Elliott Carter, 1908-2012

Started by bwv 1080, April 07, 2007, 09:08:12 AM

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greg


karlhenning

Quote from: Joe Barron on June 16, 2009, 11:20:32 AM
. . . but still, I could have lived without the intrusive camera work in Labyrinth. How much do we need to see the speeded up traffic on the Hudson, or the East River, or whatever it was. And more context — ie., a narration — would have helped.

Another film or two of "firmer" documentary character will certainly be welcome.  I have no quarrel with the 'vignette' aspects of style in Labyrinth, though.

Joe Barron

Quote from: Greg on July 06, 2009, 06:26:33 PM
No, Tic Tac Toe.

Which means what, exactly, in this context?

Joe Barron

Nice two-part interview with Mr. Carter here and here.

UB

This coming Saturday's Hear and Now on R3 features the Carter's 5th String Quartet and the premiere of two of his short piano pieces. Also there is a premiere of a major vocal work by Harrison Birtwistle. You can listen to the program on Saturday or anytime for a week after.
I am not in the entertainment business. Harrison Birtwistle 2010

karlhenning

Quote from: Joe Barron on July 08, 2009, 07:28:07 AM
Nice two-part interview with Mr. Carter here and here.

Thanks for these (and thanks, Bill).

greg


Joe Barron

Channel 12.2, one of Philadelphia three digital public TV stations, presented an excellent program of Carter's music this week, all played by students at the Curtis Institute of music. Program consisted of A Mirror on Which to Dwell, Gra, the Cello Sonata and a tribute piece by a young Curtis composer I had not heard of. All the pieces seemed to be well-performed -- I say seemed because the inferior quality of my TV speakers made a full appreciation impossible. But I was especially impressed with the young soprano in Mirror and the cellist in the Sonata: just watching his fingers move on the neck of the instrument was exciting. Carter has said that when it was new, the Cello  Sonata was considered unplayable by all but the greatest virtuosi, and now it's taught in conservatories. It makes me happy (as it did at Tanglewood) to see how young musicians take to this music.

Program repeats this evening, Sunday, 7-12, at 7 p.m. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any Web source for it.

DavidW

When I first heard Carter in his orchestral music I wasn't ready for him, it's been a few years and I've revisited his music.  Now I really enjoy his string quartets, and feel that I want to dip into his orchestral music.  Where is a good place for a newbie to start?

bhodges

You might try the Concerto for Orchestra (1969, below, with the Violin Concerto and Three Occasions), or one of my faves, the Variations for Orchestra (1955).  The latter is on at least two recordings, one with Gielen/Cincinnati on an all-Carter CD, and a second with Levine/Chicago with works by Cage, Babbitt and Schuller.  My hunch is that you might prefer the Gielen, which also has Ursula Oppens in a smashing performance of the Piano Concerto.

But you should get our Carter expert's take, too.

"Paging Joe Barron!"  ;D

--Bruce

karlhenning

Good on you, Davey!

Methinks you can't go wrong with the piece that Cato introduced to his 8th Grade Latin class: Symphonia Sum Fluxae Pretium Spei

bhodges

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on July 17, 2009, 08:48:14 AM
Good on you, Davey!

Methinks you can't go wrong with the piece that Cato introduced to his 8th Grade Latin class: Symphonia Sum Fluxae Pretium Spei

Forgot about that excellent story!  Absolutely!  It's on this disc with the Clarinet Concerto, which is also marvelous.

--Bruce

Joe Barron

#1032
Quote from: bhodges on July 17, 2009, 08:47:36 AM"Paging Joe Barron!"  ;D

Great Scott, Lois, I'm needed!

As I've said often, the best way to approach Carter is to start at the beginning or the end and work toward the middle. For orchestral music, I'd begin with the great Variations for Orchestra from 1955, the composer's first mature orchestral work, available in many fine recordings. (It was my own personal introduction to Carter, and I didn't turn out too badly.) I'd also look into the Boston Concerto, a very attractive and accessible work from the early 2000s.(The recording is a must have, anway.) From there, you can go on to A Symphony of Three Orchestras and the Cello and Oboe Concertos. The Piano Concerto, the Concerto for Orchestra and the Symphonia are all great, large-scale works --- the first two are my among favorite pieces by Carter --- but they are rather tough nuts to crack for a beginner, I think. They need a little warm up.

But still, that Piano Concerto, wow ...

I'd get the Boston Concerto recording first (Bridge, Music of Elliott Carter, Volume 7). Every piece on it is a gem, and the performances are unbeatable. Besides the Boston Concerto, you also get the great Cello Concerto, the lively little ASKO Concerto and the Dialogues for piano and orchestra. You're going to  have to get it anyway. You might as well get it now.

More good news:

Just back from the Bridge Records discussion boards, and the Music of Elliott Carter, Vol. 8, is in the works. The two big pieces on the disk will be the Clarinet Quartet, with the original executants, Charles Neidich and the Juilliard String Quartet, and the Louis Zukofsky songs. Also scheduled for inclusion are

Due Duetti
HBHH
La Musique
Figment III
Figment IV
Figment V
Retracing
Retracing 2
Retracing 3

Quite a feast. I didn't know there was more than one "Retracing." David Starobin also mentions, somewhat mysteriously, "several larger" works, which sounds exciting.

karlhenning

Quote from: Joe Barron on July 17, 2009, 10:10:46 AM
(Bridge, Music of Elliott Carter, vol. 8)

Corrected via de-selection of emoticons.

Joe Barron

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on July 17, 2009, 10:13:22 AM
Corrected via de-selection of emoticons.

And to think, I'm an editor ...  >:(

DavidW

Thanks Joe, Boston Concerto it is!  Oh fyi if (when posting) you select "additional options" and then click on "Don't use smilies" then you can go  8) 8) 8) 8) to your hearts content.

Joe Barron

Quote from: DavidW on July 17, 2009, 10:45:50 AM
Thanks Joe, Boston Concerto it is!  Oh fyi if (when posting) you select "additional options" and then click on "Don't use smilies" then you can go  8) 8) 8) 8) to your hearts content.

Well, I only wanted to do it once ...

DavidW

That Fred Sherry gets around, he was also in the Wuorinen recording I recently bought (haven't warmed to it yet).  I wonder if that Nicolas Hodges is related to Bruce?  It seems a priori to be unlikely, but it would be cool!

bhodges

Quote from: DavidW on July 17, 2009, 10:56:27 AM
That Fred Sherry gets around, he was also in the Wuorinen recording I recently bought (haven't warmed to it yet).  I wonder if that Nicolas Hodges is related to Bruce?  It seems a priori to be unlikely, but it would be cool!

Nic and I have corresponded a bit--I've heard him live and in a number of other recordings--and alas, it seems we are not related.  :'(  Too bad: I wouldn't mind being related to such a fantastic pianist!

--Bruce

Joe Barron

#1039
Oh, and the whole thng about the smilies is moot anway. The recording I was recommending is Bridge volume seven.