Topic: A blank, white minimalism (Read 2986 times)

furtwaengler · on: September 27, 2010, 03:44:15 AM

This needs a dedication, and it would be appropriate for Wolfi because of what his work means to me, and his dabbling in minimalism, and it would be appropriate for Derek as a welcome back present! So to Derek and to Pianowolfi I dedicate it, and hope the rest enjoy it just as well!

Last night I found myself at the school after doing other things in the city, and had my Tascam with me. I thought I'd try its effectiveness out in the hall as I played the Yamaha on stage. I did not lift the lid on the Yamaha, and the Tascam, far removed from the piano, was on it's highest recording setting, but recording directly to mp3, 128 kbps. For this I will not declare the Tascam a complete failure in this process, though I know it will handle things better closer to the piano. I guess at that point the sound spreads out so far it is impossible for such built in mics to capture it...there's a lot I do not know about recording.

Musically I have been in a real dry spell. In my initial attempt last night I came up empty, and a bit discouraged. I shut the recorder off and practiced Schubert for about an hour to calm my nerves...I don't know that I'll have space to perform any of Schubert's piano music in the near future, but I love it so dearly that I cannot stay away for long stretches of time. You all must know the feeling.

Well, near the end I hit my stride and found something I was ready to record, and this is that. I'm not well acquainted with minimalism, and have had no small animosity towards it in past times, until I started to love John Adams, not as a minimalist per say, but as a composer with something truly worthwhile to say. This improvisation is not like John Adams, and it may not even be much like minimalism in the traditional sense, but I had great fun playing it, and am happy to have a recording of the (er, 6 minute) moment.

It could fall into that realm of spontaneous composition Wolfi's sometimes written about. A few other things...it is played exclusively on the white keys, with an emphasis toward the middle, that E-F divide, and of course C major...and never is the pedal used. It is than a dry, or blank, white keyed, minimalistic parody with much sustained energy, if not always accurately portrayed. I'm very happy with it and hope you'll like it to.

Another note...about two minutes in I found myself quoting a theme which was at that moment of uncertain origin. I had to do some thinking, but turns out I was alluding to an *old* prelude from my youth...a very short, noodling doodling from about 1996 which I recorded on tape, but which was cut off at the beginning (don't start too soon!). BUT, this was not strictly an improvisation though it started improvisational...there is a partial score that exists containing the lost notes from the beginning. I just hope I can find it, and hope it was not one of the casualties of the flood. I should have joy in going back in time and working on it. I am including this as well.

Well, lots of words again! But I am satisfied (actually really happy) with this recording (officially September 25, 2010), and hope it will bring you some joy as well.

Dave

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