Problems of Intent and Conceptual art/music

This originally was written as a response to a blog entry here
http://audibleaffinities.blogspot.com/2009/04/social-music-with-brandon-labelle.html
but since my comment would not post, i expanded upon it here. In the last paragraph he poses some good questions. i get stuck before i get to those.

To depend on intent or even conception appears problematic in that one must assume the transition from a mesocosm, say an intermediary realm of visionary imagination from which the conception appears, into the corporeal is possible without any transformation. The implication is then that they are completely alike in syntax for this to be possible. I find this doubtful even if we find them inseparable. Change occurs and these type of changes also deserve reflection. Stockhausen, who to many represent the non reflective creative spirit run loose appears to not be so. If one reads his comments about his 'from the 7 days' works, one observes that he did not shy away from reflecting that the 'results' were often different than the 'intent' of the piece. In fact he quite celebrating what he in turn learned by how these ideas manifested. Concept requires an understanding of what happens when it is enacted. Otherwise we risk degenerating into an idealistic dictatorship of 'spirit over matter' not far from the realm of religion.

The relationship between concept and realization seems best when a marriage of the two. Each adding to the mix and mutually reflecting upon their own interaction. Hence one small step toward an 'inner commune'

Charles Olson film-Polis is This

I could have embedded all these but i thought it best just to provide a link to the source. A wonderful documentary on Olson that deserves more attention.
http://www.polisisthis.com/watch-now.html
While much has been said about his relation and influence on musical improvisation. I think his work has implication for Intuitive music in general. Not to mention looking at the possibilities of musical passages as being related by their 'energy' as opposed to ' technical systems' that often fail to be comprehensible. It surely leads us back to a phenomenological experience of it.

Beuys and Soleri (with a latter entrance of Partch)

Entrance to Arcosanti (in progress)

While I am sure both would object, there are some striking similarities between the first two above. Both of their visions are advancements in holism. Both have been labeled incorrectly “Utopian”, for neither present answers, only a process that at most seems to be a ‘first step’ that then require reflection before proceeding. Space is both their medium of utmost importance being the medium for social change.

Both place much importance of desirability over objectivity that is a marked differentiation to the work of Duchamp and Cage. These latter individuals can be looked upon as those who expanded the concept of “framing” and how that affects and defines their medium. This framing is so powerful, they illustrated that anarchy (in the form of randomness) could indeed be objectively encompassed within it .
At the time, there were those who objected to this anarchy and randomness being more a symptom of capitalism; its nature of having no goal and it lack of taking responsibility for the course it takes. This global economic meltdown might for us cause us to reflect on the process of the economic anarchy that has caused it. It is too shaky of ground to come to a conclusion on this alone.

Not only Beuys or Soleri, but many artists of which Harry Partch would quite rightfully
fit are/were more concerned with ‘working on what had been spoiled”. There is a recognition that the unsorted product of an underdeveloped or damaged might not be automatically of artistic worth. Intuition, real or simulated, likewise cannot be any guarantee and this is plausibly a more realistic criticism.

Instead a space for the myriad of forces that exist within the individual, what James Hillman refers to as the ‘Inner Commune’, is the space Beuys and Soleri, and Partch wish to celebrate and develop toward its fullness. All this work about space, and in the end, it is all directed toward inward.

Beuys- Grond

two dreams

best to read March 21 before 22,2009
http://annandaledreamgazetteonline.blogspot.com/

Some 60+ Gems

I could post another 20 but i thought i would go with maybe exceptional, maybe more overlooked representations.

Even outside the message, note the angular background line in the ensemble of this tune. It is quite unusual how it comes in and disappears thoughout. I can't think of another example like it.


Now where does one hear counterpoint like this in the first tune. As an aside my Stepfather was the head scenic artist on this show.



Scott Walker who started in the 60's is still going. He is probably as close as we are going to get to Schubert as a song writer we might see in our life time. This songs takes excepts from the trials of Eichmann mixed with Henry the VIII Queen Anne.



you can't embed the following. Yes Nancy Sinatra! with Lee Hazelwood. Now if one wanted to write a 16th century mass on a popular tune. This one would be my first choice. The song always struck me as about man's relationship to nature as well as a warning not to meddle with it too much either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb-SVPJM4L4

Sound Art

Here are a few of the more fun things used in a lecture on "Sound Art" at the University of Wollongong this last week.

Premiere of Corroded Communes-Solo Piano

For those of you without macro-lenses for Eyes, The concert here includes a premiere of my first piano piece in maybe 35 years.

piano racket: music for the unconventional piano: march 13, 2009, 8PM: Chapel Space @ the Good Shepherd Center: 4649 Sunnyside Ave N, Seattle

The concert includes another premiere: Flirt by Bryron Au Yong as well as works by Lois Vierk, David Lang, George Crumb and John Cage. Quite a line up
I am immensely grateful to Tiffany Lin for making this opportunity available to me. The tuning has to be one of the more conservative i have used but that is no reflection on it beauty. It is a temperament invented by George Secor which works well for much 12 tone Equal temperament music. It differs than most temperaments in that it combines the recurrent sequence idea of Erv Wilson's Meta-meantone with attempting to preserve the idea of triads being equal beating. If one had to write for 12 Tone instruments but wanted a more pleasing tool to do so, this is a strong candidate. I tend to think that it might have persauded Lou Harrison to give it a try along his use of Werk. 3.
But the proof is in the pudding and recommend trying it yourself. Here is the tuning called Secor 2 as expressed in deviation for 12 ET. It is spelled out so that everything is lower to not scare those afraid to tune up. Ideally one would keep A at A=440. if you try it out let me know how it works for you.
Secor 2
C 0.0
C# -14.1
D -5.9
D# -7.1
E -10.7
F - 0.1
F# -14.4
G -2.9
G# -9.9
A -8.3
A# -2.1
B -13.6

[i am adding this info from George Secor]
! Secor5_23STX.scl
!
George Secor's synchronous 5/23-comma temperament extraordinaire
12
!
62/59
66/59
559/472
591/472
315/236
331/236
353/236
745/472
395/236
210/118
221/118
2/1