Playlist "Psyche van het Folk", Radio Centraal, Antwerpen, Belgium. -(EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC INSTRUMENTS PART 1 : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/nature.html with some Sarah Hopkins at another show at http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/files/tibet.txt)- EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC INSTRUMENTS PART 2 : Bart Hopkins overview of experimental music instruments. Info : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/EMI.html Bart Hopkins intro : http://csunix1.lvc.edu/~snyder/em/hopkin.html MARIMBA LIKE CHIMES : CLAY : * Ellipsis Arts Gravikords, Whirlies & Pyrophones (var,var)***** Tr.7, Ward Hartenstein with Eastman Percussion Ensemble : "Claycussion" (fragment) 4 min Nice marimba like rhythms on clay instruments. Info : http://www.rochester.lib.ny.us/vap/nk0htbmz.htm Contact : wardharten@aol.com Other sound sculpture : http://thescreamonline.com/music/music2-4/maffit/sculpture.html * Ellipsis Arts Gravikords, Whirlies & Pyrophones (var,var)***** Tr.12, Barry Hall and the Burnt Earth Ensemble : "Terra Zona" 4 min soundfile : http://www.ninestones.com/sounds/terrazona1.rm A similar recording More info : http://www.ninestones.com/bios/barrymusic.html Info : http://www.oddmusic.com/gallery/om07000.html About the Barry Hall Burnt Earth ensemble : http://www.ninestones.com/beensemble.html Contact : barry@ninestones.com METAL : * EMI Experimental Musical Instruments Later Years (var.1993-1999) Tr.7, Richard Cooke plays freenotes : "Return to misty mountain" 4 min 12 Already a more ethereal sound from this marimba like instrument. Info with sound : http://www.freenotes.net/ Contact : info@freenotes.net ELECTRONIC VIVID LOOPS : * EMI Experimental Musical Instruments Later Years (var.1993-1999) Tr.14 (without introduction) : Henry Lowengard plays software-o-phones, part 1 2 min Thanks to some computer programming some acoustic recordings are given evolving sound-loops. Info and interests : http://www.echonyc.com/~jhhl/ & http://www.echonyc.com/~jhhl/index.shtml (with some interesting links) * Ellipsis Arts Gravikords, Whirlies & Pyrophones (var,var)***** Tr.5, Don Buchla & Robert Moog : "Beginning : etude II" 6 min The buchla creates a loop-like evolving pattern, almost like a musical machine. Small intro about Don Buchla : http://www.intuitivemusic.com/tguidedonbuchla.html http://www.synthmuseum.com/buchla/index.html inventions : http://www.buchla.com/historical/index.html & Moog : http://www.intuitivemusic.com/tguiderobertmoog.html Buchla : http://www.audiovisualizers.com/toolshak/vidsynth/buchla/buchla.htm http://www.vintagesynth.org/misc/buchla100.shtml Info on theory : http://www.users.voicenet.com/~ccohen/Buchladesign.html About the theory of wave-shaping in Buchla synthesizers : http://eamusic.dartmouth.edu/~book/MATCpages/chap.4/4.6.waveshp.html The "buchla touché" : http://archive.keyboardonline.com/features/vintagegear/vgear0105.shtml THEREMIN : * Ellipsis Arts Gravikords, Whirlies & Pyrophones (var,var)***** Tr.11, Clara Rockmore and Nadia Reisenberg : Saint-Saëns : "The Swan" 3 min 25 One of the most beautiful performances ever, on an unusual instrument, the theremin, an instrument with unlimited pitches. * Delos Int. Clara Rockmore : the art of the theremin (US,1987)***** Tr.2, "Song of Grusia" 5 min Tr.5, "Achron : Hebrew melody" 6 min Tr.10, Tchaikowsky : "Valse Sentimentale" 3 min 14 One of my favourite performances ever, classical music with the theremin, performed very emotionally by Clara who in these days saw Prof. Theremin back since the 20's after many years of separation (I'm not sure if it were many years prison because of a past of working as a scientist for the czar). I don't know from anybody who did not cry or was near to it during hearing this performance. I even know from people who kept this moved feeling for days. I especially like the "the Swan" and even more "valse sentimentale", a beautiful performance !! The invention of the theremin was done when the professor was 21. Clara Rockmore was the youngest pupil ever who went to conservatorium at the age of 5. She was already a remarkable violinst before sha learned to play the theremin. For the theremin, which are in fact two antennae's, you have to play in the air. It are the interfering of unhearable high