Fascinating documentary about minimalist composers Young, Riley, Reich, and Glass

[pesco]

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/12/12/fascinating-documentary-about.html

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[Brainspore]

Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Phillip Glass

[ChuckV]

Anyone interested in this documentary might also appreciate this:

http://www.ubu.com/film/greenaway.html

Four American Composers, a four part documentary series directed by Peter Greenaway about John Cage, Philip Glass, Meredith Monk, and Robert Ashley.

Don’t let Greenaway put you off (if you generally don’t like him). It’s just straight documentary with little if any of his mannerisms.

[pesco]

Thanks for this! Right up my alley and I hadn’t heard of it.

[jerwin]

Philip Glass' first lessons: Behind the scenes at Juilliard with a soon-to-be...

[victorhazzard]

LAST EDIT: OK, so I posted links to higher quality files, including the second episode of the documentary, but they were hosted on a dodgy DDL site. Now I have uploaded them to mediafire. Phew.

Episode 1

Episode 2

[jerwin]

Dodgy Indeed.

They could very well be upfront about it.

[kelly_anquoe]

i’ve enjoyed this discussion for a long time. If we are to make this merely a “who did it first?” discussion then abstract impressionism originated in what “you” (western european) call primitive cultures. that being said, most humans would never had heard of this form of “music” unless Brian Eno had not been able to demonstrably place this “ambient/minimalist” idea directly “on to” popular music, like the rock and roll did the blues (think of how many people began researching blues after The Beatles). I love all of the composing experimental conceptualists presented here (I met John Cage in 1979) and enjoy listenng to new artists. However, no Eno, no complete history.

[victorhazzard]

Well shit. My browser is well guarded from scripts so I didn’t see any of that. I’m uploading to mediafire but my up speed is shit so it’ll take some time.

[Boundegar]

I can’t think of any of Cage’s music that’s particularly dissonant. He’s more like an early minimalist. Maybe that piece with all the radios?

[Fef]

Well, that’s perfect – You can listen to some LaMonte Young while you’re waiting.

[pesco]

I find Cage’s Imaginary Landscape pieces to be quite dissonant at times as are some of the prepared piano works. And of course there’s Variations VII:

[Aronnax]

Knock knock. who’s there? Steve Reich. SteveReich. SteReivech. SReitevche. ReiStechve. ReichSteve. ReicStehve.SteReivech. Steve Reich

[generic_name]

Dude, Reich is like the Candyman, don’t say his name three times, or else “it’s gonna rain.”

[karl_jones]

Okay, here we go tripping down Memory Lane with Terry Riley’s A Rainbow in Curved Air:

Now go buy the album.

[gmoke]

One of the best concerts I’ve ever been to was the 80th birthday celebration for Terry Riley at MIT’s Kresge Hall. It started with a saxophone choir playing “Poppy No-good and the Phantom Band” in the domed concert hall, Kresge Auditorium. The musicians came slowly into the hall and the sound bounced all around from every direction to wash over the audience. Very, very healing and beautiful.

Been lucky to see Terry Riley perform three or four times in my life. Great musician.

[AbelardLindsay]

Seconded. I’m also very fond of this recording: