Assassin Reverie

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
A free spirit, maverick par excellence, creator of a personal compositional style that has spawned entire generations of epigones, Terry Riley (b. 1935) embodies the best aspects of the American pioneer spirit, the positive and uncorrupted image of America (and California in particular) that still holds abroad: an America free from the weight of European tradition, a privileged space where a fusion of Western and Eastern cultural trends can be produced.

It is interesting to note that the most significant musical influences on Riley’s style—blues, jazz and Indian classical music—share relevant common features: modal structures and improvisatory practices intended as careful treatment of a set of more or less strict, codified rules. By emphasizing common ground, Riley reconciles different cultures within the same inventive fusing process.

Uncle Jard (1998) (saxophone quartet, piano, harpsichord, and voice) offers an example of this. In this piece, Indian classical music and blues/jazz elements co-exist in a stylistically coherent whole: ragtime and raga have never been so closely intertwined. The piece is divided into three parts. While in the first and second parts the texture of the saxophone ensemble is enriched by the voice and keyboard, in the third part the voice is not featured. Assassin Reverie (2001), for saxophone quartet and tape, is a piece in a single movement, but structured in three different sections differentiated by sound material and stage direction. It is one of the more disturbing pieces written by Riley; the second section features an extremely aggressive audio track—gunshots and helicopter sounds are heard throughout it.

Written right after In C, Tread on the Trail (1965) (version for 12 saxophones by the ARTE Quartett) is in fact based on similar construction principles. The music in both pieces is a ludus, a game in which Riley re-injects into western music a new-found vitality. Through a free exploration of the score, musical performance recovers here its true essence as a playful collective ritual.

Tracks:

Uncle Jard - part 1
Uncle Jard - part 2
Uncle Jard - part 3
Assassin Reverie
Tread on the Trail

Product Description

A free spirit, maverick par excellence, creator of a personal compositional style that has spawned entire generations of epigones, Terry Riley (b. 1935) embodies the best aspects of the American pioneer spirit, the positive and uncorrupted image of America (and California in particular) that still holds abroad: an America free from the weight of European tradition, a privileged space where a fusion of Western and Eastern cultural trends can be produced. It is interesting to note that the most significant musical influences on RileyÂ’s styleÂ—blues, jazz and Indian classical musicÂ—share relevant common features: modal structures and improvisatory practices intended as careful treatment of a set of more or less strict, codified rules. By emphasizing common ground, Riley reconciles different cultures within the same inventive fusing process. Uncle Jard (1998) (saxophone quartet, piano, harpsichord, and voice) offers an example of this. In this piece, Indian classical music and blues/jazz elements co-exist in a stylistically coherent whole: ragtime and raga have never been so closely intertwined. The piece is divided into three parts. While in the first and second parts the texture of the saxophone ensemble is enriched by the voice and keyboard, in the third part the voice is not featured. Assassin Reverie (2001), for saxophone quartet and tape, is a piece in a single movement, but structured in three different sections differentiated by sound material and stage direction. It is one of the more disturbing pieces written by Riley; the second section features an extremely aggressive audio trackÂ—gunshots and helicopter sounds are heard throughout it. Written right after In C, Tread on the Trail (1965) (version for 12 saxophones by the ARTE Quartett) is in fact based on similar construction principles. The music in both pieces is a ludus, a game in which Riley re-injects into western music a new-found vitality. Through a free exploration of the score, musical performance recovers here its true essence as a playful collective ritual.

Customer Reviews:

One of Riley's finest.......2006-12-13

The closest thing to "Assassin Reverie" in the Riley catalogue is "Chanting the Light of Foresight," and although that album features the fantastic Rova Saxophone Quartet, I prefer this disc, as it offers a more varied listening experience.

The album begins with Part 1 of "Uncle Jard," which is a meditative drone piece featuring Riley on harpsichord and wordless vocals. It provides an interesting introduction to Part 2 - a modal blues with Riley playing piano, accompanied brilliantly by the ARTE quartet, and singing a disturbing tale inspired by his children's imaginary friend, "Uncle Jard." Besides being a fine and moving composition in its own right, this movement of "Uncle Jard" is perhaps the most accessible and downright fun piece which Riley has ever written. It is a joy to listen to Riley howling bluesy lines like "Do you think that we've been bad?" and "Uncle Jard, he's been drinking from the devil's cup." Part 3 provides "Uncle Jard" with a necessary instrumental outro from the jubilant irreverence of Part 2.

"Assassin Reverie" is the title track and centerpiece of this album, and with good reason. The ARTE Quartet spreads out on this piece, with the saxophones building with intensity into a dense climax that features them wailing over taped sounds of destruction and war. In the liner notes, Riley describes how this composition was inspired by the disturbing realization that even assassins and terrorists are people who have dreams, hopes, and fantasies. This piece is basically an aural representation of that idea, and as one can imagine, it is haunting.

"Tread on the Trail" is by far this album's weakest asset. Although the ARTE Quartet gives a fine performance, this piece has been recorded before, and sounds merely like an interesting experiment next to the more mature compositional material.

This album is required listening for any Riley fan, and also provides a fine introduction to those who have never heard his music, as the range of styles represented here covers most of Riley's recorded output. In addition, the first two pieces are both new, and rank with some of Riley's finest compositions ever. Highly recommended.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Music Review

The Inauguration [Enhanced] [Explicit Lyrics] [Import]

Art of the Hunting Horn

Bartók: Violin & Viola Concertos

Case in Point

99 Cents [Import]

2 X 1

Best of Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers

All About Chemistry

Ao Vivo Tocam Milton Nascimento [Import]

Amor ti vieta: Great Opera Arias

Alone [Import] [Limited Edition]

Aikotoba [CD-single] [Import]

Antoine Clamaran DJ Set [Import]

Change My Heart: 11 Original Songs Dedicated to the Gift of Life

Jazz Music jazz-music-22