pitches waves which makes the music. In that way it makes in a human way a part of a higher ethereal world coming to earth. And in some way it hears or is experienced that way too. Big theremins were tried out for dancers but that never worked. After the 30's the interest in the instrument died out. It was only used a couple of times in the 60's for its effect only. It is difficult to play. Clara did her first recording here only in 1987. I guess she was in her 80's then. It's amongst my personal top 10 of favourite albums. More about Clara Rockmore & theremin : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/THEREMIN_linkspage.html * EMI Experimental Musical Instruments Later Years (var.1993-1999) Tr.4, Christopher Lee plays stroh violin : "Liebeslied" 2 min The stroh violin is in fact the first amplified violin with a horn. Small intro : http://www.digitalviolin.com/StrohViolin1.html Pictures and info on the "stroh violin" or "phono violin" : http://historywired.si.edu/detail.cfm?ID=46 And http://historywired.si.edu/object.cfm?ID=46 More details of the instrument : http://www.elderly.com/new_instruments/items/STROHV27.htm http://www.ohek.co.uk/instruments/stroviols.htm & http://www.austimports.com/catalog/instruments/pages/Stroh_violin.html http://andymack.com/mylog/images/strohviolin.jpg & http://andymack.com/mylog/images/strohviolin2.jpg & http://www.billsbanjos.com/stroh_violin.htm & http://www.oddmusic.com/gallery/om26600.html More info and picture (and soundfile of traditional use by Rumenian folk artists) : http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Instruments/Anglais/mpr_j_txt04a_en.html & http://www.eliznik.org.uk/RomaniaMusic/stroh.htm One string phono-fiddle : http://www.windupgram.co.uk/stroh.htm & with more details : http://www.ohek.co.uk/instruments/fiddle.htm soundfile of old recording : http://www.ohek.co.uk/instruments/sounds/bennettwilliams01.ram FIRE ORGAN : * Ellipsis Arts Gravikords, Whirlies & Pyrophones (var,var)***** Tr.6, Michel Moglia : "chant de l'orgue á feu" 2 min A bit a lost track here. "Fire" organ sounds different as a wind organ. Visually it surely is impressive to see. PREPARED PIANO, WITH A RHYTHM OF COLOURED TONES : For a prepared piano certain objects are placed onto or in between the strings to change the coloured pitches or the colours of the tones. The piece might be created out of the accidental harmonies between the colours, put into a rhythmic order. John Cage didn't have much affection with melodic composing but was obsessed by microtonal percussion. Prepared piano pieces were a perfect solution of melodic capacities in a rhythmic order of prepared colours of notes. Some performances show the brilliance of this idea. * Wergo John Cage : Works for piano & prepared piano vol 1 (1943-1952)***°° Tr.1, "A Room" (1943) 2 min A piano piece that already showed Cage interest for rhythmic melody. * Wergo John Cage : Works for piano & prepared piano vol 2 (1944-1958)**°°° Tr.1, "Mysterious Adventure" (fragment) 216 34 Beautiful performance by Joshua Pierce on piano. Short explanation on what is prepared piano : http://www.eyeneer.com/CCM/Clasdict/prepared.html Article on the prepared piano from John Cage : http://www.8ung.at/fzmw/2003/2003_4.htm Review and info : http://www.mode.com/catalog/050cage.html More specialized work : http://www.northernsounds.net/store/enter.html?target=p_5.html&lang=en-ca (They're much more introductions to John Cage on the net, easily to be found). ACOUSTIC RHYTHMS -BOUNCING PING PONG BALLS- : * Ellipsis Arts Orbitones, spoonharps & bellowphones (var.,var)***** Tr.6, Aphex Twin : "Bucephalus Bouncing ball " 6 min Electronic & computerized DJ like mixes with semi acoustic recordings. Here with a ping pong ball bouncing. Info : http://www.drukqs.net/ & http://www.aphextwin.nu/ (with soundfiles) & http://www.cybercomm.nl/~teccie/aphextwin.html Review : http://www.uttermusic.com/aphex_twin.htm Label contact : distribution@warprecords.com * Ellipsis Arts Orbitones, spoonharps & bellowphones (var.,var)***** Tr.7 Les Phônes : " le dance des fourmis " (fragment) 2 min Sounds like ping pong balls running trough bicycle wheels. * Ellipsis Arts Orbitones, spoonharps & bellowphones (var.,var)***** Tr.9, Ela Lamblin : " Cosmogenesis (excerpt) 5 min 50 Soundfile of this track : http://www.lelavision.com/sound/cosmogenesis.ram