Three Tales (CD & DVD)
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Free Music Notes for Three Tales (CD & DVD)
Free Music Review: An interesting work that I will watch again.
Hit: 4 Stars
As I'm sure many have noticed, this seems to be the fruitful time to produce multlimedia works to do with technology and alienation. First, Glass and Reggio's Naqoyquatsi, and now 'Three Tales'. I'm sure many review-readers wonder, and a review below asked the question, so I'll answer it. Is this just a -qatsi rip off? Should one simply buy the Glass and skip the Reich? No. These are completely different works - both with seperate strenghts and weaknesses. While the -qatsi films - particularly Naqoyqatsi is dominated by larger than life visuals with the music providing an instrumental backdrop (albeit an active one), with this film, the impact of the music and the visual is about equal. Short answer: buy both if you want both, but the two are definitely not 'clones' of eachother. Now for my obligatory disclosure. Out of the two discs in this set - one CD with the music alone, and one DVD with the entire music and visual combo, my four stars is entirely for THE LAST HALF OF THE DVD! That's only the last 'tale'. Yes, it is that good! For the first two 'tales' Reich sounds very much as he did in "The Cave" (and we all politely smiled at that one!). Though, I'll say that the music and visual go well together in all the tales, the music for the first two is not to my taste. Jumpy, bombastic, and jerky - and why does every dang chord have to be diminished?!?
Now to the third tale. "Dolly" pertains to the cloned sheep and the 'tale' has more to do with genomics and the prospect of artificial intellegence than with cloning per se. The music sees Reich returning back to his 'middle days' a la 'Sextet'. Here the music has a steady pulse and is primarily mallet percussion and piano. On top of this, we have short excerpts from interviews of scientists that Reich and Barot did. As one who is quite read on science I enjoyed seeing the likes of Jaron Lanier (pioneer of virtual reality), Richard Dawkins (who recieves brutal treatment, perhaps unjustly), Marvin Minsky, and Steven Pinker. As I am fairly read on science, I do feel that Reich took many of their quotes out of context (remember, we only see short excerpts) but not enough to subtract stars.
So as not to ramble, let's sum up. A.) this film is not a '-quatsi on the cheap'. The visual is completely different and is somewhat similar, albeit more high tech, than "The Cave". B.) I did not find the musical style of the first two 'tales' to my taste as they are a cross between 'The Cave', and 'City Life'. C.) The third movement alone is worth the price of this disc/DVD set, particularly if you are interested in science and its personalities.
Go get it.
Free Music Review: What about Three Tales makes it
Hit: 5 Stars
Three Tales is a video/music work.In the first part of the work, (Hindenberg blimp crashing) archive video and audio footage of the Zepplin, newspapers, radio broadcasts, and even a small interview with a German woman, are used in original form and in mass variations. All of these are interpolated musically and visually.
In the second part of the work, archive video and audio again are used - stills and video are combined in many instances. This section deals with the U.S. government's atomic bomb tests in the Bikini Atoll. Interpolation of audio and video.
In the third section of the work (Dolly), many important scientists and computer researchers are interviewed. These interviews not only adress the central moral and ethical issues of our times but also they are spliced and mixed up together. There is a complex texture of idea vs. idea, as various scientists and experts give their opinions. All of this is woven into a very nice video and audio presentation.
The central issue of this work is stated very well in a recurring theme througout - the choice Adam and Eve were given - wether to eat the fruit of knowledge or not to eat it. Here we are again under the tree, at the end of the day. (and so on)
I believe that this work does a very fine job at expressing man's modern dilemma - that is - will our curiosity end up killing the cat? This piece is, above all, a warning - caution. This is not your average piece of art - this goes beyond - watch out - it just might fly, very fast,over head. Be warned.
Free Music Review: This is more of a question
Hit: 4 Stars
Steve Reich's greatest work has widely been considered to be "Music for 18 Musicians" and I agree with that assessment. I've listened to my copy many times.I would love to buy a copy of Three Tales, of which I've heard exciting excerpts, but I need a question or two answered first. The last time I bought a Steve Reich recording without doing any research, it was Tehillim, which I've only been able to listen to once. His work runs the gammit of wonderful to awful, so now I'm more hesitant to jump right in.
First of all, how does this rank in terms of Steve Reich's other works? Is it a new and wonderful achievement? Can it stand without the DVD visuals? What, if anything, ultimately sets it apart?
Secondly, how does the combination of music and visuals relate to previous politically-charged efforts of the same kind, such as Reggio's qatsi trilogy? Is this Koyaanisqatsi all over again or is it something new? Is this shameless artistic theft, or is there something that really sets it apart?
I guess both questions essentially ask the same thing. I would appreciate any information reviewers can give me. Thanks.
(Oh, yeah, if you're new to Steve Reich, go buy the new recording of Music for 18 Musicians. 68 continuous minutes of the strangest and most oddly enchanting music that people have ever called "minimalism.")
Free Music Review: This work maybe over some people's heads
Hit: 5 Stars
This work, like many pieces of Mr. Reich's, may be above some people's heads. One of those people is the person who wrote "The music is Bombastic, the visual style boring. Be warned." Perhaps this person does not understand. That is fine. There is so much in this work. Never did I see even a trace of "bombastic" or "boring". Joe Stokes, from Dallas, is terribly bombastic and boring. Be warned!Free Music Review: Challenging - yes, Entertaining - hmmm
Hit: 4 Stars
The visuals are remarkable and the composition is stirring but this is not "easy" listening. I am not sure how often I will dig up the DVD, although I will show Richard Dawkins saying "machine, chine, chine..." to my "bright" buddies, but the CD does work on it's own.I really envy the people who saw this live.