Matt's Top Albums of 2013

(in alphabetical order)

Autechre – Exai

Burial – Rival Dealer

Darkside - Psychic

Dirty Beaches – Drifters/Love Is The Devil

Factory Floor – Factory Floor

Julia Holter – Loud City Song

The Knife – Shaking the Habitual

Laurel Halo – Chance Of Rain

Oneohtrix Point Never – R Plus Seven

Tim Hecker – Virgins

other recommendations:

Boards of Canada – Tomorrow’s Harvest

Forest Swords – Engravings

Four Tet – Beautiful Rewind

Grouper – The Man Who Died in His Boat

Jessy Lanza – Pull My Hair Back

Juliana Barwick – Nepenthe

Matmos – The Marriage of True Minds

My Bloody Valentine – m b v

Octo Octa – Between Two Selves

William Basinski – Nocturnes

Classical Music Listening Diary - 10/7 To 10/13

Monday - 10/7
Daily Favorite: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Clarinet Concerto In A Major, K622

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Serenade No. 10 In B-Flat Major, K361: "Gran Partita"
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Clarinet Concerto In A Major, K622
• Johannes Brahms - Piano Concerto No. 2 In B-Flat Major, Op. 83
• Johannes Brahms - Piano Concerto No. 1 In D Minor, Op. 15

Tuesday - 10/8

Daily Favorite: Johannes Brahms - Six Pieces For Piano, Op. 118

• Johannes Brahms - Seven Fantasias For Piano, Op. 116
• Johannes Brahms - Symphony No. 4 In E Minor, Op. 98
• Johannes Brahms - Six Pieces For Piano, Op. 118
• Franz Schubert - Winterreise, D911

Wednesday - 10/9

Daily Favorite: Georg Friedrich Händel - Water Music, HWV 348-350

• Franz Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 94 In G Major, Hob. 94: "Surprise"
• Georg Friedrich Händel - Water Music, HWV 348-350
• Georg Friedrich Händel - Music For The Royal Fireworks, HWV 351
• Georg Friedrich Händel - Organ Concertos, Op. 4, HWV 289-294

Thursday - 10/10

Daily Favorite: Johann Sebastian Bach - Passacaglia And Fugue In C Minor, BWV 582

• Johann Sebastian Bach - Passacaglia And Fugue In C Minor, BWV 582
• Johannes Brahms - Clarinet Sonata No. 1 In E Minor, Op. 120
• Johann Sebastian Bach - Toccata And Fugue In D Minor, BWV 565
• Johann Sebastian Bach - Fantasy And Fugue In G Minor, BWV 542

Friday - 10/11

Daily Favorite: Johann Sebastian Bach - The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080

• Johann Sebastian Bach - The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080
• Johann Sebastian Bach - Harpsichord Concerto No. 3 In D Major, BWV 1054
• Johann Sebastian Bach - Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046-1051

Saturday - 10/12

Daily Favorite: Franz Schubert - Symphony No. 8 In B Minor, D759: "Unfinished"

• Franz Schubert - Symphony No. 8 In B Minor, D759: "Unfinished"
• Franz Schubert - Symphony No. 9 In C Major, D944: "The Great"
• Johann Sebastian Bach - Orchestral Suites, BWV 1066-1069
• Johannes Brahms - Four Pieces For Piano, Op. 119
• Johannes Brahms - Three Intermezzi For Piano, Op. 117

Sunday - 10/13

Daily Favorite: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Symphony No. 40 In G Minor, K550: "The Great"

• Johannes Brahms - Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 77
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Symphony No. 40 In G Minor, K550: "The Great"
• Jan Dismas Zelenka - Trio Sonatas, ZWV 181

Weekly Favorite: Franz Schubert - Symphony No. 8 In B Minor, D759: "Unfinished"

Composer Of The Week: Johannes Brahms

Classical Music Listening Diary - 9/10 To 9/16

Tuesday - 9/10
Daily Favorite: Bohuslav Martinů - Double Concerto For Two String Orchestras, Piano, And Timpani

• Bohuslav Martinů - Double Concerto For Two String Orchestras, Piano, And Timpani
• Bohuslav Martinů - Cello Sonata No. 1
• Heitor Villa-Lobos - Piano Concerto No. 1

Wednesday - 9/11

Daily Favorite: Ludwig Van Beethoven - String Quartet No. 14

• Bohuslav Martinů - Double Concerto For Two String Orchestras, Piano, And Timpani
• Johann Sebastian Bach - Double Violin Concerto
• Einojuhani Rautavaara - Harp Concerto 
• Johann Sebastian Bach - Brandenburg Concertos
• Ludwig Van Beethoven - String Quartet No. 14
• Antonín Dvořák - Piano Concerto In G Minor
• Antonín Dvořák - String Quartet No. 12: "American"
• Wilhelm Stenhammar - Piano Concerto No. 2
• Geirr Tveitt - Piano Concerto No. 4: "Aurora Borealis"
• Carl Maria Von Weber - Clarinet Concerto No. 1

Thursday - 9/12

Daily Favorite: Franz Liszt - Années De Pèlerinage

• Carl Maria Von Weber - Clarinet Concerto No. 2
• Sergei Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 2
• Franz Liszt - Années De Pèlerinage

