This CD presents three large pieces for orchestra by reclusive mid-twentieth century Italian composer Giacinto Scelsi, two of which represent his mature period, and one of which is a transitional piece. The composer's mature works seem to have evolved without any connection to the history of western music, except in their use of standard orchestral instruments and voices. There is nothing that could be construed as counterpoint in the traditional sense of the relationship between two or more simultaneously moving ...
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This CD presents three large pieces for orchestra by reclusive mid-twentieth century Italian composer Giacinto Scelsi, two of which represent his mature period, and one of which is a transitional piece. The composer's mature works seem to have evolved without any connection to the history of western music, except in their use of standard orchestral instruments and voices. There is nothing that could be construed as counterpoint in the traditional sense of the relationship between two or more simultaneously moving independent musical lines. There is nothing that could be characterized as melody, and the harmony, defined only as two or more pitches sounding simultaneously, moves slowly, if at all. Rhythmic pulse is virtually indiscernible. What is left is the use of dynamics and timbre, which, when they are the primary musical element, acquire monumental importance as they shift and evolve.The title Quattro Pezzi (su una nota sola) (1959) is not entirely accurate; while each movement features a single...
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