Columbia–Princeton Electronic Music Center

★★★★★

   Technology is what changes the world. New sources and technical methods of sound modeling have always formed the basis of the development of new styles and even a new aesthetic paradigm. The history of electronic music in USA began in 1951, when the Columbia Music Department purchased the first Ampex 400 tape recorder. Two composers: Vladimir Ussachevsky and Otto Luening began experimenting with recorded voices and instruments. During the First Congress of Experimental Music in 1953, they made contact with composers in Europe who created the first experiments in radio studios: Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre Henry in Paris, and Karlheinz Stockhausen and Herbert Eimert in Cologne. These meetings resulted in many new ideas for the development of electronic music studios in universities of USA and Canada. In 1957 first American studio was installed in Macmillan Hall. The same year group of composers were able to work with RCA Mark II synthesizer installed in the studio, a flagship of Columbia–Princeton Electronic Music Center. And the first presentation of electronic music from Columbia–Princeton Electronic Music Center took place at the Composers Forum concert at the Macmillan Theater at Columbia University on May 9, 1961, and was repeated the next day. Material from this concert was published by Columbia in 1964.
   Six pieces by six composers presenting the most advanced achievements in the field of experimental and studio music. Few of them were composers of different cultures. The first in the program was Bülent Arel (1919-1990), a composer and pioneer of electronic music from Turkey. Born in Istanbul, a graduate of the Ankara Conservatory, he was invited in 1959 by the Rockefeller Foundation to the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center, later became a professor at Yale University (from 1961 to 1970) and a professor at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where he worked from 1971 to retired in 1989. He was an active composer of contemporary symphonic and chamber music, his music for tape includes the two main pieces of Stereo Electronic Music No. 1 (1961) and Stereo Electronic Music No. 2 (1962). The first of these two tracks was presented during the concert mentioned above and released as an introduction to the first LP presenting the achievements of the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center.

Columbia–Princeton Electronic Music Center (1964)

   One of artists known for his serious contribution to the development of the ideas and techniques of concrete and electronic music was an Egyptian ethnomusicologist and composer Halim El-Dabh (1921-2017). In his works he combined electronic sounds and processed human voice. El-Dabh’s work Leiyla and the Poet shows modern version of old Arabic tale about Layla and Majnun. The story of Qays ibn al-Mulawwah, 7th century Bedouin poet obsessed with beloved Layla became the context for the narrative form in this early period of concrete music. He achieved interesting effects using processed vocal sounds in the manner rooted in traditional folk music. He became the pioneer of such forms already in beginning of 1940s. He was student of Cairo University, when in 1944 he created The Expression of Zaar, using wire recorder. Composition Layla and Poet was recorded 15 years later in Columbia-Princeton Studio on AMPEX tape recorders. Halim El-Dabh has strong influence on the ideas of developing experimental music and experimenting composers of popular music. His idea of looping became technical base for many progressive artists, and its influences included popular music. Some references can be found in the early work of the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band (Leila), Mothers of Invention and Frank Zappa.
   Two composers playing leading role in the studio, presented two compositions combining electronics with traditional musical media. In the work by Vladimir Ussachevsky (1911-1990) called /Creation—Prologue based on text of Babylonian creation myth Enuma Elish, electronic sound was used as accompaniment to performance of The Little Chorus Of Macalester College mastered by Ian Morton. In Gargoyles by Otto Luening (1900-1996) sound of RCA synthesizer recorded and tape manipulated is interfering with solo violin played by Max Pollikoff. Two works published on this record were created solely as a result of pure artificial sound. Argentinian-American composer Mario Davidovsky (1934-2019) presented Electronic Study No. 1 based on sine wave, square wave and white noise tape manipulations. He came to USA in 1960 to study music and remained as citizen. One of his teachers was composer and mathematician Milton Babbitt (1916-2011) who’s Composition for Synthesizer opens B-side of the album. Babbitt was also performer of this work on RCA Synthesizer. These pure electronic works show how fruitful was new idea of sound creation in connection with 20th century new principles of musical form. Six works, five of them composed with tape manipulations, four composers born outside US, three works of pure electronics, two works connecting electronics with traditional media, one example of musique concrete – this math is something really making sense. Five stars for sixty years of noble presence in musical world.