Friday - 9/13

Daily Favorite: Johan Svendsen - Symphony No. 1

• Johannes Brahms - Cello Sonata No. 1
• Johannes Brahms - Cello Sonata No. 2
• Johannes Brahms - Clarinet Quintet
• Johan Svendsen - Symphony No. 1
• Johan Svendsen - Symphony No. 2
• Johan Svendsen - Norwegian Rhapsodies
• William Alwyn - Lyra Angelica
• Anton Rubinstein - Piano Concerto No. 4
• Anton Rubinstein - Piano Concerto No. 3

Saturday - 9/14

Daily Favorite: Anton Rubinstein - Piano Concerto No. 4

• Anton Rubinstein - Piano Concerto No. 4
• Kurt Atterberg - Piano Concerto In B-Flat Minor
• Bohuslav Martinů - Double Concerto For Two String Orchestras, Piano, And Timpani
• Bohuslav Martinů - The Frescoes Of Piero Della Francesca
• Bohuslav Martinů - Field Mass
• Johannes Brahms - Symphony No. 4

Sunday - 9/15

Daily Favorite: Johannes Brahms - Symphony No. 4

• Johannes Brahms - Symphony No. 4
• Anton Rubinstein - Symphony No. 2: "Ocean"
• Jean Sibelius - Symphony No. 2
• Gustav Mahler - Symphony No. 2: "Resurrection"
• Ludwig Van Beethoven - Symphony No. 1
• Ludwig Van Beethoven - Symphony No. 2

Monday - 9/16

Daily Favorite: Edvard Grieg - Cello Sonata

• Kurt Atterberg - Piano Concerto In B-Flat Minor
• Wilhelm Stenhammar - Piano Concerto No. 1
• Edvard Grieg - Piano Concerto In A Minor
• Joaquín Rodrigo - Concierto De Aranjuez
• Bohuslav Martinů - Double Concerto For Two String Orchestras, Piano, And Timpani
• Anton Rubinstein - Symphony No. 2: "Ocean"
• Edvard Grieg - Cello Sonata
• Edvard Grieg - String Quartet No. 1
• Ludwig Van Beethoven - String Quartet No. 14

Weekly Favorite: Bohuslav Martinů - Double Concerto For Two String Orchestras, Piano, And Timpani

Composer Of The Week: Anton Rubinstein

Classical Music Listening Diary - 9/3 To 9/9

Tuesday - 9/3
Daily Favorite: Franz Schubert - Winterreise

• Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 5
• Antonín Dvořák - Symphony No. 9: "From The New World"
• Antonín Dvořák - Symphony No. 8
• Franz Liszt - A Faust Symphony
• Franz Liszt - Piano Sonata In B Minor
• Franz Schubert - Winterreise
• Franz Schubert - Piano Sonata No. 21

Wednesday - 9/4
Daily Favorite: Franz Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 94: "The Surprise"

• Franz Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 104: "London"
• Franz Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 101: "The Clock"
• Franz Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 100: "Military"
• Franz Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 96: "The Miracle"
• Franz Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 94: "The Surprise"
• Franz Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 103: "Drumroll"

Thursday - 9/5
Daily Favorite: Antonio Vivaldi - The Four Seasons

• Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 5
• Franz Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 94: "The Surprise"
• Antonio Vivaldi - The Four Seasons
• Antonio Vivaldi - Flute Concertos, Op. 10
• Georg Friedrich Händel - Organ Concertos, Op. 4
• Ludwig Van Beethoven - String Quartet No. 14

Friday - 9/6

Daily Favorite: Edvard Grieg - Piano Concerto In A Minor

• Edvard Grieg - Piano Concerto In A Minor
• Franz Joseph Haydn - String Quartet No. 63: "Sunrise"
• Felix Mendelssohn - Organ Sonata No. 2
• Felix Mendelssohn - Organ Sonata No. 6
• Felix Mendelssohn - Symphony No. 4: "Italian"
• Béla Bartók - Concerto For Orchestra
• Dmitri Shostakovich - String Quartet No. 8
• Dmitri Shostakovich - Piano Concerto No. 1
• Claude Debussy - Prélude à L'après-Midi D'un Faune

Saturday - 9/7

Daily Favorite: Franz Schubert - Symphony No. 9: "The Great"

• Franz Schubert - Symphony No. 9: "The Great"
• Edvard Grieg - String Quartet No. 1
• Einojuhani Rautavaara - Symphony No. 8: "The Journey"

Sunday - 9/8
Daily Favorite: Jean Sibelius - Symphony No. 2

• Franz Joseph Haydn - Piano Sonata No. 62
• Franz Joseph Haydn - String Quartet No. 61: "Fifths"
• Frédéric Chopin - Piano Concerto No. 2
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Requièm Mass In D Minor
• Antonín Dvořák - Cello Concerto In B Minor
• Jean Sibelius - Symphony No. 2
• Jean Sibelius - Symphony No. 5
• Antonín Dvořák - Symphony No. 9: "From The New World"
• Heitor Villa-Lobos - Five Preludes

Monday - 9/9
Daily Favorite: Heitor Villa-Lobos - Bachianas Brasileiras

• Antonín Dvořák - Symphony No. 9: "From The New World"
• Antonín Dvořák - String Quartet No. 12: "American"
• Bedřich Smetana - Má Vlast
• Alan Hovhaness - Symphony No. 2: "Mysterious Mountain"
• Johann Sebastian Bach - Brandenburg Concertos
• Heitor Villa-Lobos - Bachianas Brasileiras

Weekly Favorite: Antonín Dvořák - Symphony No. 9: "From The New World"

Composer Of The Week: Franz Joseph Haydn

The Extreme Music Forum's Top Recommended Metal Albums

A few weeks ago, I undertook a project. After finding the TalkClassical Forum's Top Recommended Lists extremely helpful in my exploration of classical music, I sought to bring a similar set of lists to the metal community. I chose the Extreme Music Forum on last.fm as a place from which to collect votes, as I found this group to be a happy medium between having a decent number of active members and having a member base that is relatively well-educated in regards to the metal canon.

