From ‘the man who records faster than his shadow’ a multitracked version of Terry Riley’s toolkit of minimalism, recorded over just two days by Jeroen van Veen on piano and a variety of electronic keyboards. The layers were then edited and superimposed to create the particular, hypnotic quality of the piece’s development.
The booklet back of this release usefully reprints the individual elements of In C. It is largely left up to the performer(s) to pull these elements together in a satisfying whole, and so each recording is different. Neither does Riley specify which instruments need be used, but the figurations ideally suit a keyboard. In its way the work is as representative of the age of avant-garde freedom as similarly open scores by Stockhausen, except that Riley works exclusively within the white notes of the piano that make up the C major scale. C major is often perceived as the most pure tonality of the diatonic system, and In C certainly passes across the listener’s consciousness like white clouds in a brilliant blue summer sky.
Jeroen van Veen has won acclaim for his many Brilliant Classics recordings of minimalism, including his own music, but also the piano oeuvres of Philip Glass, Arvo Pärt and Ludovico Einaudi: a testament both to the variety of styles to be found under the minimalist umbrella but also to van Veen’s ready mastery of those styles. There are many recordings of In C, but almost none at budget price: this release is sure to receive wide critical and popular attention.
Terry Riley is one of the founders of the Minimalist Movement. His most famous and ground breaking work, “In C”, is based on structured interlocking repetitive patterns, creating a hypnotic, multi-layered aural sensation, which inspired many compoers and musicians after him.
On this recording Jeroen van Veen used two grand pianos, 3 electronic keyboards, clavichord, 4 synthesizers, and several other instruments, recording the layers one by one.
Another fascinating issue by Jeroen van Veen, Dutch champion of Minimal Music. His earlier issue (Pärt, Glass, Einaudi, Satie, Minimalists) are worldwide bestsellers!
The liner notes are written by Jeroen van Veen.
