The compositions of Jean-Claude Risset can be best described as one or all of the following:
- The soundtrack to the year 2300 as represented by a 1970's SciFi film.
- The "Star Gate" sequence of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
- The backing track to a Pink Floyd song/album sans vocals/instrumentation mixed in.
- A nightmarish experience for anyone "Rolling" or "Tripping".
- Interesting, but highly unnecessary.
Obviously this is completely subjective, as there is much to appreciate and look at in this genre of sound making. I can understand the complexity and time it takes to create such a piece as these presented tonight, and I can appreciate the creative process from Composer to Musician or Vocalist. This is not easy to perform, nor is it easy to listen to. Avante-garde is a word that's lost all meaning in nearly every sense that it used to be used. Nowadays it simply means, "weird, different, out of the ordinary" or any other term that lets you know it won't be within the confines or structure of what is stereotypical.
Listening to these pieces I remembered the experience of what it is to watch many of Samuel Beckett's short works. Being an absurdest playwright, many of his pieces serve no purpose of moral telling or entertainment value; however, they exist and are to be respected because of it. Such is the way with compositions such as Risset's, which at many times gave me an experience that is similar to the idea behind Beckett's piece "Rockaby" which gives the audience the feeling of watching an individual slowly and finally pass away on their death bed. You sit, waiting and wishing for it to be over, as terrible an experience it is.
I do not mean to belittle or be abrasive towards this mans hard work, career, or reputation. Again, this is all one persons opinion. It is, I'm certain, an opinion shared by many others; though, certainly not all.
The event did inspire me to create and compose works of my own, and hopefully be able to tell a grand story through the work. We'll see whatever happens.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
What to Listen For in the World
Music has always inspired me. As an artist, more specifically an actor, I have always been extremely emotionally attached to music and the story or feelings it can represent. Something magical happens when lyrics are belted with full intensity over a swelling of sound and tears are brought to your eyes for the understanding of what's happening in the story of the piece or because you're simply so moved by the beautiful intricacy of it.
I can fully relate to what Adolphe tells us in this article, about being inspired by the things around us without need of understanding it. Music is something that doesn't always need an explanation, and I think is too often prefaced with such. One such as myself, an actor, I must find every possible detail of the representation of what I am portraying or it is meaningless and thus doesn't work. Music does not need this detail, but can merely happen. Many composers have simply written whatever came to their mind as they let their emotions and feelings pour through them. At times they don't understand what they are getting out, and other times it's clear what burdens are on their mind as they construct their work.
Music is so much based on structure and technique and simply cannot work with it. Musicians are pretty incredible creatures for what they are capable of doing at one given time. Their mind and body must work seamlessly to create, and the training to it takes to reach such a place is magnificent.
I can only equate to the likes of playing Rock Band or Guitar Hero, video game versions of instrumental manipulation. Where a real guitar has chords, the game controller has several button aligned to be pressed and strummed in the likeness of a chord. Playing these games often I have had many instances where I have blanked out mentally and yet my fingers have made the impossible formations flashing by work. I am always surprised when this instance occurs and think myself a God for that moment.
What true God like abilities do real musicians possess.
I can fully relate to what Adolphe tells us in this article, about being inspired by the things around us without need of understanding it. Music is something that doesn't always need an explanation, and I think is too often prefaced with such. One such as myself, an actor, I must find every possible detail of the representation of what I am portraying or it is meaningless and thus doesn't work. Music does not need this detail, but can merely happen. Many composers have simply written whatever came to their mind as they let their emotions and feelings pour through them. At times they don't understand what they are getting out, and other times it's clear what burdens are on their mind as they construct their work.
Music is so much based on structure and technique and simply cannot work with it. Musicians are pretty incredible creatures for what they are capable of doing at one given time. Their mind and body must work seamlessly to create, and the training to it takes to reach such a place is magnificent.
I can only equate to the likes of playing Rock Band or Guitar Hero, video game versions of instrumental manipulation. Where a real guitar has chords, the game controller has several button aligned to be pressed and strummed in the likeness of a chord. Playing these games often I have had many instances where I have blanked out mentally and yet my fingers have made the impossible formations flashing by work. I am always surprised when this instance occurs and think myself a God for that moment.
What true God like abilities do real musicians possess.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
A Collage In Regards to Myself
THE ORIGINAL
This is a collection of titles taken from the posters to a handful of films in my personal collection. I wasn't able to put all of the films I own into the piece as it would have been too busy, overlapped too much, or simply been a mess in general.
I have such a passion for film and the incredible process of creating such art. As an actor I use film to escape from reality, to study those whom are great so that I may learn from them (or borrow their works or techniques).