Members were asked to list their favorite metal albums in various genres, up to 30 albums per genre. Points were then given to releases based on their ranking in each list. For instance, each #1 pick received 30 points, each #2 pick received 29 points, and so on. Points were then manually counted, and albums were ranked according to these points. Based on these rankings, a master list is created in the vein of the classical music lists linked above.

Some observations from the project:

• 213 death metal releases, 203 heavy metal releases, and 154 black metal releases were submitted as favorites. In a sense, this hints at an impressive catalogue for metal.
• Both death metal and black metal boasted a #1 frontrunner with a significant lead over the rest of the albums in terms of points. While other variables are at play (Mayhem or Jag Panzer having only one major acclaimed full-length album each versus several from Darkthrone or Iron Maiden, for instance), this shows that each genre has major milestones of historical significance. 
• Black metal had notably fewer artists listed amongst the top ranked bands, demonstrating that black metal history has generally been defined by a small elite, particularly that of Scandinavia, in contrast to a wide variety of death metal bands.

Without further ado, here are the top recommended lists completed thus far:

Top 25 Recommended Heavy Metal Albums: 

1. Jag Panzer - Ample Destruction
2. Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath
3. Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny
4. Cirith Ungol - King Of The Dead
5. Manilla Road - Crystal Logic
6. Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality
7. Black Sabbath - Vol. 4
8. Fates Warning - Awaken The Guardian
9. Mercyful Fate - Melissa
10. Riot - Thundersteel
11. Judas Priest - Stained Class
12. Satan - Court In The Act
13. Fates Warning - The Spectre Within
14. Angel Witch - Angel Witch
15. Omen - Battle Cry
16. Helstar - Nosferatu
17. Diamond Head - Lightning To The Nations
18. Mercyful Fate - Mercyful Fate
19. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
20. King Diamond - Abigail
21. Cloven Hoof - A Sultan's Ransom
22. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
23. Pagan Altar - Mythical & Magical
24. Brocas Helm - Black Death
25. Adramelch - Irae Melanox

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Top 25 Recommended Death Metal Albums: 

1. Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness
2. Demilich - Nespithe
3. Incantation - Onward To Golgotha
4. Dismember - Like An Everflowing Stream
5. Demigod - Slumber Of Sullen Eyes
6. Possessed - Seven Churches
7. Immolation - Close To A World Below
8. Incantation - Mortal Throne Of Nazarene
9. Deicide - Legion
10. Gorguts - Obscura
11. Disembowelment - Transcendence Into The Peripheral
12. Immolation - Here In After
13. At The Gates - The Red In The Sky Is Ours
14. Septic Flesh - Mystic Places Of Dawn
15. Autopsy - Mental Funeral 
16. Morbid Angel - Blessed Are The Sick
17. Atheist - Unquestionable Presence
18. Massacra - Final Holocaust
19. Autopsy - Severed Survival
20. Lykathea Aflame - Elvenefris
21. Necrophobic - The Nocturnal Silence
22. Bolt Thrower - Realm Of Chaos
23. Entombed - Clandestine
24. Molested - Blod-Draum
25. Dead Congregation - Graves Of The Archangels

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Top 25 Recommended Black Metal Albums: 

1. Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
2. Darkthrone - Under A Funeral Moon
3. Blasphemy - Fallen Angel Of Doom
4. Master's Hammer - Ritual
5. Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky
6. Bathory - Under The Sign Of The Black Mark
7. Rotting Christ - Thy Mighty Contract
8. Bathory - Blood Fire Death
9. Sacramentum - Far Away From The Sun
10. Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
11. Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse
12. Immortal - Pure Holocaust
13. Beherit - Drawing Down The Moon
14. Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger
15. Sarcofago - INRI
16. Bathory - The Return......
17. Darkthrone - Panzerfaust
18. Celtic Frost - Morbid Tales
19. Enslaved - Vikingligr Veldi
20. Gorgoroth - Antichrist
21. Dissection - The Somberlain
22. Gorgoroth - Pentagram
23. Mortuary Drape - All The Witches Dance
24. Burzum - Det Som En Gang Var
25. Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion

Repetition In Music Or Lack Thereof: On Themes And Recapitulations

In classical music, listeners tend to identify most with strong "main themes" or significant melodies. The fame of Beethoven's symphonies tends to result from its highly memorable themes, for instance, as opposed to its structural genius or overall character; Beethoven's 9th would have far less significance to our fickle modern culture without the monumental theme of the "Ode to Joy" while Beethoven's 5th symphony is almost entirely characterized by casual listeners by it's famed "motive X."

A favorite piece of mine throughout this last week has been Felix Mendelssohn's violin concerto in E minor. However, this piece has not been without its frustrations. The first movement opens with what I consider to be the most magnificent melody that Mendelssohn ever wrote, and quickly evolves into a grand portrayal of that theme that stands alongside the grand themes of the first movements of Beethoven's 7th, Brahms' 4th, or Liszt's Faust Symphony. However, the problem arises for the casual listener when this theme literally never returns in such grandiose form. Its rhythmic pattern is utilized throughout the movement as a vessel for new melodies, just as Beethoven utilizes "motive X" in different melodic forms throughout the 5th symphony, and its melodic form even returns nine minutes into the concerto, but only in a subdued, almost taunting manner. This leaves the attentive listener craving the initial moments of the concerto, but, ultimately, after repeated listens, seeking out scraps of personal meaning and appreciation in the seemingly insignificant recapitulations of the theme.

