Ghostly International, the Michigan-based label that’s home to the likes of Matthew Dear and The Sight Below, has teamed up with New York’s Wordless Music for what will be its first ever “classical” release.

This release is a recording of Terry Riley‘s pioneering minimalist piece In C, performed by the Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC on November 8, 2009. Composed in 1964, In C has proved to be one of the most important works of the 20th century, cited as an influence by everyone from Steve Reich to Matmos, Rhys Chatham to Jeff Mills.

Comprised of 53 brief musical “cells” each lasting between half a beat and 32 beats, In C can be played by any number of musicians, on any instruments of their choosing. As Ghostly put it, “The piece shifts from cell to cell by unspoken collective will, becoming a hypnotic ritual of musical community. In C can last anywhere [from] twenty minutes to several hours and beyond. At various moments, [it] sounds like a cascade of laughing birds, a mountain lake humming to itself, or mating season in a herd of wild pianos.”

The Wordless Music Series is one of the USA’s most adventurous concert programmes, with an emphasis on bringing together disparate strands of innovative modern music, from more avant-leaning indie fare to 20th century classical and experimental electronic music (in recent months they’ve put on shows from GAS, Flying Lotus, The Moritz Von Oswald Trio and Nico Muhly, as well as performances of work by the likes of Philip Glass and Arvo Part).

GVSUNME’s performance of In C involved a 16-person ensemble, including electronic producer/composer Dennis DeSantis on laptop and effects; the running time is approximately 65 minutes.

Latest

Latest



		
	
Share Tweet