Music with Titles that get you to think


Came across this on Qobuz Neo-Classical (to test your speakers) playlist. Very Nice! Made me listen...and think!

Also interesting is its a very nice sounding high res stream but I can hear background pops and clicks at times that makes me think the original source of this digital stream could have been vinyl. More to think about.

Other recommendations?

 

 

Carve the Ruins then be Content with Silence

 

More info on this unique work:

 

"Carve the Runes Then Be Content With Silence" is a unique musical project by Scottish composer Erland Cooper. Here are the key details about this work:

### Concept and Creation
- **Burial of the Recording**: In early 2021, Cooper buried the only existing recording of this new work deep in the soil of Orkney, Scotland. This recording was on ¼ inch magnetic tape, and all digital files were permanently deleted to ensure the work's authenticity and connection to nature.
- **Accompanying Artefacts**: Along with the tape, Cooper buried a violin, a full score, a letter in a biscuit tin, and a special stone marking the burial site. This act was intended to create a sense of collaboration with the earth, allowing nature to influence the music over time [[1]](https://www.contentwithsilence.com/)[[2]](https://store.deutschegrammophon.com/p51-i0602465562415/erland-cooper/carve-the-runes-then-be-content-with-silence/index.html).

### Discovery and Release
- **Treasure Hunt**: Over the course of three years, Cooper revealed clues for fans to search for the buried tape. If it had not been found by the end of this period, he planned to retrieve it himself [[2]](https://store.deutschegrammophon.com/p51-i0602465562415/erland-cooper/carve-the-runes-then-be-content-with-silence/index.html).
- **Tape Found**: In late 2022, the tape was discovered by Victoria and Dan Rhodes, who deciphered the clues and understood the poetic essence of the work [[1]](https://www.contentwithsilence.com/).
- **Public Display**: The tape and its accompanying artefacts were displayed publicly, drying out in independent record stores across the UK, celebrating themes of patience and time [[1]](https://www.contentwithsilence.com/).

### Upcoming Events
- **Digitisation and Concert**: The tape will be digitised in a special ceremony on the spring equinox in 2024, and the music will be revealed for the first time during a concert at The Barbican in London on June 8, 2024. The album will be released on September 20, 2024, coinciding with the autumn equinox [[3]](https://shop.mercurykx.com/products/carve-the-runes-then-be-content-with-silence-exclusive-limited-edition-lp-1?srsltid=AfmBOopRVFw52AoeM1kIdPRLkjsDAF1TZQEBRPxpVXo5dB1o5PKYSN2f).

### Themes
The work is inspired by natural landscapes and reflects on concepts such as time, hope, community, and patience. It is a three-movement piece for solo violin and string ensemble, created to honor the centenary of Orcadian poet George Mackay Brown [[2]](https://store.deutschegrammophon.com/p51-i0602465562415/erland-cooper/carve-the-runes-then-be-content-with-silence/index.html)[[3]](https://shop.mercurykx.com/products/carve-the-runes-then-be-content-with-silence-exclusive-limited-edition-lp-1?srsltid=AfmBOopRVFw52AoeM1kIdPRLkjsDAF1TZQEBRPxpVXo5dB1o5PKYSN2f).

### Conclusion
"Carve the Runes Then Be Content With Silence" is not just a musical composition but a profound artistic statement about the relationship between art, nature, and time.

---
Learn more:
1. [Home - Content with Silence](https://www.contentwithsilence.com/)
2. [Deutsche Grammophon - Der offizielle Shop - Carve the Runes Then Be Content With Silence - Erland Cooper - CD](https://store.deutschegrammophon.com/p51-i0602465562415/erland-cooper/carve-the-runes-then-be-content-with-silence/index.html)
3. [Erland Cooper - Carve The Runes Then Be Content With Silence Exclusive, Limited Editio - Mercury KX](https://shop.mercurykx.com/products/carve-the-runes-then-be-content-with-silence-exclusive-limited-edition-lp-1?srsltid=AfmBOopRVFw52AoeM1kIdPRLkjsDAF1TZQEBRPxpVXo5dB1o5PKYSN2f)

128x128mapman

 

@stuartk: Yep, Martha is Rufus’ mom. With Martha and Loudon being his parents, how could Rufus NOT become a singer? His recording of Leonard Cohen’s "Hallelujah" is my favorite, a masterpiece.

 

 

Dan Hicks’ "How Can I Miss You When You Won’t Go Away". Dan’s my favorite musical satirist, along with Randy Newman.

 

The most cryptic lyricist in Rock music is unquestionably Van Dyke Parks. His debut album Song Cycle is an astounding piece of work, totally unlike anything else I have ever heard. It’s been aptly described as "Gershwin on acid."

One of my most poignant memories from childhood was reading a short story I remember being entitled The Eagle And Me. The story explains how music was brought down to Earth from above, courtesy of the combined efforts of an eagle and another, smaller bird. So when in 1970 I noticed Van Dyke had released a 45 RPM single of a song of the same title, I was stunned. The song was actually written by Harold Arlen (music) and E.Y. Harburg (lyrics) for a Broadway show entitled Bloomer Girl (from 1944), the song having no connection to the short story. The B side of Van Dyke’s single is a song entitled "On The Rolling Sea When Jesus Speaks To Me."

Van Dyke may be an honest-to-God genius. That he and Brian Wilson’s masterpiece Smile album was never completed and released to the world in 1967 is imo the greatest musical tragedy of our lifetimes. That, and the suicide of Richard Manuel.

 

Rufus’ mother was Kate McGarrigle.  Kate and her sister Anna recorded some terrific folk oriented albums.  I particularly like their self-title “kate and Anna McGarrigle” album.  Isn’t Martha Rufus’ sister?