Yes, "Agricola: Fortuna desperata--Secular Music of the 15th Century" is the one. There is a similar program on Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, simply titled Agricola Chansons, which is also well-performed, but I have always found it dry.

Jim

After years of searching, I turned up a video of the first (black and white) performance of Menotti's "Amahl and the Night Visitors" - The bass who sang the part of Wise Man Balthazar in this 50's masterpiece, in 1986 sang the part of the Pharaoh at the 25th anniversary performance of Portland Oregon's revival of Verdi's "Aida" - the chorus master (now at Seattle Opera) was a former member and accompanist of the San Francisco Boy's Choir, and a student of mine when I worked with that group as vocal and drama coach, and, since this was a huge productin (new sets, new costumes, live elephant), to save money he asked me to come out of retirement and be on hand to understudy for Giacomini (performances available on youtube), and to sing with the chorus - what a thrill - and, mercifully this glorious singer did not need to be replaced - that show is a real workout. Indeed "The Telephone" is a hoot - really fun to do - and the piano gets to be the persons on the other end of the phone - requires a colorature and a baritone - I consider "The Medium" which I directed in "95" locally one of the best things I ever did in terms of staging creatively - and "Black Swan" is still musically one of Menotti's best pieces ever. As I said, Clark loved it - I played the record for him at my house - he did not have any electronic devices in his cabin - no electricity.

K_A_:

Last round for me here on music, as it is too tangential to the forum... but...

Gryphon's first two albums are the best, for my taste. The first will leave you in crumhorn heaven. I like Red Queen, but the wheels were starting to come off the wagon, by then.

By the way, Gryphon reunited for a one-off live show in 2009, I believe. It was strictly acoustic, as apparently Richard Harvey refuses to have anything to do with electricity, these days--in music, at least!

Yes, I am a progressive rock aficionado (and musician) of long standing. I am not very fond of jazz-fusion, though. That said, if you like Mahavishnu, then you might want to try to find a 1973 album by an obscure German band, Dzyan. It's called Time Machine. Though clearly influenced by The Inner Mounting Flame, Dzyan outdoes McLaughlin and co. on every level, in my view. Even if you disagree, I think that you'll still like the music.

The King Crimson book is print on demand, I believe; check the author's Web site again. I don't doubt you can handle the heavy musicology, but I just wanted to warn you. You'll find the author's emphasis on "occult" elements in Larks' Tongues (Golden Mean, etc.) interesting as well, I suspect. Robert Fripp had a lively interest in magic, in those days. Pity, I feel, he didn't stick with that, instead of migrating to the Gurdjieff folks.

Yes, Absquatch, while very interesting, this conversation really has nothing to do with CAS--oh wait, I wasn't supposed to admit that! One could argue that the tastes of CAS fans are tenuously related to CAS in some way. If there was enough interest in music here, someone could start a 'weird music' topic...I believe the culture of weird extends beyond chosen reading material...the stuff mentioned here has been pretty 'weird' by some people's standards...

I get what you mean about "Red Queen"--but I still think it's an indispensable masterpiece, a high point for progressive art rock. They must have disappointed some of their original folk fanbase with that release, though. I have heard all of the first 2 albums on youtube, and find them excellent--it is only a matter of time before I acquire them.

Too bad you don't like fusion--but I suppose it is some of the least accessible music out there...it alienates rock and jazz fans...but if you have not heard the "Romantic Warrior" album by Return to Forever (all on youtube), it is of particular interest to prog/art rock fans. Actually, it was my gateway from prog into the entire jazz world. The song "Magician" on that album is particularly colorful...very worth a listen--the whole album is, take it from a prog rock fan!

Thanks for the heads up about Dzyan--will look into it. Didn't know Fripp had occult influences, though the cover of "Lark's Tongues" certainly does hint that--the music does have a thoroughly mystical feel.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 24 Aug 11 | 11:45AM by K_A_Opperman.

jimrockhill2001 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, "Agricola: Fortuna desperata--Secular Music
> of the 15th Century" is the one. There is a
> similar program on Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, simply
> titled Agricola Chansons, which is also
> well-performed, but I have always found it dry.
>
> Jim


Dear folks, can't resist a small entry on the word "Agricola", since my last name is the common translation of this word (even as George - geh-orgos - is Greek for the same thing) - it actually means "tiller of the soil" - interestingly, "Farmer" (fermier - fr.) is from a term meaning rent-measurer or collector, a job in the middle-ages something like the modern "county extension agent", in that the Lord of the manor had this guy on staff to evaluate the plots of land assigned to various tenants or serfs, determine the potential output, and decide how much revenue it would produce after reducing costs and the pittance for survival of said serf and family. Due to the usual vagaries of farming, and the notorious sloth of the peasant class, the "Farmer" often ended up having to do the work himself or lose his job (sic - head) if it looked like production would be too little - ergo - in the long run the poor guy ended up behind the plow as often as not, so the name was ultimately transferred. My heraldic crest has a Rooster head at the top - I always liked that, and when Clark and I were kicking this around he acknowledged and appreciation for the evviable task assigned by nature to the rooster - that of keeping a flock of hens "happy" - he reckoned that if re-incarnation turned out to be true, that such employment would be acceptable, and that he, prior to getting married, had already served an internship similarly employed around Placer County - and found it most beneficial to one's health and general sense of well-being.

Small further note re "agri-cola" - The "peregrine" falcon is so named because it flies "through" the "fields" -
Those who were required to provide hospitality (unwilling as a rule) to Crusaders on their way to the Holy Lands did not call them "Crusaders" but used the Latin "Peregrinus", because they commonly did not stay on the road but marched through the "agri" helping themselves to whatever crops were growing there - Eisenstein's great epic "Alexander Nevsky" utilizes this theme powerfully, only having the "Crusader" use this name for themselves in the "religious" music chanted while live children are tossed into the flames - the word "Pilgrim" is a corruption through mispronunciation by the Frisians and Dutch swallowing the "r" of "Pergrini" - the plural form -
Just a note on language from "ye old friendly neighborhood logophile".

Much appreciated, Dr. Farmer. Actually, 'agricola' is one of the very few Latin words I do know (from my failed attempt at learning the language)...

Perhaps I should mention the word 'peregrination'--a journey or pilgrimage, esp. made on foot. Funny the 'peregrinations' city dwellers sometimes make, never setting foot in a field at all! But of course, I have a strange feeling most of them would call it simply--'a walk.' How dull.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 24 Aug 11 | 07:33PM by K_A_Opperman.

Indeed, how much more it would be to get a little "rape, pillage, and plunder" along the way - today folks see "R&R" - in the old days might it have been "RP&P"? hmmm