John Adams — Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes?

★★★★★

   John Adams, one of the best composers of today’s America, started his creative career in the end of the decade of sixties. Time of avantgarde ideas and great achievements of post-war music was about to an end. From the beginning of his composing he took esthetic positions of post-minimalistic style dealing with Darmstadt school ideas. As 31 years old composer in 1978 he wrote Shaker Loops for string septet in modular version, where conductor decided when musicians should move from one module to another. Five years later orchestrated this work and number of repetitions has been specified in the score. 

   His early works like Shaker Loops, Grand Pianola Music (1982) and many fragments of his first opera Nixon in China (1987) became a great success and pave his road to the fame of master of contemporary minimalism although most of his works cannot be recognized as minimal music. In the middle of second decade of his creative work he was already far from minimal ideas and in symphonic score Harmonielehre from 1985 he moved back to the expressionist means and loose tonality. Nevertheless in 1990’s he was listed in one row with masters of 1960’s generation Terry Rilley, Steve Reich and Philip Glass. Some elements of this style he was working also in next decades, i.e. using steady pulse as characteristic feature of his style, but the last decade of 20th century and two decades of new Millenium was the time of his greatest creative achievements.

John Adams —  Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes? (2020)

   Concert compositions occupy a special place in John Adams’ oeuvres. Starting from Violin Concerto (1993) to Scheherazade 2 – symphony for violin and orchestra (2014) he presented an unusual melodic lightness and lyricism contrasted with dramatic tensions. In compositions for piano and orchestra these qualities were augmented with motoric intensity and expressive radiant harmonics interacting with variety of rhythmic patterns. In third piano concerto called Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes? Was commissioned by Los Angelese Philharmonic and premiered March 7, 2019 in Walt Disney Concert Hall by Yuja Wang and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. In November 2019 artists recorded this work for Deutsche Grammophon and in April 17, 2020 album was released.
   New piano concerto uses the same steady pulse we know as a hallmark of composers style. This is the starting point for the process of developing and expanding patterns as figurative units for motoric and intensive piano action. This virtuoso concerto continues the line of great concertos by Bartok and Prokofiev. It consists of three movements: I Gritty, funky, but in Strict Tempo; Twitchy, Bot-like, II Much Slower; Gently, Relaxed III Piú Mosso: Obsession / Swing. Firm and energetic, perfect and virtuoso music suita the diabolic name which has its root in saying of Martin Luter.
   The program of this LP comprises concerto Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes? and as an encore China Gates (1977) for piano solo, early composition based on principles developed in minimalistic period. Perfect performance of orchestra conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and brilliant virtuoso piano by Yuja Wang gave this visionary music good premiere. For composition and for performance complete five stars.

Tom Robinson Band — Power in the Darkness

★★★✰

   In the time of violent unrests, when constitutional rights are trampled by armed forces, politicians are staying against people, companies still are creating growth of public debt, and corporative mass-media false picture of reality, only arts and music can remind you what an honest world should look like. For some it will be a moment of rest, momentary relief in pain, but in many cases, it is powerful exposure of common concerns and dreams. To understand it, you don't need any special competences, this is publicly open message. Position of rock music comes from it is impact in actions against Jim Crow laws and imperialistic wars, like the one against Vietnam. Action was considerably strong and gave impulse for huge wave of counterculture movements. Position of rock music from 1960's was one of most significant effects of this process.
   In second half of 1970’s the era of disco was in full swing, big part of rock music looked like already historic genre. Pop rock as more entertaining and ideologically indifferent was in raising trend. Many artists were repeating earlier achievements in various subgenres, expanding them with some fashionable improvements, and gaining success. In late 1970’s most respectable subgenres of rock show some rebellious ideas, and most popular among them was punk rock. Its rhythmical, harmonic, and instrumental simplicity one could understand as weakness, but in fact these elements serve just as background for lyrics. Punk was more counterculture movement than just a genre and besides musical characteristics most significant feature of punk rock was its political commitment. 

