Archive for June, 2010

Composers, Delius & L. Andriessen

Sunday, June 6th, 2010


Song of Summer wiki

Song of Summer was based on Eric Fenby’s 1936 memoir Delius As I Knew Him (re-released in 1966), which recounts his experience of offering his services in transcribing Frederick Delius’s music from the composer’s dictation.

Song of Summer by Ken Russell (available on netflix)

In the mean time no-one interested in Delius should be without a copy of Song of Summer. It has not dated at all and it repays repeated viewing (in fact it has been the most repeated of all Ken Russell’s BBC films) and remains a fine tribute to Eric Fenby’s sacrifice and self-less devotion. – Stephen Lloyd

Read more: Musicweb int’l on Delius/Ken Russell

(Erring priest was played by Ken Russell)

  • Happy birthday Louis Andriessen (June 6, 1939) He is 71 years old today.

    Louis Andriessen – De Materie – Part III – De Stijl (2 excerpts)

    Louis Andriessen reviewed by New Yorker’s (Alex Ross)

    Louis LouisAndressen Andriessen

    Painting by Ward Schumaker (His blog is in my sidebar menu)
    More composers here

    Ward Schumaker22dime

    Dance I (youtube)

    Louis Andriessen Blog

  • Happy birthday to Chantal Akerman!

  • Kazuo Ohno R.I.P

    Friday, June 4th, 2010


    (photograph by Eiko Hosoe)

    A tribute to Ohno

    Ohno at 95 years (Adagio Samuel Barber)
    Ohno kazuo_ohno October 27, 1906 – June 1, 2010

    Kazuo kazuoOhno Ohno

    NYtimes Obit Kazuo Ohno a Founder of Japanese Butoh, Dies at 103

    Kazuo Ohno, a founder of Butoh, the influential Japanese dance-theater form whose traditional look of darkness and decay evoked for many the horrors of the wartime bombings of Japan, died on Tuesday in Yokohama, Japan. He was 103 and had continued to perform beyond his 100th year.

    Obit from Times online (Ohno’s first performance was at an advanced age of 47 years)

    A short clip of Ohno dancing while sitting on his chair

    Kazuo Ohno Studio

    On the verge of death one revisits the joyful moments of a lifetime. One’s eyes are opened wide-gazing into the palm, seeing death, life, joy and sorrow with a sense of tranquillity.”

    Sound of Two Hand Angel

    Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

    angelangelangel
    Sound of Two Hand Angel Bruce Conner

    PETER ORLOVSKY

    July 8, 1933 – May 30, 2010

    Death of Peter Orlovsky – Anne Waldman
    5.30.2010

    I thanked him for his presence in our lives, his poetry his care and love for Allen, his work at Naropa. Ah, I thought a flash of recognition shivering through! slight movement of mouth, light coming in on his handsome face through the window now, and Judy singing om a hum vajra guua padma siddhi hum in crystal voice said “don’t be afraid”. Joined in. Last breathes, one coming late, staggered: his heart/breath stopt. Poet Christina Lovin in room with nurse gave gentle witness who checked the clock 11:39 I think or so a.m.

    Peter Orlovsky peter

    Four Poems Peter Orlovsky

  • Litrary Kicks

    Orlovsky has written and performed his own poetry, though he never fully established a literary identity for himself that transcended his status as Ginsberg’s lover. Interestingly, one of his biggest fans seemed to be Jack Kerouac, whose letters contain many admiring comments about Orlovsky’s work (as well as a personal respect for him that is uncharacteristic for the curmudgeonly Kerouac). Orlovsky’s poems do have a definite charm and a certain logic, and his work may someday find a larger fan club.

    Leslie Scalapino leslie July 25 1944 – May 28 2010
    Photo via SPDT smaill press

    Dangerous Harvest

    Those of us who enjoyed experimental work, loved the wild ride of her poems, some of which were influenced by Buddhist writings. One of things I found fascinating about Leslie was that her interactions in person felt almost exactly like her poems. She spoke like she wrote, and almost seemed to move through life like her poems did.

    Disbelief

    Leslie links from Ron Silliman