Frederic Rzewski (b. 1938)

[bhodges]

WNYC-FM has uploaded two recent live Rzewski performances by Newspeak, here.  Included are Coming Together (1971) and The Price of Oil (1980).

--Bruce

[Symphonien]

WNYC-FM has uploaded two recent live Rzewski performances by Newspeak, here.  Included are Coming Together (1971) and The Price of Oil (1980).

--Bruce

Thanks for the heads up there Bruce! Two pieces I haven't yet heard, and will check out later.

[jlaurson]

Dip Your Ears, No. 117 (Rzewski's The People United)


http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2012/05/dip-your-ears-no-117-rzewskis-people.html

[snyprrr]

I've got two pieces, To the Earth, and Coming Together. Both are 'percussion' pieces which include 'precious' recitation, and... how 'bout a bass sequencer? Aye, these pieces are amongst the most annoying I've ever heard. Why does the word "libtard" come to mind? I'm sorry, but here's a Composer whose political affiliation would interest me more than listening to either of these polemical 'tracts'. It's just wearying,... yea yea, go Green Nazi!!

Ack

[snyprrr]

I've got two pieces, To the Earth, and Coming Together. Both are 'percussion' pieces which include 'precious' recitation, and... how 'bout a bass sequencer? Aye, these pieces are amongst the most annoying I've ever heard. Why does the word "libtard" come to mind? I'm sorry, but here's a Composer whose political affiliation would interest me more than listening to either of these polemical 'tracts'. It's just wearying,... yea yea, go Green Nazi!!

Ack

figures i was the last one- he annoys me,... and you?

could you call him a "trendy leftie"?

[not edward]

I think he's been a leftie for over 50 years, so I doubt it can be trendy any more...

[snyprrr]

I think he's been a leftie for over 50 years, so I doubt it can be trendy any more...

'The Ferguson Quartet',... I feel it comin' ... ...

[bhodges]

News this morning of the death of Frederic Rzewski. (It's all over Facebook, but I'm trying to find an official obit.)

Here he is in 1986 (audio only), playing one of his biggest hits, The People United Will Never Be Defeated! (1975), a set of 36 variations for solo piano, based on a Chilean folk song. Rzewski was one of the best interpreters of his own work.

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

--Bruce

[not edward]

News this morning of the death of Frederic Rzewski. (It's all over Facebook, but I'm trying to find an official obit.)

Here he is in 1986 (audio only), playing one of his biggest hits, The People United Will Never Be Defeated! (1975), a set of 36 variations for solo piano, based on a Chilean folk song. Rzewski was one of the best interpreters of his own work.

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

--Bruce

Having just heard the news, this is the one I'm listening to as well. Will cue up his Hat Hut recording of the Four North American Ballads next.

[Maestro267]

RIP

Shall listen to The People United Will Never Be Defeated later.

[bhodges]

And here's a 2018 version of De Profundis (1992) by the Australian pianist Lisa Moore, who has performed it many times. This one is from the Extended Play Festival in Sydney.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GDs_m7kglM

--Bruce

[not edward]

Here's Rzewski playing his 1974 composition No Place To Go But Around from his never-released-on-CD 1977 recital (the typically interesting couplings were works by Braxton and Eisler).

https://youtu.be/dEoRVvEUQlY

It's a shame this work isn't better known; I think it's one of his finest pieces.

[Mandryka]

Here's Rzewski playing his 1974 composition No Place To Go But Around from his never-released-on-CD 1977 recital (the typically interesting couplings were works by Braxton and Eisler).

https://youtu.be/dEoRVvEUQlY

It's a shame this work isn't better known; I think it's one of his finest pieces.

Excellent

[staxomega]

Enjoyed this quite a bit

https://youtu.be/JM0bPK9ASzo

[T. D.]

New release by Lisa Moore:

https://lisamoore.bandcamp.com/album/frederic-rzewski-no-place-to-go-but-around

[Mandryka]

New release by Lisa Moore:

https://lisamoore.bandcamp.com/album/frederic-rzewski-no-place-to-go-but-around

In Coming Together, I very much like the way Lisa Moore's way with the words.

[T. D.]

In Coming Together, I very much like the way Lisa Moore's way with the words.

It's pretty good and the piano/voice arrangement is new to me.

I very much enjoy Coming Together, but the "problem" is that I was introduced to the piece through an excellent live performance by the Eighth Blackbird ensemble, and none of the subsequent recordings I've heard seem to carry the same momentum and energy. But it may just be that the structure hit home more effectively when it was unexpected.