"What is music but organised noises?" Not so much a question from Varèse, more a concise manifesto.
Born of a French mother and an Italian/French father in Paris in 1883, Varèse studied at the Schola Cantorum de Paris with Vincent d’Indy, Albert Roussel and then Charles Widor at the Conservatoire. Following composition study with Ferruccio Busoni in Berlin he emigrated to the USA, taking up work as a conductor and became part of the Greenwich Village intelligentsia.
His first major work was Amériques for large orchestra 1918/21 which he revised in 1927 for smaller forces. It was premiered by Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra on 9th April 1926. A few days later a Carnegie Hall audience was given the full benefit of this new, completely original and shocking music, operating simultaneously as symbolic of America (especially New York City) and "the portrayal of a mood in music and not a sound picture'' (Varèse).
Riccardo Chailly has recorded the Original version on Decca, in a performing edition prepared by Professor Chou Wen-chung. I think this recording is the finest of all the excellent releases available. Here it is on YouTube ....
Fast-forwarding to 1958, we find Varèse unveiling his Poème électronique (1957) at the 1958 Brussels World Fair, a work of electronic music recorded on tape and played alongside other works by Xenakis et al, in the famous Philips Pavillion.
It is well known that Frank Zappa cites Varèse as powerful formative influence on his music. Something that despite being a Frank Zappa fan from the mid 1970s, way before I’d even heard of Varèse, I only found out about 2 years ago! On Frank Zappa’s 15th birthday, his mother allowed him an expensive long distance call to Varèse in New York. Sadly he was in Europe, but Zappa got to speak to his wife.
A full survey of the entirety of Edgar Varèse’s works will be given this May at the Barbican in a "Total Immersion Day" at the Barbican (Details). I have a day pass for all events and would urge anyone who has the slightest urge to follow it up and get along!
I have been lucky enough to attend concerts of Varèse’s music, including the BBCSO conducted by Pierre Boulez, with Elliott Carter in the audience.
Edgar Varèse died on 6th November 1965 in New York City.
Born of a French mother and an Italian/French father in Paris in 1883, Varèse studied at the Schola Cantorum de Paris with Vincent d’Indy, Albert Roussel and then Charles Widor at the Conservatoire. Following composition study with Ferruccio Busoni in Berlin he emigrated to the USA, taking up work as a conductor and became part of the Greenwich Village intelligentsia.
His first major work was Amériques for large orchestra 1918/21 which he revised in 1927 for smaller forces. It was premiered by Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra on 9th April 1926. A few days later a Carnegie Hall audience was given the full benefit of this new, completely original and shocking music, operating simultaneously as symbolic of America (especially New York City) and "the portrayal of a mood in music and not a sound picture'' (Varèse).
Riccardo Chailly has recorded the Original version on Decca, in a performing edition prepared by Professor Chou Wen-chung. I think this recording is the finest of all the excellent releases available. Here it is on YouTube ....
Fast-forwarding to 1958, we find Varèse unveiling his Poème électronique (1957) at the 1958 Brussels World Fair, a work of electronic music recorded on tape and played alongside other works by Xenakis et al, in the famous Philips Pavillion.
It is well known that Frank Zappa cites Varèse as powerful formative influence on his music. Something that despite being a Frank Zappa fan from the mid 1970s, way before I’d even heard of Varèse, I only found out about 2 years ago! On Frank Zappa’s 15th birthday, his mother allowed him an expensive long distance call to Varèse in New York. Sadly he was in Europe, but Zappa got to speak to his wife.
A full survey of the entirety of Edgar Varèse’s works will be given this May at the Barbican in a "Total Immersion Day" at the Barbican (Details). I have a day pass for all events and would urge anyone who has the slightest urge to follow it up and get along!
I have been lucky enough to attend concerts of Varèse’s music, including the BBCSO conducted by Pierre Boulez, with Elliott Carter in the audience.
Edgar Varèse died on 6th November 1965 in New York City.