Arcana: Musicians on Music (Paperback)

~ John Zorn (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Answering a need for critical attention towards experimental and avant-garde music, Arcana is a ground-breaking work -as far-ranging and dynamic as the current generation of musicians. Through manifestoes, scores, interviews, notes and critical papers, performer/composers address composing, playing, improvising, teaching, and thinking in and through music, Rather than an attempt to distill or define musicans' work, Arcana is a remarkable book-challenging and original-essential for composers, musicians, theorists and fans alike.

About the Author

John Zorn is a central figure in New York's music community. Instrumental in developing venues for experimental music such as The Knitting Factory and Tonic, Zorn is a composer and performer credited with having widely expanded the audience for challenging, free-form music. His projects range from his own musical outfits, Masada, Cobra, and Naked City among others, to composing a piece for the New York Philharmonic and producing a Burt Bacharach tribute album.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Granary Books (January 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 188712327X
• ISBN-13: 978-1887123273
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #236,442 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Classic Guide to Strategy, March 29, 2001

By	Michael Sean (Seattle, WA - US) - See all my reviews

As John Zorn outlines in his introduction to the book, he assembled this project as a reaction to the lack of insightful critical writing about the generation of adventurous musicians he is a part of. This group of artists and their work is not easily defined, although critics have tried applying ambiguous terms like 'comprovisation,' 'postmodernism,' and 'totalism." Anyone familiar with the output of record labels like Tzadik, Avant, Atavistic, and Knitting Factory will recognize several names among the contributors. Unlike the usual music essay which dissects an artist's recordings, most of these are very informal and intriguing peeks into the thought processes and compositional practices of the musicians themselves. Bill Frisell provides an approach to guitar fingering, Marc Ribot talks about earplugs, Ikue Mori discusses how she works with drum machines, and Bob Ostertag details how he adapted the sounds of a queer riot for string quartet. There's a discussion on plunderphonics with John Oswald, an overview from Elliott Sharp on his group Carbon, and David Mahler expounds his responses to a set of nine questions posed by Pauline Oliveros. The writings range from brief 2 or 3 page entries (Mike Patton's "How We Eat Our Young," Marilyn Crispell's "Elements of Improvisation") to long and elaborate essays (Scott Johnson's "Counterpoint," David Rosenboom's "Propositional Music"). Some of the contributions are more unusual, such as Zorn's "Treatment for a Film in Fifteen Scenes," Fred Frith's notebook extracts, or Peter Garland's journal of his trip to Australia's Northern Territory. All of them provide for inspiring and thought-provoking reading, making this an invaluable book for both fans of these artists and aspiring musicians of the avant garde. An appendix of brief bios for each artist ends the book, along with short lists of recommended listenings.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glimpses, January 7, 2003

By	William Wood (Sydney, New South Wales Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Arcana is a book that you will go back to again and again.Whether it is to look at Fred Friths notes on composing and playing ( great fun for Frithophiles deciphering the music involved)or the fingering techniques of Bill Frissel this is a book that inspires the act of making music.All of the contributors have uncovered some real gems and John Zorn has done a great job editing this book.
This is not a how to book by any means, in fact Arcana offers far more than that.This is a what if book, a glimpse rather than a map.
If you are a musician I feel you will find lots of things in this book to inspire, and for music fans we have a history of sorts that I am sure will enrich your listening pleasure.
Highly reccomended.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Musical Manifesto, March 29, 2000

By A Customer

This collection of essays, notes, scores and proclamations of artistic vision serves as an amazing "manifesto" for the Downtown New York improvised/avant music scene. Edited by Maven John Zorn, the text features contributions from guitarist Bill Frisell and trombonist George Lewis (both of whom, along with Zorn, released the wonderful "News for Lulu" LPs in the late 80's and early 90's) among others. A definite must-have for a fan of this scene, free/avant Jazz, or music in general.