Brown, Earle

Average customer rating:

Now I know why they make jokes about Hoboken (see below)
Many Undiscovered Treasures
compendium of the richness of American innovation
An interesting sampling of a musical dead end.
Fantastic Collection

American String Quartets, 1950-1970

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Feldman: String Quartet (1979)
Luciano Berio: Laborintus 2
Luciano Berio: Corale (Sequenza VIII), for Violin, 2 Horns & Strings / Chemins II (Sequenza VI) / Chemins IV (Sequenza VII) / Ritorno degli Snovidenia, for Cello & Small Orchestra / "Points on the Curve to Find...", for Piano & 22 Instrumentalists - Pierre Boulez
Crumb: Ancient Voices Of Children
Elliott Carter: A Symphony of Three Orchestras; Varèse: Deserts; Ecuatorial; Hyperprism

ASIN: B000001K50
Release Date: 1995-09-26

Tracks:

String Quartet: 92
String Quartet: 144
String Quartet
String Quartet In Four Parts: Quietly Flowing Along
String Quartet In Four Parts: Slowly Rocking
String Quartet In Four Parts: Nearly Stationary
String Quartet In Four Parts: Quodlibet
Quartet No. 3 For String Quartet And Electronic Tape
Summer

Tracks:

Black Angels (Images) For Electric String Quartet: Departure: Tutti, Threnody I - Night Of The Electric Insects; Trio, Sounds Of Bones And Flutes; Duo, Lost Bells; Solo, Cadenza accompagnata Devi-Music; Duo, Dance Macabre (Due Alternative: Dies Irae)
Black Angles (Images) For Electric String Quartet: Absence (Crumb)
Black Angles (Images) For Electric String Quartet: Return (Crumb)
String Quartet No 5: Theme I (Hiller)
String Quartet No 5: Variations (Hiller)
String Quartet No 5: Theme II (Hiller)
String Quartet No 5: Varitaions (Hiller)
String Quartet No 5: Theme III (Hiller)
String Quartet No 5: Variations (Hiller)
String Quartet No 5: Theme IV (Hiller)
String Quartet No 2: (Druckman)
Structures for String Quartet (Feldman)

Customer Reviews:

Now I know why they make jokes about Hoboken (see below).......2005-10-27

Man, it's discouraging to see people piddling all over music like this. 1950-65 was a great era for American culture; sure the European influence was lingering but American composers (and artists and filmmakers) were finding a voice, an expression of some quality uniquely American that had never appeared before. American music could be something other than Hoe-Downs, Charlestons, and Nearer my God to Thee (sorry, Charles, and you know I love you anyway). This was a taut and crisp intellectual America that was finally gaining ascendancy, something new to the world, brilliant and beautiful. I think of a wonderful photo of Elliott Carter with Stravinsky in New York at some gallery or concert hall circa 1960 or so. Stravinsky looks old and seedy, like a Russian refugee even though he had years to ditch that; Carter, alert and in a sharp suit, looks like the future-on-the-half-shell. It all got blown out of the water by 60s and 70s-era lack of standards and discrimination and an unwillingness to TRY. Sixties-era, anti-culture crapola that still reigns supreme. To much pot. Hippies ruined everything.

What's startling about the bad review is these quartets are hardly over-intellectualized. In fact most are quite beautiful or evocative; the Cage stunningly so. The LPs this collection came off were among my favorites of that era and I doubt a better or more nightmarish Black Angels has ever been done despite recent attempts by Kronos and others. Amazing playing by committed performers. A deal and a bargain.

For ten bucks this is like gold for free. Have at it!

Many Undiscovered Treasures.......2003-01-08

It's almost laughable not to pick up this disc. The price alone makes the set worth it. Added to that the fact that many of these works are not available in other forms and this disc is a no-brainer for fans of the late 20th century string quartet. The sampling transcends styles, from the almost improvisatory sonic canvas of Earle Brown, to the surprisingly beautiful almost minimal quartet of Cage, the horrific depiction of war in Crumb's justly famous Black Angels, or the almost traditional sounding Schonbergisms of Stepan Wolpe, this is an eclectic collection and well worth the modest investment.

