eL/Aficionado

Editorial Reviews
Publisher Comments
"Because of its non-narrative abstractness, I found this the least gripping opera of Ashleys tetralogy Now Eleanors Idea on stage, but its seductive on disc, partly thanks to Tom Hamiltons elegant sound design, which is making Ashleys recordings the envy of Downtown. The deceptively calm air of menace thats been key in Ashleys output since Purposeful Lady Slow Afternoon climaxes in this extended adagio waltz about espionage in which the Agent, Thomas Bucknerthe perfect baritone in the perfect roleis tasked to describe people he sees in personals-ad language. Enveloped in warm synthesized tones, Buckners earnest vulnerability contrasts with the whispered, sinister omniscience of his questioners (Ashley, Sam Ashley and Jacqueline Humbert). The multilinear text needs many listenings, but Ashley aficionados will pick up sly references to his other operas right off." Gann, Consumer Guide, The Village Voice, August 1, 1995.

Album Description
An electronically-accompanied opera by Robert Ashley, in his words scenes from the life of an agent... debriefing to a jury of Interrogators... With Thomas Buckner, Robert Ashley, Jacqueline Humbert, and Sam Ashley, all singing and speaking. The textures and electronic orchestrations are, as in all of Ashley's music, seductive, beautiful and evocative. Libretto included.

This is the fourth opera in Ashleys Now Eleanors Idea tetralogy: Junior, Jr.s story. A group of scenes from the life of an Agent. The scenes are a kind of debriefing to a jury of Interrogators, in which the Interrogators challenge the Agent in various forms of musical dialogue. The mood of the opera owes much to our fascination with espionage and with the character of those people who lead double lives.

The operas of Robert Ashley, one of contemporary musics most influential figures, have pointed the way to new uses of language in a musical setting. The mood of his new opera, eL/Aficionado, owes much to our fascination with espionage and with the character of those people who lead double lives. eL/Aficionado depicts a group of scenes from the life of an agent, portrayed by Thomas Buckner, who is being debriefed by a jury of Interrogators, portrayed by Robert Ashley, Sam Ashley and Jacqueline Humbert. Mixing and electronics are by Tom Hamilton. Robert Ashley credits corporate vocabularywhat it sounds like and how it is used in popular publications like Fortune Magazine or The Wall Street Journalas the inspiration for the work. Lovely Musics CD release of eL/Aficionado coincides with its presentation at the Brooklyn Academy of Musics Next Wave Festival as part of a quartet of operas entitled NOW ELEANORS IDEA.

Tracks:

A Transporting Transmittance for Transverse Flute and Disklavier
From: A Hundred Little 3-D Pictures: New York, New York
From: A Hundred Little 3-D Pictures: The 3-D Picture of Death
From: A Hundred Little 3-D Pictures: A Golden Stone
Improvisations on Robert Ashleys "El/Aficionado" for Disklavier: A Simple Border Crossing
Improvisations on Robert Ashleys "El/Aficionado" for Disklavier: Viva's Boy
Solos and Sequences II

Album Description

Much of pianist/composer/improviser J. B. Floyd's music is keyboard centered and in the last 10 years he has explored the fascinating musical possibilities of the YAMAHA Disklavier in his works. The music presented here combines voice and other instruments with the Disklavier and, as in all of Floyd's work, reveals his abiding interest in jazz and free improvisation. The musical materials are developed from and gently guided by a serial plan.

A Transporting Transmittance for Transverse Flute and Disklavier was written for Lisa Hansen. The piece captured the feeling of an improvisation in a dialogue between the flute and piano. Though all of the notes are written, the performers should feel the experience of spontaneous creativity.

From: A Hundred Little 3-D Pictures
These Daniel Moore poems describe a mystical world of spirit and fantasy, street scenes and death and vividly guide the composer in his search for musical representations.

Improvisations on Robert Ashley's "El/Aficionado" for Disklavier and E-Mu Sampler
This most successful opera by Robert Ashley began its life with a 2-piano accompaniment and was performed for three years in this version. Mr. Ashley agreed to this experiment, adapting the 2-piano score for YAMAHA Disklavier and Sampler and replacing the vocal solos with keyboard improvisations.

Solos and Sequences II This composition reveals a strong influence from my early infatuation with Boogie-Woogie. The working title used throughout its creation was PETE AND ALBERT, referring to the great Boogie piano team of Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons. There are at least two versions of "Solos and Sequences II", as a Disklavier solo and as a duet for Disklavier and marimba/vibraphone.

Customer Reviews:

The Composer/Performer Comes Clean.......2003-05-08

OK, so I started listening to my copy of TRANSPORTING TRANSMITTANCE in the car while taking a friend to the airport in Miami. He was on his way to Spain and really not engaged in the music.I was not that attentive in the car either but once I got home with a decent sound system I began to realize that we, the artists who worked with me,and I had captured an exciting,expression of my personal musical expression.
Could it have other interpretations,I certainly hope so,but this album represents a part of my life that I hope we have revealed to you, whoever you are who purchased this CD. Thank you for taking the chance.
JB Floyd

Average customer rating:

Interrogation time w/ Mr. Ashley

eL/Aficionado
Ashley , Buckner , and Humbert
Manufacturer: Lovely Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Latin Music | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Latin Pop | Latin Music | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000G1FG
Release Date: 1994-11-15

Tracks:

Personal (4:03)
My Brother Called (4:30)
My Brother Called (continued) (4:29)
A Simple Border Crossing (17:03)
My Brother Called (continued) (4:29)
My Brother Called (continued) (4:30)
An Answer is Expected (18:02)
My Brother Called (continued) (4:00)
Vivas Boy (6:16)
My Brother Called (end) (4:16)

Album Description

An electronically-accompanied opera by Robert Ashley, in his words scenes from the life of an agent... debriefing to a jury of Interrogators... With Thomas Buckner, Robert Ashley, Jacqueline Humbert, and Sam Ashley, all singing and speaking. The textures and electronic orchestrations are, as in all of Ashley's music, seductive, beautiful and evocative. Libretto included.

Customer Reviews:

Interrogation time w/ Mr. Ashley.......2000-05-08

This is such a weird, ominous, hypnotic work. One of Robert Ashley's operas, but in this case the 'action' takes the form of an interrogation of an agent. Maybe. You're not wholly sure, really. It could be people talking about personal ads, too, but again...you're not sure. All you're sure of, listening to this, is that it gets inside your brain and tries to hypnotize you, like some CIA program...which fits the motif, again. Over a droning background, Thomas Buckner intones while questions fly from a trio of voices, and although sonically this gets pretty lulling, you also get the feeling that something here is very wrong. Disconcerting? Yep. But effective, too, especially as a dramatic device as that lulling sound also seems to carry with it part of the sense of menace that never emerges here, but seems to always be lurking just outside of the recording itself. I'd pigeonhole this in with Wm. S. Burroughs's work...not the recorded stuff, but the books, as they also carry that same weird feel to them. Very recommended, but I'd suggest listening to this with a very tall coffee at hand...otherwise those interrogators are going to start getting at you, too!

Music Review:

Music Review

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