From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V11 #28 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Tuesday, January 22 2002 Volume 11 : Number 028 Today's Subjects: ----------------- RE: 1979? ["victorian squid" ] RE: 1979? [glen uber ] Re: Vale of the White Horse [Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey ] Re: Monsoon Wedding ["Stewart C. Russell" ] Re: White Horses ["Brian Hoare" ] Reap [Michael R Godwin ] Re: Reap ["Stewart C. Russell" ] Re: White Horses [Michael R Godwin ] Re: White Horses ["Brian Hoare" ] Not Wasting time ["Redtailed Hawk" ] Quailpicks 2001 (long and way, way NR) [The Great Quail Subject: RE: 1979? On Mon, 21 Jan 2002 14:29:07 glen uber wrote: >He's the man upstairs with the hole. > >(At least 2 people on the list will get this.) Me and who else? Or is that "at least 3"? :) Incidentally, One Way Records did finally put out a deluxe CD set. $15.99 may be more than most people would want to pay for this thing, but for a double CD that's not bad a-tall and it sure beats the $350 or thereabouts the LP has gone for on Ebay last time one was up for sale. loveonya, susan Join 18 million Eudora users by signing up for a free Eudora Web-Mail account at http://www.eudoramail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 17:17:12 -0700 From: glen uber Subject: RE: 1979? victorian squid wrote: >Me and who else? Or is that "at least 3"? :) Actually, I was thinking of you and James. >Incidentally, One Way Records did finally put out a >deluxe CD set. $15.99 may be more than most people >would want to pay for this thing, but for a double CD >that's not bad a-tall and it sure beats the $350 or >thereabouts the LP has gone for on Ebay last time one >was up for sale. $350!!! Holy crap! I paid 15 bucks for mine about 12 years ago. - -g- "In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments -- there are Consequences." - --R.G. Ingersoll ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 00:31:14 -0600 (CST) From: Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey Subject: Re: Vale of the White Horse On Mon, 21 Jan 2002, matt sewell wrote: > As a kid I used to live only a few miles from White Horse Hill. For years > it was thought that the horse signified a victory in battle of Alfred > over the... Danes..? in 871. Recently it's been found that it's far > older, much more likely from the Bronze Age... the nearby hillfort is a > fantastic example, with the outer ramparts still intact. Also nearby is > Wayland Smithy (hardcore Julian Cope fans will know this is refered to on > the fantastically whacked-out Skellington II album) Also among the more obscure sources of names for Simpsons characters. - --Jeff Jeffrey Norman, Posemodernist University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Dept. of Mumblish & Competitive Obliterature http://www.uwm.edu/~jenor/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 08:33:38 +0000 From: "Stewart C. Russell" Subject: Re: abfeg dmw wrote: > > thanks. got the ref, but not why it would garner a lawsuit -- was > thinking PNMJ might be some british poetry-related entity of which i was > unaware. I think that PNMJ is, or was, a poet. Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 08:35:18 +0000 From: "Stewart C. Russell" Subject: Re: Monsoon Wedding Rob wrote: > > Or am I thinking of the wrong sort of marigolds? I think you are. Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 09:07:28 +0000 From: "Brian Hoare" Subject: Re: White Horses >From: "matt sewell" >As a kid I used to live only a few miles from White Horse Hill. For years >it was thought that the horse signified a victory in battle of Alfred >over the... Danes..? in 871. Recently it's been found that it's far >older, much more likely from the Bronze Age... the nearby hillfort is a >fantastic example, with the outer ramparts still intact. Wrong white horse for Alfred v. Danes. For that you have to come further west. Although Uffington is undoubtably ancient, the seven or more white horses we have in Wessex are 18th Century or later. However it is believed that the eldest, the horse at Westbury, was constructed over an eariler one created to commomerate the battle of Eddington (Ethandun) where Alfred finally routed the Danes before chasing them to Chippenham to negotiate surrender and the setting up of Danelaw. There is evidence of a white horse at this site prior to 1700. A couple of years back the Ethandun Memorial Committee raised a sarsen stone, as used in Avebury, Stone Henge &c at Bratton Castle, an iron age fort that stands on the hill above the Westbury horse as a memorial to this battle. None of the newer Wiltshire horses are as impressive as Uffington, they are big but dont have the artistic grace of Uffington. Some like the ones at Pewsey, Marlborough and Hackpen try to mimic Uffington, the others such as my local the Cherhill horse are a lot less stylistic. Without getting too heavily into Wessex ancient sites but keeping to Alfred and the Danes I could add that my home town of Chippenham is both where Alfred's army was suprised at Christmas in 871? which lead directly to his fleeing to Somerset and the cakes/fugitive stuff and where the final peace between Wessex and the Danes was concluded. Recent DNA tests ( BBC Blood of the Vikings) failed to find any long time inhabitant ( Grandfather was local) of Scandanavian descent. Alfred was the grandfather of Athelstan who conquered most of England, holding councils in York and Northumbria