From the liner notes: "The four-minute Hyperprism enlists no ordinary percussion section. In this case the battery includes such items as an anvil, a siren, and a lion's roar - the latter being a tub with a hole in the bottom through which the player pulls a rope! Alejo Carpentier writes that Varese "has never given us a more tightly knit, a more clear-cut conception... Faced with certain passages, full of blanks, reduced to essentials, one thinks of certain Picasso drawings in which two incisive strokes suffice to send us leaping across the whole universe. The instruments set out, intertwine, escape from one another, form into groups, change levels, all with utter sure-footedness... Everything is in it's place. Three notes less, and an equilibrium would have been shattered... It would be futile to seek for any influence from the past in Hyperprism. In this work Varese is like no one but Varese." Yes."
This particular album goes unreleased on CD at this writing. On Angel Records, date unknown. Performed by Paris Instrumental Ensemble for Contemporary Music Michel Debost, flute Konstantin Simonovitch cond.
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...Frank Zappa used to really champion this guy's work...kinda turned me on to what he was doing as a result...
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That cover reminds me of Gainsbourg's "Aux Armes et Caetera". They would make interesting companion pieces on a mix. I have very little experience with Varese, but I like the little that i've heard.
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very cool. definitely reminds me of some of the musical snippets between zappa songs. good article on the a42 site.
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What was that line of Varese's that Zappa used to cite? I think it was, "The present-day composer refuses to die."
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I definitely owe even knowing the name to Zappa, Crash. lok, there are whole pieces of Zappa's that remind, for sure, let alone his interludes. That article I just kind of stumbled upon through Google, to be perfectly honest, but had to point to it. Fascinating and articulate. Ivylander, I believe you are correct. Apropos, for sure. Kate, to be perfectly honest, I couldn't cite from Varese's body of work, but like the pieces to which I have been exposed. Too, it's related to the interpreters, which for this piece are quite engaging.
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Nothing I like after a couple of sides of Charles Ives than some Varese.
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Amazing Varese piece; great link, and thanks for sharing! Think Kate should post that Gainsbourg/Varese mix...
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Used to listen to a lot of Varese in my sound class at art school 25 years ago. Haven't heard much since, so was good to hear and read about him. Thanks for the post.
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Suitably mind-expanding (she says as she's about to play secretary) - thanks.
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Mike - I have to admit relative ignorance on Charles Ives , but have begun the research, as the link here is only wiki and damned if I don't want to know more/hear his works. thanks as always for turnin' me in a new direction! Girlcrawl - I'm with you, thou I think kate should work that into some mad form of mash with the sounds to equal the visual:) Cipher - Thanks for taking a minute away from studies:) Nicki - Play away. It's wot pays the bills, y'know. And for the record, I can't get rid of the "d" after Edgar. In my haste yesterday to post before the storm set in, I am now paying for it with one silly letter:)
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thanks wassonii! same to you - i rarely comment these days, but always appreciate your musical suggestions! keep it comin!
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back at you! I'm certainly not commenting with the volume this time last year:)
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Have not thought about Varese in quite a while until this came up. So I dug him out and gave him a listen again. Thanks for the reminder.
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Perhaps not a daily listen, still vital and necessary!