(Video) Harrison: Reel - Homage to Henry Cowell

Hi Pianosociety!

I do not even know if this one is eligible for PS but I thought I would submit it and see. I thought that given all the hand and arm clusters, a video is a great way to experience the piece.

Lou Harrison wrote the Reel for his teacher, Henry Cowell, who used a lot of clusters in his work. Harrison was also a dancer, and I love the dance rhythm that runs throughout the piece, giving it a vibrant energy. The more relaxed section is actually the most difficult due to the octaves on the repeat. Extra brownies for whoever finds my wrong note (it wasn't during the octave section... at least not during this take.....) Hint: the wrong note messed up the rhythm slightly. I first performed this piece in high school, during a year that did not start with the number 2, and have enjoyed improving my performance of it over the years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_2YDLv5PAM

"Reel" was composed in 1982 and is still under copyright. Just this week I got a sync license to make the video. As far as I understand, sync licenses cover streaming but not permanent downloads. So if PS supports streaming for video files, but does not allow them to be downloaded (aside from unscrupulous users who employ soundcard captures or other hacks), all is legal.

The kickstarter-related annotation in the video appears only when one views through Youtube and will be deleted from the Youtube edition of the video when my kickstarter campaign ends April 30. If the kickstarter is successful, this piece will be one of the pieces on a commercial CD release, but this video of it will remain free. I also have a clean copy of the video file which PS can use as long as the title and full copyright information accompany the video in some other way.

 

Wow, awesome ! Looks like a good workout for your right arm I've never seen clusters executed at such a lick. Great performance, and great repertoire choice. Do you also play Rzewski's Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues ?
I think the flub is at 1:45, right ?
We don't do anything with video here. But it's nice to see a member perform so enthusiastically

 

Thanks! As a matter of fact, Cotton Mill Blues is on my list of pieces I want to learn someday. It's after Ravel/Tombeau de Couperin, Prokofiev/Toccata and Shostakovich/Piano Concerto #1 though so it may be a while.

Yes! you win the brownies.

Well, that explains it. Our "About Piano Society" page does mention video (and lists the video file types hosted by PS) but if we don't do it at all, then that explains why I couldn't find any videos on the site
Feel free to move this to some other board if needed.

 

Same here, it's a real must-have piece. I've tried it once but don't think I am up to it.

Yay ! Make them nice and fat and gooey please, with lots of chocolate

We've never properly made up our mind about videos. Just sort of avoided them. You'll find that lots of things here are not well-defined of well-documented.

 

What a performance! And what a piece! I could only dream of playing it - my arms are too short and my piano too expensive.

 

Fortunately, I have neither of those problems.