THE ABSTRACTION
Words are hard to bring into an abstract form. If you can read it it's not abstract. I used a lot of blur in the formation of this piece, while also messing with hue and saturation in sections as well as the whole. Noise was added in sections as well, with multiple styles of blur throughout as well.
This is a collection of titles taken from the posters to a handful of films in my personal collection. I wasn't able to put all of the films I own into the piece as it would have been too busy, overlapped too much, or simply been a mess in general.
I have such a passion for film and the incredible process of creating such art. As an actor I use film to escape from reality, to study those whom are great so that I may learn from them (or borrow their works or techniques).
THE ABSTRACTION
Words are hard to bring into an abstract form. If you can read it it's not abstract. I used a lot of blur in the formation of this piece, while also messing with hue and saturation in sections as well as the whole. Noise was added in sections as well, with multiple styles of blur throughout as well.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Big Fish
Rating: 4/5
"Big Fish" tells the story of a young man grown up and looking for the truths in his dying father's big stories. Will Bloom (Billy Crudup) is happily married with a child on the way, but is summoned back home when it seems his father, Ed Bloom (Albert Finney) hasn't much time left to live. The two haven't spoken in 3 years, after Will told off his father who seemed to have stole the spotlight with his exaggerated story telling during the reception for his wedding. Ed's stories are filled with wonder and excitement, with impossible events and incredible characters; and, these are the only supposed facts Will really knows about his father's life. Will begs his father for the truth, wishing to truly know something, anything about his father that is in fact real.
The film jumps between Will's battle for reconciliation and the stories of young Ed Bloom (Ewan McGregor) and his many adventures. We meet giants, Siamese twins, circus leaders, and an evil Witch with a glass eye that will show you the way of your death should you gaze upon it. It's no surprise that Tim Burton's visuals find a cozy home within the storytelling portions of the film; however, what I found so interesting was how subdued his trademark stylization came across. Burton is never overwhelming with special effects or eerie portraits. The world seems extremely well rooted, with just the perfect amount of heightened reality and/or magic to keep the wonderful effect.
The many stories cut between the real life events at the Bloom household are portioned well, and we find ourselves pleasantly wrapped up in whatever tale is being presented until we snap back to reality with the quick realization of: "Oh yeah, this is happening." The Young Ed Bloom comes across as a charismatic and personable individual with an extreme charm and wit that even the foulest of figures would be hard-pressed not to like. The other characters that greet themselves along the path are never overbearing, but give an existence that's just right for a story that truly revolves around Ed. We meet these characters, learn a bit about them, spend enough quality time with them to care to remember them, and then move on. This is useful as old relationships will reappear or cross paths or be mentioned again at a later time. It doesn't matter about who the person really is, but what story they were involved with and the fact that they exist at all.
This is a fairly typical father-and-son story with the usual elements of necessary reconciliation. The characters are stereotypically stubborn in their opinions as each man's respectful wife leaves room for their husbands to do their thing. What truly makes the film shine is the stories themselves, and even more so the idea of the magic of storytelling. Stories have always been an essential form of passing down ideals and information from generation to generation. It's a means of keeping history straight and passing on traditions. Stories are what keep what has passed, alive. It's the only true form of immortality.
Ed tells large stories rooted in truth for the purpose of making his life seem much more interesting than what it might have been. Why Will is so adamant about knowing the fact facts of his father's life is not really supported strongly enough. It's understandable he wants to know about his father, and feels he's owed enough truth to properly remember his father by. What is learned in the end, at least I hope, is that maybe it doesn't matter whether we are remembered for what we did or didn't do, but that we're simply remembered at all.
"Big Fish" tells the story of a young man grown up and looking for the truths in his dying father's big stories. Will Bloom (Billy Crudup) is happily married with a child on the way, but is summoned back home when it seems his father, Ed Bloom (Albert Finney) hasn't much time left to live. The two haven't spoken in 3 years, after Will told off his father who seemed to have stole the spotlight with his exaggerated story telling during the reception for his wedding. Ed's stories are filled with wonder and excitement, with impossible events and incredible characters; and, these are the only supposed facts Will really knows about his father's life. Will begs his father for the truth, wishing to truly know something, anything about his father that is in fact real.
The film jumps between Will's battle for reconciliation and the stories of young Ed Bloom (Ewan McGregor) and his many adventures. We meet giants, Siamese twins, circus leaders, and an evil Witch with a glass eye that will show you the way of your death should you gaze upon it. It's no surprise that Tim Burton's visuals find a cozy home within the storytelling portions of the film; however, what I found so interesting was how subdued his trademark stylization came across. Burton is never overwhelming with special effects or eerie portraits. The world seems extremely well rooted, with just the perfect amount of heightened reality and/or magic to keep the wonderful effect.