Very fitting with the bicycle wheel sounds, harp like, rhythmic played on a beautiful bicycle musical sculpture. I'll play more of his work in a later radioshow. Webpage (needs cable) http://www.lelavision.com/ (with sound) Info : lela@lelavision.com Singing stones instrument : http://www.oddmusic.com/gallery/om25400.html With soundfile : http://www.oddmusic.com/playlist/singstones.m3u More soundfiles : http://www.lelavision.com/order_info.html Article : http://www.soundsofseattle.com/archive/artists/elamblin.htm "Stamenphone" sound : http://www.oddmusic.com/playlist/stamenphone.m3u AIRY RESONANCES : * Ellipsis Arts Orbitones, spoonharps & bellowphones (var.,var)***** Tr.8, Peter Whitehead : "Tunnel of Love" and "dear 3" 5 min Beautiful sounds of different experimental instruments with a neo-ethno (eastern) folk melodic pieces. With a complexity that gives a full vision of another musical world. Info : http://www.healthyarts.com/whitehead/ Echoed sounds : * Ellipsis Arts Gravikords, Whirlies & Pyrophones (var,var)****° Tr.13, Jacques Dudon : "Naïades" 5 min 60 Dudon experimented with light patterns on turning plates, transcribed by a computer, in that way putting light into sound. This is performed by an aquavina, an instrument that has many resonances from its body contact with water, attached to strings. English page : http://www.unfurl.org/music/writing/02_dudon.html & http://www.microtonal.freeservers.com/post139.html & http://www.newmusicon.org/v10n1/v101brave.html & http://tictocfestival.org/artists/dudon/biblio.html French page with pictures of light sculpture instruments : Homepage : http://aeh.free.fr/ With info : http://perso.club-internet.fr/daschour/micromegas/dudon/dudon.html http://aeh.free.fr/lumieres.htm Contact : aeh@free.fr * Ellipsis Arts Orbitones, spoonharps & bellowphones (var.,var)***** Tr.2,Colin Offord : " Heavenly flower " 5 min More advanced & developed big sized mouthbow. It looks like a big sitar or something played by a bow, but attached to the mouth as a resonator. * Spiral Sound Colin Offord : bow (AUS,1997)**° Tr.1, "Goading the beast" 5 min 70 I found the live performance even better than this CD. Colin's mouthbow is a combination of a guitar and a mouthbow. The performance had something shamanistic that brought over something of the Australian landscape. The music itself is very improvisational. * Mountain Music Great Bowing Company : Noman ((AUS,1995)**°° Tr.2, "Paperback County" 7 min Tr.3, "Longing/Hunter's rhythm" 12 min 19 90 Group of experimental music instruments performancers, with didgeridoo player. Possibly more interesting than the solo work of Colin I have, because more talents contribute their vision. There's a visual spectacle with the performance. Info : http://www.colinofford.com/ * EMI Experimental Musical Instruments Later Years (var.1993-1999) Tr.2, Wayland Harman plays reeded mouthbow, 3 min The Harman mouthbow : http://www.mouthmusic.com/mouthbow.htm With sound : http://www.jewsharp.com/MP3/Mouthbowing.mp3 The "clackamore" from Harman (with sound) : http://www.mouthmusic.com/clackamo.htm * Ellipsis Arts Orbitones, spoonharps & bellowphones (var.,var)***** Tr.14, Ellen Fullman : " Change of Direction " (excerpt) 5 min Very full range droning string instrument with very long strings. While the waves are tall and cosmic, at the same time the strings being that long suffer also from a kind of friction vibration effect, and because the strings are thin and long we also have this combined sharp high pitches. So it has advanced beauty and the disadvantages of crossing its natural limitations, (or something like that). I only know this fragment. Intro : http://www.deepmedia.org/ellenfullman/production/press.html & http://www.scaruffi.com/avant/fullman.html Info : http://kalvos.org/fullman.html ; contact : ellenfullman@yahoo.com And http://www.deepmedia.org/ellenfullman/ & http://www.ps1.org/cut/volume/fullman.html & http://www.otherminds.org/shtml/Fullman.shtml Soundfiles of the instrument : http://static.state51.co.uk/68/33/50033_SK/original.m3u & http://www.epitonic.com/files/reg/songs/wma/Ellen_Fullman-Harmonic_Cross_Sweep_-_Overtone_Series_Of_C_Chord_Progression.wma Review : http://www.epitonic.com/artists/ellenfullman.html "MAKE IT YOURSELF" * EMI Experimental Musical Instruments Later Years (var.1993-1999) Tr.15, Bakshish plays