Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Malcolm Goldstein & Matthias Kaul - Christian Wolff: Bread & Roses (Wergo, 2003)



Four Wolff-penned workouts, dished out via violin, percussion, voice, and hurdy gurdy by Malcolm Goldstein and Matthias Kaul. Despite the title, the bulk of the material here stems from Wolff's 1964 game composition For 1, 2 or 3 People for any instrument, dividing their interpretations into three sections with the remaining pieces--Exercise 27, Bread & Roses, and Edges--interspersed as dividers.

The score of For 1, 2 or 3 People is comprised of loose sheets distributed to the player which contain symbols indicating that the players should either wait for another sound to begin and play until it stops; start anytime, hold until another sound begins, and finish with it; start at the same time as the next sound, but stop before that sound; or start anytime, hold until another sound begins, and continue until after that sound has stopped. As well, directions are made as to the type of sound, 22 types total. The piece is highly demanding of the performers, but Goldstein and Kaul shine in light of such requirements. Of particular delight are the renditions tackled largely with voice, for the added physical demands that the score could impose.

Bread & Roses

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