 

Tom Robinson Band — Power in the Darkness (1978)

   Many bands in UK were playing syncretic rock with elements of new style recognized as punk and more traditional hard rock, glam rock, and various pop music styles. One of these bands was Tom Robinson Band, also known under abbreviation TRB. Band was established in 1976 by Tom Robinson, singer and songwriter, gay rights activist. He started his own band as singer giving performances on early London punk scene. He invited his friend Danny Kustow as guitarist, by add in music paper they have found drummer “Dolphin” Taylor, then by next audition they found keyboardist Mark Ambler. Tom Robinson decided to play bass guitar himself. Punk rock was politically engaged in general, but Tom Robinson band was more radical than others although their music was not so defiant as The Clash or Sex Pistols.

   TRB played much more complex and sometimes moderate version of punk rock gravitating towards new wave.  Based on rock rhythms it sounded modern and fashionable. Their started with hit song 2-4-6-8 Motorway – it was 1977 hit picking 5th position on UK Singles Chart – which together with B-side anthem I Shall Be Released it should be considered as a classic punk rock single. After this success in May 1978 EMI released Tom Robinson Band’s debut album Power in the Darkness. As punk rock album it is unusually rich as a variety of elements coming from every corner of rock and various pop music traditions. And it’s still interesting showing in original version some ideas that became fruitful in punk rock in 1990’s.

Tom Robinson Band — Power in the Darkness (1978)

   From the starting moment TRB were sympathizing with Rock Against Racism movement, which was supported by Tom Robinson from the beginning. The cover graphics of the album was the same raised fist as they used as band’s logo. No wonder debut album of TRB was created as a contribution to Rock against Racism campaign. Information about campaign on album cover includes short manifesto: “We want rebel music, street music. Music that breaks down people’s fear of one another. Crisis music. Music that knows who the real enemy is”. UK edition had 10 songs; in most local editions 2-4-6-8 Motorway song was added. US edition was 2LP with many bonus tracks. In UK and European editions part of the album cover was the LP size stencil showing raised fist and ring with name of the band.

   Not only rebellious ones, but most of popular culture artists have generally pro-equality and against- attitude. Although exceptions happen and many artists are testing random kinds of rebellious ideas, good majority is oriented towards values typical for open society, including anti-totalitarianism and advocating full rights for minorities. This direction is common in attitudes of most significant artists. They are saying about what is close to their social and individual interest, sometimes even putting their relations into risk. But experience shows those who are trying to support their careers with hate speech usually do not deserve attention.

Folk Festival – Songs from the deep of social history

★★✰

   Song can be understand as a base of musical expression and position of music in communication system. As the form of musical experience, song was always fundamental part of any culture. While developing forms of music through the eras were expanding and complicating, in folk music this form rooted in communication mechanisms, language and symbolic gestures, was flourishing with creative ideas and current content but remaining purest and uncontaminated form. The tradition of telling various stories with poetic text was common for most cultures all over the world. With rhyme, rhythm and with melody even legends and fantastic tales sounded more realistic. Basing on formal foundations song became a vehicle for ideas of great importance. After industrial revolution society became more independent and, from this moment onward, popular song played the role of common practical set of ideas.
   The new world society was in quite different situation. New waves of immigrants were coming with fresh energy and some basic musical culture, but mainly without education or cultural competences. The economy of this form and the power of impact were primary reason for connecting song with social behaviors and beliefs in migrating society, patriotic feelings or protests injustice, war or inequity. So country music was as much adequate as it was for social layer without structural rating system.
   Since the beginning of popular culture era, songs were the tools for disseminating various ideas, step by step taking position of main form in spectrum of musical culture. This process can be observed almost in every area, it can last decades, or centuries. In American society after 2nd World War, with domination of English language, in place of different singing and telling traditions, appeared limited number of forms and worldwide recognizable authors of songs. As this massive cultural change came with domination of American politics and economy, so significant part of globalizing culture was common American English music and literature including folk and country music.