instruments with homemade pickups 2 min 100 Nice melodic but strange sounds. Pickups are the easiest way to amplify almost anything with some kind of resonance. CLAY, AIR CONTRACTIONS & FARTS : * Ellipsis Arts Orbitones, spoonharps & bellowphones (var.,var)***** Tr.12, Sharon Rowell : "Elegy or the missing" 4 min This track soundfile : http://www.oddmusic.com/playlist/huaca.m3u Medieval tune with unusual flute colours and pitches, played on big clay ocarina's called "huaca's". Huaca info : http://www.oddmusic.com/gallery/om19550.html The triple ocarina (with sound) : http://www.clayz.com/rowelltriple.html * EMI Experimental Musical Instruments Later Years (var.1993-1999) Tr.1, Barry Hall plays globular horns, 3 min The air friction and resonance are so much interacting the sound becomes somewhat funny, fart like. Globular horns with soundfiles : http://www.ninestones.com/burntearth/forsale/glob.html Barry Hall's Clay didgeridoo's : http://www.didgeridoings.com/ExoticDidges/Clay/barryhome.html Sounds of horns of this particular recording fit nice with Reichel's sounds : * Ellipsis Arts Gravikords, Whirlies & Pyrophones (var,var)****° Tr.1, Hans Reichel : "Le Bal" 5 min One of most funny sounds ever is the daxophone. The vibrations of a wooden plate with holes in it makes duck like sounds, close to a funny human voice, with some uncontrolled pitches. Best record I heard so far from Hans Reichel. * FMP Hans Reichel : Shanghaied on tor road -the world's 1st operetta performed on nothing but the daxophone- (D,1992)***°°/***** Tr.1, "Give me money" 4 min Tr.2, "Shanghaied on tor road (1)" 5 min 9 121 Tr.3, "prelude to "Alleycats never complain" 2 min 122 Tr.5, "Machines makes me happy" 8 min (shortened) Tr.18, "Shangaied on Tor Road (2)" 4 min 134 The completely odd sound of the daxophone is between a human voice, a fart, a duck, Woody Woodpecker, Donald Duck, a Jack Russell (because of its uncontrollable nature). It can sound flute-like, kazoo-like, or like tearing pants. Slightly uncontrolled this performance it's hysteric fun. Performed with enthusiasm and well structured. The rhythms make the oddities work perfectly. One of my favourite instruments and a terrific item. Info : http://www.shef.ac.uk/misc/rec/ps/efi/mreichel.html Homepages www.daxo.de (run it and catch the toys !) & www.yuxo.de Distribution contact : fmp.distribution@t-online.de * Rastacan Rec. Hans Reichel : Lower Lurum -a guitar and daxophone operetta- (D,1994)*° Oddly tuned handmade experimental guitar with the even less uncontrolled daxophone are almost too weird melodically hanging together. Therefore I don't find this release so successful. It still lacks direction. Fun : * Ellipsis Arts Orbitones, spoonharps & bellowphones (var.,var)***** Tr.16, Leonard Solomon : " The gran Gallope " 1 min 1 A musical composition build like a kind of fun mobile. Info : http://e-orderhere.com/COAIConvention/csolomon.htm * Ellipsis Arts Orbitones, spoonharps & bellowphones (var.,var)***** Tr.19,Wendy Mae Chambers : "New York, New York" 2 min 150 A car-horn organ sounds fun too. Perfect city music for car strings. Info : http://www.musical-genre.com/wendy_mae_chambers.htm http://kalvos.org/chamber.html Contact : wendymae@pro-usa.net * Erol Rec. Thomas Bloch & Etienne Rolin : Brisé Glace / Fine tuning (FR,1999)? Tr. "Clear Cut Crystal Cluster" (Th. Bloch live) 5 min 126 Very "cosmic" contemporary work with many overtones. About the 'crystal baschet' (Bloch) : http://www.chez.com/thomasbloch/engCHRIS.htm * K.612 Christ Hall/Thomas Bloch & Glass Music Ensemble : Hommage à Marc Chagall (F,1999)**** The Complete piece, 22 min 148 Beautiful, at some parts somewhat vividly abstract, contemporary music piece, with perfectly fitting high pitched soprano voice, 3 glass armonica's, 2 séraphims (= glass harps) & 1 verillon. Recommended piece. Other interesting page : http://www.biosonic.org/ManualEng/NUTRITIONAL.html Exp instr. http://www.colander.org/gallimaufry/Instruments.html More on musical bowls : http://www.glassvirtuoso.us/Musical_Bowls.html Info on the compilation series : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/EMI.html Orbitones,.. Soundfiles : http://www.tigersushi.com/site/frameset.jsp?page=Art.jsp&ArtId=8903 Not played but also good : Richard Waters Waterphone : http://thescreamonline.com/music/music2-4/maffit/waterphone.html