Music I'm checking out! - July 2025

Hey everyone, you've found my third blog post!

This blog will include some of the music I've been listening to lately. A few short criteria I have for selecting pieces:

1. Genre does not matter, good music is good music!

2. I am inspired by a particular element, sound, or form of the piece

As I've stated previously, I am not a music critic and/or somebody who is critically analyzing these pieces. The way I talk about these works will (hopefully) be very casual. I also take no credit for any of these amazing works, and am focused on highlighting the amazing qualities of these pieces! With that being said...

"Les Yeux Clos II" by Tōru Takemitsu

When I am working on music for piano (for which I currently am doing), one of the first people I always check out is Takemitsu. His work "Les Yeux Closs II" really caught my attention with its great lyricism and pacing. The total work is around 8-8 1/2 minutes but regardless of the length, this work really takes its time in development and execution. The very beginning of the work starts with an almost melancholic fifth in the treble register. The gestures that follow this repeated interval sprout out of this interval and cover the vast range of the piano. Even with the sustain pedal, the distinct harmonies and gestures are clear within the division in register. On the topic of sustain pedal, the use of pedaling is very prevalent but also very effective. It can be very easy to muddy the piano sound with the overuse of pedal, but in the moments where the piano isn't playing or is changing register, the previous harmonies really fill the space and control the mood well. Each note in those harmonies that are sustained (particularly in the middle register) contribute to the harmonic pacing that Takemitsu wants the listener to feel. This piece also feels romantic in its gestures and motion, even though of course many of the harmonic/melodic elements are more atonal. I also can't help but hear influences of Scriabin and Messiaen in this work with the harmonies, particularly in the sections of planing dominant 7 chords (they aren't exactly dominant 7s but you'll get the idea when you listen). And like I said before, all of these elements and decisions are highlighted through the composer's use of space and patience throughout. Though many of the gestures can feel improvisatory, the control of the work binds all of the ideas very coherently and propels it from section to section.

Overall I think this is a fantastic later 20th century piano work and this recording by Norika Ogawa does an incredible job of precisely bringing these elements to life!

If I had one sentence:

"Les Yeux Closs II" highlights some of the best writing for piano in the 20th century through Takemitsu's use of space, register, harmony, and motion.

"Passacaglia in C minor BWV 582" by Johann Sebastian Bach

It's time I include a work not from this century! This Passacaglia by Bach is just another outstanding example of baroque counterpoint. Obviously, Bach wrote many prominent contrapuntal works but this one in particular has some very rich textures. Unlike works for harpsichord, the organ takes full advantage of the bass register. As expected, the bass-line is prominent throughout the passacaglia and the freedom of the other voices creates a strong polyphonal texture. Though most of the beginning variations feature a large register of the organ, the moments where the passacaglia moves from the bass to the soprano voice are extremely effective in this setting. There is momentum and character in each cycle that pushes the variation to the next phrase. The stretto that takes place right before the fugue is an epic way to close the movement and lead into what definitively becomes a fugue. The use of the ornamented passacaglia as the theme is of course genius and classic Bach. The countersubjects and free counterpoint contain enough dissonance and chromatic approaches to prevent this work from feeling stale in any way (which can be easy to do with any kind of passacaglia/chaccone). Everything else about the fugue in terms of form, harmony, and counterpoint is done as expertly as anyone can expect from Bach. The neapolitan chord at the end of the pedal point of V, is both surprising and quite satisfying. I love how it lets the motion reset for a second but then push into the picardy third at the end.

Though this blog is not intended to be an analysis, an analysis of this piece would certainly be warranted for any composer working on fugue and counterpoint!

If I had one sentence:

The "Passacaglia in C minor" features the genius of Bach through his approach to counterpoint, thematic ideas, and overall drama.

