Im speaking via skype to rhys chatham, composer for 400 electric guitars and former curator to new yorks legendary venue, the kitchen. Try to imagine the sound, beautiful, massive, and at the same time cheerful, playful, immediate. But the classically trained musician and composer from new york today a revered name in his own right carries a secret he is embarrassed about to this day. In sydney, chatham will conduct a performance of a crimson grail for 100 guitarists. This was the first time chatham has brought one of his 100 guitar orchestra performances to. The strippeddown lineup translates to the records sound. It is not going back to classical themes, for example, if i were writing string quartets or something like that. To open for them, the band has invited rhys chatham all the way from the big apple.
The idea for this music made by rhys chatham in 1989 was to involve the guitarists by offering them the opportunity to perform with an orchestra, most of who. An orchestra of 100 electric guitars launches the liverpool biennial with a uk premiere in the anglican cathedral tonight. An angel moves too fast to see for 100 electric guitars, electric bass, and drums. Glenn branca on his killer new 100guitar album and. A native new yorker now living in paris, composer rhys chatham helped define new yorks downtown aesthetic in the 70s. Glenn brancas voice was even raspier on tuesday than it was back in february. Chathams instrumentation includes the seminal composition composed in 1977 entitled guitar trio for 3 electric guitars, electric bass and drums, the epoch eveninglength work for 100 electric guitars, an angel moves too fast to see, composed in 1989, chathams recent composition for 200 electric guitars, a crimson grail, most recently. The band is known for huge, noisy guitar sounds courtesy of guitar composers glen branca and rhys chatham, but this effort is a cleaner, more melodic album than fans may be accustomed to and according to jim, critics are falling over themselves praising it.
Excerpts from wallace berry, structural functions in music 1987. Three aspects of the name 12, table of the elements 2003. As the music shimmers, it offers a snapshot of eternity, an echo of a moment a thousand years gone and a thousand years yet to come. Effects line 6 dl4 three, for recording art studio v3 tube mp preamp tour boomerang iii tour voodoo lab amp selector mxr equalizer sonic research turbo tuner st300. Mais le triple cd guitar trio is my life va encore plus loin. It is not going back to classical themes, for example, if i. Rhys chathams a crimson grail will be played in liverpools anglican cathedral this autumn, and theres an open call out for the 100 electric. The fivemovement an angel moves too fast to see 1989, warehouse of saints songs for spies 1991 and tauromaquia 1993 were all scored for 100 electric guitars, bass and drums.
Rhys chathams a crimson grail 100 guitar orchestra. Frontiers festival birmingham call for 100 electric. By the mid1970s, chatham had began to infiltrate the new york city punk rock scene, culminating in guitar trio 1977, a piece which fused his earlier just. For information and booking for my 100 guitar projects as well as my. Listening to chathams recordings particularly brings to mind how. When talking about expanding modern guitar literature, the names glenn branca and rhys chatham seem most prominent. Includes 32page book accompanying the cd version, rare photos, plus essays by chatham, tony conrad, and sonic youths lee ranaldo, as well as artwork. He is the spiritual father of a whole generation of new york musicians. Rhys chatham grew up in the company of legendary minimalist composers philip glass, steve reich and terry riley. Rhys chatham an angel moves too fast to see for 100 electric. Whether that was in bohemia or one area or another area. Rhys chatham an angel moves too fast to see for 100. Rhys chatham is a guitarist, trumpeter and composer, trained under the parameters of contemporary and electronic music. Compositional ground zero for rhys chatham is his work guitar trio, which was a breakthrough piece in the mid 1970s as he set out on his exploration of harmonic minimalism on guitar.
So just as the cd of chathams 100 guitar opus an angel moves too fast to see, as great as it is, surely pales in comparison to the actual concert, imagine the. Rhys chatham a crimson grail for 400 electric guitars. Chatham s instrumentation includes the seminal composition composed in 1977 entitled guitar trio for 3 electric guitars, electric bass and drums, the epoch eveninglength work for 100 electric guitars, an angel moves too fast to see, composed in 1989, chatham s recent composition for 200 electric guitars, a crimson grail, most recently. Rhys chatham a crimson grail for 400 electric guitars youtube. In the early 70s, when chatham was the kitchens first music director, he and branca played in each others earliest groups a few times. Once corralled, the guitar orchestra will perform chatham s a secret rose for 100 guitars for the first time in the uk. Rhys chatham has eschewed 100 guitars for trumpet and voice, both electrified and dry. The book im working on explores what happened from the perspective of someone coming out of a western european classical music tradition, as well as someone who had produced many of the concerts as well as playing in them.