List of experimental instruments (often with sound) : http://www.oddmusic.com/gallery/index.html List of microtonal music releases : http://www.xs4all.nl/~huygensf/doc/discs.html More links : http://www.windworld.com/emi/links.htm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC INSTRUMENTS PART 3 Glass instruments, tuning forks & molecular sounds. Organisation of Glass Music : http://www.glassmusicintl.org/index.shtml With musicians : http://www.glassmusicintl.org/links.shtml 1. Glass instruments, part 1 : * Private Glass Orchestra, Toronto (Can,1978)***° Tr.1, 954 min 10 Some fine semi-classical & experimental music only played with glass instruments. Recording given to me by G.P. without additional info. Can anyone help me on this ? I asked the Glass Orchestra group for more info, so I might add it in the playlist link later. First track is very ethereal, and almost semi-classical, with a nice balance between the low and high pitches and sounds.. There are a couple of more ideas in this release but that overtones track simply is the most captivating. The later recordings of the glass orchestra have just arrived. I didn't have time to review them yet. Seemingly most of these recordings are more "free" "performance" music. I'll review it later at my webpage at http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/overtone.html and airplay it in a second show. Another track from the same orchestra is played later in this radioshow. I especially liked from them after first quick browsing the not dated "Dusk 1 & 2" tracks, spread over both compilations. I added one minute of one of both recordings to give an idea of similarity with this earlier track, although "dusk" stays more in misty heights: * CCA Glass Orchestra : live from the archive vol 2 (CAN,?-2001)? Tr.2, "Dusk 2" (fragment) 1 min * Tangent Anna Lockwood : Glass World (NZ,1970)***° side A : micro glass shaken, glass rod vibrating, turning gong, mini mobile, wine glass, water gong, two ribbed discs, rod across edge of pane, glass bulb, glissandi, spinning discs 22 min Side B : dialogue : bottles and jars, vibrating pane 3'30 Beautiful sounds of all kinds of glass instruments, nice and musically performed, somewhat enumerated (and minimal) as a performance, but diversified enough and nice as a whole to listen to. Anna Lockwood explains it well herself (text from LP) : "I have treated each sound as if it were a piece of music in itself. For me every sound has its own minute form -is composed of flashing rhythms, shifting tones, has momentum, comes, vanishes, lives out its own structure, and since we are used to hearing sounds together, either juxtaposed or compared, one sound alone seems simple - but so are the round scruffed stones lying about everywhere, until you crack one apart and all its intricate beauty takes you by surprise." Info : http://www.lovely.com/bios/lockwood.html Cover : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/files/lockwoodcdweb.jpg * Daphy/Sonor. Jacques Lasry : collection instruments et musiques insolites (F,197?)***° Tr.2, "Plein Chant -mode de re-" 6 min Tr.4, "Souffles" 3 min Tr.8, "Himalaya" 6 min 15 52 Slightly more avant garde at some parts. There it is a bit more demanding. Still all is interesting and beautiful music. Last track is sitar, glass and expermimental keyboards instruments. Info : http://pages.sbcglobal.net/edmaurer/LasryBaschet/bylabel.htm * EMI Experimental Musical Instruments Early Years (var.1985-1992) Tr.1, The Glass Orchestra : "believe it or not" (CAN,1985) 4 min A piece with glass marimba's and glass reed. Info : http://www.listme.ca/site_listme/even.e/20030518_20000000.html http://www.glassorchestra.com/ and http://www.vex.net/GlassO/ CD : http://a.musiccentre.ca/ds/CDs5/livearchive1.html http://a.musiccentre.ca/ds/CDs5/livearchive2.html with soundfiles at http://www.glassorchestra.com/pages/content/sound/cd.html * EMI Experimental Musical Instruments Early Years (var.1985-1992) Tr.12, Gerhard Finkenbeiner glass harmonica performance : Vera Meyer : Johann Gottlieb Naumann : "Sonata" 2 min 58 Gerhard Finkenbeiner was the glass blower who rediscovered the secrets of the Glass harmonica which was successful at the end of the 18th century. Thanks to his manufacturing compositions by Mozart, Hasse, Beethoven and others can be heard with their true instrumentation. Info : http://www.spie.org/web/oer/august/research_scene.html * Ellipsis Arts Gravikords, Whirlies & Pyrophones (var,var)***** Tr.4, Jean-Claude Chapuis : "Luminescence" (F,1994) 3 min Info : http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues99/apr99/slide4_jpg.html Cover : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/files/chapuiscdweb.jpg * EMI Experimental Musical Instruments Early Years (var.1985-1992) Tr.6, The Lasrey-Baschet Ensemble : Daniel Ouzounoff : "Valse" 3 min The instrument is the Bachet crystal. The Bachet Brothers' Crystal is based upon The principle of rods fixed at one end to a heavy metal base. Each rods are set in motion by percussion, bows, or glass bows. The tuned vibration is communicated through the metal base to metal/plastic/cardboard cones which work as amplifiers. Removable resonators fixed on the base modify the timbre of the sound. Sculptures sonores : http://www.baschet.net/front.htm & http://pages.sbcglobal.net/edmaurer/LasryBaschet/ http://www.sounddesign.unimelb.edu.au/web/biogs/P000025b.htm 2. tuning forks : * EMI Experimental Musical Instruments Early Years (var.1985-1992) Tr.7, Warren Burt and Ernie Althoff (AUS,1987) : "Improvisation in an Ancient Greek Mode" 6 min Info : http://kalvos.org/burtwar.html & http://www.amcoz.com.au/comp/b/wburt.htm 3. "DNA music" : explanations on the how of DNA music : 5 min Full report published at http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/DNA.html * Science & Arts Susan Alexjander : Sequentia (US,1994)***°° Tr.1, "Eikos" 10 min Tr.3-5,"Sequentia" part 2-5, "Tal", "Adenine", "Tal" 8 min Tr.8, "Sequentia" part 7, "Guanine" 5 min 23 Various sounds (actually transitions from frequencies from DNA measurements) have similarities in sound with glass instruments. Susan Alexjander does not compose any kind of New Age melodic translations Of DNA codes, but created a highly original piece, with acoustic instruments, Some freedom of improvisation still within the basic rules of a correct Transmitting of DNA patterns into music, with an in-depth study. Review and links : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/DNA.html Other interesting page : http://www.biosonic.org/ManualEng/NUTRITIONAL.html 4. Glass music, part 2 : * Private Cecilia Brauer : the angelic sounds of Christmas (US,1996)**°' Tr.1, "O little town of Bethlehem" 2 min Tr.2, "I wonder as I wander" 2 min There's no instrument better suitable for Christmas songs than the ethereal glass armonica ! Review and links : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/overtone.html THOMAS BLOCH : * Naxos Rec. Thomas Bloch : Music for Glass Harmonica (FR,rec.1998)? Tr.17, "Sancta Maria" 7 min Cheaply priced compilation of mostly classical compositions for the glass harmonica. I choose the impressive composition of Bloch in a perfect combination of overtone singing & glass harmonica, rich in colour and structurally rich from within the colours of sounds. With Fabrice di Falco, male soprano & baritone, who accompanies with the right timbre,.. The recording might remind some people of the Italian group Albergo Intergallatico Spaziale. (short text from the Naxos booklet): Thomas Bloch (born in 1962) has composed a work requiring rare vocal gifts, a voice close to those of the castrati but which can also cover a baritone register. Sancta Maria (1998) revives the structure of recitative and aria, used in baroque operas. The work is dedicated to the master-glassblower responsible for the revival of the armonica in the twentieth century, Gerhard Finkenbeiner (1930 - 1999), who was lost with his plane, his body never recovered. It is also dedicated to Fabrice di Falco (born in 1974), the male soprano with whom Thomas Bloch often plays in duets. Multitrack technique allowed the successive recording of the four vocal parts. This final work aims at providing a bridge between the early days of the armonica and its revival. It is intended as an incentive to composers of today to follow the example of their predecessors. Thomas Bloch : "I just can add that, like in Christ Hall (-played shortly hereafter-, I also used synthesisers in addition to the glass harmonica and the four voices. It was recorded in my studio but it is possible to play it live (we did very often, more than 100 times) with a playback tape. On this tape, I have the same