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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.