While at first I boldly claimed to Matt that not allowing the theme to return in fullest form was a mistake on Mendelssohn's part, repeated listens have taught me otherwise. After all, perhaps Mendelssohn intended to taunt listeners, and he certainly did so successfully, as I have been returning to this concerto more than any other classical piece this week, not only yearning for the significant theme but also craving more from the concerto. As a result of further listening, as usual, I have ultimately gotten more from Mendelssohn's work, and perhaps this would not have been the case had Mendelssohn put the theme on display in a heavily repeated manner as one might expect from a Mozart symphony.

In contrast to Mendelssohn's violin concerto, we have the work of the modern ambient artist The Caretaker, particularly his most recent output which utilizes the heavy repetition of samples from Schubert's legendary Winterreise. The Caretaker processes these samples through various effects to create a sublime atmosphere. Whereas some artists choose to follow Mendelssohn's path, he actually takes significant themes, sometimes even fragments of singular themes, and composes entire songs solely using the repetition of these themes, thus capitalizing on the average listener's addiction to significant themes. There is no development, only a singular memorable theme in each song, and yet I must say that this equally unorthodox style works just as well as that of Mendelssohn.

Together the works of The Caretaker alongside Mendelssohn's violin concerto have taught me that music can gain value from straying from the standard of cyclical songwriting which relies on the re-use of themes in moderation. Now if listeners can apply these standards of expectation to grandiose yet unorthodox works like those of Gustav Mahler and Anton Bruckner, perhaps these listeners are in for a real treat.

Recommendations In Latin American Metal

As I delve further into the various metal scenes of Latin America, primarily those of Mexico and Brazil, I am more and more convinced that members of these scenes are more in touch with the most ancient spirit of extreme metal than bands from just about any other country. As much as the Swedes expanded upon metal's melodic nature or as much as the New York death metal scene delved deeper than ever into the depths of darkness, Latin American bands seem to consistently capture the vibes of old Morbid Angel, Possessed, Bathory, or Blasphemy more than any other. Specifically in the field of death metal, the Latin American scene seems devoted to taking the work of Slayer and Morbid Angel and expanding upon its vicious, unrelenting nature. However, the black metal scene is not to be ignored in these countries either. Here are some recommendations for those wishing to delve into the rich metal scenes of Latin America (in order of preference):

Timeless classics:
Sepultura - Morbid Visions
Sarcofago - I.N.R.I.

Primary Recommendations:
The Chasm - Deathcult For Eternity: The Triumph
Inquisition - Into The Infernal Regions Of The Ancient Cult
Cenotaph - The Gloomy Reflection Of Our Hidden Sorrows
Shub Niggurath - The Kinglike Celebration (Final Aeon On Earth)
Xibalba - Ah Dzam Poop Ek
Mortuary - Blackened Images
Avzhia - Dark Emperors
Mystifier - Goetia
Mortem - The Devil Speaks In Tongues

Secondary Recommendations:
Hades Archer - For The Diabolical Ages
Vulcano - Bloody Vengeance
Hacavitz - Venganza
Wrathprayer - The Sun Of Moloch: The Sublimation Of Sulphur's Essence Which Spawned Death And Life
Pentagram - Pentagram

2013 Albums: Burzum - Sôl Austan, Mâni Vestan

On first listen, this album is merely a full work drawn from the melancholic sections of Varg Vikernes' prison albums and is generally receiving highly negative reviews by those metal fans that find it to be uninspired or not engaging. I will admit that the mood and even the compositional techniques rarely vary in this work; however, after further listening, its lack of variety is more due to its narrative structure, acting more as one long song than as a varied work along the lines of Burzum's finest metal works such as the legendary magnum opus Hvis Lyset Tar Oss. The real question regarding this album's value lies in the listener's understanding of ambient music: does an ambient album have to engage in a variety of techniques from start to finish or be as musically engaging as more active forms of music to be considered legitimate art? I would answer with a resounding "no" and expound upon this answer with the notion that some ambient music must simply sound pleasant as background music to achieve its goals. The chief example of this idea is Erik Satie and his "furniture music" - not meant to be listened to with full attention so much as appreciated for the atmosphere it evokes. Am I comparing Varg's late compositional quality to Satie's? No, but I still find this album pleasant to listen to in an ambient context, and that fact places it far above his other post-prison albums in my preference, albums which try and fail to engage the listener in that more active form of musical experience. As for the lack of variety, several great metal albums have achieved underground fame through a similar vibe of sounding like "one long song" - examples include debuts from Incantation and Sepultura.

In summary, if you're looking for an active listening experience full of varied compositional techniques and engaging hooks, this album is not for you; however, given Varg's inability to continue to write competent metal music, I am personally glad he has changed direction and is at least able to provide this soothing piece to ambient fans.

Glenn Gould on "vacuum cleaner music"

Mike Springer from openculture.com posted a very interesting interview with Gould from 1969, in which he discusses the future of musical reproduction and his experiments in counterpoint with household appliances, instruments and human voice.

