This summer I had the chance to travel and meet several composers, including John Oswald, whose Plunderphonics CDs were literally crushed in 1990 by the Canadian version of the RIAA for copyright violation. Although other artists made music entirely out of pop records—early examples include James Tenney‘s Collage #1 (“Blue Suede”) (1961), Richard Trythall‘s Omaggio a Jerry Lee Lewis (1975), and David Mahler‘s The King of Angels (1977)—Oswald did so systematically and emphatically, helping himself to hits by Dolly Parton, Michael Jackson, and Igor Stravinsky. His “Spring” from the 1988 EP version of Plunderphonics thunders almost as hard as its sonic parent, The Rite of Spring. Oswald described some of his recent work as “rascally klepertoire.” By tampering with the notated scores of the classical repertoire, he fashions new pieces out of hoary symphonies and concertos. When I asked Oswald whether the deluxe double-CD box set Plunderphonics reissued in 2000 by Seeland had run into any legal trouble, he told me “No, not a peep.”
I had planned to devote this column to reviewing a concert by cellist Frances-Marie Uitti in New York. An astounding musician who pioneered the technique of using two bows in one hand, Uitti worked closely with one of the most esoteric composers of the 20th century, Giacinto Scelsi. Based on her riveting Seattle show several years ago, I intended to catch her recital of Scelsi’s Trilogia for solo cello at Columbia University’s Italian Academy in late July. Scelsi’s self-described “autobiography in sound,” the Trilogia is a feast of microscopic rumbles, frenzied bowing, eerie susurrations, and humble, reflective moments that warp and distend time itself.
Regrettably, my ride to the train station sported a temporary Illinois license plate, an act of blatant subversion that duly merited a 35-minute investigation by the New York State Police. No citation was issued, but I missed my train and thus the concert. I consoled myself with Uitti’s new recording, Natura Renovatur (ECM). This superb disc includes pieces for string orchestra along with the final section of the Trilogia, “Ygghur.” Surpassing Uitti’s 1979 performance on the expensive (I paid $25 for my copy on eBay) and hard-to-find disc on Et Cetera Records, “Ygghur’s” strings careen like multiple sirens swerving in and out of tune—as if Vivaldi had retranscribed his “Four Seasons” for the early-morning melismatic chant of a muezzin.
For more maximally intense music, I recommend Seattle Opera’s International Wagner Competition (Sat Aug 19, McCaw Hall, 7:30 pm, $42–$52). Singers from Germany, Ireland, England, New Zealand, and the United States vie for two prizes of $15,000 in a concert with a full orchestra. Where else will you hear so many big voices in a single concert? I also plan to check out Methfest 2006 (Fri Aug 18–Sun Aug 20, various venues, see www.backwardsrecords.com for details). This three-day convocation of “harsh musick” features noise, grindcore, death industrial, and glitchcore bands including Penetration Camp, Fetal Distress, and the aptly named Dead.
