Classical (darker/heavier/obscure/less "traditional", etc.)

[Bloated Slutbag]

Heh, I was partly inspired to post here in the hope that the Finns present would have some dirt on Saariaho. No luck...?

Listening to a lot of the spectral composers, many of them associated with IRCAM and Ensemble l'Itinéraire... Gerard Grisey, Tristan Murail, Michael Levinas... Philippe Leroux,  Phillippe Hurel... plug in any given name plus keyword "electronics" or "tape" and return lots of great stuff. Much of it sounds rather dramatic, in the traditional sense of the word. Very densely "layered", but fairly "straight" in its unravellilng. If this can honestly represent the "darker, heavier side" of classical one has to wonder. Are we really listening for "dark" classical music, or is "dark" code-word for "I'm tired of all this abstract shit"?

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I think dark or heavy as opposed to joyful and romantic or whatever... but yes, I guess it's true that "darker and heavier" hardly words what relate into most works. I would guess one method to qualify in topic would be lack of (obvious/romantic) melody?

Sometime ago, I purchased classical music CD, that was collection of early rhythm oriented works, which was not very traditional for west. Some merely abstract hammering of piano, others more like Stravinski gone nuts. Mostly early 1900's... CD is at the moment in my car, and can't remember any names. This obscure percussion dominated avantgarde compositions are in a way dark and heavy, but in a way there is a lurking wibe of sheer joy of polyrhythmic sound adventures and madness.

[SKY BURIAL]

I think dark or heavy as opposed to joyful and romantic or whatever... but yes, I guess it's true that "darker and heavier" hardly words what relate into most works. I would guess one method to qualify in topic would be lack of (obvious/romantic) melody?

Edited: "Classical (darker/heavier/obscure/less "traditional", etc.)"

[heretogo]

Heh, I was partly inspired to post here in the hope that the Finns present would have some dirt on Saariaho. No luck...?

I don't think there's any dirt to give away, sorry. She's very "celebrated" in Finland, appears in all sorts of magazine interviews from time to time. We Finns tend to idolise any of our own that "make" it abroad (very few do).... even if she composes strange music that few people would willingly listen to, heh... Anyway, I think she's been living in Paris for a long time, married to a frenchie etc. Maybe the dirty stuff happens in the dusky alleys of Paris, away from the nosy Finnish tabloids?

[tisbor]

the long trailer for the Jani Christou documentary 'Anasparastasis' is now online with english subtitles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv-ZJh1ezLo

and here is the project's website
http://anaparastasis.info/

great! didn't know about this. thanks for the links...

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Happened to go to local library couple days ago. Had hour to spend in city before work and browsed through library's electro-acoustic CD shelves. Plenty of Kaija Saariaho to choose from, but "Private Gardens" was good choice. Each track is fairly minimalist set up. Just single instrument and effects. Soprano & electronics, flute & electronics, cello & electronic, and percussion & electronics. Cello is my favorite easily. Infact, many times I have cursed lack of classical music where effects or recording techniques are taken away from regular, and this is it. It's not going as far as I'd hope, but goes pretty far.
I library they have listening rooms. Complete with good stereos, double doors, acoustic panels on walls. Reserved 1 hour of listening time and blasted this CD.
Last time I went there, was to listen to cello music CD's I wouldn't purchase without knowing how they are. And library proves yet again to be very valuable service - at least over here. After the session, when to book section to borrow The Best of SIGNAL (Hitler's photo magazine), The Silence (good source for rwanda genocide photography - already used several times myself in old releases, but can't get bored), American Slavery, etc.. 

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Purchased "private gardens" for myself too since it was so good.

"Lonh" seems among the best ever I have heard of "classical" which is actually treated with electronics. Live version piece:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrXaWt0UJ5Y
CD includes nearly 16 minute version.

Visualization of another good piece "Pres"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRPAqEGDEO8
on cd also nearly 20 minutes piece.

[Bloated Slutbag]

"Lonh" seems among the best ever I have heard of "classical" which is actually treated with electronics. Live version piece:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrXaWt0UJ5Y

That visual presentation in particular, coupled with the overall aural aesthetic, puts me in mind of some Yamaakago performances I've witnessed. Seems appropriate as the sound palate on offer definitely shares air with the Six Japanese Gardens.

On a somewhat related note, I've recently been turning attention to Octavian Nemescu. This recording of "Illuminatii" (1967) could be a direct inspiration on Pauline Oliveros "CCCC (Cistern Chapel Chance Chants)", though rather more densely realized and not quite so ethereal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUbS0gZlToE

Actually came across a fair bit of Nemescu which dips into this general vein of warm, richly layered, ambience. Some of it would sound derivative if the dude didn't predate all the shit from which his would seem to be derived.

Here's a more recent - EDIT "darker" - Nemescu offering entitled "Negantidiadua Pour 2 Heures Du Matin" (1995), definitely up there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuohRP6TGxA&feature=related

[online prowler]

Did a search, couldn't find any threads on this topic.

Off late I have been listening to works of the Austrian composer Georg Friedrich Haas and Frenchman Gérard Grisey. I am looking for composers in similar line of work. Do anyone have recommendations here?

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I combined online prowlers message to this old topic. Just purchased pile of classical stuff last week. Some more Kaija Saariaho, some Penderecki.

[online prowler]

I combined online prowlers message to this old topic. Just purchased pile of classical stuff last week. Some more Kaija Saariaho, some Penderecki.

Thanx Mikko, will leaf through this thread.

[SiClark]

There's an interesting documentary series on 20th century classical music for people in the UK -

"Series on the revolution in 20th century music looks at the fragmented, abstract and discordant sound taken up by radical composers such as Schoenberg and Webern."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01qnp5f/The_Sound_and_the_Fury_A_Century_of_Music_Wrecking_Ball/

[m.]

George Crumb

"Black Angels. 13 Images from the Dark Land"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5a2RXA2Jn8

"Ancient voices of children"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1IGaHCVZYA

[ARKHE]

Karl-Birger Blomdahl's Aniara (excerpts)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DLBHLgexe0

[jesusfaggotchrist]

is there any pure neoclassical out there that has bits of power electronics in its sound?