Bang on a Can Marathon, NYC June 2-3

[Pete C]

Mostly contemporary classical, but includes performances by World Saxophone Quartet, Don Byron and Vijay Iyer.

http://www.bangonacan.org/marathon

[Brian Olewnick]

I have nothing in particular against them, but can't one of these events be staged without works by Gordon, Lang & Wolfe? It gets to be like the absurdly named Next Wave at BAM where you see the same composers, year in, year out. Ziporyn, Kline, a Reich piece, Robert Black, Lucier. Again, nothing against these people but hell, shake things up a bit. I've gone to a few of these but haven't returned since the time they decided against performing Bryars'
Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet (with original film), knowing they were running short on time, but going ahead with an interminable work by Gordon. Knowing that the vast majority of the audience was sticking around solely to hear the Bryars. Feh.

[7/4]

It's all about their own work.

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

I have nothing in particular against them, but can't one of these events be staged without works by Gordon, Lang & Wolfe?

You're probably one of these people who begrudges William Parker for playing at the Vision Festival. Maybe you should ask Abbey to do an Erstquake without any of those same tired old Erstwhile artists.




Sheesh.

[Jon Abbey]

Originally Posted by Pete C

Maybe you should ask Abbey to do an Erstquake without any of those same tired old Erstwhile artists.

only 5 out of the 24 musicians in last year's festival have had releases on Erstwhile, so you might want to stick to something you know more about.

[Uli]

5 out of 24 seems to be a higher percentage than the 3 out of those performing at the marathon.

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

only 5 out of the 24 musicians in last year's festival have had releases on Erstwhile, so you might want to stick to something you know more about.

I don't understand how that contradicts what I said. Brian didn't accuse the bang on a can core composers of dominating the entire marathon, he complained that they are represented at all.

[Jon Abbey]

the "core musicians" of Erstwhile, Rowe and Nakamura, weren't at last year's fest, that's the equivalent, and intentionally so (they've been at pretty much every other one).

[Jon Abbey]

but this isn't a battle I'm interested in fighting, I doubt I'd be interested in this fest no matter who was playing it. I was just answering the ErstQuake part, I do try to shake up the musicians quite a bit, and that's one of the reasons I'm not doing one at all this year, we've been through a lot of musicians already and don't want to do the same old same old.

[Pete C]

Everybody has their own policy and ethic, but I can't see how you can blame artists who put a lot of energy into starting and maintaining a festival like this for featuring their own work. They're certainly giving lots of exposure to other composers. I think it's a different situation from BAM.

[Uli]

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

I do try to shake up the musicians quite a bit, and that's one of the reasons I'm not doing one at all this year, we've been through a lot of musicians already and don't want to do the same old same old.

The one that you had planned and which fell thru had a whole lotta Keith Rowe scheduled, iirc.

[Jon Abbey]

Originally Posted by Uli

The one that you had planned and which fell thru had a whole lotta Keith Rowe scheduled, iirc.

indeed it did, you cyberstalker. one premiere duo (Sugimoto, doing composed pieces), one second-time-ever duo (Axel), one US premiere duo (Beins), and one duo that hasn't played the US in two years, since they didn't come over last time (Nakamura).

I don't hold it against people when they book themselves in their own fests, but comparing locals to foreigners on this kind of thing is pretty absurd.

[Uli]

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

indeed it did, you cyberstalker. one premiere duo (Sugimoto, doing composed pieces), one second-time-ever duo (Axel), one US premiere duo (Beins), and one duo that hasn't played the US in two years, since they didn't come over last time (Nakamura).

I don't hold it against people when they book themselves in their own fests, but comparing locals to foreigners on this kind of thing is pretty absurd.

Whatever. imho it's quite dishonest to say that one of the reasons you are not doing one at all this year is because you have alredy run thru a lot of musicians when in fact you had planned one which fell thru because of reasons outside of your control.

[Frisco]

Hey, wow, World Saxophone Quartet. I just saw Oliver in Chicago and he was in top form. Really ripped along with Harrison Bankhead and Dana Hall. It's been ages since I saw WSQ. I know they're not the same but I'd still go (if I were there).

[Jon Abbey]

Originally Posted by Uli

Whatever. imho it's quite dishonest to say that one of the reasons you are not doing one at all this year is because you have alredy run thru a lot of musicians when in fact you had planned one which fell thru because of reasons outside of your control.

actually I cancelled the NYC edition initially, with that being one of the reasons. then people from Philadelphia got in touch with me, and we planned one for there, that's what fell through.

[rollhead]

I'll be going to "Banglewood" in July at MassMoCA in North Adams, MA.

http://www.bangonacan.org/summer_festival

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by rollhead

I'll be going to "Banglewood"

Bangladeshi musicals?

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by Pete C

Bangladeshi musicals?

Close, but it's a play on "Tanglewood," (Lenox) which is near "Banglewood," in North Adams.

[rollhead]

Looked at the listing and saw that "The Books" are going to be there. One of my favorites:

Julia Wolfe/Saphron Kilts - the Marathon opens with a spectacle as nine bagpipe players perform brand new music by Wolfe

Evan Ziporyn/TACTUS - an orchestral tour de force

Kyaw Kyaw Naing - Burmese Drum Circle legend teams up with Bang on a Can All -Stars

eighth blackbird - the high octane group from Chicago performs throughout the event

The Books - the experimental folk duo from Northwestern Mass with guest Bang on a Canner Todd Reynolds

Galina Ustvolskaya - Russia's mystic diva will be represented by two rarely heard works, including Composition #2 for 8 Double Basses and Percussion

Steve Schick/red fish blue fish - percussion mania from San Diego, including an early morning rendition of Edgar Varese's classic Ionization

Lois V Vierk - two powerful works by this quintessential New York composer

Mashriq - traditional mind blowing music from Uzbekistan

Music For Airports - Bang on a Can All -Stars in a late night live version of Brian Eno's iconoclastic masterpiece

Juana Molina - direct from Argentina, this electro -folk artist in a late night set

Steve Reich/Music for 18 Musicians - Sunrise doesn't get any better than this!!!!

Milind Raikar - from India, this traditional world music star makes his New York debut playing morning ragas. Wake up early and hear this!

Ethel - New York's super -charged string quartet plays an eye opening breakfast set at 8AM

Iva Bittova - the Czech Republic's secret weapon in a morning set guaranteed to light your ears on fire

Clogs - this ambient 4tet fills the Winter Garden with their sonic landscapes Sunday morning

World Saxophone Quartet - 4 amazing saxophonists take on the world!

JG Thirlwell / Manorexia - an ambient post -classical band

Dalek - experimental hip -hop

Mark Stewart - the one -of -a -kind instrument builder brings us Music For Plumbers

Vijay Iyer Quartet - jazz meets raga

Alvin Lucier - the sonic minimalist has created a new work for Bang on a Can

Yo La Tengo - the sonic rock trio + harp, double -bass, and percussion

David Lang/Mike Svoboda/ICE - trombone virtuoso Svoboda plays Lang's ear tingling MEN

And MORE, And MORE, And MORE - There is no down time! Bring your ears and come prepared for sonic onslaught.