Riley: In C (25th Anniversary Concert)

Terry Riley (Composer), Warner Jepson (Performer), Warner Jepsen (Performer), Terry Riley (Performer), Blake Derby (Performer), Mihr'un'Nisa Douglass (Performer), Shabda Owens (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Warner Jepson, Warner Jepsen, Terry Riley, Blake Derby, Mihr'un'Nisa Douglass, et al.
• Composer: Terry Riley
• Audio CD (February 9, 1995)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: New Albion Records
• ASIN: B000000R3V
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,475 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #3 in Music > Classical > Instruments > Electronic > Computer
  • #19 in Music > Dance & DJ > Techno > Minimal Techno

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb recording of a superb work., September 19, 1999

By 

Chris Massa (West Chester, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Riley: In C (25th Anniversary Concert) (Audio CD)

Terry Riley's minimalistic masterpiece "In C" is, admittedly, an extremely experimental piece of work. It is a supreme example of music for its own sake, music that doesn't express anything other than itself. It should be noted that it also expresses itself very very well.

"In C" allows our imagination to soar, because it doesn't know its limits. Here is a piece which, in its natural version, is merely fifty-eight measures. That such a talented ensemble can make it last a little over 76 minutes, keeping the listener entranced the entire time, is yet another accolade of this piece.

It is truly marvelous to hear such creativity captured on compact disc, and yet, it happens much too infrequently. This is truly a collector's item for fans of Riley, minimalism, or simply great music. It is limitless, boundless, and marvelously original.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "music to try to awaken ourselves", May 3, 2001

By 

R. Hutchinson "autonomeus" (a world ruled by fossil fuels and fossil minds) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Riley: In C (25th Anniversary Concert) (Audio CD)

When asked whether he has a favorite performance of "In C," Riley told composer William Duckworth: "...the one that really surprised me was the 25th anniversary one we did in San Francisco... [I]t...has an epic quality, because there were 34 musicians. When I heard the tape, I was really impressed. Even with orchestras, it had never had the epic quality it does with this performance" (from TALKING MUSIC, interviews by William Duckworth). Although Terry Riley always credits his friend La Monte Young as the original "minimalist" (specifically Young's "Trio for Strings" -- see the Duckworth interview), it was Riley's "In C" that put this new approach on the map. Steve Reich referred to his early work as "pattern music," and that is as good a description of "In C" as any -- Reich played in the first performance in 1964, and it was a crucial influence. This live performance is amazing, with the Kronos Quartet among the ensemble members, and featuring jazzy saxophone passages that bring to mind Riley's debt to John Coltrane. This is spiritual music. Listen to Terry Riley (again, from Duckworth) on his music:

"I feel it's my field to try to create magic in sound. Magic in the sense of transcendence of this ordinary life into another realm. An awakening, you know. To use music to try to awaken ourselves."

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rough Around the Edges, But Exhuberant Music Making, May 24, 2003

By 

Timothy Dougal (Madison, Wi United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Riley: In C (25th Anniversary Concert) (Audio CD)

I would actually prefer to give this 76 minute recording of 'In C' a 4 1/2 star rating, but I guess 5 will do. It is long, but that is the main reason I bought this version. As with many live recordings, the home listening experience would have been better if the record company had left off the long applause after a long pause at the end. As to the performance itself, it starts off a little shaky, but quickly finds its feet, and once it's on its way, I love the sheer joy of music-making exuberantly displayed by the 30-something musicians, its crescendos and decrescendos, it themes and variations floating in and out. Although it seems that some listeners quickly get enough of this, I have put this disc on repeat more than once, and don't really understand how some can get bored by this eventful, complex production. I wish I could find more like this one!