CP2 records CP2 108

1. Henry Brant – Quombex 6:59
2. Giacinto Scelsi – Anahit 12:38
3. Stefan Wolpe – Second piece for violin alone 3:07
4. Iannis Xenakis – Mikka 4:38
5. Iannis Xenakis – Mikka ‘S’ 4:55
6. John Cage – Nocturne 4:16
7. Philip Glass – Strung out 21:14
8. Morton Feldman – Vertical thoughts II 4:59

Strung Out for amplified violin was written in the summer of 1967 and first performed at concert which all the music was presented physically in “shapes” suggested by the titles. The music for Strung Out was printed in “accordian fold” style so that when opened, it formed some twenty continuous pages strung together. It was set up on a series of music stands making an ‘L’ shape on the stage. The violinist began playing on the short leg of the ‘L’, walked down to the corner and out the long leg, taking in all about twenty minutes. In order to fix the sound to a stationary sound source while the performer moved, the violin was amplified by a pick-up attached to the bridge and the signal was conveyed via amp/preamp to two speakers on either side of the stage. My use of amplified sound began from this period and continues into the present.

StructuraIly the piece is, I think, self-revealing. At the outset, a first inversion triad is outlined. The upper three notes become a point of departure for a series of rhythmic devices. Notes are added one by one to the initial figure, finally producing continuous ascending and descending scales. At times the melodic figures are broken into smaller, discontinuous rhythmic fragments contrasting markedly with the more continuous scale passages. Repetitive structure, stable harmony, continuous eight note movement – all easily recognizable features of the music for amplified ensemble which followed – are present in this early piece.

— Philip Glass

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Compositions:
Strung Out