Jason Fox thread- for hinton, pita and a couple others

[I Love Xenakis]

Ok since we sorta took over a totally not-Jason Fox-related thread talking about Jason Fox, I figured I'd move the conversation over here so that thread can get back on track.  Most of you will find this thread totally useless and you can just skip over it.


Anyways, as I promised I'll be posting pages 17, 61 and 393 of the Fox Sonata No. 2 "Brutal" on here at some point, but since I am like legally retarded when it comes to computers and scanners, and since the pages are too large to fit in said scanner, I'll have to copy them onto some printed-out manuscript paper manually, so it may be a couple days until I get around to that.

Some random info on this piece:

Contains 5 fugues
Contains uncountable chords with over 20 notes in them
Contains a RH trill that is sustained in the RH for 12 minutes (while the RH is doing other stuff too mind you)
Contains passages that have 6 different voices
Contains passages that have 6 different beat systems EG triplet, fifth, 32nds, seventeenths etc...
Contains 256ths ^^
Contains Nancarrow-esque multiple time signatures/key signatures
Near the openning there is a passage that has Evryali-style chords in both hands, alternating between symmetrical and mirrored, with trill, trem, and grace ornamentation; the chords are in triplet 64th, 64th, Fifth 128, dotted 128
Lasts two hours on 412 pages
Contains a triple-fugue with four simultaneous cluster ostinatos
Contains Mandatory improvisatory passage and several passages using indeterminacy
Contains triple octave (and larger) leaps on 32nds (and other stuff around that speed) in LH, chorded
Notates relative volume of every single note in a large passage of chords
Contains Multiple note glissandi in which the fingers are placed BETWEEN the black keys
Uses fists, elbows, forearms, knuckles quite cavalierly (sometimes in gliss)
A la Barrett, purposefully locks the hands/puts fingers in awkward positions



Isn't Mr. Fox a sweetheart?

[ryguillian]

Almost sounds madeup.

—Ryan

[JCarey]

I don't have much of a reason to doubt what you claim... however I recently did a Google search for "Jason Fox", and it did not return any results that I could find related to a composer. I then searched for "'Jason Fox' sonata" and "'Jason Fox' brutal sonata," and got no results to speak of.

Could you provide some information about this composer, like a biography or CD?

[ibbar]

A la Barrett, purposefully locks the hands/puts fingers in awkward positions

I don't think that Barrett does this for the purpose of being awkward, precisely.  To quote him:

"the in-built restrictions of the instrument (the two hands of the pianist, the chromatic scale, the decay of struck sounds, and so on) are augmented in several ways, for example the pianist’s hands move in parallel almost throughout, and the upper reaches of the piano keyboard are hardly ever heard. Within these constraints, a dense and complex polyphony gradually unfolds."

His goal is almost to reinvent the technical nature of the instrument.  Just as in Ne Songe he wanted to recreate the way in which the cello was played, treating it as a "box with strings" rather than as an instrument with a large amount of historical "baggage" about the instrument's abilities and limitations.

[I Love Xenakis]

Well, whether Barrett does it purposefully, it's still a la Barrett, because it resembles Barrett, true?

And as I've said in multiple places already, the reason you guys aren't finding information on him is because he's still a student and has only published one piece!


***... contact him if you want for all I care; just don't tell him you got his email address from me.


EDIT- I'll let JC contact him actually since I don't like your attitude Ryan ^^

[I Love Xenakis]

or not, since he has my PMs blocked on here for some reason o.O

[JCarey]

I'm not saying I don't believe you. I'm very interested in seeing the pages you mentioned.

I have a hard time believing, however, that somebody could write such a piece and still keep a straight face.

[JCarey]

or not, since he has my PMs blocked on here for some reason o.O

It's all right, I had everyone blocked. I'm not into PMs.

However, you can send me the email address now, if you wish. I've changed my settings.

[JCarey]

I sent Mr. Fox the following email:

I am a fellow composer who has recently heard of your "Brutal" sonata. I must say, based on what I have been told of it, it sounds quite incredible. I am a fan of much "difficult" music, and am curious about whether you could provide me with some extra information about the work. What was your goal when writing it? What does it sound like? Who are your greatest musical influences?