and even niggling the Scotts he is "buried" in nearby Malmesbury which is off course home to Eilmer the Flying Monk - but that's another story. Who was who said "The Americans think 100 years is a long time, the British think 100 miles is a long way" ? Bri "Devolution for Wessex" an np Element of Light _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 10:07:05 +0000 (GMT) From: Michael R Godwin Subject: Reap Peggy Lee. My favourites were: Fever (obviously) I can sing a rainbow He's a tramp (from 'Lady and the Tramp', with doggie chorus). But there were plenty of other good recordings. - - Mike Godwin ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 10:28:50 +0000 From: "Stewart C. Russell" Subject: Re: Reap Michael R Godwin wrote: > > Peggy Lee. oh, man! I have to say, I still think that the cover of "Fever" by The Cramps is better than PL's original. Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 11:07:06 +0000 (GMT) From: Michael R Godwin Subject: Re: White Horses On Tue, 22 Jan 2002, Brian Hoare wrote: > Wrong white horse for Alfred v. Danes. For that you have to come further > west. Although Uffington is undoubtably ancient, the seven or more white > horses we have in Wessex are 18th Century or later. However it is believed > that the eldest, the horse at Westbury, was constructed over an eariler one > created to commomerate the battle of Eddington (Ethandun) where Alfred > finally routed the Danes before chasing them to Chippenham to negotiate > surrender and the setting up of Danelaw. There is evidence of a white horse > at this site prior to 1700. A couple of years back the Ethandun Memorial > Committee raised a sarsen stone, as used in Avebury, Stone Henge &c at > Bratton Castle, an iron age fort that stands on the hill above the Westbury > horse as a memorial to this battle. I have seen a theory that the Uffington horse marked the northern boundary of Wessex. This was assuming that the horse was Anglo-Saxon, rather than Iron Age. However, it could still make sense in terms of Iron Age boundaries as well. Somewhere I have seen an impression of the original Westbury horse - it might have been by wacky Tom Lethbridge, who probably drew it with the aid of a pendulum and a divining rod - great big head facing the opposite direction from the modern horse, small cartoon-like body and a squiggly tail IIRC. He (or possibly someone else) also referred to the lost Red Horse of Tysoe as being another Iron Age creation. [Lethbridge's book on the Gogmagog Hill figures in Cambridgeshire is as crazy and impressive as anything I have read on the subject]. > None of the newer Wiltshire horses are as impressive as Uffington, they are > big but dont have the artistic grace of Uffington. Some like the ones at > Pewsey, Marlborough and Hackpen try to mimic Uffington, the others such as > my local the Cherhill horse are a lot less stylistic. And don't forget the enormous Osmington horse with a rider who might be George III. > Without getting too heavily into Wessex ancient sites but keeping to Alfred > and the Danes I could add that my home town of Chippenham is both where > Alfred's army was suprised at Christmas in 871? which lead directly to his > fleeing to Somerset and the cakes/fugitive stuff and where the final peace > between Wessex and the Danes was concluded. Recent DNA tests ( BBC Blood of > the Vikings) failed to find any long time inhabitant ( Grandfather was > local) of Scandanavian descent. Well, put it this way: they only found substantial populations with Ancient Briton DNA in Wales (not in Scotland, interestingly). Everywhere else had majority DNA from Germany and Denmark, but they couldn't distinguish between the two, so there was no way of identifying which areas were Danish Vikings and which were German Anglo-Saxons. The only success they had with tracking down Vikings was with Norwegian DNA, which they found (in decreasing frequency) in the Shetlands, the Hebrides, the IoM and Cumbria. Can't remember what they found in the Orkneys, but presumably the results were similar. The most interesting local DNA success was when a teacher took a school group down Wookey Hole and had them all tested against the DNA of the cavemen who once lived there. The teacher came out as a perfect match! > Alfred was the grandfather of Athelstan who > conquered most of England, holding councils in York and Northumbria and even > niggling the Scotts he is "buried" in nearby Malmesbury which is off course > home to Eilmer the Flying Monk - but that's another story. I need to know! Bladud, the founder of Bath, also flew from time to time after he gave up pig-keeping. See: > Bri "Devolution for Wessex" an See also: - - Mike Godwin ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 12:03:44 +0000 From: "Brian Hoare" Subject: Re: White Horses >From: Michael R Godwin > > niggling the Scotts he is "buried" in nearby Malmesbury which is off >course > > home to Eilmer the Flying Monk - but that's another story. > >I need to know! Bladud, the founder of Bath, also flew from time to time >after he gave up pig-keeping. See: > > In short Eilmer/Elmer/Oliver was a monk at the abbey. William of Malmesbury records that in 1010 he flew or glided about 200 yards from the top of the abbey, breaking his legs in the fall after turbulance destabalised him. His flight is commerated in stained glass at the Abbey and by the pub "The Flying Monk". In the 70's his flight was reenacted by a team from the RAF but they cheated and used