Hermann Nitsch

[Marko-V]

Just picked up 8. Symphony 2xCD.
Anybody have recommendations for other stuff by Hermann? His discography seems to be quite large.
Comments on 60. Aktion, I believe there's a punk band involved?

[Johann]

http://www.ubu.com/sound/nitsch.html

Quite a nice and diverse selection of his recorded work. I really enjoy Harmonium Werks CS series

[Zeno Marx]

I would recommend Island, but you have to appreciate minimalism and a monolith of noise to share in that joy.  It's a wall of brass timbre.  I'm also a big fan of his organ minimalism.  Komposition Für Orgel, Orgelkonzerts, etc.  I'd have to revisit 60 Aktion.  I don't remember it.  I seem to differ on the harmoniumwerk sets.  They've always struck me as sterile and lifeless, and not in a good way.  I can barely sit through them.  Big disappointments.  For me, his expertise with the organ doesn't translate to harmonium.  It was a surprise.  The event recordings, like 80 Aktions, are interesting in small doses, but I don't find myself wanting to listen to them more than once.  If you aren't a completist or a participant, I would think owning one of those type recordings would be plenty enough.  Grabbing one of the Das 6-Tage-Spiel Des Orgien Mysterien Theaters: Day 5 8CD sets on the cheap would more than suffice (actually, it would be overkill in that regard, but why not?).  I haven't heard anything since 2006, so I cannot comment on any of the newer releases.

[jadderly]

I'd just like to point out that if you order the Island 4xCD set from Cortical Foundation or one of their distributors, you are highly likely to get CDRs instead of actual CDs, even if they are not explicit about it in the description. I don't think this was always the case, but it definitely was when I purchased it 2-3 years ago.

[Marko-V]

Cortical Foundation web site now seem to state it clear that Island Sinfonie set is a CDR set. Tempted to purchase it 'cause it is only $25.
Organ minimalism doesn't sound so inviting to me. I'm more interested in orchestral noise/drone with dynamics.

[Zeno Marx]

I could be mistaken, but you can probably find an original Island set for around $25, and the likeliness of it being in great condition are good.  That's the kind of set that the first CD or two get played a couple times, and the rest never get touched.  I didn't check Discogs before typing that, so I hope I'm not wrong.

I would encourage you to give organ drone a chance.  It's actually one of the more vibrant --and dare say, dynamic-- types of minimalism.  There can be some stunning vibrationis and harmonics.  It can be truly beautiful and thoroughly engaging, while every bit as meditative.

If the harmonium is an instrument that interests you, I would recommend Charlemagne Palestine and Keiji Haino over Nitsch, particularly Palestine.  In truth, Palestine is the more skilled organist as well, but Nitsch remains no slouch.  I'm a big fan of Nitsch, but that appreciation is a little less musically pure and more forgiving than my fandom for Palestine.  Palestine is a clowny humorist, and that is cause [for me] to isolate the sounds from the artist.  My feeling is that Nitsch is more a theorist than a composer, while Palestine is a musician.  Palestine understands tone and structure at a greater level.  It's like apples and oranges, but while I'm fumbling around comparing the two, there you go.

Charlemagne Palestine - Schlongo!!!daLuvdrone (or any of his single-track organ releases)
Hermann Nitsch - Komposition fur Orgel CD, Orgelkonzert das zucher konzert 2LP

If the Palestine happens to grab you, give the JLIAT - 16:05:94 CD a try.  Or even if not, give it a try anyway.  It's a master drone work.

[Bloated Slutbag]

My feeling is that Nitsch is more a theorist than a composer

Completely agree. With respect to the larger scale productions in particular, there's always this sense of... low-level chaos- which I both love and... dis-love. Is it composition or merely an... aktion (populated by innumerable bodies)? I am neither surprised nor intrigued that "a punk band" would be involved in one or another production. I couldn't imagine what such a band (or even several such bands) could add or take away from the net aktivity. Low level chaos- but capable of some incredible, and incredibly, overpowering racket. By this token would also completely agree with "Grabbing one of the Das 6-Tage-Spiel Des Orgien Mysterien Theaters: Day 5 8CD sets on the cheap". At occasional intervals of listening my jaw literally... drooops.

Island is also a good recommendation, another favorite. "Monolith of noise" and then some. But to say that "you have to appreciate minimalism" may going a bit far. So diverse and... classically shambolic... I'm more inclined to appreciate the, uh, "maximalism".

[Bloated Slutbag]

Comments on 60. Aktion, I believe there's a punk band involved?

I am neither surprised nor intrigued that "a punk band" would be involved in one or another production.

Well I stand (slightly) corrected. Came across this in a record shop shortly after posting the above but never followed up. The punk band does actually contribute a slightly punk-ly atmosphere to the low level choas, kind of in the way of the SOB part of SOB Kaidan... only much less so. It is, in fact, an incredibly shambolic recording. (Which is mostly a good thing) When the punk band comes in it sounds more like jet engines revving up way in the background. I mean, those could be drums, or there again sputtering motors. So no complaints as such.  But the second track, which is much more ritual-organ heavy, is about 1000x better. So uh yeah, pick up Musik Der 60. Aktion, Berlin 1978 for the far superior Musik In 2 Sätzen Für Rita Nitsch Geburtstag (Auszug) recording in 1996.

[totalblack]

I've always liked "Sinfonía für Mexico City" even though it's quite different and less static than a lot of his other stuff that I've spent time with, although I do really like most of the organ works I've heard as well.

Was fortunate enough to see him do an orgelkonzert in Berlin 2016, was quite a powerful experience. Got to drink some of his wine during the opening of the poster exhibition that Rumpsti Pumsti did the following night. His wine is actually pretty decent.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Not sure should have posted this to podcast topic or here... but perhaps here.
http://www.radiopanik.org/emissions/moacrealsloa/hermann-nitsch/
It is not a new. Dates back to march 2016. Considering that they talk a lot about early days, it is not really relevant how new this podcast is.
It takes a bit time to get used to voice of old man to really follow what he is saying. I find myself enjoying more of his organ music than ever before. Things like Vinyl On Demand vinyl box, I guess it was listened once. I concluded that it's ok, yet nothing really felt like such a massive, yet minimalistic box set need to be listened again. So therefore been sitting on shelves ever since.
After listening this podcast, it makes me want to return to the box.

I've always liked "Sinfonía für Mexico City" even though it's quite different and less static than a lot of his other stuff that I've spent time with, although I do really like most of the organ works I've heard as well.

Mexico city CD - its very good one. As said by total black, very different from the organ works. When blasting that on high volume, contrast between the quiet and loud makes recording quite challenge if you adjust quiet parts to be nice, then the loud parts borders to the painful.

[Cementimental]

If the Palestine happens to grab you, give the JLIAT - 16:05:94 CD a try.  Or even if not, give it a try anyway.  It's a master drone work.

Thanks for this recommendation :) had almost forgotten Jliat made some interesting records as well as arguing constantly with myself and Clemon on noise forums :D

[andy vomit]

"Das 6-Tage-Spiel Des Orgien Mysterien Theaters: Day 5" is a favorite of mine, but it's a serious endurance test due to the length of the thing. should be available from that ubuweb link above

https://www.discogs.com/Hermann-Nitsch-Das-6-Tage-Spiel-Des-Orgien-Mysterien-Theaters-Day-5/release/727310