The recent Gould re-releases on Sony include expanded recordings of some of his greatest and most original work, including Piano Concertos Nos. 1-5 & 7 (BWV 1052-1056 & 1058) with Leonard Bernstein and Vladimir Golschmann conducting the Columbia Symphony Orchestra.

Under One Banner: On National And Regional Trends As The Inherent Link Between Music - Part I: Passion, Extremism, And German Music

The question all started with Germany. The Germans are well known in nearly every realm of music for producing innovative, quality works. Bach and Beethoven, both Germans, were arguably the two most important figures in classical music. Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream allowed electronic textures to expand until rock influences were abandoned for the creation of an entirely new genre. German progressive rockers like Can and Faust were distinctive enough to be tagged with the label "krautrock" instead of being lumped in with the rest of the world's progressive rock scene. Even the German metal scene, most famous for the Teutonic Trio of Kreator, Sodom, and Destruction, is known worldwide by metal fans. When asked about the nature of the German metal scene, I noted that, although the German sound is not as distinctive and easy to pin down as the sounds of Finnish death metal, Norwegian black metal, or British heavy metal, there is an underlying theme of severity, extremism, or even hatred in German metal. Some notable examples:

While the inherent link between German metal artists may be apparent to the discerning listener, I had a harder time linking the German metal scene to other German music. Where is the link between this severity and the works of Johann Sebastian Bach or Tangerine Dream? During our discussion, Matt provided a possible answer to this question. Germany has a rich tradition of deep pride in its art, innovations, and national history, as is apparent throughout history, far before the rise of the obviously controversial National Socialist movement. Throughout the history of art, science, and philosophy, Germans have demonstrated a tendency to lend passion and extremity to their work, ranging from the earth-shattering ideas of Einstein and Planck to the unfathomably bold statements of Nietzsche to Bach's musical quest for the portrayal of God himself. 

This passionate extremism in art acts as the common link between most notable German music, tying together the seemingly alien genres of classical, electronic, rock, metal, and others with a common goal. Starting with classical music, German music immediately set itself apart from medieval music by applying a grandiose nature to the music on a monolithic scale. While Bach and Beethoven, the two prime examples familiar to laymen, differed drastically in their musical tendencies and goals, both embody the unbound ambition of German art. 

Bach’s lush cantatas, sobering masses, and regal organ works sought to make God’s presence on the human plane tangible. While the cynicism of German philosophy or the hatred of German extreme metal may seem to be stark contrasts to Bach’s work, they all bear one crucial similarity: ambitions of an epic nature that break free of human limitations and seek to reach the extremes of the universe. While Beethoven's works tended to incite more of a human connection than Bach's sacred music, his work, especially his symphonies and overtures, also captured a previously unheard of epic quality in pursuit of an ambitious ideal:

While it is relatively clear that the overtly severe extreme metal scene of Germany or the longstanding tradition of grandiose classical music demonstrate the Germans passion and ambition for the extreme, it may be less clear how the legendary electronic music movement of Germany relates to such ideals. The answer? Extreme minimalism.

While the grandiose nature of German classical may seem lost in these droning pieces, the ambition for extremism is still there, albeit in a more Nietzschen sense. As if acting as Beethoven's counterpart, these artists seek to create monolithic art out of extreme nothingness, out of a cold void. One only finds meaning in the works of Klaus Schulze by making note of subtle shifts in momentum and texture; appreciation for this extremely minimal music requires every bit as much focus as appreciation for the most vast of German symphonies.

Keep in mind, the point of this series is by no means to explore the significance of extremism, nationalism, or other facets of art and philosophy. I hope only to find inherent links within all music by finding the subtle similarities between the most seemingly different artists of our time that hail from under one banner.

Under One Banner: On National And Regional Trends As The Inherent Link Between Music - Introduction

The formulation of this idea in my head was actually one of the inspirations for starting a collaborative blog. One day, while Matt specialized in electronic music, and the majority of my focus was still within the realm of extreme metal, we discussed national scenes. After mentioning my intrigue at the stark similarities between artists within a single scene, Matt asked me if I saw similarities between artists from the same country but hailing from entirely different genres (metal, electronic, classical, etc.). After this conversation, I started looking for links between all music, hoping to unveil deeper musical trends and increase my own knowledge of music, and ultimately spawning the idea for a collaborative blog.

Of course, most music enthusiasts will admit right off the bat that differing lifestyles and regional settings well obviously influence music. But just how do these national trends manifest themselves in music? This series will serve as a first attempt to explore that question.

András Schiff on Beethoven's Piano Sonatas

In 2006, Schiff delivered a series of lectures on Beethoven’s piano sonatas recorded at Wigmore Hall in London for The Guardian. I regrettably have only now discovered them. In recent months, after hearing Schiff’s new recording of Bach’s Das Wohltemperierte Klavier for ECM, I have sought out a number of his other recordings. Further collaborations with ECM include a recording of Beethoven’s music for piano and cello (Sonata No. 3 in A Major, Op. 69 is highly recommended) and an impeccable live performance of Bach’s Six Partitas. I have yet to hear his complete recordings of the Beethoven Sonatas, but if the lectures are any indication, they are certainly worth seeking out. The lectures are divided into eight parts, covering every sonata from each of the three major periods of Beethoven’s work.