a rope to slide down. Its is said that E/E/O saw Halleys comet twice in his life (the second in 1066). Nothing on the web matches the depth of research on him as the 30-odd page booklet I have at home that I bought at the Athelstan museum. It contains info on other early flights, including a similar one by an arab that he may have learnt of, more info on his astronomic activities, possible flight paths and much more. > > Bri "Devolution for Wessex" an > >See also: > It would interest me more if Lord Bath wasn't at its head :( But an org that is considering having "Sumer is icumen in" as it's song can't be all bad. Brian. np Moss Elixir _________________________________________________________________ Join the worlds largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 16:53:59 +0000 From: "Redtailed Hawk" Subject: Not Wasting time LOTR -- It had to happen: www.chem.ucla.edu/~bnh - ------------------------------- >Daniel Lanois produces RH's next album?? You know, maybe this is just wistful thinking on my part and or even worse, middle-age wistful projection---but all joking aside. Does anyone elese get the feeling that ...well, it may be Robyn's time? Its hard to think of any other equally able artist who has more effeciantly and effectively thrown spanners into his own supposed good fortune. In fact one could claim that Robyn's greatest genius is to be as good as he is and yet to be so overlooked. True, his stuff is too complex and interactive for him to be the next Bryan Adams-- but I'm sure a lesser level of noteriety would not only be attainable, but in most circumstances would even be considered likely. One could perhaps write a very funny, and perhaps touching story about the greatest rock n roll artist in the world ... and his various misadventures as he triumphently elludes the great bitch goddess that so many others would perhaps do anything to please. But every human has to face their fate at some point,and as Robyn says--he's too old to waste time. Middle-age can have that effect. So what if he throws in his anti-achievement hand and submits himself to hard work, good production and an honest go? Am I the only one who things things might fall into place for him? That some of his best work is ahead? And that the world might be a better place for it? Or is my naivity showing itself again and I should go back to organizing the "Robyn Hitchcock must never be famous" campagn? Kay,-- less waste, more time _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 12:23:09 -0500 From: The Great Quail Subject: Quailpicks 2001 (long and way, way NR) Ah, January! The month that gives me self-indulgent license to play amateur record & movie critic! So let me dust off my best pithy one-liners, adopt a tone of pretentious cool, and once again submit to the gentle delusion that my opinions on a few movies and CDs will be read, digested, and mulled over for the next few years. ("Yes, yes, I know Ebert says that, but have you read the Quail's opinion...?") Fully formatted homepage version: http://www.libyrinth.com/quail/raves.html With all apologies to Eb, who really knows how to do this, let me begin.... **Top Ten Rock/Pop CDs of 2001** 1. "Vespertine," Bjork. It's hard to write about this album, because it escapes all categorization -- post-rock? Art music? Harp rock? Bjork is simply somewhere else altogether, and though groups like Portishead and Radiohead may visit this realm of ethereal whispers, stuttering pulses, and slippery melodies, Bjork calls it her home, bringing her music with her when she visits, like the weather or the smell of a different season. (I probably shouldn't admit this, but I like to put on "Vespertine" and pretend Bjork wrote it just for me, and when "Pagan Poetry" comes on, I understand why some people become stalkers.) (Did I mention the restraining order?) 2. "No More Shall We Part," Nick Cave. Building on the introspective feel of "The Boatman's Call," "No More Shall We Part" adds more of the Bad Seed's musical robustness and bittersweet textures to the fragile beauty of Boatman's melodies. Again more conflicts with love, death, and God, these songs cut deep, and linger long in the marrow, and songs like "Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow" still blow me away after dozens of hearings. Hopefully for the sake of modern music, happiness and peace with God will continue to elude Mr. Cave. 3. "Love and Theft," Bob Dylan. Dylan's best album since "Blood on the Tracks," "Love and Theft" was released on September 11, and I have found it impossible not to project related feelings and images into it -- and oddly enough it seems to accept them, resonating in tune with images of caution, anger, grace and healing. "Love and Theft" is a very American album, full of sly mischief, raised-eyebrow irony, and Old Testament prophecy; almost timeless, it wouldn't seem out of place coming from my grandfather's radio or being sung as folk music by my own grandchildren. 4. "Amnesiac," Radiohead. The well-named "Amnesiac" continues Radiohead's exploration of the musical world they opened with "OK Computer," and in some ways it seems like a blend between the two -- although it has the same nebulous pulse and hypnagogic dreaminess as "Kid A," the songs are a bit more structured; though even that feels in danger of evaporating if probed too deeply. Like Bjork's "Vespertine," a lot of this music seems to unfold in your unconscious, and only after a dozen or so hearings do you suddenly find yourself humming along, as if the melodies have newly materialized in your head. If I were a teenager, I guarantee that I would have every Radiohead lyric written down on the covers of my notebooks, ala Pink Floyd.... 