Various Artists – Folk Festival (1960?)

   Country ballads, folk rock, protest songs and popular folk songs were extremely popular and in every catalogue such music existed as a section of rich selection. Elektra Records was founded in 1950 with idea to publish folk songs and in next two decades it became major label specialized in all kinds of folk songs. In mid 1950’s their catalogue was already a rare collection of great singers, so they started to publish compilations of different style songs. In 1956 Elektra published Folk Sampler with 18 songs and in 1961 this compilation was reedited and titled Folk Festival. Next compilation of 15 songs was published under the same title and republished few times in licence edition. One of them was Vintage label operating in Germany (Vintage F50002). There were few other versions, but none of them contained any information about the year of publication.
   The album is one of dozens alike. Such compilations of popular folk songs were in sixties common way to earn some extra money from albums already sold. The program includes stars from the label's stable, from Judy Collins, Brownie McGhee, Rod McKuen and Theodore Bikel, through The Dillards, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Ed McCurdy and Oscar Brand to Odetta and Pete Seeger. Interesting choice of songs (and two instrumental pieces by Glen Campbell) – for newbies the opportunity to check, for those who like American folk music, a chance to have more comprehensive overview. For the lack of thrill, two and a half of stars only although every distinguished artist alone deserves more.

Joni Mitchell — Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter

★★★★✰

   One of songwriters and great folk-rock singers who reached great worldwide fame as performing artist is representative of great Canadian American tradition, bright stage personality and guitarist Joni Mitchell. She is famous as singer and well known as performer, but her creative effort in songwriting was on the first place from the very beginning. With strong roots in folk and folk rock, she was close to jazz scene as well. She started as songwriter and folk clubs singer in sixties, her debut album Song to a Seagull was produced by David Crosby and released in March 1968 by Reprise label. She was author of all songs, singer, played guitar and piano in all accompaniments and designed album cover. Bass guitarist Stephen Stills played only one song but became her constant coworker and playing much more on her next albums. Releasing every year new album in five years she became an icon of folk rock.
   Shortly after Mitchell’s first folk rock records reach commercial success, she started to widen stylistic attitude. Consequently, her name was increasingly falling into category of jazz vocalists. It’s interesting process she was keeping the same position towards popular ballad and narrative poetry of rock songs changing only some elements of her musical style. In early seventies it was still somehow risky idea to get against actual trends. Folk rock albums made her famous, so experiments with other styles could eventually cost her losing some of her fans. So, she was moving to folk and jazz crossover in a mild way, adding more and more interesting musicians, and staying herself the same artistic personality. She was recording and touring with super league of jazz musicians. As time goes by she had considerably more listeners on jazz and some other ambitious genres of rock and pop music, but she was still associated with folk rock.
   After the end of Vietnam war in seventies, with social change driven by economic crisis, many artists were searching for new solutions of art representation as a space for culture discourse. This perspective was perfect for continuing some trends popular in sixties. Renewed ideas were consumed as backward wave of folk music. Joni Mitchell as many others was still on top of popularity. It really didn’t matter how innovative she was and how far her new songs were behind borders of the style, she was still considered as folk singer. Like she was intending to confirm this stereotype, in many performances she was still a singer with a guitar, or even a bard with natural vocal technique and nice melodies. Sometimes it had to be a real challenge to reach it in such natural way, and many of her project were stylized to fulfill this idea. This tendency was present in live performances while not clearly visible in Mitchell’s studio recordings, where she was more ambitious on intellectual and artistic level.

