Take the Third Stream, turn left at the sun
June 22, 2015 3:17 PM Subscribe
Gunther Schuller passed away yesterday.
The influential composer who who coined the term Third Stream to describe a music which bridged the worlds of classical and jazz was a gifted horn player, a conductor, an author, and headed the New England Conservatory. He wrote music inspired by abstract paintings. He wrote for string quartet, jazz band, orchestra, and soloists. He'll be remembered.
The influential composer who who coined the term Third Stream to describe a music which bridged the worlds of classical and jazz was a gifted horn player, a conductor, an author, and headed the New England Conservatory. He wrote music inspired by abstract paintings. He wrote for string quartet, jazz band, orchestra, and soloists. He'll be remembered.
I really enjoyed "Early Jazz". A wonderful (if opinionated) book.
posted by acrasis at 3:24 PM on June 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by acrasis at 3:24 PM on June 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
> I really enjoyed "Early Jazz". A wonderful (if opinionated) book.
And The Swing Era is even better. I've been waiting for the promised sequel a long time now (I made a snarky comment about it a couple of years ago), and now I have to give up hope. What an amazing, multifarious man he was; he used his time on earth well.
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posted by languagehat at 3:31 PM on June 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
And The Swing Era is even better. I've been waiting for the promised sequel a long time now (I made a snarky comment about it a couple of years ago), and now I have to give up hope. What an amazing, multifarious man he was; he used his time on earth well.
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posted by languagehat at 3:31 PM on June 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
I've been playing Schuller all day. When discussing his passing with some friends, I said that I'm not sure he ever really did exactly what he was trying to do, in terms of his grand synthesis meets audience accessibility project thing, but a composer with a more unique, ambitious and iconoclastic voice is hard to come by.
I was a student at NEC when they commissioned Schuller to write a massive, massive piece in honor of some anniversary of the place. Schuller was insistent that he need all members of the (huge) choir to have absolute perfect pitch, because all of their entrances were strange chords pulled out of nowhere without any good cues from the other ensembles playing in the piece. And NEC was just like, ok, but like most of our choir doesn't have that, so unless you want a choir of 10... So the whole choir just had to do their best, and if anyone came in with a wrong note, well, I'm not even sure Gunther noticed. It was somewhat organized chaos in the best possible way.
In any case, a very sad day for contemporary music. Schuller was a massive figure who leaves a big hole.
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posted by Lutoslawski at 3:38 PM on June 22, 2015 [4 favorites]
I was a student at NEC when they commissioned Schuller to write a massive, massive piece in honor of some anniversary of the place. Schuller was insistent that he need all members of the (huge) choir to have absolute perfect pitch, because all of their entrances were strange chords pulled out of nowhere without any good cues from the other ensembles playing in the piece. And NEC was just like, ok, but like most of our choir doesn't have that, so unless you want a choir of 10... So the whole choir just had to do their best, and if anyone came in with a wrong note, well, I'm not even sure Gunther noticed. It was somewhat organized chaos in the best possible way.
In any case, a very sad day for contemporary music. Schuller was a massive figure who leaves a big hole.
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posted by Lutoslawski at 3:38 PM on June 22, 2015 [4 favorites]
♪
posted by Smart Dalek at 3:39 PM on June 22, 2015
posted by Smart Dalek at 3:39 PM on June 22, 2015
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posted by trip and a half at 3:55 PM on June 22, 2015
posted by trip and a half at 3:55 PM on June 22, 2015
One of the best and most demanding set of ears I ever saw in person. He could hear a big band hit some crazy 9-pitch chord and would go down the line, from memory, fixing pitch and balance for everyone.
I had the privilege of playing lead trumpet in a Kenton tribute band he led for his 85th birthday concert. Getting a compliment from him was a rare event and I'm going to hang onto it for as long as I play. That and hearing from him that HIS proudest accomplishment was being the only member of Charles Mingus's band that Mingus didn't punch in the face.
posted by range at 6:08 PM on June 22, 2015 [9 favorites]
I had the privilege of playing lead trumpet in a Kenton tribute band he led for his 85th birthday concert. Getting a compliment from him was a rare event and I'm going to hang onto it for as long as I play. That and hearing from him that HIS proudest accomplishment was being the only member of Charles Mingus's band that Mingus didn't punch in the face.
posted by range at 6:08 PM on June 22, 2015 [9 favorites]
♬
posted by ryanshepard at 6:21 PM on June 22, 2015
posted by ryanshepard at 6:21 PM on June 22, 2015
> the only member of Charles Mingus's band that Mingus didn't punch in the face.
Thanks range. Them's good stories.
posted by cleroy at 8:36 PM on June 22, 2015
Thanks range. Them's good stories.
posted by cleroy at 8:36 PM on June 22, 2015
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posted by quazichimp at 10:55 PM on June 22, 2015
posted by quazichimp at 10:55 PM on June 22, 2015
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Among his many accomplishments, Mr Schuller contributed French horn to the 1950 session for that seminal classic, Birth of the Cool.
posted by On the Corner at 3:53 AM on June 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Among his many accomplishments, Mr Schuller contributed French horn to the 1950 session for that seminal classic, Birth of the Cool.
posted by On the Corner at 3:53 AM on June 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by fingers_of_fire at 8:45 AM on June 23, 2015
posted by fingers_of_fire at 8:45 AM on June 23, 2015
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posted by the sobsister at 9:46 AM on June 23, 2015
posted by the sobsister at 9:46 AM on June 23, 2015
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