5. "Flow," Foetus. Although I am a newcomer to Foetus, a single spin was all I needed to get hooked. Full of furious metal riffs, clanking industrial grooves, and swingy lounge vamps, "Flow" is not just a marriage of numerous strains of music; it's a shotgun wedding, with Tom Waits as preacher, Trent Reznor as ringbearer, and Alice Cooper conducting a very ill-tempered wedding band. A crazy album that seems to be on the verge of constantly flying apart, by the time it ends, it's not only managed to hang together, but even make a kind of sense. And the most scary thing of all, is most of the sounds are made by one man, JG Thirwell, who sounds like he very badly needs a stiff drink when the Reception is over. (That is, if he hasn't bitch-slapped the maid of honor and gunned down the groomsmen.) 6. "Poses," Rufus Wainright. Rufus Wainright's debut album was an unexpected surprise, a proverbial bolt from the blue -- a dizzy mixture of gliding vocals, near-perfect instrumentation and sumptuous melodies that would've had Puccini lurking around to sneak a peek at his notebook. His follow-up suffers from a drift towards more fashionable pop music -- but when it shines, it really shines, and songs like "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk," "Greek Song," "Poses" and "Grey Gardens" are well worth the occasional misfire. 7. "Acoustic Greatest Hits," The Cure. Normally I wouldn't put a compilation or live album in my top ten list, but for this disc -- which is both -- I will make a happy exception. I don't think I've ever heard Robert Smith have more fun with his own music, and rather than just play straight unplugged versions, he re-imagines them and makes them sound completely fresh. His voice bats and tumbles the lyrics like a lazy cat playing with a well-worn toy, trying to scratch out new tangles and taking pleasure in slowly unravelling old knots. Songs like "Love Cats" and "Let's Go to Bed" feel deliriously sloppy, a strange mix of lazy and sexy with a hint of irony at their once youthful exuberance. "Lullaby" benefits the most from being stripped down and loosened up; cleared of all its theatrical effects, Smith's weird, homoerotic nightmare now sounds thrillingly coy. The more poignant songs benefit as well, and Smith puts some genuine feeling into them -- with "Just Like Heaven" and "Lovesong," it sounds like he's rediscovering just how beautiful they really are. 8. "Lateralus," Tool. If I ever wake up to find myself trapped in a theme park designed by Jan Svankmeyer and run by Jeneut and Caro, and no matter how many years I try to escape, I only to find myself waking up each morning back in the funhouse, and my only fellow prisoner is a nutritional expert/Yoga instructor from Los Angeles who dresses like a clown and stares at me while I sleep, this is the album I would have playing in my head when I finally flip out, hijack a roller-coaster train, and run it screaming off the loop-the-loop into the Hall of Mirrors. 9. "Look into the Eyeball," David Byrne. While it's not going to break any new ground or win any new fans, there's something very reassuring about a David Byrne album, and his latest solo album strikes a good balance between his Talking Heads inventiveness and his fondness for world music. The result is one of his more consistent and interesting albums, spiked with Byrne's usual wry commentary and kinky Romanticism. 10. "Ten New Songs," Leonard Cohen. Cohen released one of the best albums of the 90s with "The Future," a work of trenchant observation delivered seemingly without effort. The combination of his weary, deadpan voice and razor-sharp words was irresistible, raising his sad, closing-time wisdom to the level of poetic truth. I would be delighted to report that "Ten New Songs" is a worthy successor, but it unfortunately lacks much of the variety and bite that made "The Future" so unforgettable. While Cohen may still sound like the wisest drunk on the barstool, the almost-soured Romanticism of "Ten New Songs" fails to chart any new territory, dwelling instead on the same broken hearts and "beautiful losers" that populate his last few albums. That being said, it is still a Leonard Cohen album, and for that alone it places on my top ten list. I only wish it would have tried harder to come in at number one. Honorable Mentions: This year, there's been a spate of really interesting compilations, soundtracks, and cover albums -- Tori Amos' bizarre but enjoyable "Strange Little Girls," Einst|rzende Neubauten's collection of alternates and rarities "Strategies Against Architecture III," the audacious soundtrack to "Moulin Rouge," and from the Smashing Pumpkins, both a new CD of B-sides and a fully loaded DVD of all their videos. **Favorite Five Opera/Vocal CDs of 2001 (previously unreleased material)** 1. "El Nino," John Adams. (Kent Nagano; Elektra Nonesuch.) John Adams' modern Nativity oratorio is not only the best thing he's written since "Nixon in China," it may be the best thing he's written. Filled with his usual driving rhythms and supple vocal lines, as well as more unusual features like a trio of countertenor angels, acoustic guitar, and settings of contemporary Latin American poetry, "El Nino" is big, bold and powerful without sounding busy or pretentious. The vocal performances are all heartfelt and perfectly nuanced, bringing out an emotional dimension in the Biblical characters rarely seen in more traditional approaches. It is a work that dares to be something both honest and majestic, and succeeds on every level. This is what new American music should be; and it deserves hearing by more than just fans of classical music. 