dream

American Music
for Electric Guitar
Sergio Sorrentino

mode

cage curran feldman lang polansky sharp stiefel vees wolff

The Electric Guitar in Contemporary Classical Music by Sergio Sorrentino

E
lectric guitar is the primary instrument of from 1966. 1966 is also the year of Interpola-
blues, rock and pop music. But as early as ciones for electric guitar and tape by the Peru-
1945, Igor Stravinsky included a jazz hol- vian composer César Bolaños. In short, the
low body guitar in the Big Band of his Ebony concert repertoire for this instrument already
Concerto. From the fifties onwards, the electric began to have several masterpieces written for
guitar is present in the instrumentation of the it. And from the 1960s to the present, great
ensemble masterpieces by the most important composers have written for solo electric guitar
composers such as Bruno Maderna (for exam- or electric guitar ensemble, from Tristan
ple, Studi su Il Processo di Kafka of 1950), Murail to Steve Reich, from Hugues Dufourt to
Lucian o Berio (Nones 1954), Karlheinz Stock- Fausto Romitelli, from David Bedford to Gavin
hausen (Gruppen 1955), Morton Feldman (The Bryars. In particular, new American music has
Straits of Magellan, ... out of last pieces 1961). proved to be particularly attentive to the use
Frank Martin, in 1969, wrote Poèmes de la of electric guitar in concert music. Composers
Mort (for voices, two electric guitars and elec- such as Feldman and Reich, Christian Wolff,
tric bass) and Krzysztof Penderecki wrote an David Lang, James Tenney, Steven Mackey and
important electric guitar line in his Partita Alvin Curran have written very important com-
(1971). More and more over the years, com- positions for electric guitar solo and chamber
posers, as part of their continuous research in music with electric guitar. Some of them have
sound, timbres, and new expressive languages, explored the infinite sounding possibilities of
explore the sound of the electric guitar, elevat- the “effects” connected to the electric guitar
ing it from popular instrument to concert in- via pedals or with the help of the computer;
strument. A concert instrument also as a others have celebrated the distorted rock-
“soloist.” oriented sound, while others have used the
The first solo electric guitar pieces written natural and wonderful clean sound of the
by a classical composer are Invensjoner for instrument. The electric guitar is used in
kvarttonegitar op. 32 nr.1-8 (1964) and experimental compositions, electronic music,
Novasjon for mikrointervalgitar solo op. 62 but also minimalist, neoclassical music. Also
nr.1-3 (1965) by Bjørn Fongaard and the piece remarkable is the repertoire for a group of
(newly rediscovered and reconstructed by gui- electric guitars (Glenn Branca, Rhys Chatham)
tarist Seth Josel) by Morton Feldman, The Pos- and electric guitar and orchestra, which con-
sibility of a New Work for Electric Guitar, tains masterpieces such as Contes Cruels for
two electric guitars and orchestra by Tristan in 1948 as a piano accompaniment to Merce
Murail and Bound for electric guitar and Cunningham’s dance. This electric guitar ver-
orchestra by Van Stiefel (which he dedicated sion demonstrates the pure beauty of the elec-
to me). Nowadays, the electric guitar has tric guitar’s clean sound with only the addition
become one of the most important instruments of light reverb. The original piano score is fol-
in the New Music repertoire. lowed exactly.
Alpha Aloha by Jack Vees (b. 1955,
The Album founder and director of Yale University’s Cen-
“Dream” is a musical journey through the ter for Studies in Music Technology) is an
dreamy sound of the electric guitar in Ameri- experimental composition, where the electric
can concert music. All the compositions on guitar sound is electronically processed. I am
this CD are based on sonic research and on honored that Vees has entrusted the score to
the simplicity and beauty of the electric guitar me for this World Premiere Recording.
timbre and colors. Beginning with an electric “The title, Alpha Aloha, hints at a number
guitar version of Dream by John Cage, I per- of things: an oceanic quality; sounds that
form works originally written for electric guitar morph by just changing simple internal prop-
by important American composers like Christ- erties; a beginning that might also contain bits
ian Wolff (all his works for electric guitar solo on an ending; the idea that one word can
are included here), David Lang and the world become a very different one just by changing
premiere recordings by Morton Feldman (on one letter. The sounds in this piece result from
CD), Alvin Curran, Larry Polansky, Elliott playing guitar through various digital filters.
Sharp, Van Stiefel, and Jack Vees. It is a unique These filters slowly open and close at different
demonstration of a fascinating and still little- rates, and the resonance is set in such a way
known repertoire. I am focused on the as to let some notes through with more
research and the development of Contempo- strength than others. There is also an extreme
rary Concert music for classical and electric reverb added that is very much akin to a very
guitar, and many great composers have written resonant room where certain frequencies
and dedicated pieces dedicated to me. I am bloom. All of the digital signal processing was
the author of the first book entirely devoted to done through Native Instruments’ ‘Guitar
