KPFA-FM Music Dept. ➔ A Review of a Concert of Experimental Music from England

Analog Audio

Event Type

Interview and Music

Origin

KPFA

Identifier

AM.1974.03.22.c1

Program Length

18 min

Dates

1974-03-22 | broadcast
| 1974-03-22 | created

Description

Charles Amirkhanian reviews a concert by the San Francisco Conservatory New Music Ensemble of avant-garde or experimental music, by mostly young English composers, which was held on March 21, 1974 and was to be repeated the next day. Excerpts of works heard include an arrangement of an early 20th century waltz, a song based on a Chinese melody by Cornelius Cardew, and a rondo by Christopher Hobbs. Also heard are segments of two pieces by Gavin Bryars, one inspired by the story of the Titanic, and another by a film of a London tramp singing an old hymn. Both of Bryars’ pieces, which he introduced himself, were accompanied by visual projections of pictures or films and have a beautiful yet haunting quality to them. Much of this work is based on re-workings of Victorian waltz melodies and sentimental salon pieces. Most of the pieces are consonant, some even very emotional.

Genres

20th century classical
Avant-garde

Musical Selections

The Eden Valley Waltz [excerpt] (ca. 1900) / Crawshaw Crabtree [arr. by James Ronald Lampard] -- Wild Lilies Bloom Red As Flame [excerpt] / [a Shensi folk song, arr. by Cornelius Cardew] -- Rondo Fantasia [excerpt] (1974) / Christopher Hobbs -- Autumn Countdown Machine [excerpt] / John White -- The Sinking of the Titanic [excerpt] (1969-74) / Gavin Bryars -- Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet [excerpt] (1971-72) / Gavin Bryars

Performers

San Francisco Conservatory New Music Ensemble
John Adams, director

Subjects

20th century classical
Avant-garde (Music)
Waltzes
Instrumental ensembles
Songs with instrumental ensemble
Folk songs, Chinese
Monologues with music (Instrumental ensemble)
Aleatory music
Songs (Low voice) with instrumental ensemble
Sacred songs (Low voice) with instrumental ensemble
Mixed media (Music)

Acknowledgment

Funding for the preservation of this program made possible through a grant by Save America’s Treasures, a program of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Related places

Berkeley (Calif.) (was recorded at)
Berkeley (Calif.) (was broadcast at)

Related Entities

San Francisco Conservatory New Music Ensemble
Titanic (Steamship)
Amirkhanian, Charles
Crabtree, Crawshaw
Lampard, James Ronald
White, John, 1936-
Cardew, Cornelius
Bryars, Gavin
Hobbs, Christopher, 1950-
Adams, John, 1947-