Search - Earle Brown, Zs, Christian Wolff :: Folio and Four Systems

Brown's work realized by an all-star group of modern creativ

Steward Willons | Illinois | 04/12/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Earle Brown is one of the lesser known members of the American Avant Garde of the 50s and 60s, but his music has some inescapable element of satisfaction. His works tend to be short, concise, and refreshingly straightforward. While Stockhausen was going to for the glory of monumental works, Earle Brown was composing writing humble little pieces that, while perhaps less impressive, were typically far more inviting for the listener. I've always had great respect for his work.



That said, I was intrigued when I first learned of this CD. As many probably know, a number of Brown's scores are graphic (i.e. instead of traditional notation, they employ some alternate scheme). That's not to say they're merely "squiggles and dots" that can be interpreted as anything to anybody. They have a logic and a structure, and the performer, while called on to be a partner in the realization of the work, cannot simply to anything at all. The mark of a successful indeterminate work, in my opinion, is that it allows a certain amount of freedom while remaining unmistakably the work of the composer. The work may vary, but you one can tell immediately that it's Earle Brown.



When a contemporary musician performs a work of, say, Bach, there is sure to be an element of interpretation and the performer will leave a touch of his personality on the work. However, I would argue that when a performer realized a graphic score, the difference in time between the composition and it's milieu, and the time of its subsequent performance changes a great deal. Some of the NYC downtown's finest collaborate on this recording. Ikue Mori, Christian Wolff, Stephen Drury - even Merzbow makes an appearance.



I found the performances to be inspired and highly personal. It's clear that great care went into this compilation. For those who own any of Brown's material, comparison listening is a fascinating treat. For those who are new to Brown, but have an interest in experimental music, this is a fine collection to introduce some of his major works. There are other collections available, but the range of musicians and the diversity of their realizations make this CD especially interesting. Highly recommended."