Work of art music scores.

[ambient]

We were looking at these incredible graphic scores today in a lecture.

They're compositions by a jazz double bassist called Barry Guy.

These are mostly in black and white, but the one we actually saw in class was in colour, and poster size.

[attachment=210198:pod38_guy3.jpg][attachment=210199:pod38_guy4.jpg]

Edited January 20, 2016 by ambient

[Mykesbass]

That's not what I was expecting - I was thinking they would be traditional scores that created a very graphic look from the patterns of the notes. They really are something else! Are they fairly easy to understand and follow for a competent reader?

[ambient]

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1453276917' post='2957947']
That's not what I was expecting - I was thinking they would be traditional scores that created a very graphic look from the patterns of the notes. They really are something else! Are they fairly easy to understand and follow for a competent reader?
[/quote]

They're meant to be used with a conductor. He would hold up a placard with a letter on so you'd play that section. Some parts have hand signals printed next to them too.

The idea is that it's up to the conductor to decide which part you play next. He may just have one part of the ensemble play one section, while another plays a different section.

[Mykesbass]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1453288304' post='2958057']


The idea is that it's up to the conductor to decide which part you play next. He may just have one part of the ensemble play one section, while another plays a different section.
[/quote]

Now I'll admit to being slightly out of my depth here, but isn't that how Terry Riley's In C works? I'm pretty sure I saw something along those lines on a Culture Show a couple of years back.

[ambient]

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1453290560' post='2958074']


Now I'll admit to being slightly out of my depth here, but isn't that how Terry Riley's In C works? I'm pretty sure I saw something along those lines on a Culture Show a couple of years back.
[/quote]

Kind of, but in C, it's the performer that decides when to move on to the next part, and how many times to play it before again moving on. Here the conductor makes the decisions.

This has actual sections, kind of like A and B etc in a jazz score. It was done for the Lonfon Jazz Composers orchestra.

http://youtu.be/HVtg2lQ5OQo

[ahpook]

Reminds me of the graphic scores of Cornelius Cardew

http://cdn.lrb.co.uk/assets/edillus/gott01_3105_02.gif

Edited January 20, 2016 by ahpook

[ahpook]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1453291242' post='2958084']
This has actual sections, kind of like A and B etc in a jazz score. It was done for the Lonfon Jazz Composers orchestra.

[media]http://youtu.be/HVtg2lQ5OQo[/media]
[/quote]

I enjoyed that.

The graphic scores remind me of the Cornelius Cardew scores I've seen.

[ambient]

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1453293525' post='2958118']
Reminds me of the graphic scores of Cornelius Cardew

[url="http://cdn.lrb.co.uk/assets/edillus/gott01_3105_02.gif"]http://cdn.lrb.co.uk...t01_3105_02.gif[/url]
[/quote]

We looked at Cardew's last week.

These were from last week too - [attachment=210215:12400458_459438644264402_5260268599431189040_n.jpg]

[ahpook]

Cool stuff.

[Mykesbass]

Can't load the plug in on your last response to me - any chance of a link?

[lowdown]

I believe Barry Guy has his score works up on his website.
You can purchase them.

[BassTractor]

Ha! Memories of old days!
Back in the Pleistocene I had several teachers who did stuff like that. I tried to upload pics, but PhotoBucket failed me. May try later.

Anyway, we'd find ourselves on the floor studying scores that were several yards wide as well as deep, so you'd have to sit on them to read the top of the score the right way.

One of my teachers found sort of a solution in drawing the score directly on an electronic whiteboard, and then the computer rather than a player would translate it into music.
Not live though I think. IMS we had to make two drawings on the whiteboard, and after each drawing, the computer would have to analyse and store, before combining the data into one composition.

Good times!

.

.

...that I don't want back.

Edited January 20, 2016 by BassTractor

[ambient]

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1453305704' post='2958289']
Ha! Memories of old days!
Back in the Pleistocene I had several teachers who did stuff like that. I tried to upload pics, but PhotoBucket failed me. May try later.

Anyway, we'd find ourselves on the floor studying scores that were several yards wide as well as deep, so you'd have to sit on them to read the top of the score the right way.

One of my teachers found sort of a solution in drawing the score directly on an electronic whiteboard, and then the computer rather than a player would translate it into music.
Not live though I think. IMS we had to make two drawings on the whiteboard, and after each drawing, the computer would have to analyse and store, before combining the data into one composition.

Good times!

.

.

...that I don't want back.
[/quote]

I'd love to see photos please, if you can.

[BassTractor]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1453306448' post='2958301']
I'd love to see photos please, if you can.
[/quote]

PhotoBucket is weird right now. Twice yesterday it took ages to upload before I got an error message about a failed upload. Today I find two copies of the same pic in my library.

Anyway, here's the first.
This one is on paper but meant for the computer IMS. Notice the time markings - that piece of paper is loooong!

[URL=http://s1170.photobucket.com/user/basstractor1/media/Xenakis%20-%20Mycenae%20Alpha%20-%201978%20-%20excerpt_zps1x6wtaq0.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r525/basstractor1/Xenakis%20-%20Mycenae%20Alpha%20-%201978%20-%20excerpt_zps1x6wtaq0.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[BassTractor]

Here's the electronic whiteboard.
If you want to read more about it, the guy's called Iannis Xenakis, and the machine's called UPIC.

Which reminds me of a kinda cool story:
I want to become his pupil, and are allowed to visit him in his apartment. We sit down at the piano, and after a lot of talking and playing, he finally says:
- "I accept you as my pupil..."
My head is bubbling with excitement of course. Exactly at that point the door opens, and a young man enters. Xenakis undisturbedly continues:
"...ah, there he is... ...and [b]this[/b] will be your teacher!"
Not what I was envisioning!
(Incidentally, I didn't get a grant, and, out of money, had to return home after less than two months - without having received any serious teaching.)


[URL=http://s1170.photobucket.com/user/basstractor1/media/Xenakis%20-%20UPIC%20%20-%20%20500_zpsz3dx3jre.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r525/basstractor1/Xenakis%20-%20UPIC%20%20-%20%20500_zpsz3dx3jre.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[ambient]

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1453381741' post='2958928']
Here's the electronic whiteboard.
If you want to read more about it, the guy's called Iannis Xenakis, and the machine's called UPIC.

Which reminds me of a kinda cool story:
I want to become his pupil, and are allowed to visit him in his apartment. We sit down at the piano, and after a lot of talking and playing, he finally says:
- "I accept you as my pupil..."
My head is bubbling with excitement of course. Exactly at that point the door opens, and a young man enters. Xenakis undisturbedly continues:
"...ah, there he is... ...and [b]this[/b] will be your teacher!"
Not what I was envisioning!
(Incidentally, I didn't get a grant, and, out of money, had to return home after less than two months - without having received any serious teaching.)


[url="http://s1170.photobucket.com/user/basstractor1/media/Xenakis%20-%20UPIC%20%20-%20%20500_zpsz3dx3jre.jpg.html"][/url]
[/quote]

Great !

I know of Xenakis, what an amazing story, thanks for sharing.