2. "Schneewittchen," Heinz Holliger. (Heinz Holliger; ECM. Libretto after a play by Robert Walser.) A pomo take on Snow White, "Schneewittchen" is a far cry from Walt Disney. Its opening immediately reveals that you're in for something quite unusual: an eerie, wordless chorus gradually emerges from the distance, like voices rising from a murky, snowbound forest. The prologue ends as the voices fragment into the principal characters, who are speaking to us from beyond the grave -- the opera takes place long after the standard fairy tale, and finds the characters trapped in a Beckett-like existence, endlessly rehearsing different psychological, emotional, and erotic scenarios. Although identities occasionally change, the focus is on a quartet made up of Snow White, the Queen, the Prince and the Huntsman. (The dwarves are absent in this opera -- I suppose they're out on a bender in Nibelheim.) The music itself is generally Expressionist/atonal in the way of Berg, and its offbeat melodies are punctuated by some colorful moments -- shimmering bells, dark brass, accordions, and whirling violins enter the tale like minor characters or shifting states of mind. The singers give exceptional performances, handling the material with ease, which can move rather quickly from states of beauty to harshness to alarm. (Snow White in particular seems to be a rather punishing role.) The opera sounds constantly driven, which is both a strength and perhaps a weakness -- it allows little room for the development of consistent melodies which might somewhat ground the characters. Still, there is a breathless thrill in the pitiless pace, and Holliger provides a few resting points along the way in the form of musical interludes, some of which surprisingly develop into passages rich in counterpoint. Quite a work, and I'm sure a very intense experience to see staged. 3. "Total Eclipse," John Tavener. (Paul Goodwin; Harmonia Mundi.) I can't say I'm a big Tavener fan, but damn if this work isn't winning me over. Using the metaphor of a total eclipse to symbolize the conversion St. Paul, "Total Eclipse" borrows from the composer's trademark "holy minimalism" as much as it forges ahead into new polystylistic ground. Despite a shrieking saxophone, shuddering percussion, antique instruments, and some fairly dissonant passages, Tavener keeps the piece grounded in a spiritual base that keeps the stranger material from sounding gimmicky. It eventually settles into a more tranquil mode, unfolding slowly until the luminous end. It is well-paired with "Agraphon," a setting of a Greek religious poem which Tavener brings to life with a blend of gorgeous lyricism, quivering timpani, and intriguing, spiralling progressions. 4. "A View from the Bridge," William Bolcolm. (Dennis Russell Davies; New World. Libretto by Arthur Miller and Arnold Weinstein.) Generally hailed as one of the best recent American operas, Bolcolm's take on Arthur Miller's play has all the ingredients of a traditional opera -- tragically flawed characters, soaring melodies, even a revenge aria -- and yet strikes a thoroughly modern chord, its dynamic score underlining themes of family dysfunction and incest. Drawing from a eclectic palette that serves to support the characters rather than bury them, Bolcolm's music moves deftly through an emotional and stylistic landscape, from jazz to lyricism to dissonance. Although the beginning of the opera is a bit talky, the arrival of Rodolpho brings a wonderful Italian tenor into the mix, his spirited voice soaring above the Brooklyn dockworkers and pulling the opera along to its tragic conclusion. 5. "Joseph Merrick dit Elephant Man," Laurent Petitgirard. (Laurent Petitgirard; Le Chant du Monde. Libretto by Eric Nonn.) OK, so maybe this really isn't one of the year's great works; but it should get some kind of credit for its bizarre choice of subject. With lush, fluttering music that looks back to the Impressionists, Petitgirard tells the story of Joseph Merrick as a fairly traditional opera, drawing sharp emotional portraits of Merrick and Doctor Treves. Although some darker touches here and there hint at a more modern sensibility, occasionally the music tends to be a bit sentimental (especially in the strings), and it takes a while to get used to Merrick as a contralto. (Though Nathalie Stutzmann does an admirable job.) Still, it's probably the only opera that will ever be made on this subject, so it's certainly worth a listen! **Favorite Five Instrumental Classical CDs of 2001** 1. "Century Rolls," John Adams (Christoph von Dohnanyi; Elektra Nonesuch.) A piano concerto written for Emanuel Ax, "Century Rolls" is another triumph for John Adams, who has lately been working at a creative peak. A turbulent but joyous "First Movement" rushes to a reflective middle section inspired by Satie and punningly titled "Manny's Gym." Quiet and lovely, it has a natural and unaffected beauty. The third movement ("Hail Bop") takes its name from the Hale-Bopp comet and Bebop jazz, and draws the entire concerto closed in a skittering, propulsive whirlwind. The concerto is teamed up with two other works, "Lollapalooza" and "Slominsky's Earbox," the former a grand romp across the lower brass, the latter a self-described "virtuoso" exploration of Adam's minimalist and contrapuntal styles. 