you and i are on the same page, sir. Makrokosmos III has been my favorite of Crumb's for years, and I wish that my college would have performed the piece while I was doing my degree there, just for the opportunity to both be one of the percussionists and show the students and faculty alike how beautiful and otherworldly Crumb's work is.
I attended a stunningly beautiful performance of this work by the four gentlemen who recorded it on Nonesuch. It was the last item on a contemporary music program at the University of Chicago. The performance was considerably delayed, apparently by difficulties with the setting up of the many instruments, but very much worth the wait. I'm pretty certain it was only the second performance of the work and was announced by Gilbert Kalish to be unfinished since only five of the projected six movements were played. It was originally planned by Crumb to be in two parts of three movements each. The movement not played (or not yet written) was called Cosmic Dances, and I assume that it found its way into Crumb's Celestial Mechanics (Makrokosmos IV), which is subtitled Cosmic Dances.
Hello Dave. The Cd you mentioned was released by Nonesuch in 1987. It includes Ancient Voices of Children whith Jan DeGaetani and Michael Dash as singers. The Contemporary chamber ensemble plays under Arthur Weisberg and it was released on lp 1971. It is coupled whith Makrokosmos III whith Gilbert Kalish and James Freeman on piano and Raymond Des Roches and Richard Fitz on percussion. That recording was originally released 1975. Best wishes Fred from Kristianstad.
Without contradicting your choice, I love Crumb's Ancient Voices of Children. I was first exposed to it in Music 101. I, too, like your friend, was floored.
Yes! Like Ligeti Crumb had his own voice and his music is very approachable. Crumb’s late brother was a colleague of mine. When I visited him once in the hospital George and his daughter, Ann, were also there to see him. That presented me the opportunity to discuss that very work with him and I told him how much I liked it and the Ancient Voices. I originally had that Nonesuch record on LP, but soon acquired the CD.
Now we're talking ... George Crumb! Makrokosmos III is an excellent choice. I was just a blown away when I first heard it as others are reporting. I once attended a Crumb concert at the University of Pennsylvania when living in Philadelphia in the 1980s, but was too shy to introduce myself to Crumb who was in attendance. Crumb's music is fun, weird, spooky, and intellectual all at the same time. Bravo, Geroge! But now that we are at the point in the project where George Crumb appears, it is time to make a few more underground suggestions. First, let me suggest Scott Joplin, who by any sane measure is one of America's best composers. Since albums seem to be okay, I'd choose Gunther Schuller's rendition of The Red Back Book which includes Joplin's greatest hits. But if it has to be limited to one piece, it would have to be Bethena a Concert Waltz, because it is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written, and it would be a terrible thing to lose it. Who else? How about George Antheil? His single piece should be Ballet Mécanique because it is close to the most audacious composition attempted in the 20th Century (plus, it is film music!). I heard a performance of the real thing with 16 Yamaha Disklaviers plus sirens, propellers, and percussion in 2000 in San Francisco when Michael Tilson Thomas staged the American Mavericks Festival. And, lastly, for now, lets skip to the end of the phonetic alphabet and pick something by Frederic Rzewski. This isn't hard. It has to be The People United Will Never Be Defeated, which as Dave has told us, it one of the three best piano variation pieces ever written. And, Rzewski was a piano dude.
As I recall, High Fidelity Magazine was over the moon about Ancient Voices of Children. I went out and bought it right away and fell in love. I don't think I've heard anything by Crumb since then that I haven't greatly enjoyed.
First piece I ever heard by Crumb was ANCIENT VOICES OF CHILDREN and it didn't appeal to me at all. However, it wasn't long before I ran across BLACK ANGELS, VOX BALAENAE, and the MAKROKOSMOS vols 1, 2, and 3. Still don't care much for ANCIENT VOICES, but the other pieces were fantastic, and MUSIC FOR A SUMMER EVENING is a great choice to keep from Cancrizans.
He wrote so much wonderful music, but yeah, 'Music for a Summer Evening' is a pretty strong contender. I bought the recording on Bridge that you recommended and it made a huge impression.
