Charles Wuorinen: Time's Encomium (1969)

[@plophlegm]

Takes me back to high school; I'd buy every electronic album I could find, including this. Still takes me back to hearing it at midnight, just falling asleep... Thanks for posting!

[@graemegerrard1983]

One of my favourite pieces of early American electronic music. With Babbit's Ensembles, Dodge's Speech Songs and The Story of Our Lives, Tenney's Noise Study. Like old friends. So glad there is KZbin.

[@PaulTheSkeptic]

Man this song is so catchy. I'm going to be humming this all day.

[@senorton]

This is not a song. A song is a specific form, and not just any piece of music, regardless of what iTunes would have you believe.

[@gkgkg1]

@@senorton A song is not a "form" - it has no set structure. It is defined simply as a musical piece with a part for singing voice - with or without instrumental accompaniment. But as you allude to, a lot of people on KZbin are unfortunately calling anything musical a "song".

[@senorton]

@@gkgkg1 We are entirely in agreement. I was using "form" in the way you are using "definition". Agreed--no set structure.

[@pionaorlov138]

Somehow, Paul, I think senorton and Miss Deluxe entirely missed the joke.

[@mootbooxle]

Paul TheSkeptic I just wished he’d repeated the chorus a few more times.

[@kraka2oanIner]

My first exposure to Charles Wuorinen. I was/am transfixed. He must have worked his tail off, because synthesizer technology was much more difficult and time-intensive...and expensive. Interesting: I don't think he pursued electronics after this piece, even though he won the 1970 Pulitzer Prize (of which he could care less). And his instrumental works are pure genius, as far as I've investigated.

[@neilleach5249]

I had this LP in the days when dirt was just mud. Thanks!

[@philipchance5454]

This is such a classic. A fixed moment in time. To those who have said it is dry sounding, that was the style up until the pop synthesizer days. Columbia had a very nice EMT plate reverb that can be heard in this piece but it is just to place a few sounds into the backround or for a quiet wash. Most electronic music back then was 12 tone serial music.

[@ethanhill9460]

Makes sense work won a Pulitzer, the first time a work performed entirely by synthesizer was so honored.

[@kraka2oanIner]

And he was the youngest to win it, at the time.

[@khantarya]

Rest in peace,great and eternal creator! (*June,9 1938 - +Mars,11 2020).

[@realself1]

Thanks for posting, a great music. Glad to be among adventurous (for today's music) listeners.

[@zentopia7]

I used to listen to this when I was 4 or 5 years old. I'm disturbed now.

[@friesiamans1966]

we´re in the same boat: as a child i spent hours in front of my father´s tube radio, listening to the alien bleeps and stuff on the short wave - here and there some exotic music might come slowly shifting in and out, voices talking incomprehensible words a.s.o. i was thrilled by this kind of sound salad and couldn´t get enough of it and years later i became a sound pioneer myself, making weirdest music and exploring the world of strange sounds... but now it sounds like, yes, children´s music to me, haha - funny that i had exactly this thought and then read your comment... :-) greetings from germany 🙋‍♂️

[@michaelpeppe7659]

Praise "Bob"!! Hiyiyiyiyiyi! Electronic music is premium Slack!

[@kraka2oanIner]

I WISH I'd heard this at age 5!!

[@larrybliss8330]

My father, a music professor, may have given me this record. Or I found it on my own. I like to think he got it for me as a way of connecting to an insecure kid with esoteric tastes. Most people do not consider this music, at least not in the sense of catchy pop tunes or melodies. But it has rhythm, pitch, timbre, repetition, themes--all the requirements of music. I'm not sure if I "like" it--that's an emotionally laden word-but I find it (to borrow from Mr. Spock) fascinating.

[@OSIRIS1980WHS]

I seek fascination rather than entertainment. I’m fascinated, for example, by Lou Reed’s METAL MACHINE MUSIC; on the other hand, I’m bored by Elton John’s entire discography. This work receives an “A” for “fascination.”

[@kraka2oanIner]

INDEED. (to borrow from Teal'c, in SG-1)

[@whollybro]

It's been decades! Fun to hear this again.

