American Classics

[BBMmk2]

Knoxville for me is one of those settings to music that just misses out on the match between words and music.

Really? I don’t find that at all.

[cloughie]

Really? I don’t find that at all.

A personal view, bbm. I don’t think he cuts it in the way that eg RVW in setting words to music.

[Beef Oven!]

Knoxville for me is one of those settings to music that just misses out on the match between words and music.

It has never been a problem for me. I've always loved this work, without qualification!

[cloughie]

It has never been a problem for me. I've always loved this work, without qualification!

Good for you, I did say it was a personal view and I do like most of Barber’s music!

[BBMmk2]

A personal view, bbm. I don’t think he cuts it in the way that eg RVW in setting words to music.

Ah, well two different styles. Different countries. I see where you are coming from here.

[Beef Oven!]

Steve Reich - Double Sextet
Ensemble Signal/Brad Lubman

Arguably one of the US's finest composers and in my opinion the best minimalist composer US or Dutch/European bar none.

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Bryn, if you see this, can you give me a steer on 'Drumming'? If you get a spare moment.

You said something about this piece recently, but I can't find your post.

I've had the DG 20th Century Classics CDs for nearly 30 years, but I know there's better out there. Whenever I check this piece out on YouTube, the performers knock the DG performance into a cocked-hat.

A micro Bryn-Bal?

[Bryn]

Steve Reich - Double Sextet
Ensemble Signal/Brad Lubman

Arguably one of the US's finest composers and in my opinion the best minimalist composer US or Dutch/European bar none.

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


Bryn, if you see this, can you give me a steer on 'Drumming'? If you get a spare moment.

You said something about this piece recently, but I can't find your post.

I've had the DG 20th Century Classics CDs for nearly 30 years, but I know there's better out there. Whenever I check this piece out on YouTube, the performers knock the DG performance into a cocked-hat.

A micro Bryn-Bal?

I recently got the orignal 'live' recording of the thrid performance (NY Town Hall). Being a straight recording of a full performance, it has tbe odd domino and hint of audience and other incidental sounds. Nothing too distracting, however, and to my ears rather more engaging than the DG studio recording of a few years later. There are several very slick recordings of more recent vintage, but most seem to offer short measure. I no longer have my favourite, a cassette recording of a Radio 3 broadcast from the early '70s, shorlty before the DG recording sessions. That, if memory serves me right, had slower phase transitions, which give at least a taste of the psycho-acoustic effect of going from eapanding resonanceot separate notes that you find with the earlier tape works such as Come Out and It's Gonna Rain.

Of the more recent recordings, the So Percussion 'live' would be my preference.

[Beef Oven!]

I recently got the orignal 'live' recording of the thrid performance (NY Town Hall). Being a straight recording of a full performance, it has tbe odd domino and hint of audience and other incidental sounds. Nothing too distracting, however, and to my ears rather more engaging than the DG studio recording of a few years later. There are several very slick recordings of more recent vintage, but most seem to offer short measure. I no longer have my favourite, a cassette recording of a Radio 3 broadcast from the early '70s, shorlty before the DG recording sessions. That, if memory serves me right, had slower phase transitions, which give at least a taste of the psycho-acoustic effect of going from eapanding resonanceot separate notes that you find with the earlier tape works such as Come Out and It's Gonna Rain.

Of the more recent recordings, the So Percussion 'live' would be my preference.

Many thanks, Bryn.

Those earlier performances are tantalising!

I will go ahead and order the So Percussion live recording (I had it in my basket but had no idea about it and anyway, I wanted to seek your views more widely on this work).

[HighlandDougie]

Many thanks, Bryn.

Those earlier performances are tantalising!

I will go ahead and order the So Percussion live recording (I had it in my basket but had no idea about it and anyway, I wanted to seek your views more widely on this work).

Beefy

Have you heard the Colin Currie Group performance? As in:

https://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/album/steve-reich-drumming-colin-currie-group-and-synergy-vocals/gdu9w9lhiisfc

I'm not qualified to know whether it's better (does it matter?) than other recordings but it makes a very convincing case for the piece (Diapason gave it a "Diapason d'Or"). And have you heard the Ensemble Signal's "Music for 18 Musicians"? Fabtastic.

[Bryn]

Beefy

Have you heard the Colin Currie Group performance? As in:

https://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/album/steve-reich-drumming-colin-currie-group-and-synergy-vocals/gdu9w9lhiisfc

I'm not qualified to know whether it's better (does it matter?) than other recordings but it makes a very convincing case for the piece (Diapason gave it a "Diapason d'Or"). And have you heard the Ensemble Signal's "Music for 18 Musicians"? Fabtastic.

The Curried version is very slick, fast and short. The phase transitions over in a trice.

[Beef Oven!]

HighlandDougie/Bryn

Coincidentally, I was considering the Currie recording and was going to ask forumites about it!

As I said, I've gone for the So Percussion CD but I'm up for one or two others, e.g. LSO Percussion Live and the Currie.

Bryn, how do you mean short? Does the 'Curried' version make cuts?

HighlandDougie, yes I have the Ensemble Signal Music For 18 Musicians, and I agree that it is fabtastic

[Bryn]

HighlandDougie/Bryn

Coincidentally, I was considering the Currie recording and was going to ask forumites about it!

As I said, I've gone for the So Percussion CD but I'm up for one or two others, e.g. LSO Percussion Live and the Currie.

Bryn, how do you mean short? Does the 'Curried' version make cuts?

The number of repeats may be reduced if a shorter performance is desired. It's not illegitimate but I prefer the full thing, with slow phase transitions.

[Beef Oven!]

The number of repeats may be reduced if a shorter performance is desired. It's not illegitimate but I prefer the full thing, with slow phase transitions.

Ok. Thanks for the explanation.

[Beef Oven!]

Update: regarding Drumming, I have now added the Colin Currie by way of a Hi-Res download from Qobuz.

[Beef Oven!]

David Diamond - Symphony #2
Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz. Naxos