Thursday, October 27, 2005

A Wonderful Discovery

I was listening to the classical music station, waiting for a very long time to hear the announcer tell me who composed the amazing (and very long) piece. I recognized the melody as one of Gustav Mahler's Kindertotenlieder, but the arrangement is very jazzy. Finally I ran out of patience and googled "Mahler jazz" and learn who the composer is: Uri Caine. If you've never heard of him, the following snippet of a review will either intrigue you or send you running to your nearest Grateful Dead or Chopin or Elvis or K.D. Laing.

Lebrecht writes:
He [Caine] has redone Das Lied [Song of the Earth] with a Chinese orchestra, turned the Second Symphony Urlicht into a lonely-heart lament, imposed a Native American chant on the Fifth symphony and given the death of children a smoky nightclub gloss. What started as a fad for subversive Mahlerites has grown into a trans-generic cult.
I'm adding Uri Caine to my Amazon wish list this minute!

2 comments:

TLP said...

Well, I hope some sunny day that the postman brings you Uri Caine.

How are you feeling? I was reading your last several posts and you haven't updated us on the heart scare. I gather you're okay?

SavtaDotty said...

Thanks for asking (about my health). I'm going to see my family doctor tomorrow to get his opinion, but I know how I feel: good!