Minimalism and intellectualism, plus another love-hound hallelujah

[duane@EBay.Sun.COM (Duane Day, I.R. - Applications Development)]

Bill Crane is quoted by James Britt, discussing Arvo Part vs. Philip Glass:

> 2. Avro Part - Part is the only minimalist composer that I listen
>    to with any sort of regularity.  One modern music critic has
>    described Part as "... like Glass but with less repetition."
>    Where alot of Glass' music is dynamic and rhythmic (assaulting
>    is the word that comes to mind), Avro Part's is gentler, and
>    generally darker.  There is an intellectual element in Part's 
>    music that Glass misses entirely.

I think that it might be more accurate to say that Glass rejects
intellectualism than to say that he misses it.  At any rate, my 
guess is that he'd be glad to hear that someone doesn't characterize
his music as intellectual, even if it is in the context of apparently
citing that as some sort of defect.

The kinds of compositional processes used by Glass are most effective
at getting past intellectual responses.  Those listeners who have an
analytical, left-brain relationship with music often have difficulty
with Glass.  On the other hand, if you are able to temporarily suspend
your analysis of what you are hearing and just submerge yourself in
it, letting it wash over you, the subtleties, nuances, and changes in
the music can have a wonderful effect on your state of mind.  It is
perhaps ironic that music which appears on the surface to be absolutely
repetitious and boring can eventually bring the listener's awareness
much more into present time.

Of course, intellectual discussions of phenomena such as these often
prove to be about as rewarding as a logical parsing of a Zen koan.  Thus,
one normal response to "learning about" Glass' compositional processes is,
"Yeah, but so what?"


> 5.  Steve Reich - Have you heard the Desert Music?

Yes, it's a beautiful piece, although I find the sirens intrusive.  Reich's
latest release (at least as far as I know) is also wonderful:  "Different
Trains", performed by the Kronos Quartet, uses short speech samples from
interviews as the basis for musical themes.  (Working with the musical
patterns that appear in spoken phrases was the basis of Reich's pioneering
tape works, "Come Out" and "It's Gonna Rain".)  The other piece on the
new release, "Electric Counterpoint", is performed by Pat Metheny on 
electric guitar and electric bass, overdubbed about a dozen times or so.
I find both pieces very satisfying.  One other enjoyable Reich piece is
"New York Counterpoint", which served as the title track for a recording
by the virtuoso clarinetist Richard Stoltzman.  As with the Metheny piece,
Stoltzman overdubs multiple parts on clarinet and bass clarinet, and the
result is more bouncy and joyful than much of the music of this "school".
(The remainder of the Stoltzman album is also fun, including some nice
jazz as well as other "avant-garde" works.)

It should also be mentioned that neither Reich nor Glass appreciate being
labelled as "minimalists."

---------------------

And, on a more gaffish note, allow me to add my voice to the chorus rejoicing
the immenent arrival of _The Sensual World_ (not to mention _The Seeds of
Love_ - 1989 is proving to be one of the finest years for new rock releases in
recent memory, with fine albums already from XTC, Peter Gabriel, Joe Jackson,
ABWH, Wang Chung, etc. etc. etc.)

Hallelujah!!

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