La Monte Young — 90
In this episode of Theme, we focus on La Monte Young, the guru of minimal music. We’ll listen to both well-known and lesser-known recordings from his time-shattering and mind-expanding works.
This month, one of the most influential composers of the last 50 years will blow out 90 candles. The founding father of minimal music, La Monte Young, celebrates his 90th birthday on 14 October. Together with his friend Terry Riley and colleagues Philip Glass and Steve Reich, he laid the foundation for the minimalist movement. Many contemporary ambient explorations and drone compositions are indebted to the pioneering work of La Monte Young. Brian Eno didn’t call him ‘the daddy of us all’ for nothing.
Together with his wife Marian Zazeela, Young created Dream Houses all over the world — extraordinary installations in which immersive physical electronic drone sounds, light art and colour sensations come together. Young’s Trio for Strings from 1958 is considered the first minimalist work. An intense masterpiece with continuous string tones, stretching into infinity. Composition 1960 No. 7 — his conceptual work — invites musicians to experiment freely with extended, meditative drones.
Young gained recognition for his just intonation piano work, The Well-Tuned Piano. He brought together a legendary ensemble in The Theatre of Eternal Music, in which Terry Riley, drone pioneer Tony Conrad, trumpet player Jon Hassell and pop musician John Cale participated.
Playlist
La Monte Young
- Sarabande for guitar and harp (1959, rev. 1991)
CD: Just West Coast. Microtonal Music for guitar and harp
John Schneider, guitar / Amy Shulman, harp
Bridge Records BCD 9041 CD - Composition 1960, No. 7 (1960), for ensemble
CD: In Process – Prisma
In Process ensemble conducted by Ulli Götte
CD: In Process (self-released) - Trio for Strings (Just Intonation Version: 15 IX 05 ca. 9:21:00 PM – 15 IX 06 ca. 12:23:00 AM NYC, slot) (1958, rev. 2015), for two cellos, violin viola
CD: La Monte Young – Trio for Strings
The Theatre of Eternal Music String Ensemble conducted by Charles Curtis
Dia Art Foundation DIA21TFS LP-boxset - The Theatre of Eternal Music: 13 I 73 5:35-6:14:03 PM NYC’ (1973), for ensemble
CD: La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela – The Theatre of Eternal Music – Dream House 78’17’
The Theatre of Eternal Music conducted by La Monte Young
Superior Viaduct/Shandar SV199 CD
Photo: George Maciunas
