit quiet
Anywhere Anything
Happens
Quiet loud still turbulent
The serpent coils
On itself
All things are translucent
Then transparent
Then gone
Only emptiness
No limits
Only the infinitely faint
Song
Of the coiling mind
Only.

This is Michael Pisaro's score

QuoteIn a large, open space (possibly outdoors).
For a long time.
Sitting quietly.
Listening.
A few times, playing an extremely long, very quiet tone.

I have a recording of it by Sam Sfirri. It was interesting to listen to because, what I didn't realise, though it should have been obvious, is that the ambient noise of the outdoor space is part of the music.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRzpvQScE5s

La Monte Young's For Brass - it does make you wonder about the influences between Scelsi and Young. It also makes me wonder what Radigue's Occam series has to offer that's new.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

Phill Niblock does drones, he's the drone king, he's written a lot of them too. Here's an example, Disseminate for string quartet.

https://www.youtube.com/v/l7N-vgTarvo

Here's some notes written for the recording

QuoteOriginally written for orchestra, Phill Niblock' Disseminate (1998) was arranged by the composer specifically for the Bozzini Quartet, or rather, for 'multiples' of the Quartet: twenty different tracks are mixed in each piece—twenty different instruments, the equivalent of five string quartets. The music is essentially a work on the shifting nature of overtone patterns that arise from acoustic instruments. As composer Bob Ashley convincingly argued, these pieces inscribe themselves in the "hard-core drone" scene of American electronic music: " Niblock [brings] the orchestra into the electronic world."
For Disseminate, Niblock scored a distinct set of microtonal intervals, and the players are indicated how sharp or flat they should play. But a certain sense of range is given around each chromatic pitch, so that every bow stroke partly determines the microtones. All 20 'instruments' are then recorded to produce the piece. When mixed, the simultaneous microtonal intervals produced by the Bozzini Quartet(s) come together to create massive clouds of extremely rich, beating, and shifting sound. Such a complex signal needs time to unfold, and for the overtone patterns to emerge instrumentalists almost have to display the endurance of electronic instruments, producing long, seamless, sustained tones. As a listener, it is practically impossible to grasp when or how changes in the sound texture actually occur. Our sense of time is confused, and we are drawn deeper into a mode of listening that pays attention to the textural qualities of the "hard-core drone" sound itself."



If you pay attention you realise that it's actually full of changes, some of them dramatic. There are interesting and unexpected harmonies caused by the close, probably microtonally close, tuning of the instruments. It's surprising how well this can work at home.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

T. D.