Search - Rudhyar, Kronos Quartet, Mikulak :: Advent / Crisis & Overcoming / Transmutation

Music from another world

Mr. F. E. Perry | UK | 08/29/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Dane Rudhyar was undoubtedly one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century. A true 'renaissance man', he is best known for his pioneering work in astrology - which the vast majority of astrologers have still to catch up with. His whole life revolved around the concept of cylcicity. A most appropriate concept for Music - vibration - measured in cycles per second! He was also a writer, painter, poet, composer, etc. Some of his music has been recorded and, for the most part, existed on remote record labels. He wrote two books on music: Rebirth of Hindu Music & The Magic of Tone and the Art of Music. Two deeply insightful books. In this latter book, Rudhyar goes deeply into the issues of various forms of music in the 20th century and also embraces the most primitive beginnings of music alongside the musical philosophy of ancient cultures from ages past and also includes ideas concerning the future of music. However, its one thing to read his ideas but quite another to HEAR them! Although, through his pioneering works on astrology, Rudhyar might be associated with the 'New Age' movement, this is by no means the usual 'escapist' New Age music. There's no way you can put this on 'in the background' as some sort of accompaniment to various activities - whilst you wash up or whatever! It requires total commitment and a kind of surrender to the magic of Living Tones. Rudhyar spoke of his music as containing a certain psychic potency - and that's what you get. Stirring music - raising questions and challenging our consciousness. Asking us to visit unfrequented areas of our whole being. This is difficult music - even as Rudhyar's style of prose isn't easy-reading - yet rewarding. This is music embodying a deep inner ecstatic union with the divine fire of the One Self - the Atman. Rudhyar was a Theosophist in his time and just as Blavatsky's Secret Doctrine doesn't 'popularise' the ancient wisdom teachings so, too, Rudhyar's music is not for the faint-hearted but for those brave enough to explore every region of themselves - the so-called light and dark realms. If you're looking for airy-fairy 'love and light' and 'feel good' music then don't buy this CD - it's for those fearless and intrepid travellers of such deep inner journeys as arise from Jungian psychology or the Psychosynthesis of Assagioli and an excellent accompaniment to passing through any one of those great initiatory Trials of Life that each of us must face sooner or later along our long journey of unfoldment, growth and expansion. Strong medicine - but it comes highly recommended; as one that comes up with the goods. And there's not much that you can say that about in our media-frenzied age, is there?"

Great performances, too

D. B. Rathbun | Washington, DC United States | 09/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While the other reviews on this album praise Rudhyar's music, I find too little discussion on the merits of this particular recording. This disc represents an excellent selection of some of Rudhyar's most mature work, written in the last decade of his life. Advent was completed in 1976, while Crisis and Overcoming was completed in 1978. Both are performed by the Kronos Quartet, which is at the peak of its game in this recording--very precise and lyrical, but not too dry. The label invested great resources in ensuring the recording quality was high, and I believe they succeeded--the sound is very consistent, sweet for a quartet recording, and not lumpy. Transmutation, completed in 1976, is also well performed and recorded."

Rudhyar practically invented the New Age.....

DJ Rix | NJ USA | 07/24/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As a seeker, astrologer & philosopher, Dane Rudhyar practically invented the New Age. But his compositions bear no resemblance to the wallpaper music New Agers use to take snoozes disguised as meditation. Rudhyar composed to be listened to with complete attentiveness. His music can be dissonant, but it is not a dissonance of anger. Like Charles Ives, he was mining for sound in a place where words were inadequate. Eventually, astrology received Rudhyar's full attention, but he left this music behind to demonstrate other possibilities."