[I Love Xenakis]

okie dokie ^^


but just DON'T tell him i gave you his email though.  he will eat me x.x

[JCarey]

but just DON'T tell him i gave you his email though.  he will eat me x.x

I promise, I wont. If he asks, what should I tell him?

[I Love Xenakis]

uh.....



no idea XD

[pita bread]

Any updates on this?

[BoliverAllmon]

so I am guessing that it has yet to be played or even a midi provided?

[leahcim]

I promise, I wont. If he asks, what should I tell him?

Tell him this thread is talking about another Jason Fox?

[cherub_rocker1979]

Ok since we sorta took over a totally not-Jason Fox-related thread talking about Jason Fox, I figured I'd move the conversation over here so that thread can get back on track.  Most of you will find this thread totally useless and you can just skip over it.


Anyways, as I promised I'll be posting pages 17, 61 and 393 of the Fox Sonata No. 2 "Brutal" on here at some point, but since I am like legally retarded when it comes to computers and scanners, and since the pages are too large to fit in said scanner, I'll have to copy them onto some printed-out manuscript paper manually, so it may be a couple days until I get around to that.

Some random info on this piece:

Contains 5 fugues
Contains uncountable chords with over 20 notes in them
Contains a RH trill that is sustained in the RH for 12 minutes (while the RH is doing other stuff too mind you)
Contains passages that have 6 different voices
Contains passages that have 6 different beat systems EG triplet, fifth, 32nds, seventeenths etc...
Contains 256ths ^^
Contains Nancarrow-esque multiple time signatures/key signatures
Near the openning there is a passage that has Evryali-style chords in both hands, alternating between symmetrical and mirrored, with trill, trem, and grace ornamentation; the chords are in triplet 64th, 64th, Fifth 128, dotted 128
Lasts two hours on 412 pages
Contains a triple-fugue with four simultaneous cluster ostinatos
Contains Mandatory improvisatory passage and several passages using indeterminacy
Contains triple octave (and larger) leaps on 32nds (and other stuff around that speed) in LH, chorded
Notates relative volume of every single note in a large passage of chords
Contains Multiple note glissandi in which the fingers are placed BETWEEN the black keys
Uses fists, elbows, forearms, knuckles quite cavalierly (sometimes in gliss)
A la Barrett, purposefully locks the hands/puts fingers in awkward positions



Isn't Mr. Fox a sweetheart?

Is this a musical joke?

[cherub_rocker1979]

If it's not a musical joke then it sounds like a perfect piece for Marc-Andre Hamelin.

[JCarey]

I have yet to receive an answer from Mr. Fox.

[ahinton]

In another thread you recently wrote the following about Mr Fox:

To be honest there isn't much to say about him.  He's a friend of mine who's currently working on his doctorate in music in Canada.  Most of the stuff he's written is for solo piano, and is either written in free dissonance, new complexity or post-spectral.  This is NOT Christopher Fox- his first name is Jason.  I don't think he's officially published anything besides his Wind Quintet though.  Since he's not a pianist he shows me all of his solo works for critique and to make sure they're at least theoretically possible.

Perhaps you could give us details of the publication of the Wind Quintet that you mention.

Best,

Alistair

[brewtality]

I heard Jamie Fox play the moonlight sonata in Ray. I didn't know he composed.

[ahinton]

I heard Jamie Fox play the moonlight sonata in Ray. I didn't know he composed.

We are apparently talking JASON Fox here - not JAMIE Fox - and, in any case "i_love_xenakis" did confirm earlier that Jason Fox is not a pianist, so he would hardly be likely to perform a Beethoven sonata anywhere - or maybe I'm missing a subtle nuance from you here?!

Best,

Alistair

[pabst]

FART

[ahinton]

FART

Is that supposed to be an acronym?

Best,

Alistair

[BoliverAllmon]

or a waste of a post?

[ahinton]

or a waste of a post?

Indeed; I think that we all understood at least this much!

Best,

Alistair

[JCarey]

So... are we going to see the samples you promised us or not?