Trio for Strings: Difference between revisions

[[File:Trio for Strings lithograph.png|thumb|right|Lithograph of ''Trio for Strings'' (1958), printed c. 1962-631962–63.]]

For decades, Young did not release any recordings of the ''Trio'' or publish the score, making it difficult to hear aside from [[bootleg recording|bootlegs]] circulated privately.<ref name="nyt glacial"/> Since 1986, he has worked with cellist [[Charles Curtis (musician)|Charles Curtis]] to develop alternate versions of the piece.<ref name="nyt glacial"/> In 2005, Young premiered a new "[[Just Intonation]] Version" of the ''Trio'' for a sextet, performed by the Theatre of Eternal Music String Ensemble under the direction of Curtis.<ref name="mela" /> A series of 2015 performances at Dia Chelsea extended the piece to three hours in length.<ref name="nyt glacial"/> This version was officially released in 2021 by the [[Dia Art Foundation]] under the title ''Trio for Strings Original Full Length Just Intonation Version (1958–1984-1998–2001–2005–20151958–1984–1998–2001–2005–2015)'' featuring Curtis and Reynard Rott (cello), Erik Carlson and Christopher Otto (violin, viola).

The composition has been described as an "origin point for [[minimal music|minimalism]]."<ref name="nyt glacial"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Nechvatal |first1=Joseph |title=Biography: Flawed Composition |url=https://brooklynrail.org/2012/03/books/flawed-composition |website=[[Brooklyn Rail]] |accessdate=7 October 2020}}</ref> ''[[The New Yorker]]'' called it "a sensuous and transcendent work" and "for many, the seminal work of musical minimalism."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=La Monte Young's "Trio for Strings" |url=https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/classical-music/la-monte-youngs-trio-for-strings |magazine=The New Yorker}}</ref> Author Edward Strickland called it "the first work in full-blown musical minimalism" following Young's transitional pieces ''for Brass'' (1957) and ''for Guitar'' (1958).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Strickland |first1=Eric |title=Minimalism:Origins |date=1993 |publisher=Indiana University Press}}</ref> David Paul of ''[[Seconds (magazine)|Seconds]]'' stated that the piece, "with its silences and long tones, paved the way for music based on [[tonality]], [[drone (music)|drone]] and infinite time spans, brushing aside elaborate formal development in favor of the contemplation of pure sound."<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Paul |first1=David |title=Terry Riley, La Monte Young: Reclusive composers speak |journal=[[Seconds (magazine)|Seconds]] |date=1999 |issue=50}}</ref> The composition precipitated Young's 1960s improvising ensemble the [[Theatre of Eternal Music]] and his development of ''[[Dream House (installation)|Dream House]]'' environments with [[Marian Zazeela]].<ref name="nyt glacial"/>

Artist [[Andy Warhol]] attended the an early performance of the piece along with film-maker [[Jonas Mekas]], who claimed that Warhol's static films were directly inspired by the performance.<ref>Husslein 1990</ref><ref>[[Blake Gopnik]], ''Warhol:  A Life as Art'' London: Allen Lane. March 5, 2020. {{ISBN|978-0-241-00338-1}} p. 319</ref> Composer [[Terry Riley]] credited the piece with paving the way for his influential 1964 composition ''[[In C]]'', stating that "What La Monte introduced was this concept of not having to press ahead to create interest. He would wait for the music to take its own course."<ref name=talking>{{cite book |last1=Duckworth |first1=William |title=Talking Music |date=1995 |publisher=Schirmer Books |location=New York}}</ref> According to Young himself, "Nobody ever took an interest in writing sustained tones without melodies over them before me."<ref name="nyt glacial"/>

==Media Documentationdocumentation==

On January 29th29, 2022, Dia Art Foundation published a [[Zoom (software)|Zoom]] internet discussion between La Monte Young, [[Jung Hee Choi]] and Andy Battaglia, editor at [[ARTnews]] magazine, about ''Trio for Strings'' on [[YouTube]].