One of the many facets of twentieth century culture is just how diverse it was. Some of it was, by its nature, conservative and traditional, some of it was popular and folksy, while some of it was avant garde and radical. It is true that what is considered revolutionary and alternative by one generation can easily seem old hat and stuffy to the next. In the realm of music, the diversity of the profundity of this radicalism was often quite marked, with a least one riot resulting from the sounds presented to an audience (Stravinsky’s Rite Of Spring in 1924).
Notes From The Underground collects together what can be considered landmark recordings of pieces that shaped the musical and cultural landscape in a sprawling four CD set. It includes major works like Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, Déserts by Edgard Varèse, Edith Sitwell’s Façade, Arnold Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire, and John Cage’s 1940’s compositions for prepared piano, which were astonishing. These works created scandals that deeply divided audiences and provoked furious debate and threatened serious public disorder. Edith Sitwell reflected that; “We were subjected to floods of abuse, often of an exceedingly personal and scurrilous nature.” Other works, including Allen Ginsberg’s epic poem Howl, Miles Davis’ Third Stream re-interpretation of Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, and ballet music for Parade, composed by Erik Satie, even entered dangerous legal territory. These pieces and their creators became, in most instances, quite influential. Some, among them, Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Coltrane, Pierre Boulez, Bill Evans, Ravi Shankar, Pierre Schaeffer, Gustav Mahler, Claude Debussy and Charles Ives, proved to be innovating crusaders whose musical explorations enabled them to acquire a deeper understanding of their art that would enable them to attain hitherto unknown creative heights. Some of the selections highlight the increasing crossover between art forms. Film music could enhance radical cinematic productions, for example Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí’s biting 1929 surrealist short, Un Chien Andalou, from Lindsay Anderson’s savage attack on the establishment, if…, and music from Electra by the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis. and from Patrick McGoohan’s fantastical, highly provocative TV drama, the era-defining political allegory, The Prisoner.
It is true to say that the avant garde reflects, to a degree, the society in which it lives. What is radical in one place may not be in another. Societies change too. Profound changes occurred in western societies after the Second World War, especially in the 1960s when radicalism influenced a lot of the arts. “Creative expression is, above all, an act of freedom. I create means I am free – I become free. The message of art is a message of freedom. Therefore, the art that wants to express faithfully and sincerely a people that struggles for its freedom aspires to win not only the love of its people but also the hatred of its enemies. It is a great, consummate aspiration, which I do not hide. I have pushed it with all my heart!’ Mikis Theodorakis is quoted as saying in George Giannaris’ ‘Music and Social Change’.
The selections on this release are a fair and balanced reflection of this, but there are what many would think to be omissions. The choices are mainly from the classical world, with a little jazz and world music along with a spoken word excerpt of Ginsberg’s Howl. There is no rock music included, which many would think unusual. But who could be included that fits the requirements? Frank Zappa potentially, Pink Floyd maybe, Yes at their most energised, say an excerpt from Close to the Edge, the radical pop-rock of The Beatles. A list could be endless. Maybe the avant garde shifted to the popular mainstream, for a while at least.
This is a really intriguing release though that juxtaposes varied pieces that you may be familiar with, with those you may not be. Debussy’s Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun has become a popular well known piece, Pierre Schaeffer’s Two selections from Cinq études de bruits (Five Studies Of Noises) has not. But they work well together on this compilation. The inclusion of television and film tracks suggests the choices are not always obvious. There is an excellent accompanying booklet with plenty of contemporary photographs and an essay giving the works some perspective. This is a treat for those with an inquisitive musical mind.
