Heroic Acts of Uploadery

We’ve probably all heard of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, to be conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas (known acronymously as MTT). YouTubers can download Tan Dun’s new score, videotape themselves playing it, and upload their videos in the hopes that their performance will be one of the 150 accepted, which will then be superimposed onto the other videos culminating in one, gigantic collage. Meh. Could be interesting, I suppose.

Though, there’s something unusually ripe about all this hubbub.

To quote Anne Midgette:

The idea, launched by two YouTube employees at an offsite retreat about a year ago, is being greeted enthusiastically by the classical music world, which Tim Lee, one of the project's initiators, tactfully described as "hungry for innovation."

See, there’s being innovative, and then there’s...

Well, there’s the title of the piece:

"Internet Symphony No. 1: Eroica"

There’s YouTubing, then there’s...

...heroic YouTubing?

Even if the title isn’t supposed to reflect this new-fangled symphonic process, it’s quite the presumptuous, baggage-heavy, maybe even cocky, reference to one of the (emphasized: THE) most important symphonies ever, ever. Beethoven’s Eroica was trés innovative. It almost single-handedly ruined music, evermore.

This begs the question: How does Mr. Dun exhibit an heroic brand of music or innovation worthy of the name?

Speaking by video feed from London, Tan Dun said his piece attempts to connect "ancient and modern...”

Not original.

“East and West..."

So he’s rewriting his previous work?

...with actual [music] quotes...

As opposed to...? Original music quotes?

...with actual quotes ranging from a snippet of Beethoven's "Eroica..."

Heroic snippet!™ Get yours today and shipping is free!! For a limited time only. See store for details.

...to rhythmic footprints of Tchaikovsky to percussion effects that echo the street noise of today's global environment.

It’s no walk in der Wald, anymore, given today’s global environment! (enter Beethovenian urban/pastoral pun here)

Like I said, it could be interesting. There are plenty of supporters, for what that’s worth. (enter empty rhetoric here)

I just don't think it sends out a good forward-looking, classical-music-can-be-innovative-too message; it seems facile and terribly out of touch with organic properties/functions of the internet.
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Composer of the Day!

Today's Composer of the Day is Johann Gottlieb Graun!

(?1702-3 - 1771)

Graun is little-known (and a new one on me!). His music straddles the classical and baroque eras (much like C.P.E. Bach). He was well-regarded during his lifetime as an instrumental composer and orchestral musician. His admirers included J.S. Bach. In fact, Graun was Bach's eldest son's (Wilhelm Friedman's) violin teacher.

Graun was employed by the Prussian court. His brothers, August Friedrich Graun and Carl Heinrich Graun, were also noted composers. He wrote music for Fredrick the Great, who was also an amateur composer and excellent flautist.

His in-between-eras music is interesting. Classical periodicity is still influenced by baroque-style dance forms and imitative counterpoint. He also, apparently, liked powdered wigs. He was a pupil of Tartini!

Not much, biographically or musically, is available about Graun. However, I found this corrente for you to listen to. The pianist's hands are also fun to look at.

You should listen to his music, if you can find it.

Composer of the Day!

Today's Composer of the Day! is Tristan Murail.

(1947- )

Murail is a French-born composer who pioneered and developed the technique of spectralism.

The general idea is to use the entire overtone series as a basis for harmony as a substitute for traditional triadic-based music (which is, arguably, based on the same principles). In the 1970s, several (mostly) French composers sought this path as a way to have a new harmonic language without resorting to atonality.

He is also associated with computer/electronic music, spectral analysis (of varied methods), and IRCAM. He developed extensive techniques dealing with computer music that I do not understand. Here is a picture I do not pretend to understand, but is fun to look at:


His music is interesting! Sometimes it harps on a drone and explores the resulting overtones. Other times, it uses the same technique to create elaborate harmonies.

Here is an example of the former. The fractals in the video are also fun to look at!

Here is an example of the latter.

You should listen to his music.

Composer of the Day!

Today's Composer of the Day is Charlemagne Palestine.

(1945- (or 1947-)?)

Charlemagne Palestine is a rather odd fellow. Musician, composer, performance artist, and eccentric, he was active in the 1970s, and is still around today.

His music explores vocal and piano timbres, drones, minimalism, electronics, tape, chant, exotica, crossover with pop, trance, ritual, and various physical elements of performance art.

The ritual elements of his performances include, but are not limited to, being surrounded by large numbers of stuffed animals, smoking copious amounts of clove cigarettes, and drinking remarkable quantities of cognac.

You can see some recent footage here.

You should listen to his music, which is very visual. What?

Composer of the Day!

Today's Composer of the Day is Galina Ustvolskaya.

(1919-2006)

(This seems to be the standard picture of her. Why do her hands look penciled in?)

Ustvolskaya was a Russian/Soviet composer with a distinctly individual, experimental style.

During the Soviet years, her music was suppressed as decadent (and, notably, quasi-religious), but she managed to make a living writing pro-Soviet screed pieces. Her main composition teacher was Dmitri Shostakovich. He admired her greatly, and (after the death of his first wife) unsuccessfully asked her to marry him.

She declined. After a time, she broke free of her mentor's influence and developed a unique style of composition including tone clusters, pounding rhythms, and unique instrumental combinations. For example, her piece Composition No. 2 is scored for 8 double basses, piano, and percussion (a wooden box!). Interestingly, all of the pieces in her representative (that is, not Soviet-official) style include piano, percussion, or both.

Her insistence on large, repeated blocks of sound earned her the moniker "The Lady with the Hammer." Which is an awesome nickname. Her music is unique and beautiful.

You can hear the part of the aforementioned Composition No. 2 here. I have no idea what the video is about. It sure is strange though.

She was opinionated. Some great quotes are here. Although she remains relatively obscure, there exist recordings for you to purchase. Or download, whatever.

You should listen to her music.