Recommendations in Western Art Music (Baroque to Modern)

The following list was compiled more for the sake of recommending some of my favorite compositions and recordings than to present any sort of list based on technical or historical importance, even though such a distinction between "subjective" and "objective" is by no means emphatic. The term "classical" is misleading, in that most of the compositions belong to other periods, such as the Baroque (Bach), Classical/Romantic (Beethoven), all the way up to the Modern (Mahler and Schoenberg), so I have instead employed the more comprehensive term "Western art music", specifically in distinction to Western popular music.

1.       Das Wohltemperierte Klavier (The Well-Tempered Clavier) – Johann Sebastian Bach

a.       András Schiff (ECM, 2012)

b.      Glenn Gould (Sony, 2012)

c.       Sviatoslav Richter (RCA Victor Europe, 1992)

2.       Symphony No. 5 – Gustav Mahler

a.       Sir John Barbirolli (EMI, 2005)

3.       Das Buch der hängenden Gärten (The Book of the Hanging Gardens) – Arnold Schoenberg

a.       Jan DeGaetani & Gilbert Kalish (Nonesuch, 1992)

b.      Glenn Gould (Sony, 2012)

4.       String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131 – Ludwig van Beethoven

a.       Takács Quartet (Decca, 2005)

b.      Busch Quartet (EMI, 2008)

5.       Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth) – Gustav Mahler

a.       Otto Klemperer (EMI, 2005)

6.       6 Moments Musicaux, Op. 94 D.780 – Franz Schubert

a.       Alfred Brendel (Decca, 2011)

7.       Kammersymphonie, für 15 soloinstrumente, Op. 9 (Chamber Symphony No. 1) – Arnold Schoenberg

a.       Sir Simon Rattle (EMI, 2008)

b.      Robert Craft (Naxos, 2010)

8.       Liederkreis, Op. 39 (Song Cycle) – Robert Schumann

a.       Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau & Alfred Brendel (Philips, 1986)

9.       String Quartet No.19 in C, K.465 - "Dissonance" – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

a.       Emerson String Quartet (Deutsche Grammophon, 2005)

b.      Alban Berg Quartet (Teldec, 2002)

10.    Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111 – Ludwig van Beethoven

a.       Maurizio Pollini (Deutsche Grammophon, 1997)

b.      Alfred Brendel (Decca, 2011)

c.       Wilhelm Kempff (Deutsche Grammophon, 2008)

The Master List: Current Top 10 Albums From Various Favorite Genres

While I clear my head for future posts, I figure it would be fun to put out some lists of my all-time favorite music, categorized by genre. This is, of course, highly subject to change. One item per artist. Some less-explored sub-genres not included, explaining the absence of all-time favorite works (Dead Can Dance or Death In June, for example).

Rock:
Rubber Soul - The Beatles
Seventeen Seconds - The Cure
Nevermind - Nirvana
Dark Side Of The Moon - Pink Floyd
Red - King Crimson
Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing - Discharge
Loveless - My Bloody Valentine
Souvlaki - Slowdive
Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division
Killing Joke - Killing Joke

Metal:
Hell Awaits - Slayer
Stormcrowfleet - Skepticism
Sad Wings Of Destiny - Judas Priest
Onward To Golgotha - Incantation
Pure Holocaust - Immortal
Kill 'Em All - Metallica
Altars Of Madness - Morbid Angel
De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas - Mayhem
Don't Break The Oath - Mercyful Fate
Awaken The Guardian - Fates Warning

Electronic:
So Red The Rose - Arcadia
Trans-Europe Express - Kraftwerk
Pretty Hate Machine - Nine Inch Nails
Music For The Masses - Depeche Mode
Electric Doom Synthesis - Beherit
Dummy - Portishead
Selected Ambient Works 85-92 - Aphex Twin
Evening Star - Fripp & Eno
Phaedra - Tangerine Dream
Frequencies - LFO

Classical:
The Well-Tempered Clavier (Andras Schiff) - Johann Sebastian Bach
Symphonie Nr. 5 (Carlos Kleiber) - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Nocturnes (Maurizio Pollini) - Frederic Chopin
12 Concerti Grossi Op. 6 (Neville Marriner) - Arcangelo Corelli
Symphonien No. 40 & 41 "Jupiter" (Leonard Bernstein) - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Prélude à L'après-Midi D'un Faune; Images; Printemps (Pierre Boulez) - Claude Debussy
Má Vlast (Antoni Wit) - Bedrich Smetana
Tabula Rasa - Arvo Part
The Two Piano Concertos / The Piano Sonata (Sviatoslav Richter) - Franz Liszt
Symphonie No. 5 (Leonard Bernstein) - Gustav Mahler

Samples From Electronic Compilation Available On Soundcloud

I have made excerpts of my electronic works available on soundcloud. These works (mostly remixes of works done a few months prior) represent my first attempt at genuine songwriting in any genre of music. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Lost Gems Of '90s Black Metal Unearthed

A comprehensive list of '90s black metal that is virtually unknown to this day despite high quality and integrity. Besides the obvious criteria of quality to make this list, all albums were required to have fewer than 100 ratings on rateyourmusic.com.

The Abyss - The Other Side

An unknown side '90s side project of the now-commercialized melodic Swedish death metal band Hypocrisy. This album is essentially a memorable Swedish interpretation of Pentagram-era Gorgoroth.
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Aeternus - Dark Sorcery

Imagine a shortened demo version of the underground legend Beyond The Wandering Moon, basically. Thick, droning guitars with more of a low-end presence than those of traditional Norwegian black metal, playing folk-tinged grandiose melodies under a gutteral roar from the abyss.
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Avzhia - Dark Emperors

Somehow this piece of pagan '90s Graveland-style black metal came out of Mexico of all places yet still managed to capture that mystical eastern European atmosphere of Thousand Swords.

