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Music Books

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1848364768/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

I have been messing about in some weird areas of 'classical music' today and an older version of this has helped a lot. The CD recommendations are excellent, with a few reservations about sound quality though.
 
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"I have been messing about in some weird areas of 'classical music' today"

- what, like listening to Schoenberg in the bath? Go on, spill the beans ...... Radulescu? Dimutrescu? Nono? Crumb??????
 
What is a bath? :D

I have a ticket to see Delusion of the Fury, Harry Partch, performed at the Edinburgh Festival. So in preparation I have been on a few 'trips' recently.

Partch, Lou Harrison, Cage, Henry Cowell, Harry Birtwistle and lots of Gamelan.

There has been a bounce and I seem to be playing more Tavener, David Munrow and now Hildegard of Bingen.

OAPs have all the fun!
 
Herb,

I saw Newband play Partch on the Partch instruments at the Barbican about a dozen years ago - I think it was the first time the instruments had been over to the UK. A few members of Newband had been in the Gate 5 ensemble with Partch in the late 60s. As well as sounding magnificent, the instruments are beautiful works of sculpture. Although I have the CRI/Columbia records from the 70s, I was still surprised how soft and subtle the instruments sound (unamplified) in concert. Have a great time.

So, a couple of books if you haven't already read them:

'Harry Partch A Biography' by Bob Gilmore (Yale) is well researched and readable.

'Genesis of A Music by Harry Partch' (Da Cappo) is also worth the effort if anyone really wants to begin to understand Partch and microtonality in general, although the maths can be a bit forbidding at times.
 
Thanks Graham, I am certainly looking forward to the performance.

I played the CD this afternoon and it reminded me in some ways of Stockhausen's Momente, that is no bad thing at all!

The Gilmore biography was ordered within the hour.
 
I just noticed on Amazon Danlee Mitchell's son reviews the Gilmore biog.

Which reminds me, two more:

"Stockhausen on Music" compiled by Robin Maconie (Marion Boyars pub 1989) - interviews and lectures about some of his major (earlier) works. Insightful esp regarding composition methods and concepts.

"Towards a Cosmic Music" by Stockhausen. Interesting insights, but a little bit too 'cosmic' - if you get my drift.
 
Looks interesting, might have to buy that - on Amazon at a discount too!
 
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I'm reading 'Twenty Thousand Roads' , a very nice biography of Gram Parsons. Jeez, I knew he came from a well-to-do family, but the mutha had an income of 30-40-50 thousand dollars twice a year in 1967! No wonder he flitted about until things went real bad.
 
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For those of a heavy persuasion, Slash's biography is a good read. He really gets across the feeling of the band climbing out of the gutter to record the last seminal real Rock'n'Roll album (IMO). His description of Kiss's Paul Stanley's attempts to get the gig as their Producer is particularly funny.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0007257775/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
 
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Interesting and substantial looking Blue Note: Uncompromising Expression book on the way. I have just preordered.

What a coincidence, I just bought this at my local book store a few days ago! Browsed thru' it. Lots of entries on key individual albums which is not all that informative but lots of other interesting photos (contact sheets, session photos, etc) that are otherwise unobtainable. Expensive ($80) but well worth it. I pounced on it since I am still kicking myself for passing on the large volume of Francis Wolff's BN related photography a few years back and now is OOP.

The book is obviously 'sponsored' by BN and doesn't seem to be a 'critical' assessment of the BN label and history. It's a bit grating when the book gushes about BN's recent albums (Norah Jones, Robert Glasper...). To me, BN's history has been great but its present day incarnation is a shell of its former self.
 
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Thanks Lambros. That's a bit rich for me too!

However I was referring to another Wolff book that was in large format and filled with full-sized high quality B&W prints with very little commentary. It was not expensive perhaps less than $50. It was heavy and I had to choose between having the book or more records in my luggage back from the States. The LPs won. Unfortunately even if I am able to find a copy today, it would not be cheap any more.

Sometimes it is like some LPs/CDs, you must buy it when you see it.
 
My Blue Note book landed a few moments ago. It looks superb on a quick flick through, big, heavy, nicely laid out with lots of great pictures. Not read any of the words yet, but very impressed on first impression. Certainly a heck of a lot of book for 30 quid.
 
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