than on the CD without the first solo voice, sung live and the glass harmonica, played live too." Info & soundfiles of this release : http://www.naxos.com/scripts/newreleases/naxos_cat.asp?item_code=8.555295 Info on Bloch : http://www.chez.com/thomasbloch/& http://www.naxos.com/scripts/artists_gallery/artist_pro_new.asp?artist_name=Bloch,%20Thomas Info on glassharmonica (Bloch) : http://www.chez.com/thomasbloch/engGLASS.htm Reviews : http://www.buy--music.com/-/B00005QISL/Glass-Harmonica/ * Erol Rec. Thomas Bloch & Etienne Rolin : Brisé Glace / Fine tuning (FR,1999)? Tr. "Clear Cut Crystal Cluster" (Th. Bloch live) 5 min 126 Very "cosmic" contemporary work with many overtones. An improvisation on the cristal Baschet. About the 'crystal baschet' (Bloch) : http://www.chez.com/thomasbloch/engCHRIS.htm * K.617 Thomas Bloch & Glass Music Ensemble : Glass Hall -Hommage à Marc Chagall- (F,1990)**** The Complete piece, 22 min 148 Beautiful contemporary music piece, at some parts vividly abstract, with a perfectly fitting high pitched (male) soprano voice, 3 glass armonica's, 2 séraphims (= glass harps) & 1 verillon. Recommended listen. Two performers in this piece were Gerhard Finkenbeiner himself and Vera Meyer Who I airplayed before in this radioshow. Thomas Bloch : "There are a few words games in the title : - Christ Hall sounds like crystal; - Christ Hall is a reference to the place where the work was premiered (a church); - Hall, in german, means resonance, which was something like 5 seconds in this chruch. This work was composed to close a meeting and a festival dedicated to glass music in Sarrebourg, France (1990). So, I had to compose a work which could be played as well by amateur and professional glass players for this occasion. Together with the acoustic of the concert place (the church), the subject of the stained glass made by Chagall in front of which it was played (the biggest one he realized - it is a complete wall of the church and so gives special colours in the place), it explains the kind of quiet peace included in it. In Christ Hall, the sound of the verillon is the deeper one, the glass harp (or seraphim, or musical glasses) are the more scratchy and the glass harmonica are the more "pure" - I mean with less finger noises. Instruments used and played live are : one male soprano voice, glass harmonica (3 players if I remember well), seraphim (you can also say glass harp or musical glasses, which are the same - 2 players), verillon (1 player), ondes Martenot (played by me) and recorded instruments (just used for some parts with the voice, if I remember well - deep bells and some sounds carpets) on a playback CD diffused during the concert were Ensoniq Mirage and Yamaha DX 7. More explanation on the different instruments : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/files/THOMAS_BLOCH.txt * Private Brien Engel : Optimistic voices (US,2000)*** Tr.4, "One not samba" 4 min Tr.15, "Ice Cream #2: Mr. Softee jingle" 1 min Tr.19, "Over the Rainbow" 2 min 7 113 Somewhat easy listening tunes in a really joyful mode. Played on musical wine glasses, in combination called the 'glass harp'. Review and links : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/overtone.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More on musical bowls, glass harp, glass armonica, glass xylophone : http://www.glassvirtuoso.us/Musical_Bowls.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More info on glass instruments will be published at http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/overtone.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC INSTRUMENTS PART 4, Playlist at http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/files/expmu2.txt -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other playlists : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/2003.html General index page : www.radiocentraal.be/psychevanhetfolk More detailed index page : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/index.html Receive weekly this playlist before the radioshow with new reviews and additional comments : / ontvang wekelijks playlist vòòr de radio-uitzending : Subscribe / schrijf u in : psychevanhetfolk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BEST WAY TO VIEW THE LINKS : SAVE THIS AS TEXT-FILE, OPEN AS WORD FILE, AND YOU CAN ACTIVATE ALL LINKS !!!