I read something about this guy, Conlon Nancarrow, as being this obscure, entirely original musical visionary...He lived through a good portion of the Twentieth Century and is evidently considered a composer's composer. Ligeti said he was Greatest Twentieth Century composer...
At any rate, he chose to create masterpieces for player pianos - I'm not sure if his pieces were for just two pianos or more. They are amazing...if you are an afficinado of piano composition and want to be taken into the stratosphere by a 20th iconoclastic genius...check this guy out.
I have no idea what he's doing in terms of theory. But maybe one of youse guys can figure it out.
Hot Tip
-
- KVRAF
- 1927 posts since 30 Oct, 2003 from Frolicking in Dirac's Ocean
-
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 1927 posts since 30 Oct, 2003 from Frolicking in Dirac's Ocean
Here's a quote from the booklet. I, for one, have no idea as to whether it makes sense...but it sounds cool.
"...Nacarrow never lapses into articial innovation but again and again seeks to maintain a relation to what is natural. For example, in his tempo relations he employs the "natural" constants e and pi or the vibration frequencies of the chromatic scale. In addition, he employs sound aggregates with up to two hundred beats per second as new compositional stylistic means; they transcend by far the resolution capacity of the human ear and are no longer perceived as a series of single tones but as new, previously unheard sounds."
There's certainly an amazing beauty, humor, intelligence and sheer exuberence in the music.
"...Nacarrow never lapses into articial innovation but again and again seeks to maintain a relation to what is natural. For example, in his tempo relations he employs the "natural" constants e and pi or the vibration frequencies of the chromatic scale. In addition, he employs sound aggregates with up to two hundred beats per second as new compositional stylistic means; they transcend by far the resolution capacity of the human ear and are no longer perceived as a series of single tones but as new, previously unheard sounds."
There's certainly an amazing beauty, humor, intelligence and sheer exuberence in the music.
-
- KVRist
- 294 posts since 25 Apr, 2006
That definately makes sense and I must say Im a bit intrigued by the whole thing. thanks for the heads up.. definately going to check this out soonmayan wrote:Here's a quote from the booklet. I, for one, have no idea as to whether it makes sense...but it sounds cool.
"...Nacarrow never lapses into articial innovation but again and again seeks to maintain a relation to what is natural. For example, in his tempo relations he employs the "natural" constants e and pi or the vibration frequencies of the chromatic scale. In addition, he employs sound aggregates with up to two hundred beats per second as new compositional stylistic means; they transcend by far the resolution capacity of the human ear and are no longer perceived as a series of single tones but as new, previously unheard sounds."
"You must not only aim aright, but draw the bow with all your might."