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Joe! How was Theologoumenon?

Cheers,
~Karl

I briefly reviewed it on the Concert Board. It was interesting but hardly breathtaking.

I'd agree it wasn't breathtaking, but I'd say it was more than interesting. On first hearing, the piece struck me as an essay in klangfarbenmelodie, with various sections of the orchestra passing the line around in short phrases, punctuated, at least near the beginning, by a few dramatic outbursts. In the notes, Wuorinen said the overall effect was contemplative, and that's accurate, I think. It was quite attractive, I thought, though it had none of the spaciousness one would expect from a piece for large orchestra, and it doesn't have the overall sense of shape that some of Mr. Carter's recent orchestral works have. There were some colorful, sparkling passages for metallophone and other percussion I can't name, and the ending, though quiet, was memorable, with three flutes playing a deep-toned triad. As with most new music (even old music I've never heard before), I’d like to listen a few times before passing judgment.

Larry Rinkel said something after the concert I thought was pithy. Bruce Hodges described Wuorinen as an "uncompromising modernist," and Larry said that the new piece did contain a few compromises. That's not a condemnation; in my mind, it simply means Wuorinen was trying to write something pretty, and it was pretty.

A Theologoumenon is apparently a nondoctrinal, nonheretical theological opinion, and we need so many more of them these days. I've taken to calling the work "Thingamagoo."

Program notes

THEOLOGOUMENON was commissioned by Ronald A. Wilford in honor of James Levine on the occasion of his Sixtieth Birthday.

THEOLOGOUMENON takes its inspiration from a text, excerpted below; it was suggested by Ronald A. Wilford, from the works of Maximus Tyrius, a Second or Third Century neo-Platonist:

God himself, the father and fashioner of all that is, older than the sun or the sky, greater than time and eternity and all the flow of being, is unnamable by any lawgiver, unutterable by any voice, not to be seen by any eye.

But we, being unable to apprehend his essence, use the help of sounds and names and pictures … yearning for the knowledge of him, and in our weakness naming all that is beautiful in this world after his nature…

Why should I further examine and pass judgment about images? Let men know what is divine. Let them know: that is all …

I have no anger for their divergences; only let them know, let them love, let them remember.

Charles Wuorinen
New York
August 2002

karlhenning wrote:Oh, dear.

Did I say something disconcerting? For a while a friend of mine and I referred to Carter's Syringa as "syringe." No disrespect was intended.

Karl, are you going to hear the Eighth Symphony in Boston? It's a companion piece to Theologoumenon (Wuorinen says they may be played together as a single work), and I guess you'll get an idea about the one from the other.

I'd be interested to read Bruce and Larry's impressions.

Joe Barron wrote:

karlhenning wrote:Oh, dear.

Did I say something disconcerting? For a while a friend of mine and I referred to Carter's Syringa as "syringe." No disrespect was intended.

Not seriously disconcerting, no :-)

Karl, are you going to hear the Eighth Symphony in Boston? It's a companion piece to Theologoumenon (Wuorinen says they may be played together as a single work), and I guess you'll get an idea about the one from the other.

Yes, I'll be there!

I'd be interested to read Bruce and Larry's impressions.

Ditto!

Cheers,
~Karl

Joe Barron wrote: Wuorinen says they may be played together as a single work

Ohh, A Thingamagoo Diptych.....no.... a Two Thingamagoo.....no.....A Thingamagoo and Symphony too.

Joe Barron wrote: Wuorinen says they may be played together as a single work

Yes, and so I wonder if 'your' work would indicate the nature of 'ours', or if it serves as the contrasting sort of complement :-)

We shall see.

Cheers,
~Karl

A composer yet to be discovered by me.
So some suggestions towards recordings, would be welcome
Harry

walboi wrote:A composer yet to be discovered by me.
So some suggestions towards recordings, would be welcome :!:
Harry

Two to start you off with, Harry:

The Mass for the Restoration of St Luke's, and Genesis

On Alligators, Fourth String Quartet, Natural Fantasy & Third Piano Concerto

Cheers,
~Karl

Thank you Karl, I will dive into the matter!
Harry

BTW, both the Times and the Sun published reviews of the concert yesterday. And both agrees with Larry's assessment of the Brahms, that the middle movements were lax. The man is a good listener.

[quote="karlhenning"][quote="walboi"]A composer yet to be discovered by me.
So some suggestions towards recordings, would be welcome
Harry[/quote]

Two to start you off with, [b]Harry[/b]:

[url=http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Dri ... _id=165708][b]The Mass for the Restoration of St Luke's, and [i]Genesis[/i][/b][/url]

[url=http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Dri ... _id=181506][b][i]On Alligators[/i], Fourth String Quartet, [i]Natural Fantasy [/i]& Third Piano Concerto[/b][/url]

Cheers,
~Karl[/quote]

Harry

Your lucky Karl only gave you two discs......I esp like the alligators disc

I thought we'd start out easy on Harry, maskedman.

Once he's hooked, he'll want the whole Wuorinen catalogue! :-)

Cheers,
~Karl

[quote="karlhenning"]I thought we'd start out easy on [b]Harry[/b], [b]maskedman[/b].

Once he's hooked, he'll want the whole [b]Wuorinen [/b]catalogue!

Cheers,
~Karl[/quote]

Karl,

Knowing Harry that is a definite possibility....I would almost guarantee it if the label were CPO

maskedman wrote:

karlhenning wrote:I thought we'd start out easy on Harry, maskedman.

Once he's hooked, he'll want the whole Wuorinen catalogue!

Cheers,
~Karl

Karl,

Knowing Harry that is a definite possibility....I would almost guarantee it if the label were CPO

Wait until I post the MDG catalogue very soon!

[quote="walboi"][quote="maskedman"][quote="karlhenning"]I thought we'd start out easy on [b]Harry[/b], [b]maskedman[/b].

Once he's hooked, he'll want the whole [b]Wuorinen [/b]catalogue!

Cheers,
~Karl[/quote]

Karl,

Knowing Harry that is a definite possibility....I would almost guarantee it if the label were CPO [/quote]

Wait until I post the MDG catalogue very soon! [/quote]

Good Morning Harry,

I suppose thats going to include the Hindemith complete sonatas


Robert

maskedman wrote:

walboi wrote:

maskedman wrote:

karlhenning wrote:I thought we'd start out easy on Harry, maskedman.

Once he's hooked, he'll want the whole Wuorinen catalogue!

Cheers,
~Karl

Karl,

Knowing Harry that is a definite possibility....I would almost guarantee it if the label were CPO

Wait until I post the MDG catalogue very soon!

Good Morning Harry,

I suppose thats going to include the Hindemith complete sonatas


Robert

All seven of them, yes they are, and also their complete Reger recordings too!
Cheers
Harry

[quote="walboi"][quote="maskedman"][quote="walboi"][quote="maskedman"][quote="karlhenning"]I thought we'd start out easy on [b]Harry[/b], [b]maskedman[/b].

Once he's hooked, he'll want the whole [b]Wuorinen [/b]catalogue!

Cheers,
~Karl[/quote]

Karl,

Knowing Harry that is a definite possibility....I would almost guarantee it if the label were CPO [/quote]

Wait until I post the MDG catalogue very soon! [/quote]

Good Morning Harry,

I suppose thats going to include the Hindemith complete sonatas


Robert[/quote]

All seven of them, yes they are, and also their complete Reger recordings too!
Cheers
Harry[/quote]

You will love them......

I will write about it as soon as I am out of this fantastic journey!
Harry

[quote="walboi"]I will write about it as soon as I am out of this fantastic journey!
Harry [/quote]

Please do....BTW you will love the artwork......

karlhenning wrote:

Joe Barron wrote:Karl, are you going to hear the Eighth Symphony in Boston? It's a companion piece to Theologoumenon (Wuorinen says they may be played together as a single work), and I guess you'll get an idea about the one from the other.

Yes, I'll be there!

And here I was . . . .

Cheers,
~Karl