In C
Encyclopedia
In C is a semi-aleatoric
musical piece composed by Terry Riley
in 1964 for any number of people, although he suggests "a group of about 35 is desired if possible but smaller or larger groups will work". It is a response to the abstract academic serialist
techniques used by composer
s in the mid-twentieth century and is often cited as the first minimalist
composition.
has control over which phrase he or she plays: players are encouraged to play the phrases starting at different times, even if they are playing the same phrase. The performance directions state that the musical ensemble
should try to stay within two to three phrases of each other. The phrases must be played in order, although some may be skipped. As detailed in some editions of the score, it is customary for one musician ("traditionally... a beautiful girl," Riley notes in the score) to play the note
C in repeated eighth note
s, typically on a piano
or pitched-percussion instrument (e.g. marimba
). This functions as a metronome
and is referred to as "The Pulse".
In C has no set duration; performances can last as little as fifteen minutes or as long as several hours, although Riley indicates "performances normally average between 45 minutes and an hour and a half." The number of performers may also vary between any two performances. The original recording of the piece was created by 11 musicians (through overdubbing, several dozen instruments were utilized), while a performance in 2006 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall
featured 124 musicians.
The piece begins on a C major chord
(patterns one through seven) with a strong emphasis on the mediant
E and the entrance of the note F which begins a series of slow progressions to other chords suggesting a few subtle and ambiguous changes of key
, the last pattern being an alteration between B♭ and G. Though the polyphonic interplay of the various patterns against each other and themselves at different rhythmic displacements is of primary interest, the piece may be considered heterophonic.
and Philip Glass
. In his composition The Dharma at Big Sur
, John Adams
paid homage to Terry Riley
in the second movement with a musical pulse and figures similar to those found in In C, jokingly referred to by the composer as "In B." The movement is also titled Sri Moonshine, the name of Riley's ranch in California.
Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble produced an album of remixed versions of In C with guest remixers including Jad Abumrad
of Radio Lab
. A discussion of the In C remixing project including music played from three of the remixed versions can be heard in Radio Lab's podcast on In C from December 14, 2009.
Aleatoric music
Aleatoric music is music in which some element of the composition is left to chance, and/or some primary element of a composed work's realization is left to the determination of its performer...
musical piece composed by Terry Riley
Terry Riley
Terrence Mitchell Riley, is an American composer intrinsically associated with the minimalist school of Western classical music and was a pioneer of the movement...
in 1964 for any number of people, although he suggests "a group of about 35 is desired if possible but smaller or larger groups will work". It is a response to the abstract academic serialist
Serialism
In music, serialism is a method or technique of composition that uses a series of values to manipulate different musical elements. Serialism began primarily with Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique, though his contemporaries were also working to establish serialism as one example of...
techniques used by composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
s in the mid-twentieth century and is often cited as the first minimalist
Minimalist music
Minimal music is a style of music associated with the work of American composers La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass. It originated in the New York Downtown scene of the 1960s and was initially viewed as a form of experimental music called the New York Hypnotic School....
composition.
Technique
In C consists of 53 short, numbered musical phrases, lasting from half a beat to 32 beats; each phrase may be repeated an arbitrary number of times. Each musicianMusician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
has control over which phrase he or she plays: players are encouraged to play the phrases starting at different times, even if they are playing the same phrase. The performance directions state that the musical ensemble
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
should try to stay within two to three phrases of each other. The phrases must be played in order, although some may be skipped. As detailed in some editions of the score, it is customary for one musician ("traditionally... a beautiful girl," Riley notes in the score) to play the note
Note
In music, the term note has two primary meanings:#A sign used in musical notation to represent the relative duration and pitch of a sound;#A pitched sound itself....
C in repeated eighth note
Eighth note
thumb|180px|right|Figure 1. An eighth note with stem facing up, an eighth note with stem facing down, and an eighth rest.thumb|right|180px|Figure 2. Four eighth notes beamed together....
s, typically on a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
or pitched-percussion instrument (e.g. marimba
Marimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
). This functions as a metronome
Metronome
A metronome is any device that produces regular, metrical ticks — settable in beats per minute. These ticks represent a fixed, regular aural pulse; some metronomes also include synchronized visual motion...
and is referred to as "The Pulse".