DISC ONE:
CLAUDE DEBUSSY
1 Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun) – London Symphony Orchestra / Conductor: Pierre Monteux
IGOR STRAVINSKY
Le sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) (1913 version) Part One – ‘Adoration Of The Earth’
2 Adoration Of The Earth – Introduction
3 The Augurs Of Spring – Dances of the Young Girls
4 Ritual of Abduction
5 Spring Rounds
6 Games of the Rival Tribes
7 Procession of the Sage
8 The Sage
9 Dance of the Earth
Part Two – ‘The Sacrifice’
10 The Sacrifice – Introduction
11 Mystic Circles of the Young Girls
12 Glorification of the Chosen One
13 Evocation of the Ancients
14 Ritual of the Ancients
15 Sacrificial Dance
Boston Symphony Orchestra/Conductor: Pierre Monteux
KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN
16 Studie 1
PIERRE SCHAEFFER
Two selections from Cinq études de bruits (Five Studies Of Noises)
17 Étude violette
18 Étude noire
JOHN COLTRANE QUINTET FEATURING ERIC DOLPHY
19 My Favourite Things
MUSIC FROM THE PRISONER
A B & C (Episode 3 – On scientific intrusion into the mind)
20 Sidney Torch – Virtuosi Moderne – Off Beat Moods – Part 3 – Dramatic Sustained
FALL OUT (episode 17 – on the exultation of individualism)
21 The Four Lads – Dry Bones
DISC TWO:
EDGARD VARÈSE
1 Déserts (World Premiere, 1954)
Orchestre National de France / Conductor: Hermann Scherchen. Magnetic tape operator: Pierre Henry
DAPHNE ORAM
2 Amphitryon 38
DAPHNE ORAM & DESMOND BRISCOE
3 The Ocean
4 Winter’s Journey (intro) (1958)
PIERRE BOULEZ
5 Sonatine for Flute and Piano
MUSIC FROM UN CHIEN ANDALOU
6 Vicente Alvarez and his Tropical Orchestra – Tango Argentino
MILES DAVIS
7 Concierto de Aranjuez (Adagio) from ‘Sketches Of Spain’
ALLEN GINSBERG
8 Howl
DISC THREE:
DITH SITWELL & WILLIAM WALTON
FAÇADE – An Entertainment (1923)
1 Fanfare
2 Hornpipe
3 En Famille
4 Mariner Man
5 Trio For Two Cats And Trombone
6 Through Gilded Trellises
7 Tango Pasodoble
8 Scotch Rhapsody
9 Lullaby For Jumbo
10 Fox-trot
11 By The Lake
12 The Man From A Far Countree
13 Jodelling Song
14 Country Dance
15 Black Mrs. Behemoth
16 Popular Song
17 Polka
18 Waltz
19 Four In The Morning
20 Something Lies Beyond The Scene
21 Sir Beelzebub
RAVI SHANKAR
22 Kafi-Holi (Spring Festival of Colours)
MIKIS THEODORAKIS
23 Electra Suite No. 9
ORNETTE COLEMAN QUARTET
24 Kaleidoscope
LUCIANO BERIO – CATHY BERBERIAN
25 Thema (Omaggio a Joyce) for voice and tape
LES TROUBADOURS DU ROI BAUDOUIN
MISSA LUBA – A mass sung in pure Congolese style
26 Kyrie
27 Gloria
28 Credo
29 Sanctus
30 Benedictus
31 Agnus Dei
OLIVIER MESSIAEN
32 Quatuor pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the End of Time) 8: Louange à l’immortalité de Jésus (Praise to the immortality of Jesus)
BILL EVANS TRIO
33 My Foolish Heart
DISC FOUR:
GUSTAV MAHLER
1 Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor IV. Adagietto – Sehr langsam New York Philharmonic Conductor: Bruno Walter
JOHN CAGE Four Sonatas (for Prepared Piano)
2 Sonata VII
3 Sonata IV
4 Sonata II
5 Sonata III
Maro Ajemian: piano
ERIK SATIE Parade (Ballet Suite)
6 Prélude du rideau rouge (Prelude of the Red Curtain)
7 Prestidigitateur chinois (Chinese Conjurer)
8 Petite fille Américaine (Young American Girl)
9 Ragtime du paquebot (Ragtime of the Passenger Steamer)
10 Acrobates (Acrobats)
11 Suite au prélude du rideau rouge (Continuation of the Prelude of the Red Curtain) French National Radio Orchestra / Conductor: Manuel Rosenthal
ARNOLD SCHOENBERG Pierrot Lunaire, Op.21 (1912) / Part 1
12 Mondestrunken
13 Colombine
14 Der Dandy
15 Eine blasse Wäscherin
16 Valse de Chopin
17 Madonna
18 Der kranke Mond
Helga Pilarczyk: speaker. Conductor: Pierre Boulez
CHARLES IVES
19 Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 19 ‘Concord, Mass III. The Alcotts
John Kirkpatrick: piano
ALI AKBAR KHAN
20 Raag Chandrakauns – Alap & Gat
Release date: 21st January, 2022
Label: Cherry Red Records
Format: CD Boxset
Spirit of Progressive Rock 