I won't review everything on the album, as there is just too much. Highlights for me include the Earle Brown quartet, which is one of Brown's strongest early works. Since Brown is poorly represented on CD, every release of his is worth having, but the Second Quartet is a masterwork of tonal subtlety. Cage's Quartet was written just before he moved into his more aleatoric phase. It is highly modal and almost a precusor to minimlism, a very pleasing work that should be more widely known. Christian Wolff is also a composer who is underrepresented on CD (though Mode is quickly redressing the imbalance.) Summer is also a protominimalist work, based on stark 5ths. The reading of Black Angels is good, though not anything to supplant the Kronos reading, which is still my favorite. Also interesting are Quartets by Wolpe and Leon Kirchner.

So if you have any interest in American string work of the late 20th century, you need this disc. It is indispensible and very beautifully played. And the Vox Box price is unbeatable.

compendium of the richness of American innovation.......2000-04-05

This is a great showcase of the American string quartet,innovation,vision,iconoclasm,all elements which we often overlook and forget easily.But only Elliot Carter is missing, and that's because he has what! Five Quartets now.Inclusion of the First Carter would have rounded things out. The Earle Brown here is a neglected masterwork. Based on graphic notation the performers don't improvise so much as are given entrance freedoms within a prescribed range. The affect can be mysterious,haunting,also innovative with a wide pallette of extended techniques, at the bridge, sul ponticello,plucking. We often forget the traditional beauty Cage engaged the early part of his career, the Forties. This Quartet is a fine consummate example of that,with soft,gentle lines, very sparce, and transparent,also he limits himself to a few tones,tossed around the various voices. Structures by Feldman is an early work here, the Quartet is treated as one monolith sound,indistinguishable voices playing harmonics,cello playing where the violin plays, same range. All of Feldman's floating gentleness is here as well,perhaps too much at times,like it overspends its welcome. Crumb's Black Angels is another classic, The Kronos has takened this around the block many times, Crumb always works well with a programmatic agenda in place, and here he transforms the Quartets introspective consititution to more a drammatic focus. Druckman as well also works well with a program but here there is none. He has a fine imagination for sonoric structures,balance,but its doesn't seem to amount to much. The Wolpe is one of his best works. His creativity was uneven, here the violence and charged motives he is found of are in place to jump, and reiterate, toss around in an environment of high energy. Wolff's Summer is an early work prior to his metamorphosis into utilization of political imagery by comparison, this is a beautiful work,but cold, Wolff also needs a program,which he profoundly found, He has alater Quartet he wrote in the Eighties that is more compelling.

An interesting sampling of a musical dead end........1999-06-18

Superb analog transfers and excellent playing, I suppose. (I mean, how can you tell with music like this?) OK, I'm not a fan of this kind of music, but at this price I thought the collection was worth chancing. So far, I've found that the best way to listen to this recording is to let the music wash over you while you enjoy the sheer variety of sounds that the composers and players create. And there are some pleasant surprises, particularly the Cage quartet (from 1950) which contains genuine emotion and ends with a brief movement chock full of--gasp!--sprightly tunes. Makes me wonder what might have been had these composers shown more interest in music and less interest in mathematical gymnastics designed to impress their colleagues at the academy. At any rate, I recommend this album as an interesting sonic experience and a good sampling of the dead-end serialist/avant-garde genre that is now being supplanted by a return to music that recognizes tonality. (If you really want great 20th century quartets, incidentally, buy the 6 by Bartok).

Fantastic Collection.......1999-03-24

This set is a must if you have the slightest interest in avant-garde music from the 50s and 60s. Not a single weak piece, excellent sound and performances, and the price can't be beat!

Average customer rating:

Very `idiomatic' and historic performances.
With few exceptions, material that has aged quite poorly
The King of the Avant-Garde Cello

Intercomunicazione

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Hindemith: Music for Cello and Piano
The 20th-Century Cello
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Feldman: Crippled Symmetry

ASIN: B00006L772
Release Date: 2002-11-12

Customer Reviews:

Very `idiomatic' and historic performances........2005-12-09

Like other reviewer wrote, Siegfried Palm is one of those players who had a central role during the `60s and the `70s in the development of western modern music, in the sense he gave many world premieres and he contributed to create the own works with his knowledge about cello resources and technical possibilities, together with the great talent and capacity for communicate this not easy at all music. Like Mr. Forbes wrote, artists like Palm, Berberian, Tudor, Boulez, Kontarsky, Bruner, Gawriloff, Arditti Qt... were very important in the development of western music, and because of their protagonist figure and central role I think they have certain `idiomatic' style in their way of playing, in their technique and musicality, very close to the modern experimentation come from Darmstadt and the new music centers of central Europe.

