It was white. Everything was white. Translucent. It was cold. Everywhere was cold. The neighborhood silent. Montreal, breathless. Frost. Ice. Still. Insomnia. January 1998.
Lately, I fall asleep to the sound of woodwinds. Tonight, the sound of brass was muted by the storm, and replaced by the sound of wind whistling through the window pane. In our living room, on the television stand, a new copy of…
The notion of timbre is frequently elusive. This is particularly the case for pieces in which melody or pitched material plays a large part. When listening to music, our ear naturally follows the melody, and we’re less inclined to focus on what is producing that melody. But in an all-percussion work, there is no melody. There is hardly any pitch. This forces the listener to concentrate on the subtle differences in sound between the various percussion instruments in order to ascertain how the work was organized.
I think this is beautiful. A very creative expression of a very natural, ubiquitous sequence.
Simply wonderful, wouldn’t you say?
I think one of the biggest embarrassments facing our nation today is the state of our national passenger rail system. And I'm not just talking about the level of customer service provided by Amtrak, which is variable, as anyone who rides frequently on different routes across the country knows. I'm talking about those routes themselves. I'm talking about major cities throughout the nation that have no passenger rail service whatsoever.
You will be missed.
I once attended a concert in Manhattan featuring some wind quintet music of Elliott Carter. I believe it was on or around his 101st birthday and at the end of the concert he was announced to be in the audience and humbly rose from the front row to be acknowledged. A standing ovation followed. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that moment.
Some talk was given (and examples by the performers followed) of his teaching style wherein he attempted to urge his students to be creative in their composing. A piece was played by the wind quintet which consisted of the five players throwing a single note back and forth in various octaves and with various techniques and dynamic levels – combined with the varying tone qualities of the different instruments playing in their various registers, the effect was striking: so much could be achieved with one note! His music is notoriously complex, but sometimes it is strikingly simple.
Thank you Elliott Carter for your contributions to making the world a brighter place!
Well, okay, maybe not mania… This is truly blissful music here, such a relaxing and peaceful sound.
Signatures have meant nothing to the greedy bosses at AVID, so now it’s time to hit them where it hurts – the only place these greedy fat cats have any nerve endings at all: their wallets! Boycott AVID!
Join the Boycott – Avoid AVID
Here’s a place to go and be heard!
I’m tired of everything nice in this world being corrupted and ruined by greed and the never ending quest for profit. Let’s rock this boat a little, shall we?