When I heard some Crumb 50 years ago as a college student, I thought the stuff was useless. If I didn't sense how precious time is and how much great music there is to hear I might give Crumb another chance. But it is, there is,and so I won't.
@@angloart8410 Anglo Art, sometimes it pays to be patient and adventurous and toss caution to the winds. Such was my experience with the symphonies of Allan Pettersson. To say that I found his music off putting is understatement. I returned to the "core" symphonies, 5,6,7,8,9, gave them a hearing and am now hooked, working my way through the knotty and challenging symphony #13. It's sad that our life span is too short to experience all that's out there. If there is a lesson here it may well be "don't prejudge. Be adventurous, be patient". Who knows what may come of it?
@@davidaltschuler9687 the whole point of “keep on listening” is to hear what you missed before. If I shared your opinion I would have experienced far less great music than I have, simply because it didn’t impress me the first time. From my experience, I can be fairly certain that despite your claim, your actual experience is limiting you from experiencing great music.
David Altschuler, I suspect there is a "sweet spot" coming to terms with a composer who on initial hearing comes off as abrasive, intractable, obscure, whatever. I agree with your take that time is precious and much great music is passed over when one stubbornly tries to get into the guts of a particular composer. My efforts to get into the dark world of Allan Pettersson was worth it. Good for me? Who the hell can say? What is frustrating, as you alluded to is not having a long enough life to enjoy music that I will sadly never hear. At 82 I feel time closing in, even as I exercise, eat my veggies and blueberries, and try to think good thoughts. Life isn't fair.
you and i are on the same page, sir. Makrokosmos III has been my favorite of Crumb's for years, and I wish that my college would have performed the piece while I was doing my degree there, just for the opportunity to both be one of the percussionists and show the students and faculty alike how beautiful and otherworldly Crumb's work is.
I attended a stunningly beautiful performance of this work by the four gentlemen who recorded it on Nonesuch. It was the last item on a contemporary music program at the University of Chicago. The performance was considerably delayed, apparently by difficulties with the setting up of the many instruments, but very much worth the wait. I'm pretty certain it was only the second performance of the work and was announced by Gilbert Kalish to be unfinished since only five of the projected six movements were played. It was originally planned by Crumb to be in two parts of three movements each. The movement not played (or not yet written) was called Cosmic Dances, and I assume that it found its way into Crumb's Celestial Mechanics (Makrokosmos IV), which is subtitled Cosmic Dances.
I can't choose just one work by Crumb, he was simply a genius
Recently heard Black Angels performed locally, my first exposure to Crumb. I’m now completely hooked.
Hello Dave.
The Cd you mentioned was released by Nonesuch in 1987.
It includes Ancient Voices of Children
whith Jan DeGaetani and Michael Dash as singers. The Contemporary chamber ensemble plays under Arthur Weisberg and it was released on lp 1971.
It is coupled whith Makrokosmos III whith Gilbert Kalish and James Freeman on piano
and Raymond Des Roches and Richard Fitz
on percussion. That recording was originally released 1975.
Best wishes Fred from Kristianstad.
Hard to choose when so much of the work is of such quality. Voice of the Whale is a personal favourite.
Without contradicting your choice, I love Crumb's Ancient Voices of Children. I was first exposed to it in Music 101. I, too, like your friend, was floored.
"...the performers have to do all kinds of interesting things...they have to hum..." Crumb would be the ideal composer for Glenn Gould.
Thank you, Dave, for for stirring my curiosity in exploring George Crumb. Many more treasusres to discover - onward!
Yes! Like Ligeti Crumb had his own voice and his music is very approachable. Crumb’s late brother was a colleague of mine. When I visited him once in the hospital George and his daughter, Ann, were also there to see him. That presented me the opportunity to discuss that very work with him and I told him how much I liked it and the Ancient Voices. I originally had that Nonesuch record on LP, but soon acquired the CD.