I've listen some of these pieces in other performances, specially Nomos Alpha, which I have recorded by Saram (Montaigne) and Strauch (Erato), a very interesting performance the first one by the Arditti Quartet cellist and a little disappointing version the second one played by the Ensemble InterContemporain cellist who is not one of my favourites really. Palm's version in this CD is the best I know and with the plus of having in Palm a convincing player who know deeply the work and have the technical resources to make it so great like he did. Fortunately he recorded this piece some decades ago, because today he is not in so good shape like he was (listening Palm in the Ligeti's Cello Concerto for Teldec is a clear example of a real wise performer but who has lost his early freshness and strong playing). When he played this performance his capacity of playing was in his top moment and listening it on CD makes possible to listen a piece that listened live is impossible to be played full, because of the necessity of put the cello back to the right tone. The col legno, the wild pizzicatti, the glissandi... and all the resources are so clear in this version that it seems impossible one man is playing that piece; sometimes it looks like if two people were playing together to create that amount of sound and techniques. Palm has the best recording of Nomos Alpha that I know, even it is not DDD recording the sound is clear and with a great presence, it's amazing the way DG has remastered it.

Together with Nomos Alpha, my favourite work is Intercomunicazione, for cello and piano, played by Palm and Kontarsky, one of those pianist who developed this instrument to new levels of expression and possibilities. Zimmermann is a composer I really love and I knew this piece and this same version from a CD of the series XXth Classics which is now delete and which offered some of the best Zimmermann's chamber works played by Palm, Gawriloff and the Kontarskys, a must have that DG is missing for all the world; it could be a marvellous DG 20 21. The playing of Palm & Kontarsky is very idiomatic again and very dark, like Zimmermman's works are, much more appropriated than other more technical performances you can listen today. The partnership between both players is incredible and I really think this version is like a chapter of the last decades performed music, an example of understanding.

The other works are very interesting but not so great like these before. Kagel's piece is great and Penderecki offers a Capriccio dedicated to him, like some other works here. Glisées, for cello solo, is for me one of Yun's best pieces and has in Palm his ideal player.

I can say these are some of the best works for cello of the last decades (I have to add Pression by Lachenmann, never played by Palm I think, and which you can listen in a great performance by Walter Grimmer in Col legno). In all these works Palm shows himself like the best player we can imagine and he gives new light in this amazing remastering in DG 20 21. I hope DG releases more CD from the Avantgarde archives they have.

With few exceptions, material that has aged quite poorly .......2004-11-16

INTERCOMUNICAZIONE: Cello Recital is a reissue in DG's "Echo 20/21" line of a 1975 set of avant-garde cello works performed by Siegfrield Palm. The German cellist has long been seen as the master of avant-garde cello and four of the nine pieces represented here were dedicated to him. Piano accompaniment is occasionally given by Aloys Kontarsky Though Palm is clearly a talented musician, I found that the material in this collection is of very uneven quality.

Anton Weben and Bernd Alois Zimmermann are each represented by two pieces. Weben's "Drei kleine Stuecke" for cello and piano is less than three minutes long, but manages to pack in some interesting phrasing. His "Sonata for cello and piano" tries to do a lot but is simply too short to manage. Zimmerman's "Vier kurze Studien" is entertaining but brief and entirely forgettable, but the second of his works here, "Intercomunicazione" for cello and piano, is fantastic. At 21 minutes by far the longest work here; the way it unfolds slowly and patiently is brilliant, and the piano keeps only the slighest of supporting roles.

Mauricio Kagel's "Unguis incarnatus est" is scored for piano and an unspecified instrument and attempts to dialogue with Liszt's music. Palm fills in the blank with cello. Penderecki's "Capriccio per Siegfried Palm" is one of the several pieces which Penderecki composed for Palm. There's also "Music for Cello and Piano", a piece by Earle Brown (I've never heard of him either), which is rather meandering and unimpressive.

The piece by Xenakis, "Nomos alpha", may be the most interesting piece on the disc. While Xenakis came to fame in the 1950's with compositions based on very strict mathematical rules, "Nomos alpha" was developed nearly entirely through chance, with the roll of two dice deciding the musical turns of the work. It's quite a fascinating exercise. Joining the piece to make the best of the collection is Isang Yun's exotic and pensive "Glissees", which has certainly motivated me to further explore the oeuvre of this Korean-German composer.

