DUKE ELLINGTON VS. AARON COPLAND

I’ll just let you know now, Duke Ellington wins, and here is why

America was and continues to have an identity crisis when it comes to classical music. The tension is between mimicking European practices and creating something that is authentically American and different. For a long time most of Americas out put was the first option. Composers went to Europe for training (or we brought the European teacher over here) creating a steady stream of music that was essentially European in its DNA.

Enter Aaron Copland.

Our first world class composer, who is created with creating our first American sound in classical music.

The problem is Copland made his American sound the European way. The way any European could have if they had chosen his particular American topic.

step 1:Pick an American theme (in this case cowboys)

step 2: Go get a book of cowboy melodies

step 3: Insert them into your symphonic work.

Though I love Copland I feel like his music is a bit costume-y. It dosent feel like it is a music that bubbles out of the ground of our continent. Its like he created this mythic American sound which he, nor many Americans (especially the ones listening to his music) really had experienced.

Enter Duke Ellington.

Though not strictly classical it is symphonic, highly organized, and harmonically advanced. This sounds like us. This is music that could not have be written in any other place in the world. This is American finding its musical identity. Here are several of the things that sets his music apart, and gives it that American sheen. Firstly he did not receive a classical European education, secondly he created a completely novel blend of written and improvised music, Third he created a new orchestral sound with his heavy use of brass and brilliant orchestration, and lastly a new rhythmic feel of syncopation and propulsion which are simply irresistible.

Duke Ellington Suggested Listening

Masterworks

Live at Newport

Blues in Orbit

Mood Indigos

Aaron Copland Suggested Listening

Appalachian Spring

Short Symphony

El Salon Mexico

VIKINGUR OLAFSSON’S GOLDBERG VARATIONS

I’ve been listening to this almost non stop and wanted to share some thoughts.

-The first thing that struck me when I started to listen was the sound of the piano it self. I have been listening to Glenn Gould’s 1955 version for years which I would define (sound/recording wise) as extremely dry. There is no sound room or space in the the recording its almost as if the microphones are in the piano it self. This on the other hand has a much broader and open sound. Which gives every thing a little more sweetness.

-Secondly (again in contrast to 1955 GG) I found the delivery a bit more smooth and legato, Though I always liked Gleen Goulds delivery (dry and unromantic) I found this recording again, to be a little bit richer and sweeter keeping the notes more connected. If you listen closely though the recording you can hear Olafsson use a really short and sharp left hand delivery which I think is a nice touch and can help create a little more contrast between the melodic lines.

-Over all I found the tempos to be a bit more relaxed than what I was use to. Even looking at the running time of these two records Olafsson’s is close to twice as long (I’m not sure if difference in repeats makes any difference in this). To my surprise I found I liked his tempos better than Gould’s. A number of the pieces are not super long to begin with, and then if you take them at break neck speed that makes them even shorter. For me this can make some of the transition for piece to piece feel a little abrupt in Goulds version.

-Probably my biggest complaint about Olafsson’s recording is in the aria (which is my favorite piece). The piece is broken in to two sections an, A and a B, and both of these sections are repeated twice (so it looks like this: AABB). I find repeat going into the second B section to be super clunky.

CLASSICAL MUSIC IS NOT A GENRE!!!!!!!!!!!

Its mostly a specific type of process for creating and performing music, and that process is notation. The story of classical music begins with Gregorian chant, and the creation of musical notation. Since then its been over 500 hundred years of people from all over the world using that process to create some of the most divergent music imaginable. Just compare the music of Bach, to Schoenberg to Philip Glass. They are just about as far apart from each other as music could be. Their musical values are almost alien to each other, but they all have this process in common (on a secondary level they all use similar instrumentation). I think its a problem when classical music is conceived of a certain type of sound (aka sounds like Bach, Mozart, or Beethoven). This is a huge limiting factor for classical music to over come, both for composer, and audience. The process of a composer using notation opens up gigantic realms of musical possibilities that could never be achieved with any other method. And the majority of these possibilities wont “sound like classical music”.

BACH

Bach is the only musician I honestly think every person should listen to. Its so rich, its so right and beautiful and logical. His music is dense and gentle, brainy and sweet, complex and approachable. When I listen, its a music I have to let wash over me, there is just so much melodic activity you cant sort it all out (strangely thats the same way to listen to ambient music which is almost its polar opposite) It just keeps coming and coming. Its music that feels healthy to listen to, like being in the sunshine, or talking a walk. He is the mother river that so much music has come from. His admires include Bill Evans, Bud Powell, Stravinsky, Schournberg, Steve Reich, Joe Harley (points if you know who this is), Dieter Rams (points if you know who this is) and Steve Jobs. For me his contrapuntal writing (melody on melody) I find hugely fascinating, and opens up a whole new worlds of musical possibilities. It seems to me an area in music that has largely been underdeveloped (especially out side of the world of classical music).

It blows my mind that in his life time Bach was only regionally famous and that mostly due to his keyboard and improvising abilities. Also in Bach’s lifetime the trends in music were already beginning to shift to a more pared down less cluttered texture and he was becoming out dated and out of fashion. But here we are 300 hundred years later still talking about and still listening to his music.

Suggested listening

Brandonburg concertos

Cello suites

The Goldburg variations