Edgard Varèse - Déserts

Edgard Varèse (1883 - 1965) - Déserts (1950 - 1954)

I. 1st episode [0:00]
II. 1st interpolation of organised sound [3:13]
III. 2nd episode [5:39]
IV. 2nd interpolation of organised sound [13:13]
V. 3rd episode [16:26]
VI. 3rd interpolation of organised sound [18:03]
VII. 4th episode [21:12]

ASKO Ensemble, Riccardo Chailly (1997)

Déserts is a piece by Edgard Varèse for 14 winds, 5 percussionists, and electronic tape. According to Varèse the title refers to, "not only the physical deserts of sand, sea, mountains, and snow, outer space, deserted city streets ... but also those of the human spirit, of that distant inner space ... where man is alone in a world of mystery and essential solitude."

"This powerfully moving work, created between 1950 and 1954, was the first piece for magnetic tape -- two-tracks of 'organized sound' -- and orchestra. Possibly first conceived when Varèse lived in the deserts of New Mexico in the mid-1930s, it was imagined to be a score to which a film would have been subsequently made -- a film consisting of images of the deserts of Earth, of the sea (vast distances under the water), of outer space (galaxies, etc.), but above all, the deserts in the mind of humankind -- especially a memory of the terrors and agonies from the world wars of the first half of the twentieth century, including concentration camps, atomic warfare, and their continuing resonances. The taped music (originally planned for an unrealized work called 'Trinum') primarily presents those images in three interpolations that separate the music for the acoustic orchestra -- winds, brass, a resonant piano, and five groups of percussion. This orchestra part expresses the gradual advance of mankind toward spiritual sunlight. The orchestra music is built from intense aggregates of sound, rather than scales for melody, and rhythm is treated not as a continuous pulse, but as a support for the sound-form, rhythm as a vibration of intensity. Of course, this highly dramatic work, in touch with the deeper, repressed emotions of world society at the time it was created (and powerful still), caused protest and violent reactions in many concert halls. It is now recognized as an exceptional example of truly humanistic music."

(sources: Wikipedia, AllMusic)

Detailed analysis of the piece by Samuel Andreyev:

[Enzo-huyr]

Merci pour ce doux moments, vraiment... Mon père a contracté un cancer récemment et du à cette musique, cela m'apaise énormément et me redonne foie en la vie... Merci.

[simonkawasaki]

The importance of electronic media music from the 1950s must be understood as experiments in timbre; our modern audiences have alienated the genre due to our focus on harmony and melody.

[puntemes]

Voglio ringraziare Precipotato per aver postato questo capolavoro assoluto e la sua partitura 🙏🏻

[franceskinskij]

the fact that this was done in the 50s honestly impresses me to the max (the tape parts)

[nadasonic]

this music created frank zappa. essentially..

[joukopajula]

Thank you Precipotato. Those who are critical above, please check what author Henry Miller says in his novel "Airconditioned Nightmare" about Varese's "desert music". Of course, he is both enthusiastic and rebeller, but he also states clearly why this is totally different kind of music.

[Punk_Philosopher]

The absence of the world in you, and of you in the world

[NadiaZouham-pw]

La planète des singes ...grand varese reynerie...

[contentinternational]

picturing some dude at a noise show in front of a folding table scrunching his face and twisting little knobs every time the interpolations happen

[phly]

So if someone performs this piece, is it the same recording used for the interpolation or do you have to recreate your own?

[xstalkrx]

Can someone explain to me what exactly is going on during these "interpolation" parts? Is it the interpolation parts that are considered some kind of technological breakthrough?

[LucasHagemans]

What! 12:33 bar 209 the timpani is out of sync with the other drums. It doesn't make sense at all. Seriously... The F# should be on the second beat.

[slunkyferrailleur]

Pour mieux entrer dans l univers de Frank Zappa ... Frank était plus rock and roll. Ah Zappa...C était vraiment la recherche vers l 'ailleurs tout en étant toujours dans univers proche de actualités des années 60's à 80's....

[fa_bri]

Se la mettete a 2× diventa Tom e Jerry

[TempodiPiano]

Pour une musique d'ascenseur, il vaut mieux mettre Mozart.