Can ANYONE listen to Nyman's music for more than about 90 seconds, with pleasure?

[Nick Armstrong]

My journey home often coincides with COTW. This week, it has been switched off very rapidly due to the fact that Nyman's music becomes intolerable, for me, after approx. the above period of time.

It may make effective film music, but who listens to this stuff in isolation?

[Roehre]

My journey home often coincides with COTW. This week, it has been switched off very rapidly due to the fact that Nyman's music becomes intolerable, for me, after approx. the above period of time.

It may make effective film music, but who listens to this stuff in isolation?

Hearing, perhaps, but listening????????? 90 seconds is a very long time.

[MrGongGong]

I used to listen to much of it for hours on end
Drowning by Numbers being a particular favourite
thanks for reminding me

[Nick Armstrong]

I used to listen to much of it for hours on end
Drowning by Numbers being a particular favourite
thanks for reminding me

[Boilk]

Can ANYONE listen to Nyman's music for more than about 90 seconds, with pleasure?

The CD labels who are "cashing in"?

The only piece of his I could possibly enjoy (preferably live) is A Handsom, Smooth, Sweet Smart Clever Stroke: Or Else Play Not At All, (1983, for rather large orchestra) but he went and withdrew it.

How times change ... once Mr. Nyman recounted how he would wade through each week's Radio Times to see if the BBC's recording of his string quartet was going to be broadcast.

[MrGongGong]

Going to see the Michael Nyman band in the 1980's was a brilliant experience
(in a similar way to the Glass ensemble) loud, relentless and energetic like the best punk bands I have seen

but i'm probably a bit biased as I have a couple of mates who play in his band sometimes

[ahinton]

Going to see the Michael Nyman band in the 1980's was a brilliant experience
(in a similar way to the Glass ensemble) loud, relentless and energetic like the best punk bands I have seen

but i'm probably a bit biased as I have a couple of mates who play in his band sometimes

Since pleasure is mentoned, The Heart Asks Pleasure First might be the first thing to spring to mind - or it would be if there were any to be had. There is a most wonderful soprano who sings with his band de temps en temps but that fact does as little to encourage me to listen to MN's work as that work itself does for me when I do so - actually, that's not quite true, as the stuff does do something for me but just not anything that I'd write about on a polite and respectable forum such as this one.

Sorry...

[Serial_Apologist]

TBH I find his kind of music militaristic, when it isn't being a wooden simulacrum of the pre-Beethoven past - as I do Steve Martland's, Gerald Barry's and Michael Torke's. John Adams is interesting at his best (eg the Chamber Symphony and "The Wound Dresser"), but mostly one finds that when the rhythmic relentlessness is less emphasised the music, notwiothstanding brilliance in its orchestration, reveals little originality.

To composers one might broadly associate with a "school" of post-minimalism who have emerged with more interesting things to say are Louis Andriessen (whose politics I always liked) and Graham Fitkin; but they have done so by stopping sticking up two fingers at the great advancers of musical language in the 20th century.

[Bryn]

I have tried with Michael's music, really I have, and sometimes it has offered rewards. I truly loath The Piano (both the film and its music) but have a lot of time for what I have been able to hear of the aforementioned A Handsom, Smooth, Sweet Smart Clever Stroke: Or Else Play Not At All. Some decades ago MN did offer to let me have a cassette recording of the premier, but he never followed though with delivery and I guess it's far too late to chase him on it now. Think Slow, Act Fast is another work I much enjoy, also most of the music for film prior to The Piano. I found the occasional gem shining out of this week's survey (the Trombone Concerto, for instance). I should perhaps mention that I have known Michael since the late '60s, and even played Sister Ray in a very short-lived 'group' with him (he on VCS3 which I later bought from him, and me on drums). The above notwithstanding, I fail to grasp what it is so many find so attractive about much of his music.

[Nick Armstrong]

I have tried with Michael's music, really I have, and sometimes it has offered rewards. I truly loath The Piano (both the film and its music) but have a lot of time for what I have been able to hear of the aforementioned A Handsom, Smooth, Sweet Smart Clever Stroke: Or Else Play Not At All. Some decades ago MN did offer to let me have a cassette recording of the premier, but he never followed though with delivery and I guess it's far too late to chase him on it now. Think Slow, Act Fast is another work I much enjoy, also most of the music for film prior to The Piano. I found the occasional gem shining out of this week's survey (the Trombone Concerto, for instance). I should perhaps mention that I have known Michael since the late '60s, and even played Sister Ray in a very short-lived 'group' with him (he on VCS3 which I later bought from him, and me on drums). The above notwithstanding, I fail to grasp what it is so many find so attractive about much of his music.

Thank you for that, Bryn: interesting and the product of much greater proximity and effort than my encounters with MN's oeuvre...

(I still disagree with you about Norrington's Elgar though )

[LeMartinPecheur]

I find a lot of Nyman's music initially gives me a strong feeling of physical excitement (much more than the standard US minimalists do), but the associated feeling of pleasure quickly wears off owing to lack of development and contrast.

[ahinton]

I find a lot of Nyman's music initially gives me a strong feeling of physical excitement (much more than the standard US minimalists do), but the associated feeling of pleasure quickly wears off owing to lack of development and contrast.

I find that a lot of Nyman's music initially gives me a strong feeling of physical (all of a sudden I find myself lost for words) - more or less as the standard US minimalists do, but the associated feeling of dismay quickly wears off owing to lack of development and contrast prompting me to reach - for the off switch, prontissimo; I really feel bad (genuinely) about writing like this about anyone, believe me, but if that kind of thing was the best that I could do, I'd laugh all the way to the bank and then shoot myself when I got there. I really don't get what it is that engages some people about his work but, since there are such people, I can only wish them well and thank Mr Nyman for satisfying their aural desires.

Sincere apologies - no offence intended towards anyone - but I'm trying not to be dishonest. May I please have a stay of execution, Frenchie?...

[Ariosto]

A friend reminded me just the other day that we new him as students from our Academy days, but I was at a loss to remember who he was. I must say his music has never done anything for me, and I've always thought of him as a second rate light music composer. (Maybe I'm wrong though ...)

[MrGongGong]

I had forgotten about Bell Set #1 which is worth a listen (it's on the Decay Music album http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decay_Music)
also In Re Don Giovanni which was released as a 7" single

(though I do think that Wim Mertens often does this in a more effective way)

[Bax-of-Delights]

I like MN's music because as a result of CotW I just sold a CD of his concertos which has been sitting on my stock shelves for 2 years.

Or is that the wrong reason?