On attending concerts and events...

Hmmmm,

As I'm preparing to go see the "Oedipus" show in Montclair, I was also perusing the latest New Yorker (between that mag and Kyle's blog I try to feel involved) for concerts. And I saw this:

GAMELAN SON OF LION AND FLUX QUARTET

Renee Weiler Concert Hall many not have the city's best acoustics, but it plays host to a wide swath of contemporary-music concerts. In this one, two leading experimental ensembles - one using Indonesian instruments, the other Western strings - offer such works as Dan Demnitz's "Operation Iraqi Freedom," a piece for "gamelan orchestra and embedded string quartet" that highlights the contrast of Javanese and Western tuning."

That occurred on March 24 - did anyone go? I would have gone on the description alone!

Cheers,
Jon

sounds to me to do a piece like this the string quartet would have to not listen. it quite well symbolizes the imperialist nature of the west that they can throw there trash anywhere they like.

Jonathan M. Szanto wrote:

>Hmmmm,
>
>As I'm preparing to go see the "Oedipus" show in Montclair, I was also >perusing the latest New Yorker (between that mag and Kyle's blog I try to >feel involved) for concerts. And I saw this:
>
>GAMELAN SON OF LION AND FLUX QUARTET
>
>Renee Weiler Concert Hall many not have the city's best acoustics, but it >plays host to a wide swath of contemporary-music concerts. In this one, two >leading experimental ensembles - one using Indonesian instruments, the >other Western strings - offer such works as Dan Demnitz's "Operation Iraqi >Freedom," a piece for "gamelan orchestra and embedded string quartet" that >highlights the contrast of Javanese and Western tuning."
>
>That occurred on March 24 - did anyone go? I would have gone on the >description alone!
>
>Cheers,
>Jon
>
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>
> >Yahoo! Groups Links
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> >
>
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>
> >

--
Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria Island <http://anaphoria.com/>
The Wandering Medicine Show
KXLU <http://www.kxlu.com/main.html> 88.9 FM Wed 8-9 pm Los Angeles

Kraig,

{you wrote...}
>sounds to me to do a piece like this the string quartet would have to not >listen. it quite well symbolizes the imperialist nature of the west that >they can throw there trash anywhere they like.

Well, I certainly wondered. I don't know the composer, and I know that particular gamelan has members that compose; I was curious if it might be *their* political statement on the intrusive nature of the West, as in the 'embedded' part.

And I certainly hope it didn't naively fall into the scenario that you paint!

Cheers,
Jon

I always willing to be surprised by such 'experiments' but the track record has left me more often than not really pissed off.
Possibly since i still have the Cudimani concert here fresh in my mind, i cannot think of how unimagiative the idea is.
This Group as far as i can tell is probably doing the most innovative music i have heard in years, the superposition of different layers, tempo shifts, lines that start fast and thin out to be slow while preserving a tempo against, wide spacings, and the use of rests, and in relation to this group one of the most interesting 7 tone scale used in ways i have not heard done before. It was like being at the premiere of the rite of spring in Bali. On top of it I doubt more than a handful of western players could approoach playing this stuff. two notches above Kebyar.
( their Cd which i have one does not compare unfortunately, but give one a good i dea of what they are coming out of.
After hearing the full versiion of Takemitsu's In a n Autumn Garden and this, i hcan only sadly observe that IMHO the real innovation in music is no longer centered into the west.

Some people expect and hence are dissapointed that Anaphorian is not indonesian. They do us a similar scale that has some features in common , outside of that they are far more interested in developing their own idenity than in imitating something they have had only passing contact with.

Jonathan M. Szanto wrote:

>Kraig,
>
>{you wrote...}
> >
>>sounds to me to do a piece like this the string quartet would have to not >>listen. it quite well symbolizes the imperialist nature of the west that >>they can throw there trash anywhere they like.
>> >>
>
>Well, I certainly wondered. I don't know the composer, and I know that >particular gamelan has members that compose; I was curious if it might be >*their* political statement on the intrusive nature of the West, as in the >'embedded' part.
>
>And I certainly hope it didn't naively fall into the scenario that you paint!
>
>Cheers,
>Jon >
>
>
>
> >Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
> >
>
>
>
> >

--
Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria Island <http://anaphoria.com/>
The Wandering Medicine Show
KXLU <http://www.kxlu.com/main.html> 88.9 FM Wed 8-9 pm Los Angeles