La Monte Young Composition 1960 #7

I was very intrigued by this particular composition when it was included on the handout we got in class a couple of weeks ago.

I imagined that the most literal translations of the piece would be either on non-sustaining instruments (i.e. piano) where the piece ended when the notes had naturally decayed, or electronic or other mechanical instruments with infinite sustain (i.e. organs or tone generators) that could go on as long as the performers see fit.

Sure enough, there are a handful of videos with performances on organs, keyboards, piano, etc.

The two below were my favorites and both eschewed the obvious interpretations mentioned above.

This first one is by a group called Blutwurst, which includes cello, viola, bass clarinet, trumpet, theremin, and accordion (though I don't know if all were utilized in this recording).



I think it would have been interesting enough to hear the natural fluctuations inherent in the instruments being used (re-attacks with natural tuning fluctuations, the imperfect tuning of the reeds in the accordion), but the group clearly made some intentional decisions regarding tuning and timbre throughout the piece.

The second one is for two massively amplified down-tuned electric guitars. Yeah, I'm predictable...
Here, the fluctuations of feedback frequencies based on location and instrument position are played with.
Full disclosure, I have not yet listened to the full 30+ minutes as of this posting, but I'm working on it right now!


Composition 1960 #7 from Cory Strand on Vimeo.