Alex Ross's Blog, page 229

Off-topic

The New York State Senate is considering a bill to legalize gay marriage. Just one more vote is needed to achieve a majority in favor. If you are a New York resident and feel so moved, you can contact senators who might vote "yes." Here is a list.

At the grave of Frescobaldi

These are modern markers at the Basilica dei Santi XII Apostoli in Rome; the original tomb disappeared.

Previously: At the Grave of Zemlinsky, At the Grave of Schnittke, At the Grave of Fibich, At the Grave of X. Scharwenka, At the Grave of Enescu, Rachmaninov in Valhalla

Transumanza

With a series of Mass Appeal events upcoming at Make Music NY, I thought I'd offer documentation of a like-minded performance by an ensemble of Italian cows, who, on Monday morning, presented a free-form composition involving polyrhythmic bell textures and vocal glissandi. The video above and this one here give glimpses of a transumanza — the traditional springtime herding of cows and sheep from lowlands to higher mountain pastures. Some four hundred bovines were involved in this edition of the ritual, which took place in the Montella area of the province of Avellino, under the watchful eyes of a group of veterinarians. (I was there because my impossibly generous host for the weekend, Prof. Giancarlo Vesce, is a veterinarian; we were on our way from Gesualdo to Venosa.) These videos don't capture the full scope of the herd, which by this time had spread out. Participants had stopped to enjoy a breakfast, which involved the making of fresh mozzarella to the accompaniment of Tarantella di Montemarano. An RAI TV crew was on hand to record the proceedings.

Miscellany (UK edition)

Nico Muhly's keenly anticipated Two Boys opens at English National Opera on June 24. The composer is blogging about the experience. ENO has issued an amusing promotional video, which has garnered more than 600,000 views at this writing; to be honest, it's not as sharp as a 2008 BBC sketch on the same theme, and, as Tom Service points out, it won't prepare audiences for the darkness of Muhly's tale.... Were I a Londoner this summer, I'd want to check out, among other things, the Muhly, the Midsummer Night's Dream at ENO, Gerald Finley in Meistersinger down at Glyndebourne, Havergal Brian's Gothic Symphony at the Proms, the Thomas Larcher premiere at same, Vivaldi at Garsington Opera's new home, and Sound and Music's Eliane Radigue series at Spitalfields (more at The Rambler).... Last year I served as a judge for the New Statesman's Young Music Critic competition. Alexandra Coghlan was the winner, and she's been penning fresh, incisive reviews.... Susan Tomes finds it odd that the Guardian's "History of Modern Music" does not include classical music.... It's great to see Bob Shingleton back on the Overgrown Path after a recent health crisis. Best wishes for a quick recovery!

Montefusco

I've spent the past few days in the region of Campania, following the traces of Don Carlo Gesualdo, Principe di Venosa. I'll have much more to say on that subject at a later date. These pictures are from the ancient hilltop town of Montesfusco, whose notorious jail held many heroes of the Risorgimento, along with, it seems, a man named Adorno.

Vesuvius, destroyer

Driving to Gesualdo

Mistranslation or confession?

Close enough

Change

Plan of the City, a gorgeous short film by Joshua Frankel, was created in conjunction with Judd Greenstein's piece Change. The visual material combines live action (with Greenstein and the NOW Ensemble featured in person), animation, and Martian photographs provided by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Expand the image to full screen for the full HD effect. Read more here.