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From: ellis@flairvax.UUCP (Michael Ellis)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: 20th Century Music
Message-ID: <332@flairvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 17-Feb-84 07:33:23 EST
Article-I.D.: flairvax.332
Posted: Fri Feb 17 07:33:23 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 18-Feb-84 04:21:11 EST
Organization: Fairchild AI Lab, Palo Alto, CA
Lines: 48

Another Bartok composition that should be heard by all fans of
modern rhythm -- jazz folks as well as avantgarde rock types --
is the sonata for two pianos and percussion.

Oddly enough, the `melody' line seems to be played by the two
percussionists, who move around among a collection of drums,
cymbals, xylophones, and diverse noise makers, while the pianists
provide the rhythm!

Though it is one of Bartok's most bizarre compositions, I found it
to be one of his most accessible when I first heard Bartok 15 years
ago. 

As to recordings, I'd avoid any titled CONCERTO for two pianos and
percussion -- since the orchestra seems to disclarify the intensity
of the work. There's an old (cheap) Turnabout recording that is
quite good considering how awful Moss Music products can be.
Also, Hungariton came out with a series of Bartok releases a while
back, though I can't speak for them. I think there is a good modern
release (maybe with Stephan Bishop-Kopakevic(?)).

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Perhaps my favorite `modern' classical composition of the past 40 years
is Olivier Messaien's Quartet for the End of Time.

Composed in a WWII concentration camp after months of seeing grey walls,
grey clothes, grey food, grey faces, this masterpiece received its
inspiration when the composer (a Catholic mystic, into Revelations at
the time) was transmuted at the sight of the Aurora Borealis.

The composition climaxes when the angel descends to announce...

	    "And there shall be time no longer"

The odd composition of the quartet (clarinet, piano, strings -- I think)
was the result of the performers available in the concentration camp.
Fortunately, the odd sound of this ensemble beautifully captures
the many characteristic sounds and feelings of Messaien -- birdsongs, 
mystical ecstasy, demonic pounding rhythms -- this piece has it all.

Oddly enough, Tashi, who may have been invented to perform this work,
give the least satisfying performance I've ever heard. My choice is
an old Angel performance (~1968) with a group thrown together for the
occasion. The cover had a broken swastika on the cover. If you want
the details, write me and I'll dig thru my collection.

-michael