Works by the Beatles, Stockhausen, Berio, Friedman, and Yoko Ono
Recorded Live at Cain Schulte Gallery
San Francisco, CA

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In 1966, Paul McCartney of the Beatles took time to explore the avante-garde scene and discovered the electronic music of Stockhausen and Berio. Later John Lennon (with influence from wife Yoko Ono) turned to these same avant-garde composers for such works as “Revolution No. 9″. This experimental approach was first heard on the Beatles’ early psychedelic-influenced track Tomorrow Never Knows, the final track of their 1966 studio album “Revolver”. The use of tape loops, electronically altered sound, as well as new recording techniques raised the bar in popular recording and opened new and exciting vistas of creative expression that are still reverberating today.

ADORNO pays tribute to this early convergence of the avant-garde and popular genres in a program of works by the Beatles, Stockhausen, and Berio, interspersed with some special performance art created by Yoko Ono. Artistic director Cynthia Mei brings into conversation composer Joel Phillip Friedman to discuss the major influences of composers such as Stockhausen and Berio in the music of the Beatles. ADORNO also performs Friedman’s four movement work, Elastic Band, synthesizes Stravinsky, Mozart, jazz-funk, and Ringo Starr. Friedman, who has extensively taught courses on music of the Beatles at Swarthmore College, Santa Clara University, and Stanford. The concert opens with an arrangement by Joel of  Tomorrow Never Knows from the Beatles’ “Revolver” album for the ADORNO Ensemble.

Program:

Tomorrow Never Knows (arrangement by Joel Friedman) for Flute, violin, viola, cello, electric guitar, drum set, and keyboards
Composer Joel Friedman speaks with Artistic Director Cynthia Mei
Artisic Director Cynthia Mei speaks with ADORNO violinist Graeme Jennings
Luciano Berio Duetti for 2 violins
Yoko Ono “Breathe Piece” (not in recording)
Yoko Ono “Sweep” (not in recording)
Dr K Sextet for flute, viola, cello, clarinet, percussion, keyboard
Yoko Ono “Breathe Piece”(not in recording)
Yoko Ono “Pulse Piece” (not in recording)
Karlheinz Stockhausen “Right Durations” for circa 4 players
Luciano Berio “Sequenza” for Solo Flute
Karlheinz Stockhausen “Japan”
Yoko Ono “Breathe Piece” (not in recording)
Yoko Ono “Painting to Shake Hands” (not in recording)
Yoko Ono “Clock Piece”
Joel Freidman “Elastic Band” for 2 Violins, Viola, Cello, Clarinet, percussion (4 movements)

Featuring composers Mason Bates and Mark Applebaum
October 23, 2008 8pm at SF State University


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ADORNO Ensemble presents an “Elektro/Acoustik” concert celebrating Bay Area composers Mark Applebaum and Mason Bates. In a continuous flux between acoustical and electronic works, the program will feature members of ADORNO with Bates and his electronic lounge music, and Applebaum with this famous homemade “Mouseketier” sound sculpture. Mr. Bates (a.k.a “Masonic”) has been both a Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome and an American Academy in Berlin Prize. Spanning the classical concert hall to the clubs and lounges where he DJs electronica, his music was hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as “lovely to hear and ingeniously constructed.” A professor at Stanford University, composer Mark Applebaum is also active as a jazz pianist and builds electroacoustic instruments out of junk, hardware, and found objects for use as both compositional and improvisational tools. His music can be heard on recordings on the Innova, Tzadik, Capstone, and SEAMUS labels.


Program:

Mason Bates on electronics: solo work
Mason Bates: White Lies for Lomax for solo piano
Mark Applebaum: Theme in search of Variations (recording not available)
Mason Bates on electronics: solo work
Mark Applebaum solo work: Mousketier Praxis - Mouseketier sound-sculpture and live electronics
Mark Applebaum: Accretion/Deletion for 2 violins, viola, cello, and double bass
Mark Applebaum: Identity Sport for 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, electric guitar, and percussion
Mason Bates on electronics: solo work
Mason Bates: Red River for violin, clarinet, piano, cello and electronics

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