Terry Riley in C performed live by Plastic Acid Ensemble

[ItsMsMac]

Four years later and I'm alarmed by how many hits this video has, and that my full name is attached to it. Anyhow... all the comments about our performance being unfaithful to the score are fair and accurate. We did it wrong - as have other groups. There is a recording of it by a Chinese ensemble that put it in rondo form. We took big liberties because of the nightclub setting (the noise, mainly) and "Plastic Acid" philosophy. I wouldn't take such liberties now, but am still proud of PA.

[ItsMsMac]

@ItsMsMac Just to clarify - the repeated eighth note C's are there. They're being played on a toy piano and glockenspeil, you just can't hear them in the recording because of the talking. The players could not hear each other very much, hence the "conducting", if you can call it that.

[risvegliato]

not how it should be done

[bplogic]

This is a disaster. My version is better.

[Wormtongue13]

Very similar to Penguin Cafe Orchestra's "Music for A Found Harmonium."

[coasterman16]

This performance takes everything Terry Riley indicates in the score and ignores it completely. This has got to be one of the most misrepresentative and hideous recordings of this piece in existence. Please DO NOT assume In C is supposed to be played in any manner resembling this performance.

[jmv123]

@coasterman16 Considering I'd never ever heard the piece before, I was quite impressed hearing it live. In fact, I just played the original version here, and I actually find the original annoyingly rigid, as it lacks any of the cacophony of a live club audience. I'm still a little surprised how popular this video has become, but I'm happy it's become the subject of so much academic conversation!

[coasterman16]

@jmv123 I'm confused as to why you equate rigidity to people talking during a performance. When I say this group completely misrepresents the piece, I'm talking adherence to the score. The piece is played COMPLETELY INCORRECTLY, as in, the performers are playing measures in the WRONG PLACE, the improvisatory element of changing measures when you want is COMPLETELY REMOVED, the ending is COMPLETELY AGAINST what Riley indicates in the score. I don't care if you liked it. It's wrong regardless.

[jmv123]

@coasterman16 My point is, musical appreciation is very personal. I appreciate how sincerely you take the essence of the piece. I still like how this performance sounds because I was there, and I heard it first, here. The fact that it's being performed 'wrong' is incidental to me, but still fascinating. Much like the fact that people are talking throughout doesn't bother me at all. It was a fun concert!

[masta8877]

@coasterman16 So they rearranged a piece that is pretty damn far from being sacred, big freakin deal, chill out. And I agree with these people that the original recording actually hurts to listen to, not a very pleasant experience. I honestly like their arrangement. I've never played it myself or seen the score, but it doesn't even sound that different.

[bplogic]

@masta8877

Why don't you educate yourself by looking at the score before making statements like this? It's on the internet for free, so it's pretty damn easy. It does sound different: it's worse. It's not the same piece. It shouldn't bear the same title. Whether or not you like the original isn't the issue. The issue is that this is a misrepresentation one of the most important pieces of music from the 20th century.

[SupaTroopa97]

my awful music teacher played this...

it sounded scary

now it doesn't

[smay96]

@SupaTroopa97 mine did too and it disturbs me (although my music teacher is not aweful)

[perri6]

Okay. I don't quite "get" it. But, I do like the "In C Remix" compilation. :-)

[iamafractal]

too bad about all those people talking.

[cuvtixo]

@iamafractal I believe it was on purpose and purposely "integrated" into the performance. For the players this piece can seem self-indulgent, the background noise contrasts with the repetitive eighth notes in C, which is difficult to listen to.

[Majestiner]

Hello! I'm Joonas From Finnland. Can I use your video in our school project? :)

[pascbjumper2]

I don't know what the laws are in Finland, but here in the United States (maybe it's universal) there's something called the "fair use act". Part of it allows copy rights to be ignored as long as it is for an academic purpose. If you use it as a school project, it should be fine, but if you then post it on youtube, that's where copyright kicks in again.

[tonytrilex]

interesting

[everythingchangesmoi]

amazing...

[Dubiousjohnny]

....too long, is there a shorter composition of the piece?

[Arturic0]

It's progressive rock, there are no short compositions

[JosephKnight93]

Ha

this is the shortest performance of In C i've ever seen or heard

[Dubiousjohnny]

It is called counterpoint; when instrumentation plays off each other.

[onlyonedogcando]

This is a very dull, plodding version. Really slow and boring, the conductor should flip burgers instead for a living.

[onlyonedogcando]

I like the way people talk loudly over it.

[Danman917]

People who don't get this are phillistines

[schwatschwat]

ahh a few people in my high school got together to play this.... it didnt syncopate this well...oh well.. this is awesome!

[Baargeld]

Quebec band "L'Infonie" performed and recorded it in 1969. Retitled "Mantra". Boudreault and Duguay reunited for a recent performance in a beautiful Montreal church. See the pictures on my blog, Patrimoine PQ.

