Thanks for this, Stuart, all of it moving; like that
Ginsberg quote of composing but letting it go, v.
important I think when so many of my contemporaries
in the US seem to be publishing systematically and
processually all they do: never mind the quality etc,
and yet probably also editing, or only producing the
work from an Art-Self; one feels little risk. Ginsberg
should say this when he published so much? A good
counter-point. I especially love early Antin for
that "live feel" you say, because it feels like risk
at first (will this big audience take this?) and
then doing something with audacity when he's starting
to become famous for it (like free jazz becoming a
style); later work does tail off, though, I think; you
look at the amount of change in the first ten years,
from pagework to Talking at the Boundaries; where is the
re-making in the next twenty? Still will always love
the first talk-piece, about currency, in Tuning, to bits.
Best
Ira
On Sat, 23 May 1998 22:36:53 +0000 Stuart Mitchell wrote:
> From: Stuart Mitchell <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Sat, 23 May 1998 22:36:53 +0000
> Subject: music and instruments
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
>
> Ira wrote, quoting Adorno:
> >"one must read Hegel by describing along with him the
> > curves of his intellectual movement, by playing his
ideas
> >with a speculative ear as though they were musical
notes."
>
> >That "playing" firmly indicates to me learning an
instrument
> >(not just playing a CD) at least basically, to animate
> >the words, their musical sense & acoustic.
>
> Couldn't agree more, Ira
> One of the great pleasures of playing music is getting a
musical idea and
> sharing it with others . Hearing the human voice working
it out, breathing
> and making the idea live - the grain of the voice
building it, even
> working against it - is inspiring - literally breathing
into life a phrase
> you only played in your room alone.
> I enjoy writing songs and then making an instrumental
version so that
> other possibilities in the music become prominent. No
words.
> I enjoy mixing different versions and none is
definitive.
>
> I remember Ginsberg telling how he sometimes composed but
wrote nothing
> down and just let it go.
> Performances of music are like that - enjoyed for the
occasion - no interest
> in keeping it beyond the moment.
> Of course, getting these musical ideas involves going to
concerts and
> listening to as much music as possible, even playing
stuff on CD.
> I think I like reading David Antin's work because it
captures a live feel -
> even though it's edited. It's great to think that the next
version will be
> different.
> John Cayley's _Reveal Code_ is fun in that way too -
potentially, even the
> Applescript could be altered. I've been changing my
version for a few
> months.
> Animating the words, the music - that 's an excellent
description Ira.
>
> Stuart
>
>
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