As you probably know, i have a full range of pieces for 100 200 electric guitars that wed love to perform in a venue near you. The performance will take place on 7 june, and applications are open until 14 march. Rhys chathams a secret rose for 100 guitars youtube. He is best known for his guitar orchestra compositions. Nevertheless, it was rhys chatham who first applied multiple electric guitars to. For this performance at a french arts center in 2011, hes reunited with his longtime guitar foil nina canal, whos playing a very bright green telecaster. Rhys chatham born september 19, 1952 is an american composer, guitarist, trumpet player. His piece guitar trio 1977 is the keystone to his most wellknown production. The description of those pieces can be found on this site under the heading of projects. Composer rhys chatham is used to working with a lot of players. Rhys chatham is an american musician and composer who has spent much of his career in living in france.
In fact, so well does he know glass he refers to him as uncle phil. Pythagorean dream is a response to my 100 electric guitar pieces. Once corralled, the guitar orchestra will perform chathams a secret rose for 100 guitars for the first time in the uk. Holding three discs of guitar orchestra masterpieces and a thick book of notes inside a heavy. Ghedalia tazartes rhys chatham duo sunday 1 december 2019 20.
Both found success by blurring the lines between rock and modern composition, a method achieved simply by employing drums and guitar in unconventional formats. In 2 years and 30,000 miles of travel throughout the usa and europe, the guitar passed through the hands of over 65 players, each of whom recorded a piece with it, signed it and then passed it on to the next player. A rhys chatham compendium table of the elements, 2002 and the threecd boxset an angel moves too fast to see table of elements, 2003 are careerspanning. Strings and picks daddario exl140 light topheavy bottom. For some parents, neighbours and other musicians, sharing a room with 100 electric guitarists might seem like a singularly. On november 17, 100 electric guitarists gathered with their instruments and their amps on stage at the craneway paviliona former car assembly plant situated on the san francisco bay in richmond, californiafor the west coast premiere of rhys chathams a secret rose.
Moves too fast to see 1989, scored for an orchestra of 100 electric guitars. Rhys chatham conducts an angel moves too fast to see 1989 for 100 electric guitars, electric bass and drums in nantes, france at le lieu unique. Rhys chathams a crimson grail for 100 guitarists has its. He has been since touring with his 100guitar orchestra in europe. An angel moves too fast to see, an album by rhys chatham.
The piece for 100 guitars performed at the craneway pavilion, with two more events lined up for this june. Rhys chatham born september 19, 1952 is an american composer, guitarist, trumpet player, multiinstrumentalist flutes in c, alto and bass, keyboard, primarily active in avantgarde and minimalist music. In the early 1970s chatham was the first music director of the kitchen in new york. As stateoftheart as it is historic, craneway pavilion is a 45,000 squarefoot venue in an awardwinning, architecturally significant ford assembly plant dating back to 1931, with an adjoining 20,000 squarefoot openair patio, seamlessly blending indoor and outdoor spaces. If 100 guitars could sound so great, shouldnt 400 sound even better. It was just at the end of the epoch where the atom had been split and its power used for many purposes. Written in 2006, a secret rose had only received two prior performances, undoubtedly. This is the fourth ever public performance of this masterwork, following performances in paris 2005, new york 2009, and liverpool. G100 part two community arts center downtown williamsport.
Avantpunk composer rhys chatham and 100 electric guitarists perform the. Chathams works for guitar orchestra sit at the nexus of contemporary classical composition and provocative late 20 th music. It is an earthquake island for the 21st century, tugging at the corners of new ideas, taking in forms endemic to a shared imagination, and renewing the beauty there. Rhys chathams gear guitars fender telecaster circa 2007 amps fender twin.
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