Tiny Crumbs make for delicious stuffing... Thanks again for turning me on to music I would have never experienced
Now we're talking ... George Crumb! Makrokosmos III is an excellent choice. I was just a blown away when I first heard it as others are reporting. I once attended a Crumb concert at the University of Pennsylvania when living in Philadelphia in the 1980s, but was too shy to introduce myself to Crumb who was in attendance. Crumb's music is fun, weird, spooky, and intellectual all at the same time. Bravo, Geroge!
But now that we are at the point in the project where George Crumb appears, it is time to make a few more underground suggestions. First, let me suggest Scott Joplin, who by any sane measure is one of America's best composers. Since albums seem to be okay, I'd choose Gunther Schuller's rendition of The Red Back Book which includes Joplin's greatest hits. But if it has to be limited to one piece, it would have to be Bethena a Concert Waltz, because it is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written, and it would be a terrible thing to lose it.
Who else? How about George Antheil? His single piece should be Ballet Mécanique because it is close to the most audacious composition attempted in the 20th Century (plus, it is film music!). I heard a performance of the real thing with 16 Yamaha Disklaviers plus sirens, propellers, and percussion in 2000 in San Francisco when Michael Tilson Thomas staged the American Mavericks Festival.
And, lastly, for now, lets skip to the end of the phonetic alphabet and pick something by Frederic Rzewski. This isn't hard. It has to be The People United Will Never Be Defeated, which as Dave has told us, it one of the three best piano variation pieces ever written. And, Rzewski was a piano dude.
As I recall, High Fidelity Magazine was over the moon about Ancient Voices of Children. I went out and bought it right away and fell in love. I don't think I've heard anything by Crumb since then that I haven't greatly enjoyed.
First piece I ever heard by Crumb was ANCIENT VOICES OF CHILDREN and it didn't appeal to me at all. However, it wasn't long before I ran across BLACK ANGELS, VOX BALAENAE, and the MAKROKOSMOS vols 1, 2, and 3. Still don't care much for ANCIENT VOICES, but the other pieces were fantastic, and MUSIC FOR A SUMMER EVENING is a great choice to keep from Cancrizans.
He wrote so much wonderful music, but yeah, 'Music for a Summer Evening' is a pretty strong contender. I bought the recording on Bridge that you recommended and it made a huge impression.
When I heard some Crumb 50 years ago as a college student, I thought the stuff was useless. If I didn't sense how precious time is and how much great music there is to hear I might give Crumb another chance. But it is, there is,and so I won't.
@@angloart8410 Music I won't listen to AGAIN. There's a difference.
@@angloart8410 Anglo Art, sometimes it pays to be patient and adventurous and toss caution to the winds.
Such was my experience with the symphonies of Allan Pettersson. To say that I found his music off putting is understatement.
I returned to the "core" symphonies, 5,6,7,8,9, gave them a hearing and am now hooked, working my way through the knotty and challenging symphony #13.
It's sad that our life span is too short to experience all that's out there.
If there is a lesson here it may well be "don't prejudge. Be adventurous, be patient".
Who knows what may come of it?
@@davidaltschuler9687 the whole point of “keep on listening” is to hear what you missed before. If I shared your opinion I would have experienced far less great music than I have, simply because it didn’t impress me the first time. From my experience, I can be fairly certain that despite your claim, your actual experience is limiting you from experiencing great music.
It is amazing how ignorant and immature first impressions can close the doors to great music for an entire lifetime.
David Altschuler, I suspect there is a "sweet spot" coming to terms with a composer who on initial hearing comes off as abrasive, intractable, obscure, whatever.
I agree with your take that time is precious and much great music is passed over when one stubbornly tries to get into the guts of a particular composer.
My efforts to get into the dark world of Allan Pettersson was worth it.
Good for me? Who the hell can say?
What is frustrating, as you alluded to is not having a long enough life to enjoy music that I will sadly never hear.
At 82 I feel time closing in, even as I exercise, eat my veggies and blueberries, and try to think good thoughts.
Life isn't fair.