george rochberg favorites

[alocispepraluger102]

anyone have any george rochberg favorites or opinions?

i cant understand why the gorgeous third quartet isnt played more often.

http://www.presser.com/Composers/info.cfm?...=GEORGEROCHBERG

Edited July 6, 2007 by alocispepraluger102

[Spontooneous]

Feel like I got off on the wrong foot with this composer. First exposure was the Violin Concerto, on Isaac Stern's LP, and I didn't like it at all.

The more recent version of the Violin Concerto on Naxos is better.

Didn't care for Black Sounds on Naxos. Too much Varese imitation. The Phaedra music has some moments.

Still don't feel like I know what Rochberg is really up to. Seems like he's in search of his voice, not in possession of it. Still keeping my ears open for the piece that convinces me otherwise. (Haven't heard the quartets.)

[alocispepraluger102]

http://www.sequenza21.com/2007/04/mp3-blog...quartets-5.html

here's a link to his lovely 3rd string quartet

[Larry Kart]

I had a fair amount of Rochberg of all periods at one time but dumped almost all of it after a bout of concentrated listening led me to think that his typical muscle-bound, "gestural" thinking was mostly empty and crude. He's the musical equivalent of painter Leon Golub, whose writhing, smeary, agonized male figures were once aptly described by Frank O'Hara as "humanity hash." As for the supposed post-modern aspect of Rochberg's work, while there are potential problems there IMO, I don't hear Rochberg's musicality as rising to a level where questions of style and/or historical stance are crucial factors. Among so-called or possible post-modernists, I much prefer the luscious/ecstatic looniness of David Del Tredici or the fractured surfaces of Robin Holloway.

[alocispepraluger102]

I had a fair amount of Rochberg of all periods at one time but dumped almost all of it after a bout of concentrated listening led me to think that his typical muscle-bound, "gestural" thinking was mostly empty and crude. He's the musical equivalent of painter Leon Golub, whose writhing, smeary, agonized male figures were once aptly described by Frank O'Hara as "humanity hash." As for the supposed post-modern aspect of Rochberg's work, while there are potential problems there IMO, I don't hear Rochberg's musicality as rising to a level where questions of style and/or historical stance are crucial factors. Among so-called or possible post-modernists, I much prefer the luscious/ecstatic looniness of David Del Tredici or the fractured surfaces of Robin Holloway.

thanks for your excellent analysis.

[Larry Kart]

Some Leon Golub works, FWIW:

http://www.artnet.com/artwork/424960601/53...rnt-man-iv.html

http://www.artnet.com/artwork/424470637/14...-figure-ii.html

http://www.artnet.com/artwork/423873622/37...-ii-detail.html

http://www.artnet.com/usernet/awc/awc_thum...;works_of_art=1

[alocispepraluger102]

thanks for the links.

...looking to check them out.

...interesting (and apt) comparison.

Edited July 8, 2007 by alocispepraluger102