2. "String Quartet (II)," Morton Feldman. (Ives Ensemble; Hat Art.) Critic John Story once remarked that Morton Feldman does not have fans, he has fanatics; and it's a work like this that doesn't help prove him wrong. The first full recording of his notoriously long second String Quartet, lasting nearly five hours and spanning four CDs, this piece has been described as mesmerizing, irritating, profoundly spiritual, and mind-numbingly boring. Truly, it may be all those things and more; however, with a work of this length, the mind dips in and out at various intervals in various moods -- what may sound irritating during one hearing may sound illuminating during another, and during a third, may not even be noticed. Like a kaleidoscope in slow motion, or stars and planets tracking across the night sky, patterns shift and change, lines morph over time, and any perceivable shape and form relies more on the listener's perception and memory than any immediately comprehensible structure. Quite an impressive achievement, though maybe not to everyone's taste. (Though a must for a Feldman fanatic.) 3. "Requiem for Adam," Terry Riley. (Kronos Quartet; Elektra Nonesuch.) Written to mark the premature death of Adam Harrington, teenage son of Kronos violinist David Harrington, "Requiem" is an unusual piece for a work bearing that title. Cut from the same cloth as Riley's previous (and underrated) string quartets, for the most part it would sound at home on "Cadenza at the Night Plain" or "Salome Dances for Peace." It starts with a very energetic movement, somewhere between a scherzo and a loose fugue based on a few simple patterns. But the middle movement comes as a surprise, a sudden burst of electronic instruments announcing a quasi-industrial section rich in complexity. (It actually sounds reminiscent of King Crimson's "ProjecKt" pieces.) The third and final movement returns to the unassisted quartet. Subtitled "Requiem for Adam," its long, sliding notes and anxious motion suddenly give way to a stately, processional interlude suffused with a tender sadness and a gnawing uncertainty. The piece ends with a return to the dance-like energy, closing on a final coda expressed as the two syllables in Adam's name. Perhaps less a traditional requiem than a musical portrait, it's nevertheless a thoroughly fascinating and occasionally moving work. It's followed by "The Philosopher's Hand," a gentle piano solo improvised by Riley in the memory of his mentor, Pandit Pran Nath. 4. "Triple Quartet," Steve Reich. (Kronos Quartet; Elektra Nonesuch.) This CD contains Reich's second string quartet, and while it may not be as innovative as "Different Trains," it is still typically inventive -- a primary quartet plays against two recorded versions of itself. Surprisingly, the result is some of the most melodic music of Reich's career. Though intellectual enjoyment may be taken in the way the different lines weave through each other, the piece is emotionally engaging as well, and almost dances and swings. The disc contains some good "alternate versions" of previously released pieces; but it's the "Triple Quartet" that really stands out. 5. "Isbin: Christopher Rouse/Tan Dun," Christopher Rouse, Tan Dun. (Sharon Isbin/Muhai Tang; Teldec.) An unusual CD, this disc pairs two guitar concertos written by composers who rarely write things like guitar concertos. Of the two, I slightly favor Rouse's "Concert de Gaudi for Guitar and Orchestra," with its unpredictable twists and Spanish deconstructions. Both pieces, however, are remarkable in the way they use the acoustic guitar in very non-traditional ways, bending its sound into their own creative shape rather producing something that would feel at home on a John Williams disc. I am not sure I would select this as an introduction to either composer's work, but it certainly rewards the adventurous. **Favorite Five Classical CDs of 2001 (previously released material)** 1. "The Bayreuth Centenary Ring Cycle," Richard Wagner (Pierre Boulez; Phillips DVD) OK, so it's a DVD box set, and was originally filmed in 1980 -- who cares? It would be a musical sin not to make mention of this impressive and very welcome release. In 1976 the unlikely -- and quite unGermanic -- pair of Pierre Boulez and Patrice Chireau staged the Ring in Bayreuth on its 100th anniversary. Recast as a political/family drama in a surreally industrialized Nineteenth Century, the controversial production became an instant legend, and set new standards in operatic acting and Wagner interpretation. Resurrected from the vaults, gently remastered in Dolby 5.1, surprisingly low-priced, and handsomely bound in a colorful box set, the entire cycle on DVD now costs almost half of what an entire CD set would cost. Ah yes, 17 hours of Wagner, 17 sweet hours of post-industrial Wagner.... 2. "Ariadne auf Naxos," Richard Strauss. (Giuseppe Sinopoli; Deutsche Grammophon.) The last recording from the late, great Giuseppe Sinopoli, "Ariadne auf Naxos" is yet another jewel in his crown of Strauss performances, and the fact that it's such a rarely performed and recorded work makes it doubly welcome. With a cast that includes Debra Voigt, Sophie von Otter and a riveting Ben Heppner, there's not much that can go wrong, and conductor, orchestra and cast bring Strauss' sprawling Greek comedy to vivid life. Rich and full at times with Wagnerian intensity, at other points light and graceful as a chamber piece, this recording should help the oft-neglected Ariadne force Salome, Elektra and Der Rosenkavalier to scootch over on the Strauss Popularity bench. 