[@khantarya]

My Dear Friends,thank so much,for this very,very precious upload! I´m searching for these wonderful piece,so many time! At least,for twenty years!I had these beautiful album,in LP,of course!From the glorious NONESUCH!But after leasing my record,to a friend,I´m lost him,forever! I´m very passionate for these Wuorinen´s work...When,I receive,today,this posting,I almost cry to joy!So,thank you,a lot! Greetings,my friends!

[@Claude1Rochon]

records are not meant to be lent and certainly not leased ! just like tools...they seldom come back

[@kraka2oanIner]

I frequented the NONESUCH area of the record store, often...but not ONLY(!) Back in the '70s ...

[@MrInterestingthings]

I promised myself after his death to hear some of his earlier works and to listen till the end . It's a fabulous sound experience and like moments in a day -much of it you would not remember if someone played a slice of it you might not be able to know if it was Maderna or someone else. Only other specialist musicians have the time to really get to know this music bt unlike literature music tells us about itself differently . Much of this is striking and it doesn't matter what or howi say anything . I'm no expert but I love music like most and wanted to leave my imprint here like so many other knownothings. Believe me the professors who come online to hear music they don't own or don't have a cerain performer in -don't say a word . Wish I could have studied with this guy . That's all I really have should allowed myself to say. Enug!

[@elpelusa9377]

Clásico que forma parte de la gran historia de la música electrónica, esta composición ganó un premio musical en 1970 por ser la primera obra completamente electrónica, que nostalgia que me da oir esto ya que gracias a esta obra musical se originó este género musical, y me siento bien de ser el único latino en conocer esto, gracias por subir esta obra de arte que debe perdurar miles de años para que los habitantes del futuro conozcan de lo que era música de verdad. Psdta. Desde los 12 años vengo escuchando solo clásicos de la música, que van desde los años 1900 hasta los 2000 en el idioma que sean, tengo 18 y sigo cada vez investigando y averiguando más acerca de lo que fue la música de verdad.

[@AlanFino11]

El Pelusa sabes con que instrumento o cosas hace los sonidos?

[@pilleater]

I love this.

[@selfempower3960]

Got original UK vinyl of this for £3 at a boot fair this morning in beautiful condition. Won't be playing every morning as I wake but still quite happy to find room on the shelf for this :)

[@holemanator]

somehow this makes me hungry

[@georgescheffler5249]

Love these conversive pieces. I feel I'm not alone.

[@charlottewhyte9804]

not alone join me love and collected most mono lp,s

[@charlottewhyte9804]

you are not

[@billbillings913]

Listening to this makes me wanna watch some Pertwee era Dr Who

[@brianratekin6821]

And now I have a frame of reference!

[@byronp2311]

I got here accidentally due to autoplay (which I general loath with a passion) from 'Earth's Magnetic Field' by Charles Dodge. Have to admit, I was rather pleased :)

[@aquastudio2001]

This sounds like the kind of music you would find in some 80's video game or such..... cool stuff!

[@cookiecrossfire]

Now this is beyond perfect .

[@hiroaritillwhen4581]

Its wholly based on tension-resolution aspects thats why I love this kind of music. Was doing it accidendaly myself before heard this.

[@leonardogarcia1832]

🏆🙏💎❤️

[@SammyRenard]

This is what nightmares sounds like. I still love it, though.

[@kraka2oanIner]

I actually WANT to have nightmares. I believe recalling your dreams, or nightmares is therapeutic. I kept a journal of dreams. Don't know why, but my sense of being -was enhanced when I did this. You wake up from a nightmare, and...all is well.

[@Stephen09479]

Loving this electronic creation !!!

[@mujician152]

FYI: There is a (sorta pricey) study score for this piece published by Peters. It shows the two-channel original synthesized material and a separate line for the processed inserts.

[@richmoreno9938]

Great for love making.

[@charlottewhyte9804]

love this

[@charlottewhyte9804]

good superb work my favourite

[@ThisGuyFrritz]

We have Subotnick, Xenakis and Oliveros reissued on CD. Why not this particular one???

[@charlottewhyte9804]

good question hard to get these works in Nz on cd

[@jamesgardiner7043]

re-issued in 2002 on tzadic

[@senorton]

It was reissued by Music & Arts back in 2011 in their 3-volume "Charles Wuorinen: Music of Two Decades" set. You can still find the discs kicking around, and the MP3s are available on Amazon.

[@jamesgardiner7043]

@@senorton the music&arts reissue was in 1996

[@javier.canseco]

Thanks for sharing. Best regards.

[@zmaaaaaj]

finally we have it on youtube. thank you!

[@pseudotonal]

He is mentioned in Grout and his picture is there also.

[@ClarkEdgeworth]

Is you Is or is you ain't?!

[@slothropgr]

Ah, thanks muchly for this, even if it is off an LP--Nonesuch of course. Never heard it through headphones, what a trip! Looks like that wasn't all he wrote, either. Always glad to explore new territory.

[@7karlheinz]

One of the longer (longest?) compositions for the RCA Mark II Synthesizer. I hadn't heard this since it's release...it seems better compositionally than I remember...or have my listening skills changed???

[@山川川山]

i feel new kind of emotion.

[@sanicyouth6540]

Great piece.

[@YotubYoutub]

All this post-serialisty early electronic stuff is always like "okay i'm making this sound-NO FUCK YOU now it's this--SIKE-this now." That said, good times.

[@franslemaire-micado]

Interesting. It could be background information for historical moon landing images. One generation and a totally more then interesting evolution from First steps to today musical electronic creations. Good it is on a digital media.

[@ClarkEdgeworth]

Gforn gfleeka!!

[@SuperGzu]

Rest in Peace

[@temporoboto]

💙

[@vaspers]

Fantastic. Back when electronic music was not disco sludge, new age boredom, or ambient stupidity. Excellent material. Listen and learn synth heads.

[@OSIRIS1980WHS]

Don’t down Eno’s (YAWN) solo work.

[@marik-c7794]

Wow!!!

[@jennymayer7277]

14:30 Really love this sound though. So cool.

[@docsketchy]

This is a very interesting piece, although there is no attempt to make it "beautiful". Also, there are very few things to make the timbres interesting -- even things which were available in 1969, like subtle FM and AM techniques. Also, there seems to be little or no post-processing -- even something as simple as spring reverb, which would have softened the hard edges of the sound. In that sense, it is unapologetically electronic sounding. I like it.

[@artofmusic303]

I confess: when I first heard this piece back in the mid- or late- 80's, I absolutely hated it. I found it incredibly dry, and even by that time, the electronic sounds were dated and 12-tone composition itself was passé. Electronics are capable of handling the full frequency spectrum, so why compose with 12 equal-tempered pitches in the electronic medium? However, looking back now in the 21st century, I have to say I was unfair in my reaction. First of all, I don't think I got past the mid-point in my listening. The second half is actually a lot more interesting texturally and timbrally than the first. Second, electronic music technology has been changing rapidly from the very beginning, so every piece of electronic music is a time capsule of the technology of the times. That is inescapable. I don't hold the ancient technology against this piece. It was one of the most sophisticated works to come out of the Mark II. I see it today as a very ambitious, carefully crafted piece of sound art that reflects its time, and goes beyond it.

[@david_r_munson]

What are you doing on KZbin with your nuanced and balanced opinions? Away to a blog with you!!!

[@artofmusic303]

Hahaha, thank you. Sometimes KZbin has been a surprisingly good way for us music nerds to connect.

[@Schell77]

It was going to be an orchestra piece until the commission came along.

[@episnod]

Well put, my friend. An Achievement of Its Time. AAOIT.

[@coelhoigor]

This and Philomel are my 2 favorite Mark II pieces. And I absolutely love their "outdatedness"! And regarding tuning and temperament, I haven't seen the score, but there's a delightful passage between minutes 10 and 11 with all sorts of bending and sliding, for example.

[@MichaelFromGalesburg]

Interesting. Somewhat derivative of Edgard Varèse and, especially, Morton Subotnik.

[@plekkchand]

Not in the least. Even the influence is minimal or non-existent, and to say it is "derivative" of either misses the mark entirely( Subotnick in particular is on a different planet than this composer). I feel sure Wuorinen would concur without anxiety.

[@charlottewhyte9804]

love this,have vynal record but no record player. My electronics just sit in the closet and call me ,play me play me play me

*IVO`s MAGIC WORLD* presents *MUSIC HISTORY GUIDE - FAMOUS BIRTHS* - *HOMAGE To CHARLES WUORINEN - 80th BIRTHDAY, TODAY!!!* (JuNe 9th, 2018)

[@charlottewhyte9804]

this would sound better on cd than the lp scratchy nonesuch mono disc

[@machida5114]

so many comments...

[@Alianger]

Has a bit of a resident evil cellar music vibe at times

[@SLABONECHD]

El álbum de metal progresivo que escuche en mi vida

[@leecherlarry]

wuorinen rip

[@MrBeethovenfan]

I had this LP a long time ago. If memory serves, it sounded nowhere near this harsh and scratchy. It's the YT encoding or something. So try not to judge a piece that is about (I think) the qualities of the timbres, among other things, in a venue that ruins the quality of the timbre.

[@Snardbafulator]

I gotta say as someone who grew up with the analog synths of the 70s, the Columbia / RCA Mk. II Sound Synthesizer makes some pretty crude noises. Or maybe it's just a bad recording. Or record pressing (this is obviously off vinyl).

[@averysax6429]

The new music Tonal Scale is as thus: 12 7 5 2 3 : 1 4 5 9 14 Not 12 with 7 & 5 BUT 14 with 9 & 5 [2^(1/14)] These are the Tonal Scales growing from f (by cycles of fifths): All Scales build from the first mode: equivalent to Lydian f White keys are = & Black keys are | 12 with 7 & 5 [2^(1/12)] =|=|=|==|=|= {1,8,3,10,5,12,7,2,9,4,11,6} 1thru7are= 8thru12are| 7 with 5 & 2 [2^(1/7)] ===|==| {1,3,5,7,2,4,6} 1thru5are= 6&7are| 5 with 2 & 3 [2^(1/5)] =||=| {1,3,5,2,4} 1&2are= 3thru5are| Now evolving up the other end 5 with 4 & 1 [2^(1/5)] ==|== {1,3,5,2,4} 1thru4are= 5is| 9 with 5 & 4 [2^(1/9)] =|=|=|==| {1,8,3,7,5,9,2,4,6} 1thru5are= 6thru9are| 14 with 9 & 5 [2^(1/14)] =|=|===|=|===| {1,12,3,14,5,7,9,11,2,13,4,6,8,10} 1thru9are= 10thru14are| Joseph Yasser is the actual originator of the realization, that scales develop by cycles of fifths. www.seraph.it/blog_files/623ba37cafa0d91db51fa87296693fff-175.html www.academia.edu/4163545/A_Theory_of_Evolving_Tonality_by_Joseph_Yasser www.musanim.com/Yasser/ The chromatic scale we use today is divided by 2^(1/12) twelfth root of two Instead of moving to the next higher: the 19 tone scale 2^(1/19) nineteenth root of two I decided to go all the way down and back up the other end: So 12 - 7 = 5 & 7 - 5 = 2 & 5 - 2 = 3 Now we enter to the other side: 2 - 3 is (-1)* & 3 - (-1) is 4* & (-1) - 4 is (-5)* & 4 - (-5) is 9* & (-5) - 9 is (-14)* ignoring the negatives we have * 1 4 5 9 14 Just follow the cycles how each scale is weaved together, as shown above. Each scale has its own division within the frequency doubling, therefore the 14 tones scale is 2^(1/14) fourteenth root of two

[@1-JBL]

Wuorinen was not happy with the mix on the Nonesuch LP, and has since supervised a new mix for the CD release.

[@brucearneson3384]

yes..would be nice to hear without snaps and pops and other disc sound....i would be happy to buy clean CD.

[@Claude1Rochon]

did you hear a noise ?

[@cesars.semp.3119]

It is really frightening what kind of music can come from an AI. Scary. Beautiful at the same time.

[@lillydevine6089]

As a matter of fact, this piece was not composed by an AI 🚫🙅‍♀️🤖it was composed by a human being, and then played through a machine. 📠 Saying that it is composed from an AI would be inherently wrong, 😬😬 as the Machine it was processed through did not come up with this on its own 👹👍

[@SLABONECHD]

Bien para una película

[@user-ob9zo9cr4c]

goat

[@lucast7555]

what is this?

[@brankozeljeznjak]

ICH und ich Ich springe hoch und werde zu Geist . Ich drehe mich 7 mal sehr schnell linksherum um mich selbst , schwebend wie ein Geist . Ich berühre den Himmel und darauf die Erde , mit meiner linken Hand , während ich mich linksrum drehe , sieben mal , meine rechte Hand , liegt dabei auf meinem Herzen . ICH höre dann die Stimme des Allmächtigen wie er spricht : „ Gehe MEIN Freund , gehe und habe Mut , suche , ICH selbst werde mit DIR sein !“ Ich schaue zum Himmel , schaue zur Erde , streife mit geradem Blick über die Erde , darauf zum Himmel . Danach gehe ich umher , wie ein ganz gewöhnlicher Mensch . MEINE sterbliche Hülle könnt ihr vernichten , doch MICH bekommt ihr nicht . ICH werde erneut leben , in einem neuen Leib und euch solange suchen , bis ihr umkehrt und bereut . ICH werde euch so lange suchen , bis ICH euch gefunden habe , jeden einzelnen von euch , jeden einzelnen ! Je eher , umso besser für alle . Eure Maschinen der Lästerung sind zu gering für MICH , sie erkennen MICH nicht . Ihr werdet alles wieder herstellen , was ihr Unschuldigen mit Anmassung zerstört ! ICH und ich ( Heiliger wie schön ist es mit DIR allein zu sein , ICH bin vollkommen DEIN . DEINE Worte heilen mich , wenn ich auf der Erde bin , ihre Werke beleidigen MICH in MEIN Angesicht . HERR ! Ewiger ! Wie schön ist es bei DIR zu sein , bei Tag und bei Nacht ! Mein Geliebter , du MEINE ewig schöne Seele , wie herrlich hast DU mich gemacht , DU , wie könnte ICH jemals von DIR weichen ; ICH kann es nicht , WIR sind vereint . Wenn ICH an DICH denke MEIN GOTT , wird MEINE Seele geheilt , DU , MEIN heiliger Geliebter ! ) ( Wie wollen WIR einer Ameise den Ewigen erklären , wenn ihre Fragen immer die Fragen von Ameisen sind ? Wie wollten WIR mit ihr sprechen , wenn WIR immer nur ihre Sprache sprechen müssen , damit sie überhaupt was versteht ? Wie ? WIR könnten in ameisianisch funken , dass der Ewige eine Ameise mit Flügeln ist , die sich auch unsichtbar machen kann , aber das wäre es nicht . Es wäre erst der Anfang ! Also wie sollen WIR ?! ) Staatenlos

[@kleenmaint]

translation to english: branko zeljeznjak branko zeljeznjak 7 months ago (edited) I and I I jump up and become a ghost. I turn 7 times very fast leftherum around myself, hovering like a ghost. I touch the heavens and the earth with my left hand, while I turn to the left, seven times, my right hand, lying on my heart. I then hear the Almighty's voice as he says, "Go MY friend, go and have courage, seek, I myself will be with YOU!" I look to the sky, look at the earth, streak with a straight look over the earth, then to the sky. Then I walk around like a normal person. You can destroy MY mortal cover, but you do not get ME. I will live again, in a new body, and seek you, until you repent and repent. I will seek you so long until I have found you, each one of you, each one of you! The sooner, the better for all. Your machines of blasphemy are too small for ME, they do not recognize me. You will restore everything that is destroying your innocent with respect! I and I (Holy as well as it is to be alone with YOU, I AM completely YOURS. YOUR words heal me when I am on the earth, their works insult ME in MY face. SIR ! Eternal How beautiful it is to be with YOU, by day and by night! My beloved, you MY ETERNAL BEAUTIFUL SOUL, how magnificently You have made me, YOU, how could I ever depart from YOU; I can not, WE are united. When I think of YOU MY GOD, MY soul is healed, YOU, MY HOLY LOVER! ) (How do we want to tell an ant the eternal when their questions are always the questions of ants?) How would we talk to her when we only had to speak their language so that they could understand what? that the eternal one is an ant with wings that can also be made invisible, but that would not be it, it would be only the beginning!

[@charlottewhyte9804]

this type of music needs RCA Dinagroove pressings would be supurb

[@johnsavard7583]

Anyone who was brought here by 500-point Adventure?

[@freewheeler8924]

To all the people who claim to like this: try and listen to it twice in a row. T'ain't easy is it?

[@charlottewhyte9804]

why is this not on cd scratchy lps do no justice to the work at all

[@joshuarobertguest]

Silent Hill OST

[@charlottewhyte9804]

why is this taken from a scratchy record,why not record from the Mother record,would sound better.

[@patrickbodine1300]

Sampled with my Koala app.

[@johnpcomposer]

This is suitable only for weird moments in a David Lynch film....Parts of it are little better and a bit more annoying than a hearing test. I had to restrain myself from raising my right and left hand as the sounds migrated from one ear to the other when the tones and beeps kept shifting.

[@SammyRenard]

to be fair, pretty much everything can give me nightmares lately. especially justin bieber.

[@charlottewhyte9804]

sound quality on this record is stuffed,too stylis worn.

[@charlottewhyte9804]

awful scratchy sound bloody hell spice it up a bit

[@MrRuplenas]

It's a bit sad to consider that this man seemed actually to take himself seriously. I hear Wuorinen fans were looking to have a meeting, but there aren't any phone booths anymore.

[@robcat2075]

When I was a graduate student at the University of North Texas the teacher of the "20th Century Music" class explained that piece was awarded the 1970 Pulitzer because... Wuorinen bribed the jury. He thought it would be worth it because he thought he'd get tenure at Columbia U. if he won a Pulitzer. None-the-less, didn't get tenure. I wonder if the jurors even bothered to listen to this all the way through. A half hour of electronic bleeps and bloops?

[@jonhillman871]

i love this but trust me...don't play it on a first date.

[@CapnKeys]

Sounds like Giygas

[@bootheavy]

your nightmare maybe. we'd be only so lucky to have dreamnt this. but your probably still stuck in the first Viennese sense of what is acceptable.

[@dtonpbac]

시파알 욕대학!!!

[@quasarsphere]

Well, I listened to the whole thing. Interesting to hear what sort of sounds a pre-Moog synth could make, but musically, this was simply not enjoyable to listen to. I'll take Klaus Schulze over this any day.

[@vaspers]

+quasarsphere Klaus Schulze is boring as hell. Repetitious monotonous garbage.

[@Duplanmodular]

Why not starting all your sentences by "in my opinion" ??

[@ildefonsmiau3420]

Man, but Wuorinen and Schulze are absolutely not comparable. I like Schulze very much but the musical languages of those two are completely different. I find the above Wuorinen piece to be highly remarkable. Regards, Ildefons Miau

[@riversandstones1644]

they exist in different worlds. musically, wourinen is infinately more complex abd in terms of synthesis, schulze is better.

[@plekkchand]

@@Duplanmodular Of course it's his opinion. Why does he need to state the obvious?

[@markscalise]

My daughter says this is even worse than Phish.

[@aghmoogsirem]

Let's make sure Justin Bieber never gets his hands on the RCA synthesizer, then - the horrors would be unimaginable.

[@Claude1Rochon]

you don't know that. he might surprise everybody

[@charlottewhyte9804]

nonesuch is a lousy pressing any way,they are not good ata all

[@Evan-rm3zm]

Ironic that 50 years later an AI has now produced a 24 hr version of this song and it sounds 100% better. Damn we were really dumb back in the 70s.... This is painful to the ears and needs to be forgotten from history. It was a period of degeneration that has been forgotten thank god.

[@Evan-rm3zm]

So they really just give out the nobel prize for nothing don't they... wow