Rocky Mjos very kindly sent me a very curious piece of lute music. It is
'A Prelude for the Lute' by Suzanne Bloch (1907-2002), lute pioneer and
one of the founding members of the LSA. It is to be found in John Cage's
book, Notations, alongside different kinds of notations and lots of (but
not only) graphic and experimental scores.
From half way through the second line to the return of the opening in
the fifth line, the music is irregular in places. It is an unmeasured
prelude but still it can seem like beats are missing or added. Or it
could be evoking mild turbulence? The groupings of the rhythm signs in
2s and 4s is not clear either.
I have tried it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L58IKjOPfWc
The photo is filched. The first face to appear is the young Suzanne
Bloch (the photo was taken by her composer father in 1926). To her right
in her sister Lucienne and to her left is her mother and cellist
Alexander Barjansky.
Stuart
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