In C has no set duration; performances can last as little as fifteen minutes or as long as several hours, although Riley indicates "performances normally average between 45 minutes and an hour and a half." The number of performers may also vary between any two performances. The original recording of the piece was created by 11 musicians (through overdubbing, several dozen instruments were utilized), while a performance in 2006 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Walt Disney Concert Hall at 111 South Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, California is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center. Bounded by Hope Street, Grand Avenue, 1st and 2nd Streets, it seats 2,265 people and serves as the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra and the...
featured 124 musicians.
The piece begins on a C major chord
Major chord
In music theory, a major chord is a chord having a root, a major third, and a perfect fifth. When a chord has these three notes alone, it is called a major triad...
(patterns one through seven) with a strong emphasis on the mediant
Mediant
In music, the mediant is the third scale degree of the diatonic scale, being the note halfway between the tonic and the dominant. Similarly, the submediant is halfway between the tonic and subdominant...
E and the entrance of the note F which begins a series of slow progressions to other chords suggesting a few subtle and ambiguous changes of key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
, the last pattern being an alteration between B♭ and G. Though the polyphonic interplay of the various patterns against each other and themselves at different rhythmic displacements is of primary interest, the piece may be considered heterophonic.
Recordings of the piece
The piece has been recorded a number of times:| Artist | Instrumentation | Duration | =) | Recording Information | Release Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terry Riley and Center of Creative and Performing Arts (SUNY-Buffalo) | saxophone, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, clarinet, flute, viola, trombone, vibraphone, marimbaphone | 42' 03" | 132 | March 27–28, 1968 (many overdubs) | Columbia MS 7178 (LP); Sony SNYC 45368 (Re-mastered) |
| L'Infonie | saxophones, trumpets, percussion, piano, guitar, bass guitar, trombones | 29' 20" | 104 | Recorded in 1970 | Volume 33: Mantra (LP); Reed Streams / In C, Cortical Foundation Corti 2 |
| Ensemble Percussione Ricerca | vibes, glockenspiel, marimbas, xylophone, crotales | 41' 01" | 116 | Diamine Studio, Mestre-Venezia, Italy in 1983 | In C / Djembé, Materiali Sonori |
| Shanghai Film Orchestra | traditional Chinese instruments ("various lutes, zithers, mouth organs, flute, and percussion") | 28' 35" | 108 | Recorded in January 1989 at the Recording Studio of the Shanghai Film Industry. Mixed by Terry Riley, Jon Hassell Jon Hassell Jon Hassell is an American trumpet player and composer. He is known for his influence in the world music scene and his unusual electronic manipulation of the trumpet sound.-Life and career:... and Brian Eno Brian Eno Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,... |
Celestial Harmonies 13026 |
| Piano Circus | concert grand piano, upright piano, Rhodes piano, harpsichords, vibraphone | 20' 00" | 132 | Recorded in 1990 | Six Pianos / In C, Argo 430380 |
| Terry Riley and Friends | saxophones (sopranos, alto, tenor, and baritone), xylophone, synthesizers, voices, flute, viola, violins, trombones, cello, piano, guitars, glockenspiel, drums, marimba, clarinet, accordion, xylophone, bass clarinet | 76' 16" | 108 | Recorded live on January 14, 1990 at the New Music Theatre and Life on the Water, San Francisco | In C - 25th Anniversary Concert, New Albion 71 |
| Quebec Contemporary Music Society | flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, bassoon, French horns, trumpets, trombone, tuba, harp, percussion, sitar, tablas, violins, viola, cello, double bass, vocal ensemble | 35' 46" | 116 | Recorded live on June 12, 1997 at the Salle Pierre-Mercure | Atma Classique 22251 |
| Ictus Ictus Ensemble Ictus Ensemble is a Belgian orchestra, founded by Jean-Luc Plouvierin 1994, specialising in Contemporary classical music... (with Blindman Kwartet) |
percussion, double basses, harp, cello, guitar, piano, accordion, oboe, violin, clarinets, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone | 65' 00" | 130 | Recorded live on May 31, 1997 at Chapelle des Brigitines, Brussels. Slightly overdubbed at Acoustic Recording Studio, Brussels | Cypres 5601 |
