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Alvin Lucier - Listening Report

 

Alvin Lucier is an American composer that was interested in new music and tape compositions.

The play “Nothing is Real” (1990) consists of Lucier playing fragments of the Beatles song “Strawberry Fields Forever” on the piano while recording it on a mini tape recorder. The play starts with very slow and deep piano sounds and then step by step gets higher and faster regarding the sounds.

Towards the middle of the play, Lucier closes the roof of the piano and distances himself from the piano. He then begins to use the mini tape recorder to play his recorded sounds. The mini tape recorder is in a teapod which is positioned on the piano roof.

By changing the positions of the teapot lid and by picking up and putting down the teapot from the piano, Lucier is able to create a variety of different sounds.

The Beatles song “Strawberry Fields Forever” is deconstructed and eventually recreated by using new styles of music making.

In my opinion, it is a brilliant idea to record something with a tape recorder to then reuse it for creating new music. The basis of “Nothing is Real” stayed the same because the piano sounds were still there. Lucier was able to take what he already has (the piano part of the play) and add new kinds of styles to the play.

The second part of the play was more interesting for me because the first part, when Lucier played the piano, was very monotonous and boring for me. He did not have much variation in sounds and speed while playing the piano. The piano is actually my favorite instrument but this part of “Nothing is Real” was not very interesting and exciting for me.

 

 

I think it is very innovative to use everyday objects to create music. Of course, traditional instruments, such as the piano, create beautiful and interesting sounds but I think adding and using other objects can make a play very unique and extraordinary.

The sounds created by the teapot are something I have never heard before and therefore made especially this part of the play very interesting for me.

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