“New music was always a big deal to me growing up. It just made sense that I had Pixies records and Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie."        Jonny Greenwood (NY Times, 1/16/08)

I won't pile onto the many excellent reviews of last week's debut of the Wordless Music Orchestra - except to say that, unlike some, I was deeply moved by Gavin Bryars' The Sinking of the Titanic, which unfolded over forty-plus minutes, but truly seemed to live outside time. John Adams' early composition Christian Zeal and Activity was something of a letdown after the full-on sonic assault of Doctor Atomic, but Jonny Greenwood's Popcorn Superhet Receiver was a legitimately complex and intense piece of music, particularly the mad pizzicato that kicks in towards the end. If you missed it, you can catch snippets of the piece backing the Oscar-nominated There Will Be Blood, in theaters now. Or, there's always this:

P.S. WNYC recorded the concert and is offering it as a stream on it's website. Or, you can listen here:

Bryars:

Adams:

Greenwood: