Three Magical Places (1979) for solo harp
Download audio file (1Charing_Cross_Bridge.mp3)
Charing Cross Bridge
Download audio file (2Poppy_Fields.mp3)
Poppy Fields
Download audio file (3Rouen_Cathedral_at_Dawn.mp3)
Rouen Cathedral at Dawn

Music: Roger Bourland
Performers: Susan Allen
Publisher: Shawnee Press
Recording: 1750 Arch Records

It was an honor to have Mel Powell write program notes for this album. Here is what he said about my piece:

Roger Bourland’s Three Magical Places (Portrait of Monet), completed in 1979, honors the venerable Gallic tradition of music depiction. Captions assigned to the three pieces are, respectively: “Charing Cross Bridge,” “Poppy Fields” and “Rouen Cathedral at Dawn.” This homage to the great impressionist painter is itself a fastidious updating of French musical impressionism, to which an increasing large debt is being incurred by twentieth-century composers. Loveliness of sonority is the most conspicuous feature of the work, but that loveliness, as with Debussy and Ravel, is all the more beguiling in that it rests on a firm platform of structural finesse. For instance, an imaginative exploitation of the intervallic substance of a particular (Webern-flavored) trichord secures a liaison between different areas as one of the hidden compositional constraints. That such constraints are in fact so successfully camouflaged is a measure of the elegant musicality that distinguishes this work.

–Mel Powell

For inspiration I played several music videos from YouTube illustrating a wide variety of musics that use drones or pedals.

In Stevie Wonder’s “Too High” both the opening tonic vamp and the dominant pedal are short drones.

Influenced by Ravi Shankar and Indian ragas, the Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows” lays down a complicated drone thoughout.

The Habanera from Bizet’s Carmen has a bass line ostinato that changes chords throughout, but the bass line refuses go anywhere.

“Scotland the Brave” is a perfect example of a memorable melody over a drone. But, to paraphrase Stravinsky, the monster never breathes.

Some of you may remember Moondog. I saw him both performing in the streets of Manhattan, but he came to the UW Madison School of Music and had an all-day residency. He wrote a round called “N-O-S-I-D-A-M” which is Madison backwards. I still remember the tune if anyone needs it. I may have a copy somewhere as well. But this is an example of an invention with one note, played by several instruments.

Here, John Coltrane tells the bass player in “Giant Steps” to sustain an E flat pedal. I don’t get it but this video/transcription is maddeningly brilliant.

Here Seal whoops up the audience over his drone song “Crazy.”

These songs represent a wildly diverse range of music inspired by drones and pedals.

I’ve heard a lot of Tibetan monks chant, but never with this incredible sense of cosmic harmony. Listen to all the notes in each chord: unbelievable! Then, you have the contrabass solos functioning as little interludes. Then they all join in again. WOW!

Rachmaninov: Vocalise performed by a much younger Clara Rockmore, theremin
]]> http://rogerbourland.com/blog/2009/11/13/rachmaninov-song-of-grusia-vocalise/feed/ 0 http://rogerbourland.com/blog/2009/10/28/mama-cass-mary-travers-joni-mitchell-i-shall-be-released/ http://rogerbourland.com/blog/2009/10/28/mama-cass-mary-travers-joni-mitchell-i-shall-be-released/#comments Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:54:34 +0000 Roger Bourland http://rogerbourland.com/blog/?p=3991 Pardon me: I’m having a wave of nostalgia. What a trio! ]]>

Pardon me: I’m having a wave of nostalgia. What a trio!

The amazing Eigenharp Alpha. A terrific instrument that one can play live. Looks like a cross between a bassoon and a sitar. I’d like to hear some other kinds of music. I’d assume it’s a flexible instrument–could be anything you plugged it into.

Sung by Judy Collins on the Smothers Brothers Show (1967).

I love the one in my neighborhood because it’s the one where the Buffalo Springfield was formed. And I think, “hmm, did Neil Young and Stephen Stills sit at this booth once? Did Richie Furray and Dewey Martin laugh and eat pancakes at this table? Did Bruce Palmer sit alone at this table?

What time of day did they come in? Were they all smoking? What were they wearing? Did they laugh a lot? Did they sing to each other? How old would you say they were?– I ask these questions to my imaginary guide to this Historic Hollywood Hangout.

More coffee please.

Here is a video of a 1967 performance in Monterey of the Springfield’s biggest hit, “For What It’s Worth”. David Crosby is playing along. I don’t see Neil Young or Bruce Palmer. Richie Furay is looking exceedingly preppy and perky here.