ENSEMBLE MUSICA NEGATIVA ‎– Music Before Revolution (Odeon-EMI/4LP-1972)

Label: Odeon/EMI Electrola ‎– 1C 165-28954/7

Format: 4 × Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Box Set / Country: Germany / Released: 1972

Style: Contemporary, Experimental, Interview

Engineer [Recording] – Johann Nikolaus Matthes, Kurt Lorbach

Liner Notes – Heinz-Klaus Metzger

Producer [Recording] – Lieselotte Montes-Baquer

Matrix / Runout (Runout, side 1, stamped): 1C 165-28 954/7 Y – LP1- A

Matrix / Runout (Runout, side 2, stamped): 1C 165-28 954/7 Y – LP1- B

Matrix / Runout (Runout, side 3, stamped): 1C 165-28 954/7 Y – LP2 - C

Matrix / Runout (Runout, side 4, stamped): 1C 165-28 954/7 Y – LP2 - D

Matrix / Runout (Runout, side 5, stamped): 1C 165-28 954/7 Y – LP3 - E

Matrix / Runout (Runout, side 6, stamped): 1C 165-28 954/7 Y – LP3 - F

Matrix / Runout (Runout, side 7, stamped): 1C 165-28 954/7 Y – LP4 - G

Matrix / Runout (Runout, side 8, stamped): 1C 165-28 954/7 Y – LP4 – H

Please note, many Odeon issues also carry an EMI logo. It indicates that Odeon was part of the EMI Group.

side 1:

A1 - John Cage: Credo in Us ........................................................................................ 16:10

A2 - John Cage: Imaginary Landscape No.1 .................................................................. 7:35

        Orchestra – Ensemble Musica Negativa

        Conductor – Rainer Riehn

        Percussion – Burkhard Wissemann, Michael Dietz

        Piano – Christoph Keller

        Turntables [Phonograph], Electronics [Radio] – Johann Nikolaus Matthes

side 2:

B1 - John Cage: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra / Solo For Voice I-II .................... 18:00

B2 - John Cage: Rozart Mix .......................................................................................... 7:20

        Orchestra – Ensemble Musica Negativa

        Conductor – Rainer Riehn

        Piano – Hermann Danuser

        Voice – Bell Imhoff, Doris Sandrock

side 3:

C  -  Earle Brown: Folio ................................................................................................ 23:40

        Ca - October 1952, Cb - November 1952, Cd - December 1952, Ce - MM-87,

        Cf - MM-135 March 1953, Cg - Music for "Trio for Five Dancers" June 1953

        Orchestra – Ensemble Musica Negativa

        Conductor – Rainer Riehn, Earle Brown

        Piano – Hermann Danuser

side 4:

D1  -  Earle Brown: Four Systems .................................................................................. 6:51

D2a - Christian Wolff: In Between Pieces For Three Players I ...................................... 8:50

D2b - Christian Wolff: In Between Pieces For Three Players II ...................................... 4:30

D3  -  Christian Wolff: Electric Spring 2 .......................................................................... 6:45

          Orchestra – Ensemble Musica Negativa

          Conductor – Earle Brown

          Cello – Wilhelm Schulz

          Double Bass, El. Bass Guitar – Timm-Johannes Trappe

          Organ – Gerhard Stäbler

          Guitar [Electric] – Jörg Trappe

          Recorder – Rainer Riehn

          Trombone – Bernt Laukamp

John Cage, Morton Feldman, Earle Brown, Heinz-Klaus Metzger

Christian Wolff, Toshi Ichiyanagi

side 5:

E1 - Morton Feldman: For Franz Kline ......................................................................... 11:20

E2 - Morton Feldman: The Straits of Magellan .............................................................. 5:12

E3 - Morton Feldman: Between Categories ................................................................. 12:15

        Conductor – Rainer Riehn

        Cello – Frank Wolff, Wilhelm Schulz

        Chimes – Michael Dietz, Burkhard Wissemann

        Horn – Jakob Hefti

        Piano – Heinz-Klaus Metzger, Christoph Keller, Morton Feldman

        Soprano Vocals – Bell Imhoff

        Violin – Ulf Klausenitzer, Hans-Peter Friedrich

        Double Bass – Timm-Johannes Trappe

        Flute – Karlheinz Wiberny

        Guitar [El.] – Klaus-Ulrich Dorn

        Harp – Brigitte Deshais du Portail-Sylvestre

        Trumpet – Paul Knill

side 6:

F1 - Toshi Ichiyanagi: Sapporo .................................................................................... 13:56

F2 - Toshi Ichiyanagi: Life Music ................................................................................. 14:22

        Orchestra – Ensemble Musica Negativa

        Conductor – Rainer Riehn

side 7:

G  -  Conversations with John Cage, Christian Wolff, Hans G Helms ......................... 26:00

side 8:

H  -  Morton Feldman, Earle Brown, Heinz-Klaus Metzger in discussion .................... 28:30

VERY RARE BOX SET
Excellent and highly sought after recordings of these seldom seen contemporary works featuring ENSEMBLE MUSICA NEGATIVA with conductets by RAINER RIEN & EARLE BROWN. EMI Electrola gold label, first German release. 4LP box set complete with two inserts.

The set includes a booklet and a transcript (English and German) of conversations and discussions on LP 4 (sides G / H).

Note:

Toshi Ichiyanagi – I 1st heard his music on the "Music Before Revolution" box-set in 1972, then in 1975 as part of "Extended Voices". Both were extremely important to me. The 2 pieces on the box-set, "Sapporo" & "Life Music" were almost completely unlike anything I'd ever heard before. They sounded like some sort of primordial playpen where almost every sound seemed on the fringe of technique. - like the sounds were just coming into being They were unpredictable & very, very alive.

Ichiyanagi studied with both Henry Cowell & John Cage, presumably at the New School for Social Research in NYC.

Incredible recording. Enjoy!

If you find it, buy this album!