The Well-Tuned Piano in the Magenta Lights “87 V 10 6:43:00 PM — 87 V 11 1:07:45 AM NYC” | La Monte Young Marian Zazeela

The Well-Tuned Piano in the Magenta Lights “87 V 10 6:43:00 PM — 87 V 11 1:07:45 AM NYC”

by La Monte Young Marian Zazeela

supported by

DAVID PEPPERELL It is possibly the most important composition of the latter half of the 20th Century and had an enormous effect on both classical and popular music. La Monte is the inventor of Minimalism.

Mara Knöcklein This is the purple shadow of a hyperobject.

Gratefulshrink It's impossible to describe this music. Is it one sound or is it all sounds? Is it moving left, right, up or down in the 3rd dimension, or just moving in the 4th dimension (and is that forwards or backwards)? Or is it not moving at all, and it's just our perspective of it that is moving. I do recommend listening to it alone, but not with headphones. It is also interesting to sleep to, as well, due to its hypnotic qualities. But the sleep is different than normal sleep, be warned.

more...

methews inevitable plastic explosives thumbnail

more...

	/

Streaming + Download

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Purchasable with gift card

$49 USD or more
DVD
La Monte Young’s greatest masterpiece The Well-Tuned Piano
Third DVD Edition with a 52-page booklet, which includes Young, Marian Zazeela and Jung Hee Choi's essays.

ships out within 14 days

$89 USD or more

	1.	The Well-Tuned Piano in the Magenta Lights: “87 V 10 6:43:00 PM — 87 V 11 1:07:45 AM NYC” 06:25:01	info
	2.	12-minute excerpt from The Well-Tuned Piano in the Magenta Lights 12:00	info

about

"This [recording] captures the most important aspect of my work in composition that I have succeeded in recording to date. It is the yardstick against which all my other work must be compared."
— La Monte Young

"The first choice is clear. I'm confident that La Monte Young's The Well-Tuned Piano will receive little competition as the most important and beautiful new work recorded in the 1980s. Young's achievement is unique, the recording a technological triumph."
— Kyle Gann, FANFARE November/December 1987

"La Monte Young's magnum opus, The Well-Tuned Piano is a solo improvised work that he performed live in public over 65 times between 1974 and 1987 in the Marian Zazeela light environment. Conceived in 1964, this work continued absorbing, evolving and expanding for over two decades until it flourished to its full structure in the '80s. Each performance was improvised by memory over an interwoven architectural form, which often inspired new material while performing. During the second decade, the scale of the work had expanded exponentially with a wealth of musical materials built from the organic confluence of both Western and Hindustani classical traditions. The keyboard of Young's Bösendorfer was sometimes stained with blood from his wounded fingers after a long performance. The 45-minute recorded version (1964) had gradually developed to a continuous 6-hour 25-minute virtuoso live performance in 1987. The Well-Tuned Piano is certainly the epitome of a justly tuned piano in the modern context that transcends the character and limitations of the instrument. While deeply rooted in the ancient traditions of aural primacy, tonal structure and modality, The Well-Tuned Piano delineated an unprecedented sustained harmonic resonance and a complex sonic epic that we had never before experienced."
— Jung Hee Choi, "La Monte Young, The Well-Tuned Piano,"
p. 36 of the booklet included with purchase of the recording.

credits

released June 17, 2021

*Playback Suggestions

The Well-Tuned Piano covers an exceptionally wide dynamic range; some sections are extremely loud and other sections are extremely soft. In order for the soft sections to be loud enough to hear the inner resonances of the piano, ii is appropriate to set your volume control so that the loudest sections actually fill the listening space with sound and are as loud as you can comfortably enjoy them. The first few times that you listen to the work, you will find an optimum setting for your volume control which you may eventually want to mark in order to avoid adjusting the volume control as you listen.

La Monte Young Marian Zazeela

The Well-Tuned Piano in the Magenta Lights
“87 V 10 6:43:00 PM — 87 V 11 1:07:45 AM NYC”

La Monte Young, Dia Custom Bösendorfer Imperial Grand
The Well-Tuned Piano and Just Intonation Tuning VI 1964-1973-1981-1987-present composed by La Monte Young
The Magenta Lights 1981-present composed by Marian Zazeela

This 6-hour 25-minute continuous performance was recorded live in concert May 10, 1987 during the La Monte Young 30-Year Retrospective, Dia Art Foundation Performance Space, 155 Mercer Street, New York City.
Presented by MELA Foundation, Inc.

