Sorabji

[ctrastevere]

I thought it would be nice to start a thread about Sorabji that has nothing to do with the difficulty of his works. Let's purely discuss the music itself. I, for one, cannot help but marvel at how incredible this man's music is. If one closes one's eyes and listens to pieces such as Le Jardin Parfume, it can be like listening to the soundtrack of a dream. His harmonies (especially in the slower works) contain indescribable beauty. Some may consider his music melodically weak, but I think that one must merely get used to the originality of his melodies and then it becomes apparent that they fit perfectly with his style.

Though some may believe his works to be a little on the pretentious side (mostly due to their length), I actually respect him more for having been so dedicated to his music that he could compose works of such length, and a lot of them at that! It is even more amazing to consider how much variety his music contains and how dramatically it changed throughout his life (while still always retaining its uniquely "Sorabjian" character). And many of his works, upon both close analysis and focused listening, show signs of true genius.

Do others share my appreciation for this thoroughly interesting musical figure?

[gep]

I thought it would be nice to start a thread about Sorabji

Well, you aint the first to do so, but, hey, you're totally welcome!

Do others share my appreciation for this thoroughly interesting musical figure?

Hmyeah, a few. Thal(bergmad) first and foremost!

While I agree with virtually all you write, I would not call Sorabji('s music) pretentious. I'd rather call quite a bit of modern music (the section which gives you a 50+ pages program about what you are supposed to hear) pretentious. Sorabji's music is just as it is, like it or leave it. As such then I would call it totally unpretentious!

You're a visitor of the celebrated Sorabji Archive website I presume? If so, you'll know some 15 hours worth of Sorabji world-premières is due in June?

all best,
gep

[ahinton]

While I agree with virtually all you write, I would not call Sorabji('s music) pretentious. I'd rather call quite a bit of modern music (the section which gives you a 50+ pages program about what you are supposed to hear) pretentious. Sorabji's music is just as it is, like it or leave it. As such then I would call it totally unpretentious!

Agreed in all particulars - but, to be fair, ctrastevere did write "though some may believe his works to be a little on the pretentious side", which no more suggests that he personally thinks so than it makes it true! As you know, Sorabji's works vary in duration from a few seconds to 8 or more hours and he himself quite rightly had no interest in how long or short his or anyone else's works were as long as they were all of appropriate length.

It will indeed be most welcome to have a thread devoted to Sorabji that eschews all but the most necessary incidental references to the technical challenges that he places on his performers, the complexity of some of his utterances and the durations of a few of his 100+ works, especially since the second of these in particular would in any case have to be seen today in comparison to the complexities of utterance of certain more recent composers who have been rightly or wrongly described as belonging to the "New Complexity" "school".

It's open to all who are interested in this vast treasure-trove of music and, for anyone who is not already aware of it, the website is www.sorabji-archive.co.uk, to which all are welcome.

Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

If one closes one's eyes and listens to pieces such as Le Jardin Parfume, it can be like listening to the soundtrack of a dream.

I had a similar experience with the Piano Concerto by William Wordsworth. Whilst I was listening to it, my mind drifted to the film "A matter of life & death".

Not sure if there is any connection between Wordsworth and Sorabji, but i have to say Sorabji does not have the same effect on me personally.

Thal

[ahinton]

I had a similar experience with the Piano Concerto by William Wordsworth. Whilst I was listening to it, my mind drifted to the film "A matter of life & death".

Not sure if there is any connection between Wordsworth and Sorabji, but i have to say Sorabji does not have the same effect on me personally.

The answers to those two are, respectively, that I'm not aware of any such connection and I'm not surprised at your response because the two composers are very different.

Best,

Alistair

[miken49]

What a wonderful idea to have a topic that speaks of Sorabji for the transcendental music instead of the transcendental technical difficulties. I haven't listened to much Sorabji on account of the fact that his music requires extreme concentration and multiple listening sessions to fully understand him.