I am a great fan of modern compositions for cello. The cello concertos of Ligeti and Lindberg--as well as the numerous pieces for the instrument by Sofia Gubaidulina--are among my favourite works. Still, I got very little joy out of this collection. Most of the material hasn't aged well at all. There's a lot of abrasive clunking that, as much as it helped certain composers made progress with their ideas, should have never made it out of Darmstadt. Other works pale in comparison to more substantial compositions by the same composers. If you're expecting avant-garde cello music as brilliant as, say, Ligeti's "Cello Concerto" (another work dedicated to Palm), you will probably be quite disappointed. All in all this is my least favourite of the "20/21" releases.

The King of the Avant-Garde Cello.......2003-01-11

During the heady early days of the avant-garde in Europe, the performing artist gained an unprecedented influence on the language and development of composition. Certainly works had been created for individual artists in other periods, but never was there such a deep relationship between the personality and techniques of a performer and the language of a composer. You can't contemplate the work of John Cage without noting the influence of David Tudor (who was often more of a collaborator, rather than an interpreter). And of course, Berio's vocal music is inconcievable without the influence of his wife, Cathy Berberian. (She became so well known she even got a line in a Steely Dan song.) Less well known, but no less influential is the cellist Siegfried Palm. He is the dedicatee or the commissioning party for many of the late 20th century masterworks for cello, including the Ligeti Cello Concerto and Feldman's Cello and Orchestra. This CD gives a marvelous introduction to this amazing performer and some of the composers with whom he worked.

Palm includes two works by Webern on the disc, the posthumously published Sonata for Cello and Piano and the Three Short Pieces for Cello and Piano. Both are from Webern's early atonal aphoristic period. The real surprise of this album is the Sonata, of who's existance I was unaware. It's a lovely little work, not particularly important in the composer's output, but welcome nonetheless.

Perhaps in terms of sheer sound, the Xenakis piece Nophos alpha is the tour de force of the recording. I am not generally a big fan of music for solo instruments outside of the piano or organ, as I find the tonal range fairly limited, or else the extended techniques employed self consciously. But this work floored me. Xenakis writes an amazing nearly fifteen minute work for solo cello in which you never are aware that only one instrument is playing. The richness of the sound that come out of Palm's instrument is truly amazing. The work is in a later style for Xenakis, less interested in stochastic mathmatical formalism and more interested in game theory and chance devices. But the sound produced is divorced from it's means of generation, just a truly powerful and emotionally devastating work.

Mauricio Kagel's piece, Unguis Incartatus Est is a parody piece based on one of Lizst's late works. I actually bought the CD for this work (and the Earle Brown later in the disc) as I was not familiar with the work of this influential composer. I was not disappointed with this piece. Using the first few notes of the Lizst piece and subjecting them to various manipulations, Kagel creates a work that is at once serious, playful, theatrical, moving and quite beautiful. The Brown piece is also relatively important, partly because Brown is woefully underrepresented on disc. Music for Cello and Piano is one of Brown's graphic scores, where much of the performance is left up to the instrumentalists. And yet, the work has all of Brown's hallmarks, a sort of illogical logic, and a serene yet unpredictable sense of rhythm.

The Perndercki piece is fun, but ultimately lightweight. More of an etude than a real piece, Likewise, the Zimmermann Four Short Studies is also cerebrally interesting, but not particularly important as a work of art. But the Zimmermann work Intercommicazione is marveous and very impressive, perhaps the second most solid work on the disc just behind the Xenakis. The cello takes the lead in the work initially, with violent chords and delicate fillagree in the piano. But as the work progresses the piano begins an equal partnership with the cello and leads to a shattering climax. Zimmermann here is wild, darkly serial, and yet with an arc and romantic sweep that many other serial composers lacked. I love this work.

Performances are astounding. During much of the Xenakis you find yourself trying to figure out how Palm does it. You hear one line on the cello in harmonics, scuttering about, while another holds a sustained whispy high note that doesn't ever seem to change bows. It's a real mystery without the score! And Palm's tonal variations are picked up beautifully on DG's excellent remastering. Also impressive is Aloys Kontarsky, another important Darmstadt performer (he and his brother are well known for premiering Stockhausen's Mantra.) Kontarsky knows this repertoire completely and makes an excellent foil for Palm.

