Richard Valitutto talks about playing Messiaen
Richard Valitutto talks about playing Messiaen, Highland Park roosters, and being a librarian.
Ornithology Premieres: Fake Palindromes
“Fake Palindromes” is the first song I ever heard by Andrew Bird, and it is my mind’s aural portrait of him. The title’s reference to palindromes calls to mind one of Messiaen’s trademarks: the “non-retrogradeable rhythm”, or a rhythmic palindrome. With the inclusion of Bird’s music on this wild Up concert featuring Messiaen’s Oiseaux exotiques [Foreign Birds], I knew I had to arrange this particular
The Salt of the Earth – a record release awaits…
We’re working hard on releasing a limited number of vinyl copies of the recording that’s just been remastered from last May’s show at the Jensen Rec. Center. It includes Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony, Op. 110a, and the B-side is Rzewski’s Les Moutons de Panurge.
Music Review 6.26.2011: Morton Feldman’s “for Philip Guston”
In attempting to review a concert like this one can only think: what I just heard, what I just experienced, is more than enough to make language submit, revealing its futility and clumsiness – particularly in its written form. Recalling Guildenstern’s pondering from Tom Stoppard’s play, though, it is verily so: “Words, words. They’re all we have to go on.” How does one write
New Music Concert – Practically Free
Yes, it is possible to hear a good performance of high caliber music and musicians for cheap. This coming Wednesday, June 22 at 8 p.m., you can hear a solidly full program of new and recent music at the illustrious Royal/T Café in Culver City. It is part of the $2 Shows recently instated New Music Series, and as advertised, the admission is indeed
Music Review 6.10.2011: PARTCH @ REDCAT
The obligatory titular capitals of the event’s ensemble and venue could not be more appropriate for last night’s performance. From beginning to end, PARTCH exclaimed, cursed, laughed, wailed, and cavorted through several varied scores by the “iconoclastic American Maverick” Harry Partch (1901-1974). PARTCH, led by guitarist/composer/singer/radio-personality John Schneider, have been spreading the gospel of Partch since their REDCAT debut in 2004. The group is