Sufjan Stevens The BQE, Part 6 on WNYC

[wooooooooooka]

How would I go about getting the sheet music for this if my orchestra wanted to play it?

[smokedsalt]

I second this.

[John27346]

You should have more control over your orchestra. It's not about what they want you know.

[timwest7]

reminds me of steve reich

[AndyUnwritten]

There's an obvious minimalist influence isn't there?

[CuseyCuse]

The film BQE is heavily inspired by the film Koyanisqaatsi. Which has music by Philip Glass. So ... answer, yes.

[mco130]

i want to be in that orchestra. so much.

[butt0nup]

Okay... so... I feel bad because I want everyone to buy this album/movie/comic book... but I just found a BQE torrent... and the album is AMAZING. "Let-down" is not in Sufjan's colloquial dictionary.

[MTempestV]

Apparently this is "Movement VI- Isorhythmic Night Dance with Interchanges", so the title is very self-aware.

[emu143]

Sufjan was trained at Interlochen, which is one of the world's best schools for young musicians. I didn't even go there for music (i attended for creative writing/poetry) and I ended up learning about music/visual art just from being there. I don't doubt that he has an incredible amount of musical knowledge, which I guess this title just prooves

[lemadeleine]

soo beautiful. the entire piece is absolutely brilliant.

[k20z3fa5]

its gonna be a film by sufjan.

[k20z3fa5]

comes out october 20, 2009.

[HarvestHobo]

Sufjan is a genius

[saladshootavvv]

Such a unique sound, I love it. Most singer-songwriters I've heard that write parts for "orchestra" always make it end up sounding banal, typical, and uninspired. This is very well done!

[FatherSufi]

dude... sujan is so talented...

[54spiritedwill54]

this is brilliant.

[TheVomit]

Does anyone know where I can get a recording of this whole symphony?

[MattLeGroulx]

ditto, i want this!

[edksturtevant]

I think it is in 5/4, either that or it alternates between measures of 3/4 and 2/2, he used a similar technique in other songs (like "The tallest man....." for instance), it makes for a really cool rythmic texture

[wburgess86]

9/8 (or 9/4)

[Nickthejedi1]

I sure wish I could read music and understand time signatures. I play many various instruments, yet do not understand music theory.

[gboy98]

whats the time signature for this piece?

[expandyourmind2006]

it's in irregular meters, so it goes quickly from 5/4 to 3/4 to 1/4 then back again.

[esmhorn]

@gboy98 the written in time signature is 9/8 but it is conducted 3/2/2/2 in a 4 beat pattern

[NYnkeeGrl]

This makes me wish it was 2 weeks ago again.

[vanceoliver]

It wish some more people would post videos of the BQE

[professorcoolhair]

Sufjan was more than super in the BAM on november 1st, it was years ago (from the Kraftwerk-gig in Brussels actually) that a concert literally gave me goosebumps

we were so lucky to purchase the last tickets the day before

it made our trip to NYc sublime - in opposite of that lousy greenwich village halloween parade the day before...

Sufjan rules

[Sufjansss]

I saw him for the BQE at BAM, it 's was amazing.

[willlliw]

where are parts 1-5?

[pfabric]

I saw it at BAM too, it was phenomenal. This clip doesn't do it justice.

[paperjuicebox]

i saw this at BAM . . . he's so amazing.

[jadey0066]

I saw BAM last night (Nov 3rd) it. was. incredible.

[ShannonR88]

I saw this at BAM last night. Incredible...

[Jessitra]

I am going to see The BQE at BAM in Brooklyn, NY November 2nd! I am SO excited! I think Sufjan is wonderful. So, SO talented...

[TheBoss2332]

This song gives me a nervous uneasy feeling.

Pretty interesting although it would probably sound better with a more full orchestra.

[rascalrascal]

probably because it's not in any real head nodding/toe tapping meter, it's a good piece but i hope other sections are more steady, esp since its supposed to be about a highway

[andjosephsaid]

So Sufjan was on the piano the whole time. But I couldn't really hear him.

[noctizzle]

are you being serious?

[andjosephsaid]

Ah, now I hear him barely in the beginning. But after that, he blends in more with the flutes.

[noctizzle]

you mean guitars

[andjosephsaid]

No. There wasn't a single guitar in this video, if you watch the credits.

[wedrinkdietcoke]

that's strange, I counted at least 8 different guitars. possibly nine.

[andjosephsaid]

According to the credits, there are no guitars.

But there are string instruments: 2 violins, 1 cello, 1 viola

[andjosephsaid]

When I first saw the video, I thought Sufjan was conducting, until I saw the credits.

[SalPat23]

this is brilliant. i don't think he knows how to compose shite music.

[jymdavis]

I would say more David Lynch than Tim Burton.

[dmstith]

What neighborhood is Sufjan driving through? Sounds something like a cartoon mid-winter Jewish/Mexican traffic jam in which the road is frozen over and pink cheeked children pour out of the cars into choreographed rows of broadway dance, as filmed by Tim Burton in one super-expensive continuous shot.

in other words, totally awesome.