Michael Harrison, Tuning Technician and Assistant to the Composer
Jon Catler, Tuning Assistant
Bob Bielecki, Piano Technician
Bill Dilworth, Lighting Technician
Bob Adler, Technical Consultant
Terry Youk, Technical & Production Assistant
Mitchell Clark, Joan Stango, Production Assistants
Bob Bielecki, Recording Engineer
Larry Scharf, Video Recording
J.C. Schlageter, Video Technician
Marian Zazeela, Camera One
Bob Adler, Camera Two

Original 1987 Video Mastered for DVD February/March 2000 at The Tape House, NYC
Chris Harvey, Project Coordinator & Producer
Bob Bielecki, Audio Mastering Consultant
Brad Buchwalter, Video Editor
Bryan Fitzpatrick, Executive Producer for The Tape House
Regina Scandiffia, Coordinating Producer for The Tape House
Scot Olive, Colorist
Tim Sager, Assistant Colorist
Anthony Gilliam, Chyron Operator
Marian Zazeela, Calligraphy, Title Design

Just Dreams Third DVD Edition Production
Produced by MELA Foundation, Inc. under the direction of La Monte Young, Marian Zazeela and Jung Hee Choi.
Cover calligraphy: Marian Zazeela
Cover photography: John Cliett
Package design and production: Jung Hee Choi, Ben Meyers
Production assistance: Erika Jane Barrett, Srinivas Ramamurthy

Randy Hudson, Digital Transfer
Jung Hee Choi, Digital Release Producer
Micah Feinberg, Digital Release Production Assistant

Copyright © La Monte Young & Marian Zazeela 2000, 2001, 2018. All Rights Reserved.

license

about

La Monte Young New York, New York

La Monte Young pioneered the concept of extended time durations in 1957 and for over 60 years contributed extensively to the development of just intonation and rational number based tuning systems in his performance works; his work had a wide-ranging influence on contemporary music, art, and philosophy, including Minimalism, Fluxus, performance art, and Conceptual art. ... more

melafoundation.org

contact / help

Contact La Monte Young

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like The Well-Tuned Piano in the Magenta Lights “87 V 10 6:43:00 PM — 87 V 11 1:07:45 AM NYC”, you may also like:

Everywhere at the end of time
by The Caretaker

supported by 55 fans who also own “The Well-Tuned Piano in the Magenta Lights “87 V 10 6:43:00 PM — 87 V 11 1:07:45 AM NYC””

Actually astounding and emotionally moving, creating a community that I have been proudly a part of for 2 years OrsonXD
go to album
Living Torch
by Kali Malone

supported by 55 fans who also own “The Well-Tuned Piano in the Magenta Lights “87 V 10 6:43:00 PM — 87 V 11 1:07:45 AM NYC””

My heart is beating slower and faster at the same time kwellou
go to album
Piece for Cello and Saxophone
by Terry Jennings

supported by 54 fans who also own “The Well-Tuned Piano in the Magenta Lights “87 V 10 6:43:00 PM — 87 V 11 1:07:45 AM NYC””

Absolutely love this recording. I listen to it at work. I listen to it in the car on the way home from work. I listen to it while falling asleep. Curtis’ cello is so amazing. Just got the vinyl in the mail from Discogs the other day! Can’t wait to play on my hi-fi system! Dave Sewall
go to album
The Risk Of Hyperbole - Vol.2 - Object
by Jack Prest

Jack Preset creates rich soundscape of sub bass drones, tape delay atmospheres, and shimmering electronics. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 27, 2023
go to album
AUTOGENESIS
by N to The Power

NY outfit N to The Power cite Erik Satie, The Meters, and Steve Reich as influences, and you can hear it in their free-roaming songs. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 20, 2020
go to album
Notes On Belonging (Reworked)
by Tiny Leaves

featured on Bandcamp Radio Mar 5, 2019
go to album
Occam XXV
by Éliane Radigue & Frédéric Blondy

supported by 50 fans who also own “The Well-Tuned Piano in the Magenta Lights “87 V 10 6:43:00 PM — 87 V 11 1:07:45 AM NYC””

Wauw … this is totally sonic drone heaven! Radigue hits me again! Beautifull latzijones
go to album