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Post by Russell Letson on Nov 2, 2014 12:36:51 GMT -5
The Japanese piece was the most accessible (and eerily familiar, thanks to watching lots of Kurosawa), and for the other pieces, I've spent enough time with avante-garde music to recognize good execution when I hear it. The fact that I paid attention for the entire recital (in real time) means you pulled it off. Grace under pressure and all that. Nice.
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Post by j on Nov 2, 2014 13:34:35 GMT -5
Thanks Russ. The Kurosawa thread is definitely there— Kenji Oh, the composer of the five-movement suite "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura", was one of my graduate history students at the Conservatory last year. In one of the weeks we talked about Toru Takemitsu, arguably Japan's most important and influential composer. Takemitsu incorporated traditional Japanese aesthetic elements (such as the concept of "ma," silence intended as potential, and "sawari," the obstacle that physicality places on the production of sound) with avant-garde and "concert" techniques. In addition to his concert works, Takemitsu also composed hundred of film scores, including several for Kurosawa. Kenji went back to composing music based on traditional Japanese aesthetics in part after encountering Takemitsu's writings in the class. At the end of the year I suggested we collaborated on a guitar piece and commissioned him a short solo. He came up with "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura", which is based on a scene from the Kabuki play with the same name, and incorporates several traditional elements (such as imitation of the instruments that accompany kabuki theater, the modification of the guitar to produce a buzzy, impure sound full of "sawari", etc) The rest of the program for those who watched/are watching Serenade—Toshio Hosokawa (2004) [two movements] Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura—Kenji Oh (2014) [five movements] Intermission until it blazes—Eve Beglarian (2001) hair of the thing that bit you—Anthony Porter (2011) feeHorn—Larry Polansky (2004) The second half represents 3/4 of my latest album iv: american electric guitarsI appreciate all the positive feedback—I fully realize this is not easy-listening stuff but I do think it offers rewards when approached with open ears.
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Post by frazer on Nov 2, 2014 20:24:22 GMT -5
Wonderful stuff, J!
Very bendy ;-)
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Post by coachdoc on Nov 2, 2014 21:13:29 GMT -5
Fine listening. Congratulations.
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Post by Village Idiot on Nov 3, 2014 22:45:45 GMT -5
I never get good streaming auf der hinterland, but I'm glad it went well. Great for you, J.
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Post by millring on Nov 4, 2014 6:26:39 GMT -5
wow. You managed to do one of the things that art and music do at their very best -- you created your own atmosphere and then made it credible. Enjoyable too.
Maybe next time you could throw in a little Deep River Blues for Midwesterners in the crowd?
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Post by millring on Nov 4, 2014 6:43:36 GMT -5
p.s. I want your shoes.
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Post by j on Nov 4, 2014 9:15:54 GMT -5
Maybe next time you could throw in a little Deep River Blues for Midwesterners in the crowd? Talk about not being credible! They're nice shoes—Allen Edmonds. Expensive, but they've lasted me a very long time (pushing on ten years now I believe)
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