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[microsound] George Brecht's "Drip Music"



Hello,

I hope this posting (my first for this list) doesn't stray too far from
the list's "digital aesthetic" focus. After to listening to Ben
Patterson's version of George Brecht's "Drip Music" piece from 1959, I
recently found myself wondering whether Brecht's piece could be seen as
part of an artistic tradition or tendency that has been extended,
modified, or taken up by contemporary sound artists.  Adam Overton and
Nancy Popp are the only two names I could come up with on my own. Any
suggestions or comments? 

Federico

Here's some good info on the work, taken from this page:
http://members.chello.nl/j.seegers1/flux_files/brecht_performances.html

    * Drip Music 1959. For single or multiple performance. A source of
dripping water and an empty vessel are arranged so that the water falls
into the vessel.
    * 1959. Second Version. Dripping.
    * 1959. Fluxversion 1. Performer on a ladder pours water from a
pitcher very slowly down into the bell of a French horn or tuba held in
playing position by a second performer at floor level.
    * Performed in 2002 by Ben Patterson. Patterson wrote in the liner
notes: "Recently, as I was preparing a concert of classic Fluxus works,
I decided to re-examine the original scores, rather than rely on my
memory of preformances of the traditional interpretations of these
works. Thus, I discovered that George Brechts original instructions for
Drip Music allowed for both a single source or multiple sources of
dripping water. Remembering Georges first career as a chemist, employing
laboratory equipment to produce multiple, dripping sources seemed
appropriate. A device was constructed including 3 gerbil water bottles
suspended from metal rods and a piece of molded plastic packaging,
amplified with contact microphone. Only micro adjustments were made to
provide differing drip frequencies. No electro-acoustic manipulations or
editorial tricks." [source: Alfa Marghen]

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