In the second of two performances that day in what he describes in his diary as a “secular cathedral”, Fripp’s muse seems somewhat forbidding in places. Paradise Lost fills the entire building all the way to the very top of the glass atrium with dense banks of ascending orchestral strings. As ever in soundscapes, no matter how bleak or mournful things become, a sense of hope is never far away, and Affirming shines light in what had become at times, a dark desolate space.
The Hover section is interesting, as though it were in the middle of a typical transitional approach (the tinkling bell tones), but then caught in the moment - hovering indeed - into a meditative piece based around three descending notes.
Here, the Threnody motif is less angular and dissonant than on other occasions, consisting of slow-moving waves of sustained notes underscored with descending basslines that are intense but relatively smooth and static. Nevertheless, The build-up of tension in the final five minutes of this piece, and the inevitable release when it comes in the closing moments, is both devastating and utterly beautiful. As the chorus reduces to an echo of the opening melody, everything else fades away, leaving a solitary drone. Remarkable music.
In the second of two performances that day in what he describes in his diary as a “secular cathedral”, Fripp’s muse seems somewhat forbidding in places. Paradise Lost fills the entire building all the way to the very top of the glass atrium with dense banks of ascending orchestral strings. As ever in soundscapes, no matter how bleak or mournful th...
This is an excellent soundscape recording, one of the best so far in total, and the best of this certain period around the millenium. The liner notes indicate that on this day two sets have been performed by Robert, the current download available being the second one, evening set. However, from same day, new sounds radio broadcasted last summer an excerpt - Threnody. The setting and timbre is similar, the music is not identical though. But John Schaefer of new sounds mentioned as wel...
This is an excellent soundscape recording, one of the best so far in total, and the best of this certain period around the millenium. The liner notes indicate that on this day two sets have been performed by Robert, the current download available being the second one, evening set. However, from same day, new sounds radio broadcasted last summer an excerpt - Threnody. The setting and timbre is similar, the music is not identical though. But John Schaefer of new sounds mentioned as well the music was from the evening performance. Can anybody help?
Written by Gaspar Murvartian
Moving
There’s no doubt RF has a very strong connection to the WFC. This performance is one of the most moving I’ve heard to date, and a must have for those who appreciate RF’s soundscapes.
Written by Michael Flaherty
A Song of Mourning
Robert begins this Soundscape, one of the best currently available, with a meditative piece called “Paradise Lost”. We have seen this title before, but usually with an accompanying “Paradise Regained”. In this dark Soundscape, there may be reason for hope, but if so, that hope is less certain.After the dark, slow-building opener, Fripp moves into gentler territory with “Affirmation”. Single, reflective notes overlap, eventually building into an adagio (perhaps even ...
Robert begins this Soundscape, one of the best currently available, with a meditative piece called “Paradise Lost”. We have seen this title before, but usually with an accompanying “Paradise Regained”. In this dark Soundscape, there may be reason for hope, but if so, that hope is less certain.After the dark, slow-building opener, Fripp moves into gentler territory with “Affirmation”. Single, reflective notes overlap, eventually building into an adagio (perhaps even grave) sound, which fades in its last moments into stillness.That stillness remains in the appropriately titled “Hover”, which actually ends in silence, but that silence is just an eerie calm before the storm.“Threnody”, a song of mourning, begins innocently enough. Single notes echo into the air, in a way familiar in Fripp’s music. However, the sounds become more disturbing as he continues. This is not ambient music.A few minutes in, the sound of wordless voices join, overwhelmed by the crowded notes above. They slowly rise in volume and begin to join the fray. Fripp continues adding layers and density until the sound can become overwhelming (in very positive way).Then, in the last few minutes, the noise begins to fade, and in the end we are left with a single, high, haunting, wordless voice, reminiscent of Morton Feldman’s “Rothko Chapel”. Is this hope? Perhaps, or perhaps it is just an ending, with neither hope nor fear.All of this from a man with a guitar, playing in real time in front of an audience.More from 1998 would be most welcome.