3. "Ligeti Project 1," Gyorgy Ligeti. (Various; Teldec.) The continuation of Sony's "Ligeti Project" now on Teldec, this CD contains Ligeti's "Chamber Concerto," "Melodien," "Mysteries of the Macabre," and his excellent "Piano Concerto," played here with passion and confidence by the great Pierre-Laurent Aimard. The "Piano Concerto" is indeed the highlight of the disc, with Ligeti's clock-factory-out-of-control music alternating nicely with passages haunted by sparse figures of sadness. All in all, a good introduction to his work, as well as a pleasing release for a fan. 4. "Turangalila-Symphonie," Olivier Messiaen. (Kent Nagano; Teldec.) "Turangalila" is an epic work, spanning ten movements and containing a world of complexities and emotions. Happily, Nagano is up to the challenge -- I own numerous versions of "Turangalila," and this is hands-down my new favorite. The tranquil moments carry a sense of peace that borders on the sublime, the growing tension of the furiously wheeling passages is electrifying, and the more exuberant movements reach a level of joyful ecstasy that lives up to the work's Sanskrit name. ("Turangalila" is an coined word, a nearly untranslatable compound word implying the loving act of creation in time and space. It also gives Futurama's sexy one-eyed captain her name -- "Turanga Leela.") Pierre-Laurent Aimard's piano may not be as incisive as some, but he more than compensates with the beautiful mastery he brings to the role, illuminating it with a deep understanding that comes from a genuine love of the music. 5. "Satyagraha," Philip Glass. (Dennis Russell Davies/The Stuttgart Opera; RM Associates.) Finally, a Philip Glass opera on DVD! And an excellent choice, too -- "Satyagraha," his "portrait opera" about Gandhi's early life, is considered by many to be his most beautiful and insightful work. However, the version released here happens to be the Achim Freyer production, which is controversial, to say the least. (Even Glass himself admitted to being negatively surprised by it.) While I can't really say that I hate it, I do have a few problems with Freyer's interpretation -- it's one of those productions that comes very close to avant garde self-parody, and its weird-and-shocking for the sake of weird-and-shocking approach occasionally undermines Glass' beautiful music. Still, it is fascinating, and the performance itself is wonderful, though thinly recorded and only available in 2.0 stereo. Hopefully the future will hold more Glass operas on DVD, perhaps with more agreeable productions and recorded with modern sound technology. Honorable Mentions: The Emerson String Quartet's "The Haydn Project" is certainly another feather in their cap, bringing a lightness and fluid joy to these seminal quartets. Also of note is Pierre Boulez' revisitation of Varhse -- "Ameriques," "Arcana," "Deserts" & "Ionisation," with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and released on DG. Boulez brings more assurance to these works than ever, and while more idiosyncratic and controlled than the recent Chailly set, are surprisingly worth hearing for the subtle and more subdued moments than the wild bursts of sound. **Top Ten Movies** 1. "Lord of the Rings" First of all, I have to confess, I have been looking forward to this movie since it was announced, and December 19 has been marked on my calendar since January 1, 2001. And despite my (perhaps unrealistically) high expectations, Jackson's Ring did not disappoint! It had beauty, awe, and nobility; the scary scenes were actually scary, the dynamics of power were reasonably explored, and best of all, the characters truly came to life. This was no Tim Burton set-piece, beautiful to look at but ultimately sterile; no overly-literal Harry Potter diorama; it really had heart and soul. If the film is not nominated for Best Picture, and if Sir Ian McKellan does not win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, Peter Jackson should be allowed to exile the entire Academy to Mt. Doom to suffer an eternity of screening "Driving Miss Daisy" on a perpetual loop. As one Internet critic remarked, "Memo to George Lucas: This is how you deliver on a promise." 2. "Moulin Rouge" In any other non-Ring containing year, this postmodern "La Boheme" meets psychedelic "Cabaret" would have easily been my favorite movie of the year. A brilliant, almost overwhelming kaleidoscope of music and images, perhaps the best thing about "Moulin Rouge" is the emotional purity that shines through the explosive dazzle. Though is cheerfully steals from cabaret, pop, Broadway, opera, and even Gilbert & Sullivan, the film is delightfully original; and the very fact that it so brazenly exploits every single period clichi is half the charm. ("The first time I tried...absinthe!") 3. "Memento" Part temporal jigsaw puzzle, part psychological portrait, part modern crime drama, "Memento" fits together like one of those puzzle-boxes from "Hellraiser" -- just when you think it's locked into place, it starts moving again, and generally only bad things come out. Intelligent as well as utterly cool, its "I have no short-term memory" conceit allows it to twist and trick in ways that avoid feeling contrived, and never cease to amaze. 