Michael Nyman

[edashtav]

Chasing sheep is best left to shepherds.

A good shepherd encourages his dogs to do the chasing.

[MrGongGong]

A good shepherd encourages his dogs to do the chasing.

Whereas a Bad Shepherd is a thing of joy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZYaUzfunlw

(apologies for the sound quality but........)

[french frank]

and this was a great single partly because it's in the spirit of Mozart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qe6CritWeU

I loved the comment "The person who disliked this must simply be pure evil."

However, given the poor material he started from ...

simply pure genius

[Richard Barrett]

Michael Nyman IS an interesting musician
His book Experimental Music, Cage and Beyond was for many years the seminal text on the subject
and many of his earlier works (and the collaborations with Peter Greenaway) were really worth the attention
however, like mr Glass and Reich IMV, he seems to have settled into a compositional style that has lost the energy and relentlessness of his earlier work.

This in a live performance at huge volume is great stuff IMV (not just because its got a couple of my mates in it, honest )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2yJR2oyYFA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfP0u_zf3EE

and this was a great single partly because it's in the spirit of Mozart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qe6CritWeU

I agree with every word of this, except to say that his book is still an important text. On the other hand it's a very long time since I heard anything of his that I thought was worth listening to.

[VodkaDilc]

Yes.

Turn it off, you'll miss nothing. Not a nice man either.

Is this comment being allowed to stand with nothing to back it up? I thought this forum did not allow this sort of thing.

[MrGongGong]

I agree with every word of this, except to say that his book is still an important text. On the other hand it's a very long time since I heard anything of his that I thought was worth listening to.

And I agree with every word of this
Including the continuing significance of the book

[french frank]

And I agree with every word of this
Including the continuing significance of the book

Is that as good as saying, 'Those who can, do; those who can't, write books about it?'

[kea]

Eh. Not really my thing, but it's consonant and has a beat so it's significantly more relevant to our time than most of the stuff I listen to. Definitely higher quality than most of the "crossover" stuff you hear nowadays as well.

[Bryn]

Are this week's programmes straight repeats or updates. It is certainly not Nyman's first outing as Composer of the Week.

[Just got home from John Tilbury's Scriabin and John White gig at Cafe OTO to find that this week's CotW programmes are indeed straight repeats of the July 2012 set. I seem to recall we discussed it at the time. I'm still grateful to Michael for at least two things. Firstly he kindly passed on to me a number of 10" LPs from an Italian series on 20th Century composers. Secondly, at a time when he was temporarily somewhat cash-strapped, he sold me his VCS3 at a very reasonable price. With the help of Laurie Scott-Baker I upgraded some of its features, and when I in turn became cash-strapped, sold it on at a profit which reflected the value added by the upgrades. Would that I still had it, of course. Sure he has his negative aspects (don't we all?) but what I would criticise him most for is his withdrawal of what seemed to me to be one of his most interesting and arresting works, his 'final' Purcell reworking, A Handsom, Smooth, Sweet, Smart, Clear Stroke: Or Else Play Not At All of 1983.

[Serial_Apologist]

I'm listening to Nyman properly for the first time, it seems. He sounds like the Progrock band Egg of 1969-73, but without the vocals or the irony. I now hear where the later David Bedford got some of his ideas. Or was it the other way around?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Are this week's programmes straight repeats or updates. It is certainly not Nyman's first outing as Composer of the Week.

I couldn't find any reference to the previous discussion. Or was it this?

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?5325-Nyman-Lashes-Out&highlight=Michael+Nyman

[EnemyoftheStoat]

More than likely, I'd say.

And you're not the first to think so.

[James Wonnacott]

Absolutely dreadful repetitive rubbish. I thought I'd accidentally tuned to radio 1.

[ahinton]

it's a very long time since I heard anything of his that I thought was worth listening to.

I'm still waiting to, never having done so; OK, as quite a few people seem to agree, the more recent stuff is generally worse than some of what preceded it, but...

I don't doubt the likely health of his bank account, though...

[visualnickmos]

Absolutely dreadful repetitive rubbish.

You may think it's rubbish - it doesn't mean that therefore it is rubbish. I find something very engaging and highly original about his music.

I thought I'd accidentally tuned to radio 1.

Perish the very thought - those 'Gerry and the Pacemakers' are truly dreadful; shouldn't be allowed! What is the world coming to?