| Bang on a Can Bang on a Can Bang on a Can is a multi-faceted classical music organization based in New York City. It was founded in 1987 by three American composers who remain its artistic directors: Julia Wolfe, David Lang, and Michael Gordon... |
cello, glockenspiel, vibraphone, bass, mandolin, soprano saxophone, pipa, piano, violin, electric guitar, chimes, marimba, clarinet | 45' 32" | 120 | Recorded live on November 20, 1998 at the World's Financial Center, New York | Cantaloupe 21004 |
| Terry Riley Repetition Orchestra | keyboards, clarinet, trumpet, violins, cello, fretless baritone guitar, double bass, chime-bells, percussion, voices | 76' 40" | 108 | Recorded live on April 20, 2000 in DOM, Moscow | Long Arm Records 01033 |
| The Styrenes The Styrenes The Styrenes are an American proto-punk rock band, formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1975, by former members of other local underground scene bands, electric eels and Mirrors.-Members:* Paul Marotta − vocals, guitar, piano*UK Rattay − guitar... |
guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, vibraphone | 53' 19" | 120 | Recorded on September 21, 2000 at Unique Studio, NYC (many overdubs) | Enja 94352 |
| Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O Acid Mothers Temple Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. is a Japanese psychedelic band, the core of which formed in 1995. The band is led by guitarist Kawabata Makoto and early in their career featured many musicians, but by 2004 the line-up had coalesced with only a few core members and frequent guest... |
voices, monster bass, electric guitars, synthesizers, drums, violin, zuruna, tambura, sruthi box, vibraphone, glockenspiel | 20' 31" | 92 | Recorded at FTF Studio, Indo-yo and Acid Mothers Temple, 2002 | Squealer 37 |
| European Music Project, zignorii++ | violin, viola, violoncello, marimba, electric piano, English horn, clarinets, alto saxophone, electronic arrangements | 60' 48" | 120 | Recorded April 19–22, 2001 at Sendesaal des Funkhauses Köln | Wergo 66502 |
| re-sound | flute, clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, voice, electric guitar, electric bass, percussion, keyboards, violin, cello | 57' 00" | Recorded in Australia | Move Records Move Records Move Records is an Australian record label that was started in 1968 by Martin Wright. It concentrates primarily in classical and jazz music, particularly Australian, and most frequently Melbourne-based musicians and composers.... MD 3262 (2002) |
|
| DésAccordes / d-zAkord | classical guitars, electric guitars, electric basses, harp, cellos, percussion, drums, bass | 48' 54" | 120 | Recorded on November 23, 2003 at Espace Culturel du Bois Fleuri, Lormont, France | MUSEA/GAZUL GA8681.AR |
| Ut Gret | synthesizer, alto saxophone, vibes, marimba, flute, bass clarinet | 64' 11" | 120 | Recorded live at Tewligans Tewligans Tewligans was a famous live music venue in Louisville, Kentucky. The venue operated between 1981 and 1996 at 1047 Bardstown Road in the Highlands neighborhood... in 2002 |
Recent Fossils, Ear-X-tacy Records |
| Ars Nova Copenhagen, Percurama Percussion Ensemble | vocals, marimbas, bass marimba, vibraphone, Bali gong | 55' 16" | 116 | Recorded on January 17, 2005 at Focus Recording, Copenhagen | Dacapo 8.226049 |
| American Festival of Microtonal Music | just-fretted guitars, viola, harpsichord, kanon, guitar "pulse" | 23' 11" | 112 | Recorded live as "In C in Just Intonation," Terry Riley’s reworking commissioned by the AFMM in 1988 | Ear Gardens, Pitch P-200209 |
| Oxford Minimalist Ensemble | 45' 09" | Recorded live at Sheldonian Theatre Oxford UK on 11 May 2006 | www.minimalistensemble.co.uk | ||
| The New Audience Ensemble | 16' 36" | Live at the Edge, Odessa Mama (2006) | |||
| Jeroen van Veen Jeroen van Veen (pianist) Jeroen van Veen is a Dutch classical pianist and composer.-Short biography:Jeroen Van Veen studied at the Utrecht Conservatory with Alwin Bär and Håkon Austbø... |
Piano and other keyboards | 57' 56" | 120 | Recorded at Barbara Church, Culemborg on October 23–28, 2006 (many overdubs) | Minimal Piano Collection, Brilliant Classics 8551 |
| GVSU Grand Valley State University Grand Valley State University is a public liberal arts university located in Allendale, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1960, and its main campus is situated on approximately west of Grand Rapids... New Music Ensemble |
piano, percussion, xylophone, bassoon, accordion, flute, bass flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, cello, English horn, soprano and tenor saxophones, marimba, vibraphone, guitar, trumpet, violin | 20' 43" | In C Remixed, Innova 758 (2009) | ||