Joni Mitchell — Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (1977)

  
   One of her best works, published in December 1977 double LP album Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter was also the one scandalously underestimated. Recorded for Asylum label in London, New York and Hollywood with huge group of musicians and various arrangements. Definitely, most significant element besides of Joni Mitchell’s voice and guitars was sound of Jaco Pastorius’ fretless bass. As a sideman he gave this music electrifying power of jazz phrasing, finding perfect balance with leader’s voice. In late seventies his sound was iconic element of Weather Report sound. Musicians from this band were saxophonist Wayne Shorter, percussionists Manolo Badrena, and Alex Acuña. Others were also known for their contribution in fusion jazz guitarist Larry Carlton, percussionist Airto Moreira, movie music composer, pianist Michel Colombier, lead singer from funk band Rufus Chaka Khan and drummer John Guerin known from early Frank Zappa’s albums.
   Restricted use of jazz idioms on Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter was visionary. It sounded like jazz moved back to it’s popular music roots. Even in simple songs, for example in Jericho, where Jaco Pastorius bass and Joni Mitchell’s guitar with drums by John Guerin and bongos by Don Alias create thick and intensive instrumental layer. In this fabric soprano sax by Wayne Shorter is so discrete and colorful as it sounds like just extra sound dimension. This corresponds with unusual melody, full of unexpected changes, based on irregular, free verse poetry. It gives a mind-blowing effect. In opposite example Paprika Plains we receive expanded composition spanning whole side B of first LP. Similar group of musicians (except absence of congas and Joni Mitchell plays piano) and symphony orchestra orchestrated by Michael Gibbs gives this composition solid formal frame. Even final jazz solo by Wayne Shorter runs with the whole composition like a cadenza. The other side of musical experience are The Tenth World and Dreamland, both featuring essentially percussion band. For experimenting with styles, balancing ambitious musical creations with intense poetry this album deserves four stars. I am giving four and a half for personal input of Jaco Pastorius – this is one of his best accomplishments.

Monteverdi – Madrigals – Leonhardt

THE 450th ANNIVERSARY OF CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI’S BIRTH

★★★★✰

   Claudio Monteverdi was born in Cremona, traditional musical centre of Northern Italy. In 16th century newborn children were baptized as soon as possible, so his baptism day, May 15th, 1567 is widely recognized as a date of his birth. He was composer of two eras, starting his career in late Renaissance style and continuing his work in early Baroque. And it’s hard to overestimate role Monteverdi played as creator of new musical idioms and establishing new forms. He was one of first composers who were developing the idea of opera as combined music, poetry, dance and theatre, and the first one who wrote opera L’Orfeo being regularly played. His late works Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (1641) and L'incoronazione di Poppea (1642) remain in common repertoire giving him position of first composer with significant position in the history of opera. These two works, written by composer in his seventies, are considered as his crowning achievements. He died in Venice in 1643.
   Crucial moment in his artistic career was publishing in 1605 his fifth book of madrigals Il quinto libro de madrigali a cinque voci, where he switched main style of musical composition. He resigned of earlier rules of polyphony with strict counterpoint and equity of voices – which he called prima practica. In place of these he used counterpoint more freely with hierarchic voices. These features help him create music with more dramatic emotional shape. In next four books of Madrigals Monteverdi established foundations for the new style. Every book gave new solutions to the problem of relation between lyrics and musical form. Choices of works from Monteverdi’s Libri are common part of musical life, what can be observed in concert programs and record catalogues.

Claudio Monteverdi – Madrigale – Gustav Leonhardt (1979)