"Swerve" by Gene Koshinski

Originally, I was going to write about a different (great of course) piece of music and then I came across this video while scrolling Facebook... What the heck..... First off the actual thumbnail for the performance of this work is genius, I mean who sees a doorstop attached to a drumstick and doesn't at least click??? This work by Gene Koshinski truly surprised me not just for its creative gimmick, but for the actual energy and compositional tightness of the work. With the use of just a snare drum, the fancy drumstick, a metal rod, and an additional drumstick; Koshinki creates many incredible textures which turns a monophonic instrument, into something that almost sounds like multi-percussion or a drumset. In terms of the actual composition, I love how the very first note plays into the gimmick of the piece but then immediately leans into this hip groove of cross stick and metal rod. The fingertips on the snare drum also create some awesome ghost notes and really bring this groove together, which is the main idea of the piece. I also love the transition out of the sixteenth note groove into the triplet figure and how it seamlessly introduces the next idea. In this next section, the doorstop really does shine (I can't believe I'm writing this) and provides a bouncy energy and a great counterpoint to the quarter note pulses. The effect coming from the snares off to turning the snares on, with the doorstop doing something like a thumb roll on the perimeter of the drum skin. Later in the piece Koshinski creates another awesome texture with the cross-stick while hitting the doorstop (so it can reverberate within the drum). Later in the work, he even uses the metal rode for an additional rattling effect which paired with the longer rattle of the doorstop, is extremely effective. Asides from the grooves and effects, the rhythmic idiosyncrasies make this work quite virtuosic and spontaneous. I think this work is definitely a great twist on solo snare drum and is a work I thoroughly enjoyed!

If I had one sentence:

Asides from the genius drumstick preparation, Koshinski's work "Swerve" creates a groovy and virtuosic work that makes great use of timbre, rhythm, and melody for snare drum.

"Ferguson - An American Tradition" by Immanuel Wilkins, Arranged by Miho Hazama

"Ferguson - An American Tradition" is a composition by Immanuel Wilkins featured on his debut album Omega. As a senior in high school when the album was released (2020), this whole album was incredibly influential (and still is) and is something I viewed as "jazz that is happening today." Aside from the brilliant musicianship of Wilkins's quartet, the album and particularly this tune depict some of the discrimination found in America (this work about the innocent shooting of Mike Brown Jr. in Ferguson, MO). I think this thematic element richly colors the timbre of this tune. Even though its something up-tempo and contains some great consonance, the harmonic motion and darkness of the work really comes through on the original recording.

That brings me to this new big band arrangement done by Miho Hazama. I've been waiting for years to hear the music of this record with a large ensemble and Hazama does a great job bringing this tune to life both musically and spiritually. The beginning of the tune with the muted trumpet pedals and woodwind gestures lay out some of the harmonic ideas and motifs throughout the melody. The actual head itself highlights the I.W. quartet very clearly but the band does a great job voice-leading and painting around the melody. The orchestration provides great energy and punch but doing it with a fine delicacy maintaining the prime focus/intention of the composition. Of course just like the original version, Immanuel's playing flourishes as he navigates the worlds between fast bebop playing with angular lines and flowing lyricism. The solo interlude captures the energy of the melody while remaining focused, but provides a new perspective of the story that has already been told. The ending of the tune explores the vamp concisely but while also providing ample room for Immanuel to fill in the gaps. The backgrounds also build into the end and propel the piece forward even as the first vamp slows down and the music becomes more free groove-wise. Overall, I thought this was a very tasteful arrangement that captured the essence of the original tune incredibly well.

If I had one sentence:

Miho Hazama's arrangement of Immanuel Wilkin's "Ferguson - An American Tradition" captures the essence of the original composition by creating a dark, poignant, and delicate work.

"Unchained Melody" by David Lang

This work by David Lang has such a playful personality! On a first listen, I mostly hear the multi-percussion accents and patterns but underlying this whole piece, is melody. In between the first and second listens, I decided to read the composer's notes in which he described this piece as "a tune with complications." On my second listen, I started to hear the melody and the relationship between the melody and other sounds. Lang's work also leaves some timbral indeterminacy with the sounds that can be created, as any noise can be paired with the specific glockenspiel note. It makes different recordings of this piece quite intrinsic and I enjoyed hearing different version's interpretations. As many of Lang's pieces, there is a pretty straight forward concept that is presented in the very first measure, and is heard throughout the entire work. I enjoy how nothing subtracts or adds to the idea, as it forces the listener to lock onto the rhythms and timbres presented. Though I haven't done a formal analysis of the actual rhythmic structures, I also appreciate how the piece sounds like a disjunct mechanical process (all of course intentionally and precisely composed). This is also a fun piece where I found myself both trying to predict the downbeats/rhythm (and failing) and just sitting back and enjoying the music as it happened. In my opinion, it works with multiple listening styles (active and passive), which I love when a piece can achieve effectively!

If I had one sentence:

Unchained Melody focuses on a straight forward idea, but explores it to the fullest, playful capacity through rhythm and timbre.