From the ‘Donnie Darko’ soundtrack. (British Edition)
‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’, by Steve Baker and Carmen Daye.
Theme and Variations for Piano & Orchestra (1951) - Yoritsune Matsudaira
Yoritsune Matsudaira (1907 - 2001) is descended from the Shogun family which ruled over Japan from the 17th to the 19th century. Though it’s rather doubtful that the inheriting right of the shogunate automatically makes you a musican, his childhood exposure to gagaku, a traditional form of court music from the tradition of over a thousand years, which brought in numerous methods from all over ancient Japan, definitely influenced his style.
Yoritsune was born at a rather odd time in Japanese history. The 20th century had brought with it some imposing military achivements for Japan. Wars against China, Russia and the Allies required a nationalistic focus of public sentiment, so the trend of the time demanded patriotic and rapturous romanticism, the kind that could be sold to the masses. However, Yoritusune was repelled by any kind of nationalistic sentiment, and preferred the kind of austere neo-classicism that had been forged by parisians like Satie, he never accepted that emotion was prioritised over theories. Guess he must have been a delight at parties.
“Theme and Variations for Piano & Orchestra” was the culmination of this experience. Written in Tokyo in 1951, it was performed in the same year by the famous composer Herbert von Karajan (the only Japanese work he ever performed, the lazy git). As Yortisune’s thinking might suggest, it doesn’t make for easy listening, but a reccomend you check out Variation II at 3:10, its probably the best - it’s torn between some romantic folk tunes and some really dissonant orchestration.
Arno Babadjanian - Piano Trio
III. Allegro vivace - Maestoso - Tempo
Call first world problems if you want, but the tumult of angry Armenian Folk pretty much reflects the torture of revising geography.
Bussotti- Requiem (1/6)
whatisthisidon’teven
Wanna listen to something unique and post-ww2 which isn’t just endless antonality? Try this fellow.
Okay, so I heard recently in the news that the funeral of Ken Russel- English cinematography pioneer- had happened this month. A rather sad affair, considering his prolific cinematic output from the 60’s onwards. He directed some of the greatest films of all time and forever challenged the orthodoxy, in whatever form it would take. Heck, the guy even appeared on celebrity Big Brother during the infamous “Jade Goody” epoch.
However, it turns out that he was a rather- ahem- ”wayward” custodian of the memory of great composers. Case in point, this thing- http://www.iainfisher.com/russell/russeb.html
WHAT. THE. FLYING. FUCK.
Yep, it’s a genuine historical biography, and the first of many to boot. He also wrote Elgar- the Erotic Variations and Delius- a Moment with Venus. I mean, he’s a commendable figure but what demand was he responding to? Do the kind of people who read biographies of Brahms need their narratives spiced with sex? Well, sensationalism aside, the books are actually critically acclaimed. Even the Spectator, the most hoitly-toitly review magazine in existance - praised it as a “genealogy of inspiration”. I honestly don’t know what to make of it.
I wanted to fly to Viridian City, not Salzburg! Damn you, Pidgey!
Schostakovitch - Chamber Symphony op. 110
Combining a propensity for minor keys, a pointed lack of cheer and clinical depression to create the quintessential music for the burgeoning, 20th Century primordial emo.
