Browse by Artist: HENRY, PIERRE

Artist:	HENRY, PIERRE
Title:	Le Microphone Bien Tempéré
Label:	DOXY (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$21.00
Catalog #:	DOZ 402LP

On 180 gram vinyl. "Electronic music pioneer, Pierre Henry, was a classically trained French pianist and percussionist, but gained notoriety as one of the driving forces behind the French avante-garde movement 'musique concrète', which attempted make music by using 'real' sounds, like trains on tracks, dogs barking, footsteps, etc., in place of actual instruments and then electronically manipulate them in ways that had never been seen before, effectively redefining the very idea of music itself, and forcing listeners to ask themselves the question, 'what is music?'. Many did, and the many answers to this question went on to inspire scores of artists and musicians, and the ripple effect is still being felt today. The idea that any naturally occurring sound could be music was, to say the least, a new concept at the time, and so it helped that the movement had the backing of someone who, like Henry, was a classically trained, or 'serious'musician, as movement founder Pierre Schaeffer would have defined him. This piece, Le Microphone bien Tempéré, written by Henry in 1951, was the first attempt at notated musique concrete."

Artist:	HENRY, PIERRE
Title:	04.2: Fragments Pour Artaud
Label:	PHILIPS (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$21.00
Catalog #:	PHI 2203

Features: "Fragments pour Artaud (1970), Entité (1959), Prisme (1973)." "Fragments Pour Artaud" is from 1970, a composition for voice, cello, and electronics. Lovely electronic abstractions and purely transformed vocal input (not a text-laden piece, don't worry) make this another essential Henry masterwork of strange and bewildering genius. "Prismes" is a 15 minute electronic opera from 1973 (the soundtrack to Alwin Nikolaïs's choreography), performed at Opera de Hambourg, Feb, 1973. Oscillating electronics, processed choral sounds, another showcase for peak Henry exploration.

Artist:	HENRY, PIERRE
Title:	01.3: Messe De Liverpool/Fantaisie Messe Pour Le Temps Prese
Label:	PHILIPS (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$25.00
Catalog #:	PHI 4402

New version of "Messe de Liverpool", superceding the prior CD version on Mantra (now deleted). "Liverpool" is a classic electronic mass from 1967, originally issued by Philips on LP. " "Fantaisie Messe Pour le Temps Présent" is a 23-minute remix of the historic 1967 meeting between Pierre Henry and Michel Columbier; it was remixed in 1967 by William Orbit, working from original "electronic jerks" from the original and parts of Henry's 1991 remix of the same. One of the ultimate psychedelic/electronic mergers.

Artist:	HENRY, PIERRE
Title:	02.2: Mouvement-Rythme-Etude
Label:	PHILIPS (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$25.00
Catalog #:	PHI 4534

"Reissue of the 1970 composition dedicated to Maurice Béjart." This supersedes the now deleted Mantra version. "This work is dedicated to a close friend of Henry: Maurice Bejart, the famous dancer. Henry has composed numerous works for ballet, which were staged by the dancers of Bejart. In the early days Henry even accompanied the dance group all over the world. This work is exactly what the title says: it's a study of movement and rhythm. Starting of with very simple beats that meet with the reversed sound of scraped metal wires. Track 2 is a play for blowing balloons and a person saying: 'pssh' and 'psst'. Talking about humour. Track 3 is instrumental and quite acoustic whereas track 4 is entirely electronic. And that's how it continues. The whole things consists of 21 etudes for a ballet dancer." -- Ios Smolders

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