50th anniversary of the release of “Tubular Bells”
Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of the release of “Tubular Bells”, Mike Oldfield’s first album. Today, 25 May, marks the fiftieth anniversary of the release of Tubular Bells, the album that marked the recording debut of British guitarist and composer Mike Oldfield. The album, a single piece spread over two…
50th anniversary of “Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet” premiere
Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of the premiere of “Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet” by minimalist British composer Gavin Bryars. On 1 December 1972, fifty years ago, the Queen Elizabeth Hall of London’s Southbank Centre hosted the live premiere of Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet, one of British…
ECM releases “Meredith Monk: The Recordings”
Meredith Monk turns 80 and ECM pays tribute to her by releasing a box set of all 13 CDs the artist recorded for the German label. In tribute to Meredith Monk’s eightieth birthday, celebrated today, 20 November, ECM-New Series has released Meredith Monk: The Recordings, a box set that brings…
“Delusion of the Fury”, by Harry Partch, on Wergo
Wergo releases, more than fifty years later, a new version of Harry Partch’s key work “Delusion of the Fury”. The Californian Harry Partch (Oakland, 1901-San Diego, 1974) was one of the foremost composers to make systematic use of the microtonal scale. In addition to composing for instruments he invented (and…
First release of La Monte Young’s “Trio for Strings”
The Dia Art Foundation releases for the first time the “Trio for Strings” by La Monte Young. Last year, the US non-profit cultural institution Dia Art Foundation published for the first time the cornerstone on which the whole musical movement known as minimalism has been built. It is La Monte…
Erato Records reissues its Xenakis recordings
The Erato Records label reissues its historic recordings of pieces by Iannis Xenakis. The centenary of the birth of Iannis Xenakis is one of the main musical celebrations of 2022, and the French record label Erato Records, founded in 1953 to promote French classical music (and since 1992 owned by…
Terry Riley tribute to late Stefano Scodanibbio
i dischi di angelica publishes Terry Riley’s tribute to late friend Stefano Scodanibbio. Stefano Scodanibbio (Macerata, Italy; 1956-Cuernavaca, Mexico; 2012) was an Italian double bass player and composer who died in 2012. Throughout his career he worked with several composers of the 20th century avant-garde, who considered him a unique…
The 5 ¿best? Philip Glass albums
The five best Philip Glass albums. Echoing the BBVA Foundation’s awarding of its Frontiers of Knowledge Prize in the category of Music and Opera to the American composer Philip Glass, I have published in Forbes a brief discography selected (and commented) from the very extensive catalogue of the American composer. The five selected discs…
50th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon”
50th anniversary of the live release of Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon”. Today, 20 January, marks the fiftieth anniversary of the live premiere of many of the songs that make up The Dark Side of the Moon, one of the masterpieces not only of Pink Floyd, but…
50th anniversary of Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s “Pictures at an Exhibition”
50 years of E, L & P’s “Pictures at an Exhibition”. This November marks the fiftieth anniversary of the release of Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s Pictures at an Exhibition, one of the pinnacles of symphonic rock and the ultimate expression of the fusion of classical music and rock. In November…
Iosonouncane
“Ira”, by Iosonouncane. Jacopo Incani, a Sardinian composer born in 1983 in the small town of Buggerru, is one of the most interesting Italian musicians on the alternative scene. Incani made his solo debut in 2010 under the alias Iosonouncane (something like “Iamadog”) and his second album, in 2015, was…
Clara Peya
“Perifèria”, by Clara Peya. Eleven albums to her name in thirteen years… the Spanish pianist and composer Clara Peya (Palafrugell, 1986), the current leading representative of one of the currents of Spanish musical minimalism, has a torrential need to express herself. Song albums, concept albums, instrumental albums… The complete commentary…