March 29, 2024

Cramming Like a Delinquent Schoolboy

Tod Machover, me, Marvin Minsky
Tod Machover, me, Marvin Minsky at the MIT Media Lab 2013

I’m truly excited to be flying to Boston next week to participate in an amazing MIT event, “Deconstructing Beethoven’s Improvisations,” based on Marvin Minsky’s legendary paper, Music, Mind, and Meaning , and his love of Beethoven’s improvisations. A whole bunch of the world renowned pianists, musicologists, and scientists are on the 12+ hour program.

Some of you may not know that I studied music intensely through my mid-20s. I had four years of music theory in high school, studied music at Berklee College of Music, Rutgers, and William Paterson College, plus arranging with the great Frank Foster, Chico Mendoza, Andy Jaffe, and John Stubblefield. I “get” improvisation as an avid jazz fan who once aspired to be a professional jazz musician (before my considerable lack of talent caught up with me)

That said, my knowledge of Beethoven is infinitesimal and my music analysis skills are quite rusty. I’m really looking forward to burning up some brain cells at this event.

I’m busy downloading the pre-homework for the event and will be doing some serious cramming of the following materials suggested by the event organizers.

SUGGESTIONS FROM OUR PRESENTERS

Jonathan Biss

  • Listen: Beethoven Fantasy, op. 77, Serkin Recording – YouTube
  • Listen: Beethoven Fantasy, op. 77, Schnabel Recording – YouTube

“The Serkin and Schnabel recordings are both excellent. Probably as close to Beethoven’s actual improvisations as anything we have on paper.”

Robert Levin

Marvin Minsky

  • Read: “Music, Mind, and Meaning” – website version
  • Watch: Marvin with Hockenberry for the Media Lab h2.0 conference, 5 min – view or download video
  • Listen: Marvin Minsky BBC Radio interview about Beethoven’s 9th, 20 min – listen to MP3
  • Listen: Marvin Minsky,Nursery Rhyme Suite, 1960’s, recently digitized from reel-to-reel collection – download MP3

Stephen Prutsman

Listen: Shadows, by Stephen Prutsman, 9 min – listen to MP3

Frederic Rzewski

Listen: Hammerklavier Sonata – YouTube

Jan Swafford

Read: Ludwig Rules: A Guide for Studying Beethoven, by Jan Swafford – PDF

SUGGESTIONS FROM OUR HOSTS

Tod Machover

Jonathan Berger

  • Read: Composing Your Thoughts web article
  • Read: Listener Correlation PDF
  • “All deeply influenced and inspired by Marvin”
  • Listen:Visitations website

One thought on “Cramming Like a Delinquent Schoolboy

  1. As someone who once aspired to being a professional tuba player before reality caught up to me, I am quite jealous of your opportunity. Thanks for the links. Enjoy your great learning opportunity.

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