Matthew Herbert on "Symphony X" for Recomposed

[haizenpaige]

These kinds of cardboard boxes are actually not coffins; they are merely the receptacles used when a person's body is being _cremated_, and I doubt if they have much resonance.

[Clempt90]

Sometimes I just wish Herbert would lighten up

[FreedomBeats]

The coffin has no relevance in the recording without an informative counterpart such as this video. Even with the final recording, the coffin being used here is constructed from cardboard which has no reflectivity to sound, whereas a wooden coffin would have a more spacious sound and could prove to be more true to what a coffin actually sounds like from inside. But still then, if I were to listen to this had I not been informed by this video, it would be meaningless in terms of his concept...

[garyread]

What a horses's a**e - has Herbert nothing better to do with his time. I hope DG didn't sponsor this load of old twaddle or worse still he received an art grant of some kind. This isn't adding to Mahler's music nor contemporising it, it is merely Herbert saying 'How clever am I!'. Not very, in my opinion.

[DrRicharddym]

Damage to the Primary Auditory Cortex in humans leads to a loss of any 'awareness' of sound. maybe this is a bit much but if death literally ends the abilty to be aware of sound then the irony of what MH is doing here is not wasted on me! I like the way that MH uses art to 'talk'. He always asks us to hold two things in mind while listening. One is usually a ridgid concept the other the sound/music itself. I hope he starts to let the sound inform and change the concept rather than using it rigid

[DrRicharddym]

Hmm. Ive been listening, attending gigs and absoring ideas around MH work for a good few years now. I can see where he is going. Its a response to our morbid overexposure to music in all its forms and the debasement of our aural cortex. I can see how classical listeners who dont just want postmodern surfaces would find the approach trite. but you have to be gracious because MH is operating in the sphere of youth and next generation. I would hope this might get y people listening at least?

[throbbingG]

thats not a coffin its a cardboard box. lame

[Sbordomus]

The fact that we are not permitted to hear even a short excerpt of Herbert's work makes commenting on it nigh impossible. Moreover, Herbert's rather inchoate, mumbled discussion of his procedures -- no matter how musically sophisticated he may be -- does nothing to convince me that his gloss on Mahler's great work will live up to its model. I am curious, but not enough to plop down the cash for this pricey import. I do think that Mahler best knew what he was about in facing death in music.

[jmarkley]

This is a travesty--no real effort has been made to capture the sound of the Mahler Tenth played inside a coffin--what Herbert treats as a coffin is simply a lidded cardboard box, and it isn't even buried underground for the recording. Who does Herbert think he's kidding with this sort of half-hearted sound manipulation? A man with a real vision will follow that vision to the end--this is just another namby-pamby sound-manipulator wannabe.

[odemes]

@jmarkley

Are you insane? You must be... Herbert just another namby-pamby sound.-manipulator. wannabe. You must learn some things before talking foolishness. Do you know Herbert's work at all?

[slinkyphil]

@jmarkley lol... have you even heard this cd?

[anaklasis]

@jmarkley I agree, since those amateurs don't know about music, they try to rewrite works composed by other people. This is the "new art" for the "new retarded listener".

[MrHurrra]

@anaklasis "Amateur" ! He is highly educated jazz pianist. He is the author of the P.C.C.O.M. manifesto. Do some research before you post, cause all of your statements could not be more opposite to MH works.

[medtex]

@jmarkley

it's an eco/cardboard coffin. is that not 'coffiny' enough for you!

[tarmaccadam]

@jmarkley Just listened to this on Vinyl through good speakers and whatever you think of Mahler/MH it is a fine listen.