   Among many productions some are really significant. Meaningful moment in performing and recording Monteverdi’s music was change from romantic visions of ancient music to historically informed and methodically conscious interpretations. One early examples of such attitude is album called Madrigals (Madrigale in German) published in 1980 under SEON/RCA label. This is one of late issues in catalogue of SEON label, which in 1978 moved from Phonogram to RCA. Recording sessions took place in Haarlem (Holland, Netherlands) in September 1979. Performers were Dutch singers Marjanne Kweksilber (soprano), Marius van Altena (tenor), Michiel ten Houte de Lange (tenor) and Floris Rommerts (bass) and great countertenor from Belgium, René Jacobs. Artistic director was Gustav Leonhardt, who played harpsichord and conducted the ensemble.
   Program of this album was composed with carefully selected madrigals from Monteverdi’s last four books of madrigals. First position of this anthology is four-part Lamento d’Arianna (Libro 6). Second dominant of the programm is three-part Lamento della Ninfa (Libro 8).  Madrigals are often versions of opera arias and duets. Opening second side madrigal Bel pastor (Libro 9) is dramatic scene for two voices where shepherd is seducing shepherdess. This madrigal written to the text by Ottavio Rinuccini was probably a scene from one of lost pastoral operas. Such procedures were normal behavior not only in 17th century. Whole program of 15 madrigals shows also some stylistic dependencies towards earlier style. Monteverdi was using various stylistic means, sometimes even facing to older manners just to give his oeuvres most lucid, credible shape. Such perspective was also shown in collection set by Gustav Leonhardt bringing a lot of musical experience and some further evidences of composer’s greatness.

Keith Jarrett — Treasure Island

April 30 - INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY celebrated under the auspices of UNESCO since 2012

★★★★

   From the beginning of his recording career Keith Jarrett was musician of huge possibilities. As multi instrumentalist he was playing piano, harpsichord, pipe organ, soprano saxophone, flute, recorder, harmonica, guitar, bass guitar, drums and various percussion instruments. He was also songwriter and singer experimenting with popular song. As composer he was developing some creative continuations of third stream idea. He was as well stylistically versatile as a performer, playing not only various styles of jazz, but also folk rock and giving well established performances of baroque, classical and 20th century music. The catalogue of his albums is huge both for its volume and variety. Considering Jarrett’s achievements in jazz as main stream of his activity, it’s still not easy to point an outward direction or style for whole of his work. Probably the best answer would be defining own style as weave of personal tendencies and generation knowledge, the value system and music technology. And with every expression of these qualities Jarrett’s individual style looks more consistent.
   Keith Jarrett was associated with Impulse label for two years, and in such short period he recorded four albums starting with Fort Yawuh, (rec. live February 24, 1973), continued with Treasure Island and concluded with two albums recorded during one session October 9-10, 1974: Death and The Flower (released 1975) and Back Hand (released 1974). Second album recorded for Impulse was studio recording. Sessions took place in Generation Sound Studios in New York City on February 27 and 28, 1974. Treasure Island was recorded with Dewey Redman playing tenor saxophone, Charlie Haden playing bass, Paul Motian playing drums with guest performances of guitarist Sam Brown (in Treasure Island and Sister Fortune). Apart piano, Keith Jarrett played soprano saxophone in Angles (Without Edges). In effect is affordably inexpensive session gave results of widely developed project.

Keith Jarrett — Treasure Island (1974)

   The idea of Treasure Island was to melt various directions of contemporary jazz, including fusion and soul jazz, funk and free jazz, progressive and popular music. Such attitude was young Jarrett’s idée fixe; he was expanding stylistic frontiers beyond any borders. The more contradictory these currents were, the more interesting was stylistic background and its final effect looked better. Like in treasury found on tropical island we have everything precious in one coffer, here we have various elements of tradition closed in one program. And the best feature is the structure of this album – all compositions are complementary and every element is perfectly set with the others. Sad and joyous, light and heavy moments are balanced and magnificently displayed. If he didn’t develop his own stylistic way, this could be Jarrett’s style as well.
   Interesting mistake happened in my copy of Treasure Island. It is European edition re-released by Impulse in February 2016. The second side of the record contains one more track: Sister Fortune which is last song on B-side, has been cut two times – at the beginning of this side and at the end. Maybe it was intended action to give listener a chance to listen this nice piece in better quality, maybe it was calculated as a provocation showing how passive listeners we are. Whatever it was, it would be nice to read publisher’s information on this. Considering musical quality this album deserves four stars for originality and strong position in early discography of great pianist.