{"id":1857,"date":"2013-11-07T11:35:30","date_gmt":"2013-11-07T11:35:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.geraldgarcia.com\/wordpress\/?p=1857"},"modified":"2013-11-05T15:59:34","modified_gmt":"2013-11-05T15:59:34","slug":"great-guitar-pieces-nobody-plays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/geraldgarcia.com\/?p=1857","title":{"rendered":"Great Guitar Pieces Nobody Plays"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Some of the harmonics on the series would be quite out-of-tune if played on a regularly tuned, equal-tempered guitar.Tenney obviates this problem by retuning a couple of strings on the guitars responsible for each harmonic\u2014and restricting the musical material for that guitar only to those notes that can be sounded accurately in tune.<\/p><\/div>\n

The repertoire of American composer James Tenney<\/strong><\/a> (1934-2006) is among the most diverse and stimulating in experimental music.
\nHe studied with, amongst others Chou Wen-Chung<\/a> and John Cage<\/a>.Tenney’s work deals with perception (For Ann (rising)<\/a><\/i>, see Shepard tone<\/a>), just intonation<\/a> (Clang<\/i>, see gestalt<\/a>), stochastic elements (Music for Player Piano<\/i>), information theory<\/a> (Ergodos<\/i>, see ergodic theory<\/a>), and with what he called ‘swell’ (Koan: Having Never Written A Note For Percussion<\/i> for John Bergamo), which is basically arch form<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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His earliest works show the influence of Webern, Ruggles and Var\u00e8se, whereas his music from 1961-64 was largely computer music<\/a>, one of the earliest significant body of such work in existence.
\nTenney was one of the four performers of the Steve Reich<\/a> piece Pendulum Music<\/a> on May 27, 1969 at the Whitney Museum of American Art<\/a>. The other three were: Michael Snow<\/a>, Richard Serra<\/a> and Bruce Nauman<\/a>. Tenney also performed on Terry Riley<\/a>‘s album In C<\/a><\/i>.
\nHis works which specifically include the guitar are:<\/strong>
\nSpectrum<\/strong> 5<\/i>. flute, oboe, bass clarinet, bassoon, vibraphone et al., harp, piano, viola; (1995); 16′. Written for Champ d’Action. Copyright JT. [T] Spectrum 4. Violin, alto recorder, vibraphone, guitar, piano, bass clarinet, tenor-bass trombone, contrabass; (1995); 16′. Written for the Maarten Altena Ensemble
\nSneezles<\/i>.<\/strong> Soprano, flute or alto recorder, clarinet, vibraphone, violin, guitar, tenor-bass trombone, contrabass; (1995);
\n‘Water on the Mountain . . . Fire in Heaven<\/strong>‘<\/i>. 6 electric guitars (1985); 25′. [R: Seth Josel, Long Distance, CRI CD 697
\nSeptet<\/i><\/strong>. 6 electric guitars and bass (1981); 5’30”. [R: Mills College Contemporary Ensemble,Tellus cass.<\/p>\n

James Tenney\u2019s Septet (1981)<\/h1>\n