KPFA-FM Music Dept. ➔ A Review of a Concert of Experimental Music from England
Analog Audio
Event Type
Interview and MusicOrigin
KPFAIdentifier
AM.1974.03.22.c1Program Length
18 minDates
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 classicalAvant-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 BryarsPerformers
San Francisco Conservatory New Music EnsembleJohn Adams, director
Subjects
20th century classicalAvant-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 EnsembleTitanic (Steamship)
Amirkhanian, Charles
Crabtree, Crawshaw
Lampard, James Ronald
White, John, 1936-
Cardew, Cornelius
Bryars, Gavin
Hobbs, Christopher, 1950-
Adams, John, 1947-