Lucier: Ever Present

Albumbeschreibung

The minimalism of Alvin Lucier represented by the pieces on this album is far purer than the "minimalism" of Philip Glass and Steve Reich, who correctly reject that label. Lucier is closer to a variety of minimalism exemplified by the visual artists to whose work the term was originally applied, artists whose paintings, prints, and sculptures contain so few variables that they require extremely close inspection to detect the most subtle differences in color, texture, or pattern. Musical minimalism of this variety demands close attention and, because music unfolds over time, patience. In Piper, a bagpiper plays a single tone, with the only changes resulting from the spatial variables as the player moves around the room. Silver Streetcar for the Orchestra consists of a single triangle being struck continuously for over 16 minutes. The listener should be alerted to turn the volume to a very low setting before listening to this track, otherwise the sound becomes physically painful. Ever Present, for flute, piano, and alto saxophone, is the most eventful piece on the album, but the work's nearly undifferentiated volume level; the use of only long, sustained tones; and the extremely slow rate of change qualify it as genuine minimalism. Lucier has long been a pioneer of the American avant-garde, unwavering in the face of changing fashions. This recording should be of interest to listeners with a commitment to the edgiest modernism.

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