My reaction on first hearing was negative. After I recorded the stream,
enhanced the sound and played it on a decent hi-fi the pipes were much more
audible. They're quiet but well recorded and separated in the mix on the far
right. If you listen on headphones or computer speakers they're lost.

The same musical doubts remain though - there's little of the Northumbrian
tradition and harmonically the piece is foreign to the sound of the pipes. I
think Chris hit the right issue -  there must be some tuning and harmonics
challenges with a just G scale and the other instruments, especially with
the 'modern' scales and harmonies. But there are some melodic sections I
like and the blend with cor anglais works at times.

Instruments out of their métier seldom seem to satisfy ( I play the bassoon
and wonder why people try to play jazz on them), but after a few hearings
the piece is beginning to grow on me. 

Simon

-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen Douglass [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Saturday, October 28, 2006 9:02 AM
To: nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu
Subject: [NSP] Piping Modernism

Maxwell Davies comes from the musical influences of modernism, and  
pieces like Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire..

(some might switch that piece off after 30 seconds)

The piping in the composition was unlikely to be expected, resolving  
or traditionally presented.

It still managed to make it to Radio 3 though (and the "play again"  
button) ..... no publicity is bad publicity...eh?

Steve Douglass




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