the history of the classical repertoire for elec- Rig’.” (Jack Vees, interviewed by Sorrentino)
tric guitar. In 2006 David Lang (b.1957) wrote
My transcription of Dream by John Cage Warmth, a masterpiece for two electric gui-
(1912–92) opens the program. It was written tars, exploring the warm sound of the tube
amp. No effects, only the overdrive and a rameters are specified as the work relies on
gradually increasing amp saturation. the abilities of its interpreters to closely map
“Electric guitar is one of those instruments the visual manifestations presented in the
that can bridge worlds — you can write any score to sound, a synesthetic approach. In this
kind of music for it but it always has the realization, Sergio Sorrentino uses a variety of
potential for some pop music signification, so techniques on his electric guitar to vividly
it is useful for composers who are trying to transform the score into a rarefied and hyper-
push Western classical music […] real landscape. His direct and unadorned Stra-
I really thought of the ‘warmth’ in the title tocaster tone is rich with harmonics and deep
as the warmth created by friction — the piece with resonance.” (Elliott Sharp)
is made of two guitars playing almost the Rose of Beans is a 1997 piece by Alvin
same melody at almost the same time, as if Curran (b.1938), one of the great experimental
you have two lines rubbing up against each composers. The piece was written for accor-
other. The music of the piece is a result of the dion, tuba, violin, piano, viola, percussion.
friction between the lines.” (David Lang inter- From this large ensemble work (36 minutes),
viewed by Sorrentino) Curran extrapolated a fragment, made a new
The graphic score Mare Undarum by Elliott piece for electric guitar solo and gave it to me
Sharp (b.1951) is an invitation to a free impro- for this world premiere recording. Rose of
visation. For this piece, I utilize some objects Beans – fragment for electric guitar solo is an
for the guitar preparation (bottleneck, blue-tak, hypnotic succession of metric and rhythmic
Chinese chopsticks) and some special tech- changes with a small number of notes and
niques (tapping with both hands, tamboras repetitive but always changing patterns. The
with the right hand on the fretboard). sound of the guitar is clean with only the
Like Vees, Sharp has entrusted the score to addition of a vintage Leslie pedal effect.
me for this World Premiere Recording. It’s a dream made real to play the lost elec-
“The title Mare Undarum literally means tric guitar composition by Morton Feldman
‘sea of waves,’ a purely descriptive title as the (1926-87), The Possibility of a New Work for
score was created by using multiple iterations Electric Guitar. Thanks to the reconstruction by
of sine-wave modulation in Photoshop on my the guitarist Seth Josel, we can play this mas-
‘seed material’: images exported as graphic terpiece composed by Feldman for Christian
files from notation written in Sibelius specifi- Wolff. On this CD the piece is played in a dif-
cally to be used for this purpose. The work is ferent guitar position, a kind of table top guitar
in four systems and no durations or other pa- position, as it was played by Wolff.
 In 1966, Feldman wrote The Possibility of paring Wolff's live recording for KPFA radio
a New Work for Electric Guitar for his friend with Paul Sacher Foundation’s manuscript. The
and colleague Christian Wolff (who at that Reconstruction was published by Peters Edi-
time performed experimental improvisations tion in 2015. Josel recorded it for a Mode
on the electric guitar). He did this by writing Records digital release. My recording (the first
some long-sounding sequences in his most ever on a CD) is based on Josel’s published
typical style, and asking Wolff for their feasi- reconstruction.
bility on the guitar. The intention was to make The Possibility… is based on a series of
the electric guitar sound completely different. long sound events and silences. It is made by
In one of his celebrated conversations with chords arpeggiated with wide intervals. The
John Cage on WBAI radio, which took place piece has to be executed with very soft
in July 1966, shortly after the first performance dynamics (the score is marked ppp). Feldman
of the piece at the Library and Museum of Per- explores the peculiarities of the artificial and
forming Arts, Feldman explains that the main natural harmonics and, above all, of the
intention behind the composition was to let vibrato arm, which lowers the pitch of the
the guitar play in a sweet and soft way. Feld- guitar’s bass notes, creating an ethereal musi-
man also states that the only copy of the man- cal atmosphere full of mystery.
uscript had been entrusted to Wolff. The piece Christian Wolff (b.1934) himself, in 2013,
was performed by Wolff twice more (at the wrote a masterpiece for electric guitar dedicat-
KPFA Radio Studio in Berkeley, California, and ed to his friend and composer Larry Polansky
at Harvard University) before the guitar case, (b.1954), Going West, a complex counter-
with the manuscript inside, was stolen in New point work for electric guitar solo (this is a
Haven, Connecticut. At that point the piece World Premiere Recording).
was no longer performed or revisted by its A monodic and lively section is followed
composer. by a thoughtful and dark polyphonic episode.
Adventures seem to not end for this work. The second part is the most complex page of
