surrealism
ltm catalogue

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Surrealism Reviewed is the definitive collection of original spoken word recordings by Surrealist artists, writers and poets, made between 1929 and 1963. To read Surrealism Reviewed liner notes click here. To purchase Surrealist CDs click here.


SURREALISM REVIEWED (LTMCD 2343) £10.00
Surrealism Reviewed is a companion CD to our popular collection Futurism & Dada Reviewed. For the very first time, original recordings by the key Surrealist artists, writers and theorists are gathered together on a single volume. Made between 1929 and 1963, these historic audio recordings include poetry, interviews, lectures and manifestos. Most are in the English language, some in French (FR); those by Robert Desnos (1938) and Herbert Read (1937) have not been heard since they were originally recorded onto acetate discs. Running for 74 minutes and featuring detailed sleevenotes, Surrealism Reviewed is a must for all students of 20th Century art, literature and the avant garde, as well as left-field musical ideas and endeavour. The cover reproduces This Morning (1951) by Yves Tanguy. To read sleevenotes click here. Full tracklist: Marcel Duchamp The Creative Act (1957); Andre Breton Interview (1950) (FR); Robert Desnos Description of a Dream (1938); Louis Aragon Interview (1963) (FR); Max Ernst Interview (1960s); Salvador Dali Interview (1963); Tristan Tzara Interview (1959) (FR); Andre Breton L'union Libre (n.d.); Philippe Soupault Interview (1959) (FR); Man Ray Interview (n.d.); Roland Penrose Interview (1946); Lee Miller Interview (1946); Herbert Read The Surrealist Object (1937); Jean Cocteau La Toison d'or (1929) ISBN 0-9540549-5-4

Reviews: "With extensive sleevenotes and translations, this is a brilliant little primer for would-be avant gardists" (Glasgow Herald, October 2002); "A formidable if unlikely branch of rock's ancestry. Many of the recordings here feature music, most strikingly Robert Desnos' 'Description of a Dream' whose eerie accompanyment represents a very early example of ambient/avant garde electronica" (Uncut, December 2002); "A remarkable audio gallery to be heartily applauded, with superb sleevenotes and English translations. Fascinating" (Record Collector, 12/02)


VEXATIONS (LTMCD 2389) £10.00
Written by eccentric French composer Erik Satie in 1893, the extraordinary score for Vexations is just three lines long, yet a complete performance (840 repetitions) may last for anything between 14 and 28 hours. First performed by John Cage in 1963, this enigmatic, surreal work is today recognized as a significant musical milestone in the avant-garde canon. This meditative 69 minute recording features 40 repetitions of the motif, performed by Alan Marks on piano in 1987. Booklet contains extended essay on the piece by Stephen Willington. To read essay click here. Full tracklist: Vexations.

Reviews: "Vexations has become a cause celebre within the avant-garde, anticipating many of the arguments about the serious intentions, or otherwise, of John Cage's 4.33 by nearly 60 years. The score consists of three lines of music and Satie's instructions "to be repeated 840 times." On this recording, Alan Marks makes do with a mere 40 repetitions over 70 minutes, but it's enough to reveal the brilliance of Satie's concept. The slippery chromatism he employs means it's easy to become disorientated even well into the piece, and he demands that listeners keep their ears open throughout. Satie issues a visionary warning about the vapid nature of ambient listening, spanking George Winston and weighing in on the side of Morton Feldman before either had been born." (The Wire, 11/05); "There are a number of pieces of music that have attained mythical status. Cage's 4.33 is one, and Satie's Vexations is another. Vexations is one of those pieces I had only read about. It sounded great on paper, but I was sceptical whether or not it translated into actual music. While I haven't stuck the CD on repeat for 24 hours I do think it works fantastically. The music is written to be nearly impossible to remember, and no matter how many times I listened to it I couldn't find my place in the motif. Alan Marks has done a wonderful job here, and he seems comfortable with the piece. A nice introduction to Satie's infamous work" (brainwashed.com, 2005); "Very, very brave indeed" (Whisperin' & Hollerin', 02/06); "Vexations is one of those curiosities bequeathed by one generation, which only later generations have the aesthetic tools to handle. It's no wonder that the work meant so much to Cage, whose views on harmony were trailed by Satie all those decades earlier" (International Piano, 7-8/06); "Alan Marks is as persuasive an advocate as we are likely to find for a piece that creates its own time-zone" (The Gramophone, 07/91); "So frighteningly ahead of it's time, it's like finding a medieval laptop" (Plan B, 02/07)


LE GROUPE DES SIX: SELECTED WORKS 1915-1945 (LTMCD 2533) £12.00 (2xCD)
This 160 minute anthology features selected piano and orchestral works by Les Six composed between 1915 and 1945, including collaborations with Jean Cocteau, Guillaume Apollinaire, Max Jacob, Marcelle Meyer and Denise Duval. Highlights include a digitally remastered cast recording of the Surrealistic opera Les Mamelles de Tirésias, co-created by Francis Poulenc and Guillaume Apollinaire, and new recordings of Dada-related works performed by Peter Beijersbergen van Henegouwen. All selections were recorded between 1928 and 2007, including some personally performed or conducted by the composers themselves. The booklet includes archive images and detailed historical notes by James Hayward. To read full sleevenote click here. Full tracklist: disc one: L'Album des Six; Francis Poulenc Mouvements perpétuels; Arthur Honegger Trois pièces pour piano; Darius Milhaud Caramel mou (Shimmy); Georges Auric Adieu, New York; Francis Poulenc Les Biches; Le Bestiaire; Huit nocturnes; Quinze improvisations pour piano; Caprice (Le Bal masqué); Darius Milhaud Scaramouche; Germaine Tailleferre Ouverture; Louis Durey Le printemps au fond de la mer; disc two: Darius Milhaud La Création du monde; Arthur Honegger Prélude, Fugue et Postlude; Francis Poulenc Les Mamelles de Tirésias

Reviews: 'Another wonderful Les Six collection from LTM, combining contemporary performances of the group members' compositions as well as far earlier documents, with some renditions dating back to the 1920s' (Boomkat, 04/2009)

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