Music in Context
ENDRE ANARU listens to Michael Kieran Harvey's 'The Sparrow and the Mead Hall'
'Harvey has taken up the gauntlet thrown down by Zappa, added his own massive creativity and offers a challenge to listener ...'
In the Baroque era, or the Galant period, or the Romantic Era, or in any tradition of Music, say Chinese opera, East Indian Music, Turkish or Persian music, in any of these traditions the musician is in context and so can be understood. It is as one who is speaking the language of the tradition. Thus, it is possible, even easy for listeners to delve into the music and grasp its import.
The distinctions are amazing. For example, in Heavy Metal music there are dozens of sub-genres that are relevant and woe betide one who gets the naming wrong. 'Such and such is not a ... band! It's a ... band.'
(See also music genres and explore elsewhere online: keep digging - there are thousands of categories and subdivisions.)
Now the reason for all of these distinctions is that it gives our minds a way to 'place' the music - shades of the Memory Palace techniques of remembering - and so listen to it with the proper parameters. Consider this: We can decide to go to different kinds of restaurant depending on our mood and preference. But we don't go to a steak house to get pizza. We go for steak. We don't seek steak at a vegetarian restaurant.
All of this is as a prelude to trying to explain why these distinctions are essential now:
Because we are swamped with music of all different manners and style and we can hardly figure out where we are unless we are given a label.
But, even more we need this sort of information in order to process the music coming at us. Otherwise we may not like the music for the wrong reason: ie that we were expecting something else.
I find it crucial to know what the composer is trying to do with his works. Thus, I read Olivier Messiaen's book Technique of My Musical Language (in the 1956 English translation by John Satterfield). It helped me get a grasp of his technique and his aspirations.
When listening we need to know where someone is coming from and where they are going to.
Thus too with Michael Kieran Harvey. This stunningly gifted Australian pianist and composer has a very clear background idea that motivates his compositions, his technique, his chord progressions, his compositional textures, his melodic outlines and his extra-musical performance practice.
In order to find your way with Harvey you must know the key: the music of Frank Zappa and especially the piano versions of his compositions.
In works like Little House I Used To Live In and It Must Be A Camel, Zappa - who was not a pianist as is Harvey and so his works are much simpler in texture - lays out the manner, mode and character for his music. Harvey has been deeply affected by it. (A detailed commentary and excellent analysis is at the Move Records website with a review of the 48 Fugues.) For example, it should be remembered he wrote 48 Fugues for Frank Zappa (released on Move Records).
From this seed sound and ideation Harvey has evolved his own manner, not in imitation, but in extension and development of mood, manner and technique. He has reached out with his overwhelming piano technique to grasp at realms that Zappa did not.
Harvey is not derivative. Mendelssohn wrote works based on the music of Bach, but he was not derivative. Reger wrote works using the techniques of Bach, but he was not derivative. These and others like them stood on shoulders of giants and their gigantic stature allowed them to see even further.
In the opening sequence are the Four Ballades (for solo piano) which are immensely serious and in the tradition of Prokofiev, there is no doubt that Harvey is making his own music. But, we can notice that the chord progressions are not those of Western Classical music. Rather they have the air of Sun Ra, jazz and, of course, Zappa and yet, Harvey uses many serial devices to direct his melodies and chord structures.
Listen — Michael Kieran Harvey: Ballade No 4 (Four Ballades)
(MD 3471 track 4, 0:00-0:56) ℗ 2023 Move Records :
The Sparrow and the Mead Hall (Piano Sonata No 7) is another amazing work which makes use of the sounds of prepared piano - plucking, etc - and certainly the atmosphere of John Cage surrounds it. But Zappa knew his Cage (as his bicycle performance on a 1963 Steve Allen Tonight Show demonstrates). In Harvey's composition the inner pluckings are used effectively and the sound world is very restrained, but evocative in an eerie way.
Listen — Michael Kieran Harvey: IV Non curo (Distaccato) (Piano Sonata No 7)
(MD 3471 track 8, 0:00-0:46) ℗ 2023 Move Records :
In this beautiful work we find examples of Zappa's musical character deeply lurking in the background. But crucial to Harvey's composition is the philosophical ideation drawn from a quotation by the ancient philosopher Epicurus on the brevity of Life and then subjoined to a metaphor by the Venerable Bede.
On the mere surface level the very title of Lawyers Are Lovely Misunderstood people and We Should All Be Much Kinder to Them is a play upon the social commentary, satire and wit of that American musician.
In the sonic world (with drum kit) of Death Cap Mushroom we may assume Zappa is there. But, we know it finally when the electric guitar screeches in. Yes, you read that correctly.
The trajectory of this album is also important. Harvey begins with the Ballades (perhaps a homage to Chopin's four Ballades), which are so clearly works for solo piano in the bravura tradition. Then the arrival of the sparrow and we are flown to another realm, but still pianistic and still suited to the concert hall and the virtuoso pianist. Thereafter, and in the best tradition of Frank Zappa, the music manner turns and becomes itself an element of the musical message. I don't know enough lawyers to evaluate how misunderstood they are, but beyond the piano we are now in the realm of social commentary. And Frank Zappa was keen on that.
Listen — Michael Kieran Harvey: Lawyers Are Lovely Misunderstood people and We Should All Be Much Kinder to Them
(MD 3471 track 9, 2:43-3:42) ℗ 2023 Move Records :
Finally, with the 'anti-opera' Death Cap Mushroom, the arc of the album has ascended into the realm of a 'happening': an event of theatrical manner imbued with music. Hold onto your hats and brace yourself for the ride.
Listen — Michael Kieran Harvey: Death Cap Mushroom
(MD 3471 track 10, 3:54-4:53) ℗ 2023 Move Records :
Harvey has taken up the gauntlet thrown down by Zappa, added his own massive creativity and offers a challenge to listeners about what they can expect from an album of piano music, or even from a series of compositions by a modern composer.
Beware: your expectations will be subverted, but listen regardless.
Copyright © 18 September 2024
Endre Anaru,
Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