At the end of the 1990s, a Norwegian student, the entire electric guitar repertoire. The “impos-
Jogrim Erland, came across a manuscript sible” chords are included in an intricate poly-
sketch of the composition kept at the Paul phony written on two pentagrams, and at the
Sacher Foundation in Basel. Erland gave a limits of feasibility. This results in a deep dig-
copy to his teacher, American guitarist Seth ging in the counterpoint and imitative possibili-
Josel, in 2008. At this point Josel could make a ties of the instrument, which at the moment
faithful transcription of the composition, com- has no equal.
 Before Going West, Wolff had already writ- at a fast tempo rather than the tunes original
ten for electric guitar solo: Another Possibility ballad tempo. Rhythmically, it should be
(2004). The composition was written for the “swing”, like a jazz tune.” (Larry Polansky)
Dutch guitarist Wiek Hijmans, in order to Urutora-man by Van Stiefel (b.1965), a
recall Feldman’s composition (at the time still composer and guitarist, and Professor at West
lost) The Possibility of a New Work for Electric Chester University, is an homage to Toru
Guitar. In the preface, Wolff invites the inter- Takemitsu (inspired especially by Takemitsu’s
preter to play the written notes, but freely classical guitar piece Folios). It is based on the
choosing the type of sound to get on the instru- character of the super-hero Ultraman, the
ment (techniques, effects, timbre). It’s a won- dream of every child.
derful invitation to creativity, which on electric The composition is dedicated to the Ameri-
guitar can manifest itself in a myriad of differ- can guitarist Benjamin Verdery, and presented
ent dimensions. here in a World Premiere Recording, is an
Larry Polansky (b.1954) is one of the a effective fresco of resonances and harmonies
greatest experimental guitarist-composers. This that can enhance the intimate and evocative
CD includes the World Premiere Recording of side of the electric guitar sound.
his composition for any low and high instru- “The guitar became electric to be heard.
ments (electric guitar and electric bass ver- Amplification ensured the instrument’s place
sion), An Unhappy Set of Coincidences. The in rhythm sections of expanding dance bands
piece was originally written as a duet for the of the Swing era. To be more freely melodic,
composer (on guitar) and his friend the bassist that amplified guitar became a solid body.
Richard Myron. They performed it several Now almost as loud on one string as that big
times in NYC in 1980 – 81, including at a duet band, the lead guitar in a Rock trio brought
concert at the original Roulette. Soon after it focus to the nuanced timbre of a single
was played on tour by the New Kanon New plucked note in an intoxicatingly unstable
Music Ensemble (Patricia Mundy, flute; Daniel electro-acoustic context.” (Van Stiefel)
Thomas, bass), and has, in the intervening 40 —Sergio Sorrentino
years or so, been played many times by a vari-
ety of instrumental combinations. I recorded
this playing both the electric guitar and the
electric bass via overdubbing.
“It is a simple, additive piece, based on
two lines of a jazz standard, in this case taken
 The repertoire and playing on Sorrentino’s Also by these artists on Mode Records:
Dream represents a still-evolving state in elec- John CAGE:
tric guitar music fundamentally solo in texture. http://moderecords.com/profiles/johncage.html
Anticipated by the amplified flat-picking of #editions
Chet Atkins or the layered soundscapes of Les
Paul, the playing in these pieces — some origi- Alvin CURRAN:
nally composed, some arranged for the instru- Piano Works – Yvar Mikhashoff (mode 49)
ment — find the electric guitar in in an intro- For Cornelius – Yvar Mikhashoff (Panorama of
spective dialog with both amplification and American Piano Music, mode 262/65, 4-CDs)
the varied textures open to the solo instru- Morton FELDMAN:
ment’s tessitura. While there is still an urgency The Possibility of a New Work for Electric Guitar
to be heard, the amplification is not a means (reconstruction Seth Josel) – Seth Josel (digital
to an end, but an end in and of itself. It need download only) mode 280
not be particularly loud, because it’s not http://moderecords.com/profiles/mortonfeldman.
screaming for anyone’s attention. To my ear, html
very little in these pieces directly reference
musical styles that gave birth to the electric David LANG:
guitar. Instead, I hear idiosyncratic musical Street – Orkest de Volharding + works of Riley, Reich,
forms unfold as an electric guitar — in its own Louis Andreissen, Gann, John Adams
world — would have me experience them. (mode 214/15, 2-CDs)
Most remarkable is that there is still only a Christian WOLFF:
handful of guitarists in the world who can play http://moderecords.com/profiles/christianwolff.
such music. Playing solo on an amplified html#discs
instrument specifically designed to play rhythm
or lead, at any given instant, is a tightrope act.
Performance on par with Sorrentino’s requires
an authentic engagement with the techniques
and technologies of a great variety of musical
styles. There are as yet no schools for such gui-
tar playing. When there is, Sorrentino will be
considered one of its founding masters.
— Van Stiefel
Sergio Sorrentino: electric guitar, electric bass on track 8, tongue popping on track 7,
prepared guitar (bottleneck, blue-tak and chinese chopsticks) on track 4

