Wolff - For 1, 2, or 3 People

For 1, 2 or 3 People (1964)
Christian Wolff (*1934-)

Beth McDonald, tuba
Colby X. Norton, bass trombone http://www.youtube.com/user/cjnort3
Neal Markowski, percussion


----------------------

For 1, 2, or 3 People is written for an ensemble of indeterminate instrumentation and somewhat indeterminate size. Wolff is part of a group of composers which includes John Cage and Morton Feldman, and though the notation system may look unconventional, performance requires just as much skill and finesse as any more traditionally notated music would. Wolff does not attempt to control the absolutes of performance, but to elicit a specific aesthetic through his notation and direction. He also notates to achieve sounds like uncertainty and hesitation, which cannot be effectively achieved through traditional notation.
For listeners who haven't experience this type of music before, don't just concern yourself with melody, harmony, and direction. Notice texture changes, unexpected coordination, interesting instances, engaging harmonies, and anything else you want to hear. Notice how we as performers interact and react. And though a performance can be made of any pages, in any order, divided in infinitely different ways, you can still detect what defines this piece and separates it from other pieces of music.
If you still are uncertain about this concept, consider Mr. Wolff's words: "No matter what we do ... it ends by being melodic."

----------------------

Recorded live at New England Conservatory's Pierce Hall, Sunday, 7 Nov. 2010.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• christian
• wolff
• for
• or
• people
• beth
• mcdonald
• colby
• norton
• neal
• markowski
• tuba
• bass
• trombone
• percussion
• new
• york
• school
• nec
• england
• conservatory