DUBROVAY LIVE ELECTRONIC LP STOCKHAUSEN-XENAKIS-EMS SYNTHI-ARP-OSCILLATIONS-RARE

$

60

LASZLO DUBROVAY

 LIVE ELECTRONIC LP

Hungaroton

Very rare AND highly recommended electronic experiments with EMS synthesizer & electroacoustic transformations dedicated to Karlheinz Stockhausen & Erhard Karkoschka.

Some info on the release:  Rare original issue, released in Hungary sometime in the early 80's on the great Hungaroton label (Zoltan Jeney, Steve Reich, Nicolas Schoffer, John Cage, Paul Arma, Ivan Patachich, Zoltan Pongracz, Laszlo Sary, Mate Victor, etc.). Great experimental electronics from Dubrovay, mainly electroacoustic works using EMS ARS synthesizer, electronic organ, violin, cello, cimbalom, piano and percussion. Works featured are "A2 to Erhard Karkoschka", "Oscillations No3", "Oscillations No1 to Karlheinz Stockhausen" (dedicated to the absolute master of electronic music) and "Oscillations No2". In the 3 Oscillations pieces, Dubrovay feeds the triangular voltage fluctuation into the sequencer of the synthesizer or produces changes with the wave form motion of an oscillator to the original sound of the instruments. The result is really devastating...the sound reminds nothing of the sound of the instruments used, becoming quite noisy... Performers include the composer himself, Zsuzsanna Kiss, Gyula Stuller, Katalin Vas, Ilona Szeverenyi, Gabor Kosa."

Laszlo Dubrovay attended the Bella Bartok Conservatory and the Academy of Music, graduating in 1966. Then he continued his studies in West Germany between 1972 and 1974 with some Karlheinz Stockhausen courses and studies for electronic music with Hans-Ulrich Rumpert.  On this LP four pieces are included. The theory of the first piece, “A2” (1975), makes it sound more interesting than the result. The LP introduction says that this work consists of two layers, one determined by a permutation principle, the other by a melody (sequence), where the melody gets an acceleration and retardation of its notes, while it controls at the same time the modulation process of the synthesizer. By the end the two layers merge, with the sound group (or the live recording) being determined by permutation on its turn. In reality the structural sound of live improvisation on violin and percussion dominates as a performance first to remain recognisable, while the sounds which it produces are completely deformed through filters so that they become disturbing and ugly, like a deformation without purpose. More and more the electronic sounds come to it with more interference, filtered and altered which makes it more and more relevant and at times a better foundation of combined sounds, with elements varying from distortion and wah-wah effects to oscillating sequences. Here on this piece I don’t understand why the composer simply did not search for the right balance before making a composition or improvisation with it. This I think still is too much a theoretically founded nonsense of an achievement.  

Then we have three different parts of “Oscillations” based upon the same principles of change.  Luckily here it is started from a more profound balance between produced, live played sounds on what seems to be keyboards or bowls (-uncertain to say-) and the electronic effects produced on it. In this case there is a more clear interaction to what we can call a composing with “live electronics” as we know it more commonly today.  Part 3 (1977) is dedicated to the German/Czech composer Erhard Karkoschka. Part 1 (1976) was dedicated to Karlheinz Stockhausen although there is not as many balanced ideas involved and certainly no serial completeness. The tracks are divided in different parts. We hear certain interactions in the evolutions, oscillations of sounds taking part in the process, at times it sounds like a direct man-machine improvisation, then a sonic exploration, then like a study about the balance between the melodic, the percussive accents (tin pot-like, metal bowl-like or hammered keyboard like) and the oscillating sounds varying, descending and ascending or just vibrating like electricity/insects.  These pieces can stand a few listens for further investigation. I see them a bit as study objects too.

After an extended 'modern composition' -leaning ensemble- bleep venture (i.e. heavily filtered / ring-modulated piano, strings, cimbalom, and percussion playing in a sparse, pointillist manner), the album progresses into deeper waters, first with a sorted piano / synthesizer duet between Dubrovay and partner Zuzsanna Kiss, then a killer 18-minute auto-filtered electronic organ / synthesizer droner (thick, sliding tones, never quite reaching any kind of tonal center, with errant flurries of fizzy vclfo'ed resonance-figures ...), & finally a sparse, electronically-enhanced cimbalom & cello piece (using the ring-mod in its lowest-frequency settings, resulting in almost auto-gate sound rich with deep, filtered out passages) ...  notable both for being one of the earliest eastern-european 'classical' live-electronic sets ; certain sections recall the more freewheeling electro-acoustic improv of Il Gruppo, Mev, and even David Tudor's reading of Larry Austin's 'accidents'.

Condition: Vinyl lies in mint- condition, looks perfect and plays nicely all along, while cover lies in excellent- condition with light age wear (see picture).

Tracklist

SHIPPING & PAYMENT

Shipping: Shipping for this LP is 8$ airmail in Europe / 10$ for the rest of the world. I ship worlwide (that includes Russian Federation, China, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Latvia, Romania, South Africa, if you're from one of those countries and would like to bid, please contact me and i will add you to my permitted buyer's list). 
Registered mail: +5$
Insurance: optional
Combined shipping: BIG discounts
Payment: Paypal 
Packaging: I am a collector too and i know