Month: September 2009

Contemporary Classical

Hilary and Missy

Our third “Hilary Hahn Interviews…” segment was actually the first recorded for S21; kind of like the first Star Wars was actually the third… or something…

I brought Missy Mazzoli to your attention as far back as 2006, when she’d just finished getting her Masters degree. More recently, just a couple months ago we were telling you about the popularity of the alt/classical/something group she’s now part of, Victoire. Those very few years out of school have been kind, with all kinds of projects and praise coming her way. As well they should; Missy’s work overflows with offbeat and surprising ideas, executed in creatively beautiful ways. Here’s part one of Hilary’s sit-down with Missy (as always, the other three parts can be seen by heading to Hilary’s YouTube page and searching the right sidebar there):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5PSH8oDvNU[/youtube]

by Steve Layton
Conferences, Contemporary Classical, Kansas City, Minimalism

Minimalism Conference Day 1

Kansas City at Night

If good luck in travel is a harbinger of things to come, then the fact that my flight into Kansas City for the Second International Conference on Minimalist Music actually touched down twenty minutes early is surely a very good sign.  And so far today things have worked out that way.

The conference got underway with two papers on Intertextuality in the music of Dutch composer Louis Andriessen and British composer (and the first journalist to use the word “minimalist” to describe music) Michael Nyman.  Apparently Nyman steals liberally from everybody, including himself.  I mean that in only the best possible way–Nyman seems to deeply interested in the artistic possibilities that such borrowing and referencing, and he even once had a microfilm reader in his house next to his piano to enhance his ability to quickly look for material to work with.  After a short break we then had three papers on the music of Phill Niblock, whose microtonal drone music is strange, fascinating, and beautiful.

After dinner, and after an on-stage conversation with Kyle Gann, Mikel Rouse presented his 2000 film Funding at the Kansas City Public Library.  The film is a fascinating non-narrative (or perhaps extremely-limited-narrative) exploration of New York City, money, and identity, underscored by Rouse’s post-minimalist, rhythmically complex music.  Rouse has clips of some of his films, including Funding, on his website, so I’ll just direct you there, since I need to get some sleep so I’ll be fresh for day two, which starts at 9AM tomorrow with a paper on Steve Reich.

Also, remember that some of the conference participants are Twittering about the conference with the hashtag #minconf.

by Galen H. Brown
Blogs, Classical Music, Click Picks, Contemporary Classical, Websites

Snap, Crackle, Pop (with a few Fizzles)

Up and running for a few weeks now, The Cereal List blog/website attempts to goose the arse of the always-just-a-little-too-sacrosanct classical music world. Run by the shadowy “Milton Blabber”, “Randall Scandall” and “Miss Information”, the blog’s posts have their share of flats mixed with a few good sharps. Though some jabs have veered just this side of awful or even libel, when they get it right, with such gems as “Generate a New York Times Review of your Work“, they’re pretty spot on. My current fave though, has to be “How to Design a Classical Music CD Cover”:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoqcHAdyiN4[/youtube]

Whoever they may be, and as low as they may occasionally go, it’s obvious that these are people who are definitely active  in “the scene” and know their target intimately. It may not be the first place I’m going to check each morning, but I don’t see much wrong with trying to knock a few bricks off the Temple of Art.

by Steve Layton
Contemporary Classical, Electro-Acoustic, Experimental Music, Miller Theater, New York

Wordless Music meets Miller again

Miller TheaterRonen Givony’s Wordless Music is back at Miller Theater this Sept. 9-12, doing it’s indie-rock/electronic/classical/new-music thing. The 9th brings back the 802 Tour (Nico Muhly, Sam Amidon and Doveman, w/ special guest Nadia Sirota); the 10th welcomes Do Make Say Think and DMST founder Charles Spearin’s “The Happiness Project”; the 11th features Tim Hecker, Grouper, and Julianna Barwick; and the 12th caps it off with Destroyer and Loscil performing a rare collaborative set of original music from each artist’s catalog, then the JACK Quartet. All shows start at 8pm, with tickets setting you back $15-$20. Columbia University’s Miller Theatre is located north of the main campus gate at 116th St & Broadway, on the ground floor of Dodge Hall.

by Steve Layton
Composers

Music for Large Animals (and Smaller People) by Judith Lang Zaimont

Judith Lang Zaimont’s new music/art video, Beasts is now up on YouTube but you can watch it right here by clicking the little pointer thing. The video features paintings and drawings by Gary Zaimont who, I believe, is Judith’s husband, from his Large Animal Series of 2007-08. The videography is by Michael Bregman.

The music is Growler, one movement from Judith’s Symphony for Wind Orchestra in Three Scenes in a performance is by the University of Minnesota Wind Ensemble, directed by Dr. Jerry Luckhardt, from the 2004 World Premiere. Enjoy.

See Judith’s discussion of the piece here. Her comments reflect, I think, some of the ambivalence that composers (and writers and all creative people) have toward the notion of “social media” and the rather casual “borrowing” that goes on on the web. On the one hand, it is copyright infringement and morally and legally wrong (if not very enforceable); on the other hand, it can bring you a new and enthusiastic audience. Somebody should start a discussion of this over on the Forum page which could really use a new topic.

by Jerry Bowles