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Belial - Wisdom Of Darkness

Belial is a tough band to pin down. They play a kind of "ambient death" along the lines of Beherit, Blasphemy, and Profanatica, but Belial's overtly melodic tendencies allow them to sound entirely unique from their blasphemous brethren.

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Fallen Christ - Abduction Ritual

Up until 1996, the only music classified as death/black/grind was merely primitive black metal with a severe death metal aesthetic and grindcore-esque drumming, but here we have Fallen Christ combining Blasphemy's aesthetic, Immolation's dark riffcraft, and a more traditional grindcore album structure.

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Mystifier - Goetia

Mystifier is another band that doesn't quite sound like any other. They obviously draw from the vicious and bestial Brazilian bands of the '80s and from the occult chaos of Beherit's debut full-length, but the occult elements are taken a step further in their more subdued, eerie, and doom-laden songs.

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Niden Div. 187 - Impergium

Niden Div. 187 is a side project of the Swedish melodic black metal band Dawn that still sounds distinctly Swedish in melody but strays from the saccharine Gothenburg sound in favor of a more thick, grinding sound.

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Order From Chaos - An Ending In Fire

An early project of underground legends Pete Helmkamp and Chuck Keller, Order From Chaos knows how to use repetition correctly by the classical standard, building on simple themes with slight variations to craft what is actually an album of three long and filthy songs.

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Sacramentary Abolishment - River Of Corticone

Later called Axis Of Advance, Sacramentary Abolishment were one of the first and finest bands to expand the war metal sound of Blasphemy beyond its primitive and minimalist nature, constructing grandiose songs from primitive origins.

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Sorcier Des Glaces - Snowland

Sorcier Des Glaces demonstrates that Canadian black metallers are every bit as enchanted by their own glacial forest landscapes as the Norwegian scene before them. Great band that defies tradition to create a refreshing and inventive "winter" album.

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Throne Of Ahaz - Nifelheim

While it wouldn't be farfetched to call this another extremely well-done Swedish take on Gorgoroth, make no mistake, it's nothing like The Abyss' ballsy Pentagram worship, but rather a cold, melodic, Norwegian-sounding album with a more ambient nature, possibly closer to the Antichrist EP.

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Xibalba - Ah Dzam Poop Ek

Ok class, let's get it out. Poop. Anywho, Xibalba basically play a thick, hypnotic style of black metal in the vein of Darkthrone's Panzerfaust (the more ambient portions of that album, that is). However, a distinct mystical undertone throughout the album makes it apparent that Xibalba is neither Norwegian or another petty Darkthrone rip-off.

RE: "Theodor Adorno on Gustav Mahler"

"In Mahler's music, 'the expression of suffering, his own and of those who have to bear the burdens, no longer knuckles under at the behest of the sovereign subject that things must be so and not otherwise.' (p.96) It was precisely Mahler's lack of virtuosity that allowed him to follow the music where it wanted to go, rather than 'commanding the notes to go where they belonged.' (ibid) Mahler's music can be disturbing, unbalanced, even ugly at times, but it is only so in an attempt to remain at the level of a true humanity."

This segment of Matt's latest post piqued my interest immediately. While the young innovators of metal were likely completely oblivious to Mahler and his music, could his music perhaps have helped to introduce a principle of composition that essentially governs extreme metal composition today? Of course metal is not unique in this style, with genres such as industrial music also defying the suggestions of musical theory to resolve melodies and compositions in a certain manner, to utilize certain intervals most pleasant to the ear, etc. However, in my experience, this principle set forth by Mahler's music is extremely prevalent and successful in extreme metal post-1986. 

A guitar teacher once told me "Nathan, in heaven, we will only need the chromatic scale" - a fancy, musically literate way of saying music will one day no longer require scales or theory at all. Once Sepultura released Bestial Devastation and Morbid Visions, it became apparent that metal could actually thrive by ignoring musical trends and simply crafting melodies based on aligning notes where they simply sound good. Likewise, when Quorthon released Bathory's self-titled album in 1984, legendary more for its lo-fi nature and inhuman vocal style than for its blatant dismissal of musicianship, it became apparent that music could actually gain underground fame for utterly ignoring the notion that a guitarist needs to acquire virtuoso-like capabilities and learn the conventions of mainstream riffcraft. 

These early recordings were, of course, sloppy, but early '90s extreme metal demonstrated that such music could be refined in terms of production and composition without scrapping this "true humanity" and succumbing to past-musical conventions to create melodies acceptable to the least common denominator. Quorthon could barely play his guitar with any degree of proficiency, but nevertheless created some of the most influential albums in the realm of extreme metal; perhaps this is Mahler's message: that conventions may be scrapped because "if it sounds good, it is good." While some may argue that his music, along with the majority of heavy metal, is ugly, but then again, did metal, and Mahler before it, not always revolve around the beautification of the ugly?

Theodor Adorno on Gustav Mahler

"To interpret language means: to understand language. To interpret music means: to make music."