| Orkest de Volharding Orkest de Volharding Orkest de Volharding is a Dutch music ensemble, founded in 1972 by Louis Andriessen and saxophonist Willem Breuker, named after the eponymous Andriessen work. The line up for the original concert, on May 12, 1972, was three each of trumpets saxes and trombones, plus Andriessen on the piano... |
51' 36" | 108 | The Minimalists, Mode 214/215 (2009) | ||
| Hans Balmer | Flutes (overdubbed) | 40' 04" | 124 | Minimal Flute, Fontastix (2009) | |
| Salt Lake Electric Ensemble | Laptop orchestra with percussion | 65' 56" | 85 | Laptops recorded live Feb. 3, 2010 in Salt Lake City, acoustic instruments overdubbed Feb/Mar 2010 | sleearts.com (2010) |
| GVSU Grand Valley State University Grand Valley State University is a public liberal arts university located in Allendale, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1960, and its main campus is situated on approximately west of Grand Rapids... New Music Ensemble |
Piano, Percussion, Flute, Cello, Accordion, Violin, Clarinet, Bass, Saxophone, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Trumpet. Featured Guest Dennis DeSantis on laptop and effects. | 61' 28" | 124 | Recorded live on November 8, 2009, at Le Poisson Rouge, New York City | Terry Riley: In C Ghostly International Ghostly International Ghostly International is an American independent record label. Chief artists include Matthew Dear, Dabrye , Mobius Band, and Skeletons & The Girl-Faced Boys, all of which are innovative contributors to the world of music.... GI-108 (2010) Limited Edition CD + Digital Download |
| Invisible Polytechnic | Analogue modular synth 'pulse', organ, piano, marimba, percussion, violin, viola, hurdy gurdy, harp, bass guitar, oboe, daegeum Daegeum The daegeum is a large bamboo transverse flute used in traditional Korean music. It has a buzzing membrane that gives it a special timbre... , bassoon, voices |
45' 40" | 115 | Recorded at Hatchlands Park, Surrey, and Them Usem, London | Junior Aspirin Records Junior Aspirin Records Junior Aspirin Records is a not for profit, artist-run independent record label founded in 2002 and located in London , England. It has released music by a number of artists in limited editions on divergent formats... (ASP020, 2011) |
Impact on other music
Probably more than any other single work, In C established and influenced subsequent developments in musical minimalism, particularly the work of Steve ReichSteve Reich
Stephen Michael "Steve" Reich is an American composer who together with La Monte Young, Terry Riley, and Philip Glass is a pioneering composer of minimal music...
and Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...
. In his composition The Dharma at Big Sur
The Dharma at Big Sur
The Dharma at Big Sur is a composition for solo electric violin and orchestra by John Adams. The piece calls for some instruments to use just intonation, a tuning system in which intervals sound pure, rather than equal temperament, the common Western tuning system in which all intervals except the...
, John Adams
John Coolidge Adams
John Coolidge Adams is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer with strong roots in minimalism. His best-known works include Short Ride in a Fast Machine , On the Transmigration of Souls , a choral piece commemorating the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks , and Shaker...
paid homage to Terry Riley
Terry Riley
Terrence Mitchell Riley, is an American composer intrinsically associated with the minimalist school of Western classical music and was a pioneer of the movement...
in the second movement with a musical pulse and figures similar to those found in In C, jokingly referred to by the composer as "In B." The movement is also titled Sri Moonshine, the name of Riley's ranch in California.
Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble produced an album of remixed versions of In C with guest remixers including Jad Abumrad
Jad Abumrad
Jad Abumrad is a Lebanese-American radio host and producer. He has reported and produced documentaries for a number of local and National Public Radio programs, including On the Media, PRI's Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen, Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Democracy Now!, and WNYC's "24...
of Radio Lab
Radio Lab
Radiolab is a radio program produced by WNYC, a public radio station in New York City, and broadcast on public radio stations in the United States. The show is nationally syndicated and is available as a podcast....
. A discussion of the In C remixing project including music played from three of the remixed versions can be heard in Radio Lab's podcast on In C from December 14, 2009.
External links
- MIDI realization by Jeffrey C. Hall