The many stories cut between the real life events at the Bloom household are portioned well, and we find ourselves pleasantly wrapped up in whatever tale is being presented until we snap back to reality with the quick realization of: "Oh yeah, this is happening." The Young Ed Bloom comes across as a charismatic and personable individual with an extreme charm and wit that even the foulest of figures would be hard-pressed not to like. The other characters that greet themselves along the path are never overbearing, but give an existence that's just right for a story that truly revolves around Ed. We meet these characters, learn a bit about them, spend enough quality time with them to care to remember them, and then move on. This is useful as old relationships will reappear or cross paths or be mentioned again at a later time. It doesn't matter about who the person really is, but what story they were involved with and the fact that they exist at all.
This is a fairly typical father-and-son story with the usual elements of necessary reconciliation. The characters are stereotypically stubborn in their opinions as each man's respectful wife leaves room for their husbands to do their thing. What truly makes the film shine is the stories themselves, and even more so the idea of the magic of storytelling. Stories have always been an essential form of passing down ideals and information from generation to generation. It's a means of keeping history straight and passing on traditions. Stories are what keep what has passed, alive. It's the only true form of immortality.
Ed tells large stories rooted in truth for the purpose of making his life seem much more interesting than what it might have been. Why Will is so adamant about knowing the fact facts of his father's life is not really supported strongly enough. It's understandable he wants to know about his father, and feels he's owed enough truth to properly remember his father by. What is learned in the end, at least I hope, is that maybe it doesn't matter whether we are remembered for what we did or didn't do, but that we're simply remembered at all.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Art From The Inside
These small readings seem to focus on the main idea of why art is created. There isn't a simple answer to that question, as each reason is subjective to that individual, but it gives examples nonetheless.
The main reason people create art, such as paintings or sculptures, is to release within themselves some sort of emotion. Perhaps it is to convey some form to another, but mostly it is of selfish acts. And, like stated in one reading about a painting obtaining a different meaning once it's on a wall, art changes form and meaning. A painting or a play are created because the artist had to get rid of something inside them. It is a form of therapy, or expression, or both. But once it becomes before an audience, it loses that special meaning and becomes something to look at, ponder, dissect, etc. It's not what the artist is about but what the painting or play is about. Now this is important, and I feel is necessary and expected of art. If one doesn't pick apart a work and form an opinion than there's no reason for the art piece to exist and there's certainly no reason for you to inhabit the earth.
I do understand in the Conversations with Picasso how people look at a painting on a flower and try to unravel it's beauty; however, they will not take such time to do the same for the actual figure in real life. Art is, especially for those who create it, an escape. It is a window to a world similar to ours, but with something special inside. We share these with others, and they try to understand and enjoy them.
Art, in the sense of a painting or sculpture, should not be driven by what "the other" will think. It must come out of the artist naturally and be brought into existence due to whatever reasons. This is very different from theater or film, with which the art doesn't exist without an "other" to view upon it.
Art is so extremely subjective, and the reason behind art or the purpose of art has no concrete or certain answer. It exists, for personally enjoyment, for the enjoyment of others, or simply as a means of getting something out of ones system. Art is, and always will be. Sometimes one has to leave it at that.
The main reason people create art, such as paintings or sculptures, is to release within themselves some sort of emotion. Perhaps it is to convey some form to another, but mostly it is of selfish acts. And, like stated in one reading about a painting obtaining a different meaning once it's on a wall, art changes form and meaning. A painting or a play are created because the artist had to get rid of something inside them. It is a form of therapy, or expression, or both. But once it becomes before an audience, it loses that special meaning and becomes something to look at, ponder, dissect, etc. It's not what the artist is about but what the painting or play is about. Now this is important, and I feel is necessary and expected of art. If one doesn't pick apart a work and form an opinion than there's no reason for the art piece to exist and there's certainly no reason for you to inhabit the earth.
I do understand in the Conversations with Picasso how people look at a painting on a flower and try to unravel it's beauty; however, they will not take such time to do the same for the actual figure in real life. Art is, especially for those who create it, an escape. It is a window to a world similar to ours, but with something special inside. We share these with others, and they try to understand and enjoy them.
Art, in the sense of a painting or sculpture, should not be driven by what "the other" will think. It must come out of the artist naturally and be brought into existence due to whatever reasons. This is very different from theater or film, with which the art doesn't exist without an "other" to view upon it.
Art is so extremely subjective, and the reason behind art or the purpose of art has no concrete or certain answer. It exists, for personally enjoyment, for the enjoyment of others, or simply as a means of getting something out of ones system. Art is, and always will be. Sometimes one has to leave it at that.
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