-T.W. Adorno, "Music and Langage: A Fragment", Quasi Una Fantasia

     With Mahler, not only does the old music come to an end, but the new music also begins. Without Mahler, the atonal music of Schoenberg and the work of the Second Viennese School would not have been possible. Given the influence of Schoenberg and his pupils, such as Stockhausen, on the development of modern electronic music, it might even be possible to say that Mahler is integral to this development. In a brilliant essay on Mahler, Adorno shows how Mahler, working within a fairly traditional framework and without a particularly sophisticated knowledge of composition, was able to create some of the most advanced and influential music ever written. Adorno wrote his essay more than fifteen years after World War II, but it is clear that the experience of the war (Adorno, as a German Jew, had been forced into exile in the United States) has influenced his perception of Mahler's music. He extols Mahler's music as the music of an "untrammeled subjectivity" which refuses to participate in the domination of others, and which represents an attempt at a new polyvocality (through the incorporation of folk elements, musical banalities, and other "detritus", for which Mahler is often criticized). In Mahler's music, "the expression of suffering, his own and of those who have to bear the burdens, no longer knuckles under at the behest of the sovereign subject that things must be so and not otherwise." (p.96) It was precisely Mahler's lack of virtuosity that allowed him to follow the music where it wanted to go, rather than "commanding the notes to go where they belonged." (ibid) Mahler's music can be disturbing, unbalanced, even ugly at times, but it is only so in an attempt to remain at the level of a true humanity.

   Adorno's essay on Mahler can be found in the recently republished collection "Quasi Una Fantasia: Essays on Modern Music". For those interested in hearing Mahler's music, I would recommend beginning with the Fifth Symphony or the Kindertotenlieder; more adventurous listeners might begin with the Ninth Symphony. The recordings with John Barbirolli conducting available from EMI in the Great Recordings of the Century series are among the best readily available.

God, Lucifer, And Heavy Metal

It's no secret that religious groups have taken issue with metal music for decades now, but is metal truly nothing more in relation to religion than a hateful, destructive force as popular culture is lead to believe? As a member of the incredibly miniscule minority of Christians that can appreciate the works of Incantation, Sarcofago, or Profanatica, I would argue that religious (and anti-religious) sentiments in heavy metal have proved more beneficial than an overly-rigid society is willing to admit.

Given the dark nature of metal, both musically and lyrically, fans of metal are surely required to answer for their unorthodox interests more than any other musical fan-base. Although these fans are rarely able to adequately convey the meaningful nature of metal to uneducated inquisitors, these questions, along with the nature of metal itself, actually prove beneficial. Although concrete data on the topic is still scarce, the trend seems to be that metal fans are more prepared to hold individual stances on their musical interests, their religious and moral beliefs, and the links between the two. Thus, in addition to the independent thinking required to write such dissonant or offensive music, one could conclude that fans of this genre are actually more encouraged to embrace individualism. For instance, one need never explain in our modern-day society why one would listen to Mumford & Sons, but an avid Deicide fan often is required to defend his or her interests and thus to reflect on these interests as well as the associated beliefs and standards. Therefore, one might conclude that listeners of anti-religious music are more often pushed to develop their own thoughts on any given subject rather than to embrace an accepted societal standard.

Secondly, regardless of whether or not the fan base benefits from the grim nature of extreme metal, when the goal of music is to create a higher form of art, the music itself arguably benefits from various lyrical themes. While lyrics do not define musical content itself, lyrical themes often reflect an artist's beliefs, passions, and visions, and of course the passion in this case is not the Satanism it is often made out to be but rather a hatred of conformity and the corruption that has often been rooted deep in various sectors of organized religion. In actuality, metal's dark themes are not so different from punk music, merely focusing on a different establishment than punk's typical targets. Anyhow, the fact is that the extremity of metal supplies the genre with a passion and an artistic vision, qualities that are often more likely to yield sincere quality music than a group of guys mindlessly jamming in their garage. This is not to say that satanic lyrics yield quality, but that, like the christian hymns of old, they are often driven by a unique vision, giving the music deeper purpose and meaning.

In short, this post is not meant to encourage Satanism, rebellion, or anything of the sort. The goal is merely to convey that, given that these lyrical themes are not as rooted in evil as society might claim and that they are merely critiques backed by steadfast passion, the music world should stop viewing metal's lyrical themes as such a social taboo and begin to appreciate that such themes can actually augment the musical quality in question.

Matt's Top Albums of 2012

(in alphabetical order)

Actress - R.I.P.

Andy Stott - Luxury Problems

Burial - Truant EP

Drexciya - Journey of the Deep Sea Dweller II (Compilation)

Lee Gamble - Diversions 1994-1996

Max Richter - Recomposed By Max Richter: Vivaldi - The Four Seasons

Moritz Von Oswald Trio - Fetch

Mouse on Mars - Parastrophics

Ricardo Villalobos - Dependent and Happy

Voices from the Lake - Voices from the Lake

Other recommendations:

Burial - Kindred EP

Daphni - Jiaolong

Flying Lotus - Until the Quiet Comes

Four Tet - Pink

Lee Gamble - Dutch Tvashtar Plumes

Liars - WIXIW

Loscil - Sketches from New Brighton

Mouse on Mars - WOW

Scott Walker - Bish Bosch
Swans - The Seer

more lists upcoming...

Nathan's Top Albums Of 2012

1. Beherit - Celebrate The Dead
2. Swans - The Seer
3. Lord Wind - Ales Stenar
4. Dead Can Dance - Anastasis
5. Demoncy - Enthroned Is The Night
6. Burial - Truant
7. Profanatica - Sickened By The Holy Host
8. Inverloch - Dusk | Subside
9. Chthe'ilist - Amechth'ntaas'm'rriachth
10. LaSanche - Death Magick