Weasel Walter Hott Mixx Club #1: Classical Gas

For one year between 2004 and 2005, I created a little mix-cd club. Here is edition number One from the series. Thanks to Phil Plencner for re-posting it:

CLASSICAL GAS:

1. Elliott Carter - Double Concerto for Harpsichord and Piano (1959-1961)
mind-expanding modernism as two keyboards clash and a spatially separated double chamber group with four flanking percussionists skirmish. Sounds like gnarly free jazz only it's totally composed! 22:36

 

Lucia Dlugoszewski

2. Lucia Dlugoszewski - Angels of the Inmost Heavens (1972)
totally twisted fast-paced piece for brass ensemble that rages with superhuman starts and stops, timbral shifts and dynamic surges. Brutal horn playing! And I'm also representing the ladies by putting this on here! 8:24

3. Pierre Boulez - second movement of Le Marteau Sans Maitre (1954-1957)

furiously polyrhymic and delicate at the same time, this lively snippet of the 9-movement classic will tease you and please you. The first half features weaving percussion, pizzicato viola and flute lines before an assaultive conclusion. This version is from the highstrung debut recording of the piece on Turnabout Records, as conducted by a young and nervous Boulez himself! 3:35

 

4. Carlos Chavez - Estudio A Rubenstein (1974)
totally dissonant speedcore piano solo composition by this south american heavy. 2:09

 

5. Lukas Foss - final section of Phorion (1967)
the rest of this composition is boring, so I'm just giving you the good part. A total fucking chaotic mess featuring percussion and wild organ playing. Fuck it! 1:51

 

6. Ruth Seeger Crawford - String Quartet (1931)
another one for the ladies! this ain't no 'boys club'! Totally ripping composition by this early 20th century innovator. Many moods from jagged to droning. Dissonant and action packed. 8:45

 

The maestro: Iannis Xenakis

7. Krzysztof Penderecki - Capriccio (1967)you've heard his stuff used as "scary music" in The Shining, 2001, etc., now check out his insane piece for violin soloist and orchestra. Massive blocks of sound. Total frenzy!!! 11:36

 

8. Olivier Messiaen - first movement from Sept Haikai (1962)
a mess of birdsongs, hindu talas, gamelan-like tones and more in this teaser from the classic work by the french god of christian dissonance! 1:35

 

9. Iannis Xenakis - Komboi (1981)
Xenakis - what's the fuss? Plenty! Here's just one reason: a totally RAGING duet between harpsichord and percussion that will knock your socks off. It's tweaker-prog-free-jazz-noise-apocalypse music, just the way you like it! 18:00