tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post6361484419133536015..comments2024-03-27T23:06:03.736-05:00Comments on The Music Salon: PolymeterBryan Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09482696991279345516noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-52277213270401468782016-03-08T16:14:13.697-06:002016-03-08T16:14:13.697-06:00The great radical step Reich took in 1970 was, bas...The great radical step Reich took in 1970 was, basically, to throw out every element EXCEPT rhythm and see what he could do with it. The result was Drumming. And no, there really is no melody as we usually understand it, even though there are vocal parts. They are just highlighting elements of the rhythm. But if you listen to the Octet, for example, about 2 minutes in there is a really cool melody for flute. And I think there are melodies, of a sort, in Tehillim and Different Trains to name just a couple.<br /><br />As for the length, yes, I get your point, but somehow they seem to need that kind of space.Bryan Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09482696991279345516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-18689356477262153972016-03-08T15:58:50.238-06:002016-03-08T15:58:50.238-06:00I dig Reich, and no doubt he's a breath of fre...I dig Reich, and no doubt he's a breath of fresh air. I think he asks us to radically reconsider what "melody" is, and also how we listen to music. The static qualities force the listener to look inside the music, specifically at middle voices to perceive the various changes going on there. Strikes me a similar to listening to renaissance polyphony, where you're listening for the bones of the music, what it's built on. Not so much the top-down, hear the high part, feel the bass way of listening. Would you say that there is "melody" in this music as you understand it? Is he denying us melody? As I listen, my mind is asking for more contour, more direction, more intention. Part of that is conditioning, but that doesn't negate the feeling. My only reservation is that it all takes so long to unfold. That sounds pretty shallow, but I wonder why its necessary. I should think I'd really be blown away by this piece if the changes were compressed and it were half the length. Maybe I ought to seek out some later stuff, and see how he evolves. Jephnoreply@blogger.com