[tomwinb]

dreck

[saidtothehead]

Lovely.

And: people talk when they are in social places and a great deal out of nervousness when confronted with something from outside their typical cultural milieu.

[meganviolin07]

why are people talking? I don't remember it being part of the piece...

[trollworkout]

that is great

[Darkstar1138]

Merci

[bukel93]

we were playing this in our music class today

[Woody263]

isnt there an original recording? I dlove it if someone posted

[32pauken]

Yes, there is an original recording.

This is the ORIGINAL performance and is better than you hear in this video.

Missing here is the "pulse" played on piano in octaves on the highest C-naturals for the entire performance.

First issued on LP (Columbia Records) and re-released on CD on Sony Classical.

Still in print: SNYC 7178

There are other recordings available.

Go to H&B direct (my favorite CD source on line) and enter Riley in C in the search box.

Best,

Fred

[32pauken]

Further Comment:

If you like Terry Riley, then be sure to check out Philip Glass. There are You-Tube performances of Glass' music. Try Music in Similar Motion by the Crash Ensemble.

Best again,

Fred

[VTSymphony]

I like the talking, too. It's part of the music, right?

[anacrusisztc]

this is terrible! the audience dont know how to appreciate at all, talking and talking!

[losbrons]

yes i gree

[wicruncher1]

wow! this is really the first time i've heard Terry Riley's music! It is great!

[tubulard]

it's a little annoying to hear all the noise of people talking in the background. If I were there I would be shushing people :P

[Animalll2003lll]

No I think it'S better when people talk over the music. it's less 'gay' and religious. and it forces composers to make music that's truly good and that will catch people's attention (then they're going to scream over it you'll say..). well you can always amplify the music if you don't hear it. If the overall result is too loud you can wear earplugs which makes the experience really enjoyable I think. you're like in a kind of psychedelic world but you still hear people talking to you and

[Animalll2003lll]

you still hear people talking to you and you can also hear the music, so it's perfect. earplugs are the future or concerts and entertainment.

[Jacob139139]

is there any body that can help me anaylise this song according to the concepts of music? pitch, duration, tone colour etc..

for an assignment

please

[thelovebuckles]

i'm sure there is somebody who could help you, but i'm gonna tell you to go and do your own assignments. you'll be better for it.

[Jacob139139]

lol yeh i did it my own and good 94%.. however this was 2 months ago lol.. thank anyways

[vadandetta]

this is the chans

take it

[PantsandJacket]

it's like taking drugs and flying away with butterflies, like a paradise xD I like it! =)

[gnarlsbukowski]

it was my impression, from reading the score, that this piece was not to have a conducter. someone (seems like piano or marimba in most arrangements) hits a C on the quarter notes and everyone keeps time by that. what's up with this?

[BassoonMeister]

Indeed, that is the way the score is written. However, in response to the whole history of the piece and its history, perhaps we should ask why should it not be conducted.

The lack of a repeated C is quite odd, though, to my ears. The performance works well - an excellent performance of the piece. The audience are talking too, even more excellent, as I am not one for listening to such pieces in a 'classical' manner.

[BlueCougar]

It's not supposed to be conducted as Jazz is not supposed to be conducted. It's a group process, with emphasis on spontaneous interactions between the players. there is nothing to "conduct" in this piece, as it's basically an improvisation with fixed material. A conductor makes this piece look academic. If you got the piano quarter or eighth pulse, everyone keeps on time.

[BlueCougar]

Conducting this piece totally defies the purpose of "in C". It is meant to be a group process with spontaneous interaction between the players, an improvisation with fixed motifs. I see that the conducter even gives cues, which, sorry, makes it a travesty.

[JennLovesMusic]

Personally I don't see a problem with conducting for timesake but it shouldsn't be cued--it gives me the sense that this performance was planned which I do not agree with.

[thelovebuckles]

I was with you 'til you said it was Jazz. It ain't. I'd agree with the motion here that it would be better if the conductor was replaced with somebody keeping the eighth note pulse, but it is still enjoyable.

[mosef1]

its really like...hypnotizing

[chris856]

this sounds very nice keep up the good work =]

[klactv]

Not bad, but I like the work of Glass and Reich better. And Ives.

[risamcdonell]

A pity! It doesn't have a specific length. Players start at the first pattern and play them one after the other, repeating each ad lib before moving on. Or, what we did, is to assign players a pattern to repeat. The longest known performance was 3 hours played by a marimba ensemble in Mexico.

[Lebarondesamedi]

A great documentary on a masterpiece of modern music

[fredrbx]

too bad it's only 6 minutes for a piece last one hour...

[freebrainlane]

moor!!!

[imo2007]

an Art!