Tracks:

Tracer
October 1952
November 1952
December 1952
March 1952 MM=87
March 1952 MM=135
March 1953
'Trio For Five Dancers' June 1953
Special Events
Octet I
Music For Violin, Cello & Piano
Four Systems
String Quartet
New Piece
For Neil

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Revelation In The Courthouse Park

Manufacturer: Tomato Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

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The Harry Partch Collection, Volume 4

ASIN: B0000A4GBA
Release Date: 2003-09-09

Tracks:

Chorus One: Park Prologue/Fanfare and March/Forever Ummorra/Save ...
Scene One: Hymn to Dionysus (Holy Joy and Get Religion)
Chorus Two: Early Evening of the Same Day in the Courthouse Park
Scene Two: (Hymn to Dionysus) Holy Joy and Get Religion/Hymn to ...
Chorus Three: 1. Fireworks Ritual - Those Old-Fashioned Thrills/2. Not

Tracks:

Scene Three: (Hymn to Dionysus) O to Be Free Where No Man Is
Chorus Four: Midnight of the Same Evening in the Courthouse Park
Scene Four: (Hymn to Dionysus) Hell-Hounds of Madness/Continuation ...
Coda: Early Morning in the Courthouse Park

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A Recital of Intimate Works

Manufacturer: Dorian Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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A Recital of Intimate Works, Vol.2
Andrew Rangell in Concert

ASIN: B000001O9U
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

Variations On 'Mein junges Leben hat ein End'
'Menuett'
Carillon Nocturne
Six Bagatelles, Op.126
'Les sons impalpables du reve'
Rondo In A Minor, K. 511
Ricercare VI, Book Of 1654
Op. 131, 1st Movement: Fuga, Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo
'Sheep May Safely Graze'

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Revelation In The Courthouse Park

Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Fusion & World Fusion | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000032FB
Release Date: 1991-11-19

Tracks:

Chorus One: Park Prologue/Fanfare and March/Forever Ummorra/Save ...
Scene One: Hymn to Dionysus (Holy Joy and Get Religion)
Chorus Two: Early Evening of the Same Day in the Courthouse Park
Scene Two: (Hymn to Dionysus) Holy Joy and Get Religion/Hymn to ...
Chorus Three: 1. Fireworks Ritual - Those Old-Fashioned Thrills/2. Not

Tracks:

Scene Three: (Hymn to Dionysus) O to Be Free Where No Man Is
Chorus Four: Midnight of the Same Evening in the Courthouse Park
Scene Four: (Hymn to Dionysus) Hell-Hounds of Madness/Continuation ...
Coda: Early Morning in the Courthouse Park

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Folio and Four Systems

Manufacturer: Tzadik
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

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Earle Brown: Selected Works 1952-1965

ASIN: B000IONTA6
Release Date: 2006-11-21

Tracks:

Folio
March 1953 (MM135)
November 1952
December 1952
Four Systems 1952
November 1952
Four Systems 1954
June 1953
March 1953 (MM 87)
October 1952/March 1953 (MM87 & 135)
June 1953
December 1952
1953

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Elliott Goldenthal, John Cage
Fantastic sounds and eclectic music.

New York Presence

Manufacturer: Summit(Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sound Grammar

ASIN: B0001Z52P2
Release Date: 2004-05-04

Tracks:

When You Are old
Quintet No. 2, I Quinque
Quintet No. 2, II Cortege
Quintet No. 2, III Rondo Burlesque
Instrumental Round No.1 In Snaketime
Arterial
Private Music
Private Music
December 1952
Instrumental Round No.2 In Snaketime
December 1952
Sephardic Quintet, I Moderato
Sephardic Quintet, II Lento
Sephardic Quintet, III Vivo
Five
Pastorale

Customer Reviews:

Elliott Goldenthal, John Cage.......2005-12-04

This eclectic CD is a must for fans of Elliott Goldenthal or John Cage. Additionally anyone who is plays in a brass qunintet or is intersted in brass quintet music should listen to this CD to expand their views of what a brass quintet can do in the comtemporary music landscape.

Fantastic sounds and eclectic music........2004-12-31

Not your typical rehashed Ewald here. This young quintet plays commissions and does it with outstanding beauty and clarity. This is a musician's recording. No other quintet has this sound.

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Essential

Centering-The Music Of Earle Brown

Manufacturer: Newport Classic
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000067TL
Release Date: 1998-04-21

Tracks:

Centering
Windsor Jambs
Tracking Pierrot
Event: Synergy II

Customer Reviews:

Essential.......2000-03-05

The real thing. Many types of modern improvisation came directly from his inventions. A rare opportunity to hear his interpretations of his own music.

Music Composers:

Music Composers

Music Composers