Comments on: ONCE (during)

By: Gordon Mumma

Gordon Mumma — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 03:49:59 +0000

Chirstian Hertzog in response #1 above claims incorrectly that the ONCE Festival LP (by Advance in 1966) of Cacioppo’s CASSOPIEA was a solo piano playing against multi-tracks. That recording was of a live performance by Robert Ashley and myself with two pianos, from a concert on one of our 1964 New Music for Pianos tours.

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 19:09:41 +0000

I also attended this concert and was disappointed in the interpretation of Scarvarda’s “FilmScore” by Daugherty and Ms. Kustler. I didn’t see or hear much interaction between what was going on in the film and what the 2 pianists were doing. It seemed they were just playing away with no reference at all to the film. There were spots where the screen was blank and I would have expected some silence or sustain at those moments, or there were moments where the spots of light were moving in differing references to time, but again no direct reaction from the performers. If you want to just get up and improvise that’s one thing, but if there is a pretense of some sort of organizing principle at least make an effort to follow it.
Same with Daugherty’s interpretation of “Cassiopeia”. Every preview I read of this piece described it as ‘etherial’, but I heard nothing of this in Daugherty’s playing, just some stock ‘licks’ thrown about at random.
I was also disappointed in the fact that I saw very few students there – the audience (which was a good turnout) seemed in large part to be over 50.
I found Ashley’s “In Memoriam…” to have been hypnotic and meditative, and was impressed at how well it translates when played using modern electronics.

By: Another composer.

Another composer. — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 20:08:31 +0000

@ stephen rush:

What, pray tell, is the “point” of Esteban Gomez? Schumann himself acknowledges that the difference in performance practices is indeed a virtue, and that the composer’s intentions were still fulfilled.

If audience reaction was the intent of the performance, then I feel that the meaning of the festival in its entirety has been lost on you. In general —and this sweeping generalization is taken from my interpretation of the composers’ statements— these composers sought to express their unique artistic visions. The intent was not to please the crowd, and your rejection of Mr. Schumann’s critique on the basis of the audience and the composer being pleased with the performance seems to be based more on an emotional response than a logical one.

Indeed, I find it to be a pity that you so aggressively reject Schumann’s subjective opinion solely on the basis that others were pleased with the performance. Perhaps I am missing a step in your logic, but that in and of itself seems to be missing the point of the review. That Schumann can have a distinctly different interpretation of the performance seems to be precisely the point. That you would have such a staunch defense of the interpretation implies that this interpretation is correct. I think throughout the course of music history, it has been made evident that there is no one right way to interpret music. That this has been lost on you seems to me a much bigger pity.

By: stephen rush

stephen rush — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 04:11:37 +0000

thanks GS. Thoughtful comments, mostly. Of course, you completely missed the point of Esteban Gomez. Did you miss (totally) the composers ELATION at the performance? Where were you? Did you not care that the audience was SHOUTING in joy after the piece? Has this (audience reaction) lost it’s meaning to you? Pity.

By: Christian Hertzog

Christian Hertzog — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 03:35:48 +0000

50 or so years later, it can be difficult to perceive how thoroughly original and groundbreaking the ONCE group of composers were. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Donald Scavarda’s Matrix was the first composition anywhere to employ clarinet multiphonics. There wasn’t an electronic music studio at U of M in those days. The electronic pieces of Mumma and Ashley were from their DIY collection of equipment. The graphic scores of Ashley and Cacioppo and the mobile form of Scavarda’s Matrix demonstrate an awareness and acceptance of the New York School and their techniques several years ahead of the rest of the country.

I haven’t looked at Ashley’s “in memoriam” works in years, but doesn’t he specify chains of interactions from performer to performer, which must then be interpreted via the graphic scores?

Interesting to hear that Cassiopeia was interpreted as a solo work. On the old ONCE festival LP, it was done as a pianist playing against multi-tracks. And live versions I heard and/or participated in when I was a student in the 80s were done with multiple keyboards. George Cacioppo would have approved, though.

I look forward to further reports on the festival!