Cornelius Cardew would have been 80 today

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Seemingly more valued on the continent than in Britain (hence the absence of a H&N "special" tonight, and the Proms devoting exactly nothing to his work this year). There's still a (relatively) small group of enthusiasts in the UK keen to perform and promote his work - as witness these pieces from The Great Learning in 1969-70. This performance is led by the wonderful Dave Smith:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZAgM8dBc00

[ahinton]

Seemingly more valued on the continent than in Britain (hence the absence of a H&N "special" tonight, and the Proms devoting exactly nothing to his work this year). There's still a (relatively) small group of enthusiasts in the UK keen to perform and promote his work - as witness these pieces from The Great Learning in 1969-70. This performance is led by the wonderful Dave Smith:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZAgM8dBc00

At the risk of departing momentarily from the topic, the Proms cannot be relied upon to mark important anniversaries, hence not a note of Busoni in his 150th year (just as there wasn't on BBC on the anniversary date, 1 April).

As you were...

[Richard Barrett]

Seemingly more valued on the continent than in Britain (hence the absence of a H&N "special" tonight, and the Proms devoting exactly nothing to his work this year). There's still a (relatively) small group of enthusiasts in the UK keen to perform and promote his work - as witness these pieces from The Great Learning in 1969-70.

Not to mention expats - I've just spent most of the weekend leading rehearsals of four sections from The Great Learning in Novi Sad with a group of local musicians and music students. (There will be a public performance in October.) For me it was an exhilarating experience and I believe the other participants found it so too - most of them had never done anything like this before.

[MrGongGong]

Not to mention expats - I've just spent most of the weekend leading rehearsals of four sections from The Great Learning in Novi Sad with a group of local musicians and music students. (There will be a public performance in October.) For me it was an exhilarating experience and I believe the other participants found it so too - most of them had never done anything like this before.

Sounds brilliant
I do think that Cardew has suffered from poor performances of his work, particularly The Great Learning

[Bryn]

Sounds brilliant
I do think that Cardew has suffered from poor performances of his work, particularly The Great Learning

And from BBC editors. When we recorded Paragraph 2 at Maida Vale back in 1969 ( or was it early 1970?) by the time it got to be broadcast, the last few notes of the closing rhythmic cycle had been chopped off. Clearly the editor had not bothered to consult the score and thought we had just messed up at the end. Then, much later, when they broadcast Paragraph 1 they cut out a whole section of the recitations and whistle solos. Oh, and when the Cortical Foundation licenced the DGG recordings of extended extracts from Paragraphs 2 and 7, they included Bob Woolford's recording of the Cardew Memorial Concert performance of paragraph 1 (a very good performance, in my opinion) but the transfer engineer managed to excise the very quite closing section (which was in tact on the earlier Impetus LP issue).

[Richard Barrett]

We are doing our best. The concert will consist of paragraphs 3, 2, 6 and 7 in that order. (I hope to be able to keep the group together long enough to do the others later on.) The opening piece will I think be my public debut on electric bass guitar. It's going to be a "chamber" realisation with no more than 20 performers in total but there's been much energy and discipline so far. It's good to see a new generation of people discovering what an inspiring thing it is to participate in, as I did 32 years ago.

[Colonel Danby]

I'm a massive Cornelius Cardew fan, and love his music. I've got his piano stuff, of course, especially adore the piece 'Red Song Prelude' played by the composer (BLCD011), but it's the 'Great Learning' that I am really interested in. I managed to hunt down a recording of the Paragraphs 1, 2 and 7, on the suitably entitled "avant garde" lable, on licence from Deutsche Grammophon (Organ of Corti 21). The band was the Scratch Orchestra.

Of course, Cardew was mown down by a hit and run motorist in 1973, assassinated on the strict instructions of the British Government. Sue me if I'm wrong...

[Bryn]

I'm a massive Cornelius Cardew fan, and love his music. I've got his piano stuff, of course, especially adore the piece 'Red Song Prelude' played by the composer (BLCD011), but it's the 'Great Learning' that I am really interested in. I managed to hunt down a recording of the Paragraphs 1, 2 and 7, on the suitably entitled "avant garde" lable, on licence from Deutsche Grammophon (Organ of Corti 21). The band was the Scratch Orchestra.

That's the disc I was referring to. The DGG recordings were of sections of Paragraphs 2 and 7 (the first and last cycles of Para 2 and from "THE SOLID" with less full breaths for Para 7). I have recordings of one complete (1984) performance and several of less complete performances. PM me if interested. Best to avoid the Polish workshop performance issued commercially.

[Richard Barrett]

Of course, Cardew was mown down by a hit and run motorist in 1973, assassinated on the strict instructions of the British Government. Sue me if I'm wrong...

Actually this took place in December 1981. (I had met him two months earlier.) You'll be hearing from my legal team.