Masonry Layout

“E’ molto difficile spiegare come succeda e perchè succeda. E’ anche molto difficile sorprenderlo, scoprirlo. Parlo naturalmente di quel minuto, o di quell’ora, o di quel secondo, non importa, in cui a ogni nuovo risveglio di mattino la città si ritrova tutta, improvvisamente e con sorpresa, coperta dal silenzio.” Con queste parole comincia Ritratto di città, il racconto, lo spettacolo …

Harry Smith 1923 – 1991   Imperdibile per ogni cinefilo che si dichiara tale, Heaven and Earth Magic di Harry Smith, filmaker, musicologo, pittore e antropologo. L’opera la raccontò così: “La prima parte descrive il mal di denti dell’eroina, conseguente alla perdita di un’anguria di gran valore, le sue vicende odontoiatriche e il trasferimento in paradiso. Dopodichè il film fa …

Long and slowly developing title track Heijastuva is a Mika Vainio’s implementation of Robert Fripp and Brian Eno’s guitar feedback experiments from 70’s. B-side’s three ultra minimal and subtle tracks speak about light and fragility of life. Entitled Heijastuva, it’s comprised of four new tracks from the Finnish artist, including the long pieces ‘Heijastuva’ (a loop-based, slowly unfolding study in guitar …

Mikrophonie I (Microphony I) for 6 players (2 groups of 3) with tam-tam (gong), 2 microphones, 2 filters with potentiometers (1964) Development In 1964, Stockhausen acquired a 5-foot Paiste tam-tam (gong) which was first used in performances of MOMENTE, where it was struck, caressed, scratched and scraped in various ways with various drumsticks, mallets and screwdrivers.  After installing it in …

In 1962 the Argentine-German composer Mauricio Kagel (1931-2008) completed an innovative multimedia/interdisciplinary piece, Antithese für einen Darsteller mit elektronischen und öffentlichen Klängen. The unique compositional style and formal structure consisting of heterogeneous compositional components reflected his profound insights into issues inherent in postwar avant-garde music. Kagel remarked strikingly that “anarchy in the piece was omnipresent.” Indeed, his use of the …

Viktor Vladimirovich Khlebnikov was born in 1885 in Malye Derbety, Astrakhan Governorate, Russian Empire ( in present-day Kalmykia). He was of Russian, Armenian and Zaporozhian Cossack descent. He moved to Kazan, where he attended school. He then attended school in Saint Petersburg. He eventually quit school to become a full-time writer. Khlebnikov belonged to Hylaea, the most significant Russian Futurist …

Home of the Brave is a 1986 American concert film directed by and featuring the music of Laurie Anderson. The film’s full on-screen title is Home of the Brave: A Film by Laurie Anderson. The performances were filmed at the Park Theater in Union City, NJ, during the summer of 1985. Good Evening (instrumental) Zero and One (spoken word) Excellent …

Maryanne Amacher (1943-2009) October 22, 2009 by Kyle Gann [For emendation to the above dates, see updates below.] The music world lost one of its most bizarre characters today, and I say that with the utmost affection. Maryanne Amacher was an amazing composer of sound installations, who occasionally taught courses at Bard. I first encountered her in 1980 at New Music America …

Ned Lagin (born March 17, 1948) is an American artist, photographer, scientist, composer, and keyboardist. Lagin is considered a pioneer in the development and use of minicomputers and personal computers in real-time stage and studio music composition and performance. Ned Lagin was born in New York City and raised on Long Island in Roslyn Heights, New York. Growing up, Lagin …

“Bacchus”, a new installation by DissoNoiSex (Asia Piascik, Stefan Kersten and Miguel Álvarez-Fernández), presented at the Vinfonies Festival (Vilafranca del Penedès, Barcelona), 10-13 November 2011. “Bacchus” is based on the electrical conductivity of wine: even the slightest trace of fluid on the smooth, white surface closes an oscillatory feedback loop between three metal electrodes and produces a manifold of sounds, …