sounds of Chicago
John Cage, Solo for flute, from Concert for Piano (1958); Eric Lamb, flute (International Contemporary Ensemble), Chicago, 2012
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lagniappe
musical thoughts
Music is theater for the ear. Take this performance. The phrasing, the interplay between sound and silence—this unfolds like something by Beckett.
sounds of Chicago
George Lewis (1952-), String Quartet No. 1.5, “Experiments in Living” (2016); Spektral Quartet, live, New York, 2017
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
sounds of Chicago
Jürg Frey (1953-), more or less normal, a.pe.ri.od.ic, live, Chicago, 2011
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
another take
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), Prelude in C-sharp minor (Op. 45); Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (1920-1995), live, Italy (Prato), 1967
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lagniappe
musical thoughts
[N]ow Miles [Davis] was relaxed and pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli was sending him into several shades of ecstasy.
‘Listen to those trills!’ Miles ordered.
—1961 interview, The Miles Davis Reader
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random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
Want to be swept away?
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), Violin Concerto in D major; Frankfurt Radio Symphony (Paavo Järvi, cond.) with Hilary Hahn (violin), live, Frankfurt, 2014
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
Yesterday, listening to this while driving to see a client at an outlying jail, I was reminded, again, that hearing the right music at the right time can change your entire day.
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin; Oscar Shumsky (1917-2000), violin, 1979*
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*Sonata No. 1 in G minor: 00:01
Partita No. 1 in B minor: 17:04
Sonata No. 2 in A minor: 48:26
Partita No. 2 in D minor: 1:11:43
Sonata No. 3 in C major: 1:43:33
Partita No. 3 in E major: 2:07:17
If told you had a week to live, what recordings would you want to listen to in your waning days? This, for me, would be one.
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), 24 Preludes (Op. 28); Alfred Cortot (1877-1962), piano, 1933/34
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
timeless
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), Prelude in C-sharp minor (Op. 45); Alfred Cortot (1877-1962), piano, 1949
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lagniappe
random sights
today, Oak Park, Ill.
This I could listen to all day.
Morton Feldman (1926-1987, MCOTD Hall of Fame), Palais de Mari (1986); Blair McMillen (piano) and Ryan Olivier (video processing), live, Philadelphia, 2014
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lagniappe
musical thoughts
My obsession with surface is the subject of my music. In that sense, my compositions are really not ‘compositions’ at all. One might call them time canvases in which I more or less prime the canvas with an overall hue of the music.
—Morton Feldman, “Between Categories” (Give My Regards to Eighth Street)
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random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
what’s new
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, excerpt (Prelude); Yo-Yo Ma (cello), 1/14/19
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lagniappe
random sights
this morning, Oak Park, Ill.