4. "Mullholland Drive" David Lynch revisits the warped universe of "Twin Peaks" and "The Lost Highway," but with the skill and attention he brought to "The Elephant Man." Like "Memento," "Mullholland Drive" is a puzzle-box of a movie, one that presents hallucination and reality as equal partners. Set in an overly-ripe Los Angeles, saturated with erotic colors and dark with oblique menace, the film glides through a dreamy landscape where the hyper-real is in constant collision with the fantastic. Identities shift and merge, false trails are projected and abandoned, and the viewer's perception is always hostage to the possible fantasies of the characters. Like the contents of the mysterious and appealingly sinister blue box at the center of the film, Lynch allows the logical core of "Mullholland Drive" to remain locked away behind a changing fagade of smooth, cool surfaces. Submerged beneath the emotional reality of the characters, we perceive some sort of reason and logic; but unlike "Memento," reason alone is not enough to understand exactly what's going on. This movie is a dream, but not in the usual, cheap cinematic sense of the term - -- it's a Mobius strip, an Escher painting, the language of "Finnegans Wake;" it defies waking logic, and yet seems remarkably complete and seamless. 5. "The Others" Although it garnered many comparisons to "The Sixth Sense," "The Others" stands on its own as a smart and surprisingly earnest ghost story that takes just as much inspiration from "The Turn of the Screw" as it does Hollywood. Subtle and well-paced, it's not afraid to take its time, building up an atmosphere of creepiness and disorientation that finally blossoms in a series of well-earned twists. Well-acted, intellectually engaging, and downright eerie, "The Others" deserves a place among the best supernatural thrillers. 6. "Black Hawk Down" I find myself in a love-hate relationship with this film. On one hand, it's clearly "Ridley Scott's Great War Movie," in many ways the mesmerizing and harrowing war epic I've always wanted from the director of "Alien" and "Blade Runner." The camera-work and direction are fantastic, the action sequences are paradoxically both beautiful and terrifying, and the human tension is totally nervewracking. Scott manages to avoid the cinematic WWII and Vietnam rut; even more so than "Three Kings," he seems to nail the look and feel of modern warfare. The soldiers are young Americans and volunteers, hip-hop commandoes facing actual terror for the first time, sent on a mission of mercy to a land they have little connection to. Their fear, confusion and bravery are genuine, and it is painful to watch their ordeal. On the other hand, the movie also contains far too much Jerry Bruckheimer, which comes barreling clumsily to the surface whenever the action or exposition stops -- tired war movie clichis, rah-rah pep talks, and especially towards the end, cornball dialogue right out of "Pearl Harbor." More than once I found myself wincing at painfully obvious moments where the film felt the need to beat us over the head with its lessons. A better film (arguably the one Scott would have made alone?) would have forgone the speechifying and allowed the audience -- and the characters -- to draw their own moral conclusions from events. So "Black Hawk Down" remains a flawed film, an almost-masterpiece -- it could have be part Scott's "Platoon," but instead it stands as a brilliant movie trying to escape from one that's merely good. 7. "A.I." Much anticipated and greatly debated, this hybrid of Kubrick and Spielberg disappointed many, confused a few, delighted others; but got everyone talking. Sure, it's big and sprawling and occasionally messy, and the ending will be controversial for a long time. (I for one liked the idea of the ending, but loathed the patronizing exposition.) But despite its flaws, "A.I." dares to think big, and Spielberg's exploration of a darker world of science fiction is a hopeful sign for "The Minority Report." 8. "Harry Potter" First of all, I haven't read the books, so I went to this movie with little expectations. Although even a non-Potter fan like myself could tell the movie was too rigid, bound by reverence, and afraid to really breathe, I nevertheless found myself enchanted. Far from the sanitized world of Disney, "Harry Potter" places its young protagonists in a world fraught with real danger, and asks them to face moral issues about family, loyalty and power. If this is what today's kids are reading, I have no complaints! 9. "Monsters, Inc." Shrek who? 10. ??? I have yet to see "Amelie," "Sexy Beast," "Ghost World," or "The Waking Life;" all of which have been highly recommended. Honorable Mentions: Almost everyone I know raved about "The Royal Tenenbaums," which I found too in love with its own eccentricities. (Though Gene Hackman was great.) But I do admire Wes Anderson for putting together such a complicated film, and trying to do something different. And speaking of different, I would be remiss to omit "Freddy Got Fingered," which seems to have permanently scarred my brain. I am not sure if that's good or bad. - --Quail - -- +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+ Quailpicks: Top Ten films, CDs, and classical releases of 2001: http://www.libyrinth.com/quail/raves.html "i'm not a critic, though i play one on the internet." -- doug mayo-wells ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V11 #28 *******************************