Produced and Edited by: Sergio Sorrentino

Executive Producer: Brian Brandt
Recording Engineer: Edoardo Gennaro
Premastering: Anthony Clifton and Edoardo Gennaro
Recording: Vercelli, Italy, in Spring 2015 and May 2017
24-bit Mastering: Paul Howells, The Side Car Studio, NY
Art direction: Brian Brandt
Cover Photo: © Steven Maxx, courtesy Pacific Art Group
Photo of Sorrentino: © Donatello Lorenzo
Liner Notes: © Sergio Sorrentino and Van Stiefel
All the pieces are original compositions for electric guitar, except for John Cage’s “Dream,”
adapted for electric guitar by Sorrentino

Publishers: Editions Peters (Feldman, Wolff), Da Vinci Editions (Stiefel), Red Poppy (Lang),
Frog Peak Music (Polansky), Chez Vees Music (Vees), SIAE (Curran), zOaR Music – BMI (Sharp).
Others self-published
Thanks to my family, to all the composers, to Brian Brandt and special thanks to Van Stiefel,
Emiliano Cammardella and Scott Fields
The first recording of Morton Feldman’s The Possibility of a New Work for Electric Guitar,
as performed by Seth Josel, has been released as a digital only track on Mode 280
mode 301

mode
PO Box 1262
New York, NY10009 USA
www.moderecords.com
mode @ moderecords.com