The Squid's Ear
Writing about improvised, contemporary, experimental and unusual music,
following the activities of Squidco...
  •  •  •     Join Our Mailing List!



The Squid's Ear




Heard In

Reviews of artist releases:
cd's, books, magazines, &c.


  Dean Rosenthal 
  Stones/Water/Time/Breath
  (Edition Wandelweiser) 


  
   review by Jeph Jerman
  2020-11-17
Dean Rosenthal: Stones/Water/Time/Breath (Edition Wandelweiser)

Five different performances of Rosenthal's piece, which instructs people to "make percussive sounds on the water". The recordings of these versions were made by ensembles varying between one and eight players and they range in length between just under two minutes and slightly over twenty. The surprising thing here is the variety of approaches and the resulting sounds they produce.

The first version, performed by Gayle Young and Reinhard Reitzenstein in Duntara Newfoundland, gives the idea of fairly shallow water. Stones can be heard sliding or banging against others under the surface. There's a bit of wind and the constant sound of rushing water. Simple and wonderful and all over in one minute and fifty six seconds.

This is followed by the longest version here, performed at Prospect Park Lake in Brooklyn NY by Jen Baker, Kelsey Bell, William Lang, Stephanie Richards Sara Schoenbeck, Ezra Teboul and Lucie Vitkova. This version sounds more like people playing the surface of the water, with periodical rhythms starting and stopping and the sounds of children and planes included. It is reminiscent of the Jon Hassell piece which used a recording of Senoi women playing water with the flats of their palms. I must admit that's the first thing I thought of upon reading the description of this disc. Toward the end there are a couple of splashes. Lots of birdsong as well.

Russell Craig Richardson's solo turn from Cooper Lake in Woodstock is altogether more raucous, with large splashes augmented by what could be a semi-constant flow of traffic and some fairly violent wind gusts. Rosenthal's own version from Nine Mile Pond in Wilbraham, Mass. is the most sparse. Occasional small splashes are set against wind or far-off traffic, with occasional unidentifiable small sounds.

Aside from being a nice listen, this disc also adds to the ever-growing collection of music written for natural objects and is a reminder to keep our ears open when we're outside. There is also a companion website wherein one can check out other recordings of the piece and watch videos (stones on frozen water!) as well as contribute your own recording, should you be so inclined.







Comments and Feedback:



More Recent Reviews, Articles, and Interviews @ The Squid's Ear...


The Squid's Ear presents
reviews about releases
sold at Squidco.com
written by
independent writers.

Squidco


Morton Feldman/
GBSR Duo w/ Taylor MacLennan:
Trios
[6 CD BOX SET]
(Another Timbre)



Angharad Davies/
Burkhard Beins:
Meshes Of The Evening
[VINYL]
(NI-VU-NI-CONNU)



Jessica Williams:
Blue Abstraction:
Prepared Piano Project
1985-1987
[VINYL]
(Pre-Echo Press)



Daniel Levin/
Laurent Estoppey:
Freedom From
The Known
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



Kai Fagaschinski:
Aerodynamics
[VINYL 2 LPs]
(NI-VU-NI-CONNU)



Liz Allbee:
Breath Vessels
[VINYL]
(NI-VU-NI-CONNU)



Kris Davis and
the Lutoslawski Quartet:
Solastalgia Suite
(Pyroclastic Records)



Ernesto Rodrigues/
Guilherme Rodrigues:
Pico
(Creative Sources)



Ernesto Rodrigues/
Ines Ferreira/
Carlos Santos/
Monsieur Trinite:
Cimetiere des Bateaux
(Creative Sources)


Recent Selections @ Squidco:


Steve Lehman Trio +
Mark Turner:
The Music of
Anthony Braxton
(Pi Recordings)



John Cage:
Chamber Works
1943-1951
(Another Timbre)



Fieldwork (
Iyer/
Lehman/
Sorey):
Thereupon
(Pi Recordings)



Evan Parker/
Andrea Centazzo:
Bullfighting On Ice!
Live In Padova 1977
[VINYL]
(Ictus Remastered Collection)



Alvin Curran/
Andrea Centazzo/
Evan Parker:
Real Time
[VINYL]
(Ictus Remastered Collection)



Alvin Curran/
Andrea Centazzo/
Evan Parker:
Real Time Two
[VINYL]
(Ictus Remastered Collection)



Studer/
Strinning/
Weber:
Cut
(Creative Sources)



Reeder/
Seward/
Weathers:
Two Meditations From The Underground
(Editions Glomar)



Rotor (
Rodrigues/
Torres/
Santos):
Pulses and Paradox
(Creative Sources)



Udo Schindler/
Paul Rogers/
Ardhi Engl:
Ephemeral Essences
Of LowTone Studies (
For Trio)
(Creative Sources)



Eventless Plot:
Unlearning Noise
(Discreet Archive)







Squidco
Click here to
advertise with
The Squid's Ear






The Squid's Ear pays its writers.
Interested in becoming a reviewer?




The Squid's Ear is the companion magazine to the online music shop Squidco !


  Copyright © Squidco. All rights reserved. Trademarks. (3334)