Gerard Grisey and spectral school.

Being a student at Columbia, I've heard a lot of Grisey and Tristan Murail
(who started teaching here a few years ago.) They were the founding
members of the French "spectral" school.

They have written wonderful-sounding music. Some of my favorites:
Murail's "13 Colours of the Sun" (I forget what it is in French),
"L'esprit de dune", "desintegrations" (all for chamber orchestra) and "le
barque mystique." (for piano violin and cello).

Their notation is 90% with 1/4-tones, sometimes with 1/8s, the emphasis
being on practicality. Before anyone cries "lame!", answer this: have
you written gorgeous orchestral scores, with vividly memorable microtonal
sounds, (and talk about orchestration, baby!!!! It's on a par with
Messiaen and Ravel. . . ), that have been performed by symphony ochestras
world wide? . . . didn't think so.

(I'm *defending* them here. . . .at school, I'm on the *other* side,
extolling the benefits of alternative ETs, pure JI, and whatever other
"impractical" microtonal explorations. . . .)

In any case, they are perhaps the major strand of microtonality in Europe
in the last 50 years. . . . .Murail's arrival at Columbia, in a sense,
led me to ask, "hey, wait a minute, what's been happening this side of the
Atlantic?", which led me to this list, among other places. . . . . .

and yes, they have worked at the evil IRCAM. . . however, it's important
to note that for many years they were kept out of the institution by
Boulez; finally, they became so important that he could no longer ignore
them. In a way, sociologically speaking, they are the "minimalists" of
France. . .

Anyway, polemics and aesthetics aside, the music is great. (All of it
involves instruments, some pieces with electronics.) I recommend it.

cb

--- In tuning@y..., Christopher Bailey <cb202@c...> wrote:
> Being a student at Columbia, I've heard a lot of Grisey and ...

Chris, I just wanted to thank you for serendipitously answering a
question: I was at a wonderful symposium today with Gyorgi Ligetti,
and when the topic of the 'spectral' composers came up there was one
name mentioned I couldn't understand, or hadn't heard of.

I do believe, now, that it was Grisey!

Great afternoon, facilitated by James Tenney in a very helpful way...

Cheers,
Jon

P.S. Of Grisey and others, do you have particular recordings you
could recommend? (I already am familiar with Saariajo [sp?])

This is a good opportunity to announce that the American Festival of
Microtonal Music is gearing up for a 4-concert series that will begin on
April 30th and include "Winter Fragments" by Tristan Mureil.

It is for 5 instruments and electronics for a U.S. premiere and played by the
Galante Ensemble. The full press release will be available really soon.

Best, Johnny Reinhard

By the way, about researches in Europe, the spectral school is already quiet
passed. Look for music from Marco Stroppa (from Paris), Serge Provost (from
Montreal) and some more young and actual music composers. :o)

Vincent-Olivier Gagnon

-----Message d'origine-----
De : jonszanto <JSZANTO@ADNC.COM>
� : tuning@yahoogroups.com <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
Date : 7 f�vrier, 2002 21:12
Objet : [tuning] Re: Gerard Grisey and spectral school.

>--- In tuning@y..., Christopher Bailey <cb202@c...> wrote:
>> Being a student at Columbia, I've heard a lot of Grisey and ...
>
>Chris, I just wanted to thank you for serendipitously answering a
>question: I was at a wonderful symposium today with Gyorgi Ligetti,
>and when the topic of the 'spectral' composers came up there was one
>name mentioned I couldn't understand, or hadn't heard of.
>
>I do believe, now, that it was Grisey!
>
>Great afternoon, facilitated by James Tenney in a very helpful way...
>
>Cheers,
>Jon
>
>P.S. Of Grisey and others, do you have particular recordings you
>could recommend? (I already am familiar with Saariajo [sp?])
>
>
>
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> From: Christopher Bailey <cb202@columbia.edu>
> To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 5:51 PM
> Subject: [tuning] Gerard Grisey and spectral school.
>
>
> Being a student at Columbia, I've heard a lot of Grisey
> and Tristan Murail (who started teaching here a few years
> ago.) They were the founding members of the French
> "spectral" school.
>
> They have written wonderful-sounding music. Some of
> my favorites: Murail's "13 Colours of the Sun"
> (I forget what it is in French),

i don't know the piece, but that title in French is
"treize couleurs du soleil".

-monz

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--- In tuning@y..., Christopher Bailey <cb202@c...> wrote:

/tuning/topicId_33788.html#33788

> Their notation is 90% with 1/4-tones, sometimes with 1/8s, the
emphasis being on practicality. Before anyone cries "lame!", answer
this: have you written gorgeous orchestral scores, with vividly
memorable microtonal sounds, (and talk about orchestration, baby!!!!
It's on a par with Messiaen and Ravel. . . ), that have been
performed by symphony ochestras world wide? . . . didn't think so.
>
> (I'm *defending* them here. . . .at school, I'm on the *other* side,
> extolling the benefits of alternative ETs, pure JI, and whatever
other "impractical" microtonal explorations. . . .)

****Thank so much for your commentary here, Christopher, and I'm glad
I brought Grisey up on this list. (I'm a little behind on the list,
trying to catch up...) I was *very* impressed with the piece by
Grisey that I heard, and I'm looking forward to hearning more.

If *these* composers are resorting to 1/4 tones and 1/8th tones to
make things happen, *I'm* definitely "pushing the envelope" just
trying to get performers to read 72-tET!

24-tET is such an "ugly" tuning, though... it's amazing they can get
so much working with it...

however, it's important to note that for many years they were kept
out of the institution [IRCAM] by Boulez; finally, they became so
important that he could no longer ignore them. In a way,
sociologically speaking, they are the "minimalists" of France. . .
>

****Grisey and Murail were kept out of IRCAM because of their
*xenharmonics* or for "stylistic" reasons, or *both...??* Just
curious.

Joseph Pehrson

--- In tuning@y..., "Vog" <dunael@a...> wrote:

/tuning/topicId_33788.html#33824

> By the way, about researches in Europe, the spectral school is
already quiet
> passed. Look for music from Marco Stroppa (from Paris), Serge
Provost (from
> Montreal) and some more young and actual music composers. :o)
>
> Vincent-Olivier Gagnon
>

***Hello Vog...

It's hard to keep up with the "newest..." isn't it! :) I guess I'll
just have to take my spectroscope to Montreal...

J. Pehrson