Ruggles the Sun Treader

Started by Guido, August 25, 2007, 06:45:40 PM

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snyprrr

Quote from: Drasko on April 18, 2012, 03:02:04 PM
Coming out soon, available for pre-order. 8)

[asin]B007C7FFJA[/asin]

Wow, Sony wouldn't do it themselves? haha,... anyhow, this is grand news! DISC OF THE YEAR!!!

Mirror Image

Quote from: snyprrr on April 18, 2012, 07:12:05 PM
Wow, Sony wouldn't do it themselves? haha,... anyhow, this is grand news! DISC OF THE YEAR!!!

Yes, I'm definitely going to buy it. I've been wanting to explore Ruggles' music beyond Sun-treader for so long and MTT will be just the conductor to do it.

snyprrr

Has anyone got the reissue Complete Works?

What I'd really like is a 1 disc cd Ruggles's Orchestral Works Plus, maybe make a nice 70min. Ruggles recital by, hmm?, MTT?, Jarvi?, Dudamel? BOULEZ?? (gaaah ::))

All my favorite Composers seem to have been relegated to the 'dont expect one single more recording of anything good' category. >:( :( :'(

Mirror Image

Quote from: snyprrr on July 27, 2013, 10:48:27 AM
Has anyone got the reissue Complete Works?

What I'd really like is a 1 disc cd Ruggles's Orchestral Works Plus, maybe make a nice 70min. Ruggles recital by, hmm?, MTT?, Jarvi?, Dudamel? BOULEZ?? (gaaah ::))

All my favorite Composers seem to have been relegated to the 'dont expect one single more recording of anything good' category. >:( :( :'(

You don't own this 2-CD MTT set yet, snyprrr? That's surprising. This is an essential acquisition for anyone interested in 20th Century music. Everything is played incredibly well and the sound quality is all you could ask for. A well-balanced set.

Ruggles isn't a composer I listen to that often, but a revisit of his music is always enjoyable for me. Such powerful music.

Daverz

Feh, empty, noisy stuff.  I do have the Lp set.

Mirror Image

Quote from: Daverz on October 06, 2013, 04:38:23 PM
Feh, empty, noisy stuff.  I do have the Lp set.

Then send your LPs my way. :) I'd love to own the LPs of this set as well.

Daverz

Quote from: Mirror Image on October 06, 2013, 04:54:57 PM
Then send your LPs my way. :) I'd love to own the LPs of this set as well.

What'll I do when I'm feeling masochistic?

Mirror Image

Quote from: Daverz on October 06, 2013, 05:16:03 PM
What'll I do when I'm feeling masochistic?

Listen to some Puccini?

Mirror Image

Thought I would revive this thread, I have always found Ruggles to be one of the more fascinating American composers and he belongs to that early Modernist group along with Ives, Crawford Seeger, Cowell and others who were doing some radical things and have actually helped define an American sound even more so than Copland did, IMHO. This was a group of composers that sought out to rip themselves from the shackles of their European counterparts and develop their own music. I'm not sure how I missed Samuel Andreyev's newer video on Ruggles, but here it is in all its glory:

https://www.youtube.com/v/O9cr-3mUapo

pjme

#49
Many thanks, Mirror, for Andreyev's video.  I definitely will explore more of his talks.

Artem

thank you for pointing out the video. Ruggles' music seems very interesting.

vers la flamme

Watching that video a few weeks ago really piqued my interest in the composer. I've since sought out one recording, the famous MTT/Boston with Sun-treader on DG, but it seems recordings of the other works are very difficult to find. The complete MTT set is outrageously expensive on CD. I may have to just get the download. Anyway, Sun-treader is a fascinating work.

Mirror Image

Quote from: pjme on January 24, 2021, 12:26:19 AM
Many thanks, Mirror, for Andreyev's video.  I definitely will explore more of his talks.

Yeah, I love what he does on YouTube and one of the great things about him is I feel that he doesn't talk down to his viewers. He lays the information out there in a way that is accessible.

Mirror Image

#53
Quote from: Artem on January 24, 2021, 01:34:07 AM
thank you for pointing out the video. Ruggles' music seems very interesting.

He's certainly one to explore for sure! 8)

Mirror Image

#54
Quote from: vers la flamme on January 24, 2021, 07:16:03 AM
Watching that video a few weeks ago really piqued my interest in the composer. I've since sought out one recording, the famous MTT/Boston with Sun-treader on DG, but it seems recordings of the other works are very difficult to find. The complete MTT set is outrageously expensive on CD. I may have to just get the download. Anyway, Sun-treader is a fascinating work.

Yes, that 2-CD MTT set is quite expensive, but, thankfully, I preordered it whenever I found out it was going to be released several years ago. It's nice to have Ruggles all under one roof so to speak. If downloading is your only affordable option, then do it. You won't regret it. Also, if you haven't heard much of Crawford Seeger then do check her music out as well. Great stuff.

Looks like you can download this set in a CD-quality download via Qobuz right now for $8.99 --- not a bad deal:

https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/the-complete-music-of-carl-ruggles-carl-ruggles/k9ruhb0a1wdma

The new erato

I have the st., but cannot locate it in my collection.  >:( Seems like a major reorganization is necessary.....

Mirror Image

Quote from: The new erato on January 24, 2021, 07:40:27 AM
I have the st., but cannot locate it in my collection.  >:( Seems like a major reorganization is necessary.....

I have had the same problem with so many recordings I've bought over years. :)

Iota

Interesting, MI. Had a listen to Sun Treader on youtube just now, wasn't hearing an American angle yet, but that may reveal itself with better/broader acquaintance. Will have a listen around. From memory, the opening reminded me stylistically a little of a George Rochberg symphony I had a brief listen to a week or so ago, which I mention only as he is a (slightly later) compatriot.

vers la flamme

Quote from: Mirror Image on January 24, 2021, 07:36:03 AM
Yes, that 2-CD MTT set is quite expensive, but, thankfully, I preordered it whenever I found out it was going to be released several years ago. It's nice to have Ruggles all under one roof so to speak. If downloading is your only affordable option, then do it. You won't regret it. Also, if you haven't heard much of Crawford Seeger then do check her music out as well. Great stuff.

Looks like you can download this set in a CD-quality download via Qobuz right now for $8.99 --- not a bad deal:

https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/the-complete-music-of-carl-ruggles-carl-ruggles/k9ruhb0a1wdma

Good find! I forget where I was looking at it but the download I saw was over $20.

pjme

#59
Quote from: Iota on January 24, 2021, 08:18:30 AM
Interesting, MI. Had a listen to Sun Treader on youtube just now, wasn't hearing an American angle yet, ....
I cannot remember at all when I bought the DGG LP -MTT/Boston. Possibly I bought it for Ives as I had witnessed Michael Gielen conduct the Three places in New England.



But Sun treader was one of those works that blew me away, a refined yet testosterone filled grandiose creation.
Even if I was to discover later that Ruggles also had "rather unpleasant" (racist,anti semitic) aspects (see the Wiki article).
Is this quintessential American music? I don't know....it is rich, powerful, romantically ecstatic & unique.

Anyway, I'm glad to have the "Other minds" double cd/ Buffalo PhO/MTT, Judith Blegen, Beverly Morgan, Speculum musicae, John Kirkpatrick and the Gregg Smith Singers/Gerard Schwarz.
The booklet has excellent notes by MTT, John Kirkpatrick and Lou Harrison.
I will revisit these discs soon.
And this great one: