Edgard Varèse's Déserts: Analysis (Part 2 of 2)

[@richardvernon3206]

Fantastic! Even though I don’t have music training, you give my ears a magnifying glass! So happy to have discovered you and your great music. I’m in awe of your wonderful mind.x❤️

[@heckler73]

Watching this analysis, I can see pieces of Zappa, and it is enlightening! Thanks for taking the time to do this. I had the opportunity to hear/see Varese's Octandre & Integrales performed live by the TPE and it gave me a deeper appreciation for his work. Seeing how the sounds of Octandre were made, for example, was mind blowing. I didn't realize it was literally performed with only eight instruments. Just listening to recordings I always thought it involved many more. That implies careful craftsmanship, to me.

[@samuel_andreyev]

Yes, Varèse is skilled at creating very full, orchestral sonorities with a limited number of instruments. Glad to hear you enjoyed the video.

[@RasiRon]

So clearly discussed. Wish I knew this years ago.

[@rubenmolino1480]

and this analysis explains...the choice of notes...for an aesthetic and artistic purpose?...that is to say, what does it ensure?....tankyou ¡

[@felixdevilliers1]

I had a recording of Deserts' and enjoyed it so it is wonderful tol earn from your analysis Your podcasts are of the greatest value, fascinating. Unfortunately my LP record of thei work was stolen by the friend of a friend who spent some time in my flat. I'll have to purchase it again. - I see haere or no dislikes on this page, a good sign but maybe not entirely.. When Alban Berg's Wozzeck was a success with the public he sent half the night walking dsiconsokately about the strets with Adorno, saying, "What have I done; wrong they liked it." I had a fried, very talented musically who detested all music from Schoenberg on. I took her to a convert at which a talented pianist gave a very persuasive performance of a Boulez Sonata and she enjoyed it.. Maybe the haters would not even have a look at .a talk like yours. Have you had good experiences at live concerts?

[@samuel_andreyev]

Felix de Villiers Yes. In fact the reaction to my concerts has been overwhelmingly positive. That's why I'm convinced that the sort of music I (and certain colleagues) write could have a far greater audience than it does -- we just have to stop making stupid mistakes about how how market it. Thanks for your always interesting comments.

[@clairewilliams473]

Thanks for posting, as always rigorous yet accessible. Alfred Schittke used a modulated fixed-pitch 12 note field in his piano piece 'Variations on a Chord', sustaining interest at over 7 minutes with a wide range of dynamic and rhythmic modification.

[@samuel_andreyev]

Claire Williams You're most welcome. I think all of Varèse's works deserve their own analysis videos. His harmonic language is not generally well understood.

[@johnappleseed8369]

Time to continue, I'm loving this so much!!!!!! :)) (I'm a Vareseian if you didn't guess)

[@johnappleseed8369]

This is literally the channel I've been wishing for, for a long time :)

[@samuel_andreyev]

Thanks for your kind words -- truly. I believe that it's vitally important to make this kind of lecture easily available to all (not just in classrooms and musicology journals), which is why I'm willing to devote a lot of time to my channel. If you'd like to help, please consider telling others about it. The more I can get my subscriber numbers up, the easier it will be to continue.

[@johnappleseed8369]

***** I'll definitely be sharing it!! Thank you so much!! I see you've done videos on Boulez, Feldman, Webern and Stravinsky! (I'll be checking those out next :) ) I'm a big fan of modernism and contemporary music, I'm grateful for this channel already. Thanks again and see you on the next video!

[@isaaclevine1266]

One correction -- it might confuse people (I admit I got confused). At 8:43, where you say: "now the bottom half of the mirror chord -- the bottom half is 'E' to 'D' so that's a perfect 5th, and then 'D' to 'G' which is a tritone." I think you meant to say "A" to "D" -- not "E" to "D." Anyway now we've got a perfect 5th (i.e., reading from top to bottom). And then you meant to say "D" to "G#" -- not "G." And now we've got a tritone.

[@muslit]

I think it would be helpful to hear these chords and fragments, at least on the piano, at some points in your discussion. Bravo for your insights.

[@samuel_andreyev]

Thanks for your comment. I agree. Unfortunately I did not yet have a piano in my studio at the time I made this video.

[@nosmelc1001]

great stuff, Arnold, Igor, edgar etc. But how is a seven note scale octotonic?

[@gepmrk]

I found a pdf of the score published by Colfranc Music Publishing Corporation, New York. Is this what you're looking at?

[@tractatusviii7465]

Sir, man, dude, dawg. You are very informative and this separate parts analysis for context and technicalities format is great. Thanks a lot for the work! Remarkable! :^) Ik it's probably entry-level and hardly interesting for you, but maybe you could do one on John Cage's 6 Melodies? Cheers, monsieur.

[@samuel_andreyev]

Thanks for your comments. A Cage video is a great idea -- I'll keep that in mind. I certainly wouldn't consider it 'entry level'. His music opens up lots of fascinating analytical perspectives.

[@geozipper]

This would be so much better if we could actually hear each sound object as he dissects their parts. Otherwise, it's notes on a page. And that's not music. It's only notes on a page.

[@Davidrowellbass]

I partially disagree. Notes on a page can be "heard" in one's head, if one knows how to read a score ("hear" the music in one's head). Similarly, if one can't read the English language (sound out the words in one's head), then the words on the written page will also have no meaning. The words on the written page don't have to be audibly narrated to have meaning to one that knows how to interpret their meaning in his/her head. Music is nothing more than vibrating air until it is interpreted by the brain. This interpretation by the brain can occur from looking at a written score if one knows (from accumulated experience, i.e. practice) how to "hear" the score in one's head. Though, I do agree that it may be better to hear the excerpts, because many are not yet fluent enough with score reading to hear it in their head without hearing it in their ears (especially with someone like Varese).

[@alexkennett5972]

You can definitely learn to use your "visual ear" and hear the music just from reading it, however these harmonies are incredibly advanced and if we're comparing it to hearing written words in our head, then these harmonies are perhaps the equivalent of foreign words in perhaps unseen languages/alphabets. I'm sure there are insanely skilled people who can hear these harmonies in there head however...

[@geozipper]

@@Davidrowellbass What about folks like me who understand music but cannot read scores? I can compose music & understand harmonies BUT looking at a staff only 'blocks' my understanding. For example, I've used mirror chords & octave doublings & hexatonic scales in my own compositions, so I understand on a theoretical level what is being said. I still say, if there are no copyright concerns, that playing the excerpts would go far in helping those like myself to fully comprehend what the video is imparting.