[thalbergmad]

I haven't listened to much Sorabji on account of the fact that his music requires extreme concentration and multiple listening sessions to fully understand him.

It is just beginning to dawn on me that Sorabji is worth the effort.

Similarly, I did not care for my first pint of Guiness, but after years of perseverence, I am a dedicated supporter.

Thal

[retrouvailles]

It is just beginning to dawn on me that Sorabji is worth the effort.

Welcome to the other side! But in all seriousness, Sorabji really is worth the effort, and if I were about 5 times better than I am now as a pianist, I would have a few of his pieces in my repertoire without question.

[miken49]

I remember studying the one page piece Desir eperdu which seemed live a very early composition. It was rather simple technically, but as to be expected unconventional. I found the metronome to be a big help in holding the piece together.

Recently I ordered the First Sonata and Quasi Habanera which both looked rather nasty. I don't so much mind the difficulty but the fact is as a no name young pianist I see little value in adding his works to the repertoire. It is good to have some experience with his works though.

[orangesodaking]

I'm listening to Le Jardin Parfume (The Perfume Garden?), and it sounds like which Sorabji composed this, he said "Now, this is the kind of music Debussy would he composed had he known what I know."

It's really pretty and intricate. I really do think this piece sounds like Debussy to the next level, also with some hints of of Ravel's "Noctuelles" and "Oiseaux Tristes" from Miroirs. Very mystical and haunting music. When I get time, I will put this on my iPod.

I have Habermann's recording of the (2nd) transcription of Ravel's Rapsodie Espagnole. Great music, but I kind of wish Hamelin would record it (or at least Jonathan Powell), just to have that technical satisfac- Oops, sorry! I shouldn't be talking about technical difficulty here!

Oh well, thanks for the thread! I've "skirted around the edge" with Sorabji's music; I've come familiar with some of it, and read a little about him, but I've never seriously dug under the surface. I usually do that with nonstandard repertoire (although Alkan has been an exception for me). We'll see if I'll just learn more about Sorabji and his music, or actually take it to the next level. Either way, I do want to learn something or two by him.

You know, I wouldn't doubt that if anyone said to Sorabji about his music, "You live in your own little world, don't you?" without a beat, he would reply, "There's nothing little about it."

[ctrastevere]

Lately I've been making it a nightly ritual recently to listen to an hour of Sorabji's music every night, and often find that the amount of time spent listening always stretches because I am so captivated by the beauty and power of the music. To anyone who hasn't done so yet, I can't possibly recommend Jonathan Powell's live recording of the first five movements of Opus Clavicembalisticum enough... indeed, it is hard to decide with is a more inspirational feat, the composition itself or the performance!

Other personal favorites of mine include all the transcriptions (so brilliant!), the solo concerto, and all the recorded sonatas, though it took me a bit of time to warm up to the second one. And, though the recording is pretty hard to come by, the first piano quintet is incredibly gorgeous.

I've enjoyed Sorabji's music for years, but only recently has it clicked with me to this extent. I can't even understand how there was ever a time that his style seemed strange to me -- now I view this initial "strangeness" as great originality more than anything.

Though I can certainly understand the reluctance behind sitting through such long piano pieces, I found that every time I simply bit the bullet and allowed myself to become completely absorbed in the music, I found myself checking the time consistently not because I was bored but because I didn't want it to end! Sorabji's music (when performed well, of course) is so compelling that I rarely ever lose interest. The only times he ever loses my attention are in the massive fugues, but when I tune into them at any point, I still find them to be thoroughly incredible.

[gep]

It is just beginning to dawn on me that Sorabji is worth the effort.

Similarly, I did not care for my first pint of Guiness, but after years of perseverence, I am a dedicated supporter.

Thal

Whoa dude, ye might wanna go a wee bit more carefull with that Guiness, y're startin' to ramble things ye might gonna regret when yer gettin' sober again! 

And wouldn't that be an addicted supporter?

Neverthemore, keep that dawning coming, and the Sorabjian Sun might just go shining forth for you!

gep