Lou Harrison(1917-2003)

[Pessoa]

I never heard anything by him. I´m interested in gamelan music. Do you recommend any of his works with a gamelan set or gamelan influenced?

[Rinaldo]

I never heard anything by him. I´m interested in gamelan music. Do you recommend any of his works with a gamelan set or gamelan influenced?

Definitely the Double concerto. This a very fine recording:

[Dax]

Seconded. It's on YouTube.

There's a lot of worthwhile stuff. The Grand Duo for violin and piano for starters.

[Pessoa]

Thanks for the recommendation. I've listened to the Double Concerto and it is a very pleasant listening with some beautiful melodies, as in the third movement... but I found it little engaging for me. Too melodic in an easy way perhaps. It reminds me a bit of the compositions of earlier years of the XX century in the folky melodic way, but I think it lacks strength? for me. The gamelan set is nice though, but the gamelan on its own has a fresh. clean and suggestive sound to my years that is opaqued by the violin, at least in the youtube version. It reminded me of film music somehow. First impression, have to listen to it again.

[Pessoa]

I´ve enjoyed Concerto in Slendro, gamelan with no physical gamelan.

[lescamil]

Try the Concerto for Piano with Javanese Gamelan. The piano is retuned to match the gamelan instruments, and there is quite a bit of rhythmic interplay between the two. It is a bit more engaging than the Double Concerto, especially in the exciting first movement. Another concerto to look at is the Organ Concerto with Percussion Orchestra, which uses no actual gamelan, but it is emulated quite well by a set of percussion that is made up of various "junk" items and your typical percussion instruments. Both are excellent and there is rarely a dull moment in either.

[Pessoa]

The only complete rendering of the concert I've found. Sounds a bit sloppy and amateurish perhaps , but I find it enjoyable:

http://www.youtube.com/v/HcMf3D5D4D8

[lescamil]

There is a better recording of it here from the 2013 Ojai Festival:

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/34107111

Go to around the 40:38 mark for the Concerto for Piano with Javanese Gamelan.


They also did the Concerto for Organ with Percussion Orchestra on the same day here:

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/34102547

Go to around the 35:50 mark for it.

[Pessoa]

Thank you 

[snyprrr]

Thank you 

Try the 'Mass for St. Anthony'

[Pessoa]

Try the 'Mass for St. Anthony'

I will, thanks.

[torut]

Suite for Violin with American Gamelan
La Koro Sutro
[asin]B00J146TEC[/asin]

This is a stunningly beautiful album. I have not heard the New Albion recording, but I think this BMOP's performance is superb. Very moving music.

[Ken B]

Suite for Violin with American Gamelan
La Koro Sutro
[asin]B00J146TEC[/asin]

This is a stunningly beautiful album. I have not heard the New Albion recording, but I think this BMOP's performance is superb. Very moving music.

Wishlisted. It's a gorgeous piece.
BMOP is worth watching I think. Their Thomson disc was superb.

[torut]

Wishlisted. It's a gorgeous piece.
BMOP is worth watching I think. Their Thomson disc was superb.

I agree. All the BMOP recordings I purchased so far (Cage, Thomson, Rosenblum, and this) are very satisfying.

[vandermolen]

Symphony 2,'Elegiac' is my favourite of the works I know.

[milk]

These recordings represent my current attempt to get into this composer:



I'm a little skeptical though. I love Harry Partch's work (and also quite like some of Terry Riley) and there's obviously some relation here.
I'm going to give this a go but I think the stuff featuring the violin rubs me a little the wrong way. It has a very "pop" sound to it: clean and almost like fusion. The percussion work also lacks the dirty mystery of someone like Partch and sounds a little like Martin Denny without the jazz.

[kyjo]

This composer doesn't get enough love around here! Lately I really enjoyed his Piano Concerto (1983-85):



For some reason, I always expect Harrison's music to be more "difficult" than it actually is, due to his reputation as an innovator. Well, this Piano Concerto is accessible, enjoyable, and quite beautiful in places. As with almost all of his works, it's influenced by Javanese gamelan music, but not to the point of being too esoteric. The 2nd movement, appropriately titled Stampede, is tremendous fun in its percussive exuberance!

[Symphonic Addict]

This composer doesn't get enough love around here! Lately I really enjoyed his Piano Concerto (1983-85):



For some reason, I always expect Harrison's music to be more "difficult" than it actually is, due to his reputation as an innovator. Well, this Piano Concerto is accessible, enjoyable, and quite beautiful in places. As with almost all of his works, it's influenced by Javanese gamelan music, but not to the point of being too esoteric. The 2nd movement, appropriately titled Stampede, is tremendous fun in its percussive exuberance!

If that work has similarities with the style of his symphonies (which I enjoy), it'll be interesting to hear.

[vandermolen]

This composer doesn't get enough love around here! Lately I really enjoyed his Piano Concerto (1983-85):



For some reason, I always expect Harrison's music to be more "difficult" than it actually is, due to his reputation as an innovator. Well, this Piano Concerto is accessible, enjoyable, and quite beautiful in places. As with almost all of his works, it's influenced by Javanese gamelan music, but not to the point of being too esoteric. The 2nd movement, appropriately titled Stampede, is tremendous fun in its percussive exuberance!

I love the 2nd Symphony 'Elegiac' Kyle.

[foxandpeng]

I very much need to spend more time with Harrison's music - I remember enjoying the Concerto 1 for Flute and Percussion, and having a positive experience with several of the symphonies... possibly #3 most of all, if I remember correctly.

Only one way to find out