Various - "L'Italia E Nel Mondo" 2 x Vinyl, Compilation, Deluxe Gatefold Sleeve (Modern Silence)

The Futurist mastered various forms of the visual medium of sculptures, painting, drawing, as well as photography, film, writing and of course, and not least, music. I have always been a fan of Luigi Russolo's Art of Noise pieces such as "ll Risveglio di una Citta." Russolo made these beautiful works of sculptures that are also noise machines in the year 1912 or so. These early recordings are the foundation of experimental music. It fits in the world equally with John Cage's more noisy compositions as well as the Los Angeles Free Music Society (LAFMS). So, this alone is worth getting the album. The other pieces of interest are Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's selection of him reciting his very verbal poetry. What is disappointing about this package is that Discogs list the tracks, and they are wrong. If you go to the Forced Exposure website, you will get the proper artists. I would have preferred the Discogs listing than the record I have now. What's missing is Luigi Grandi and others. The correct list of artists is Antonio Russolo, Rodolfo De Angelis, Alexandr Mossolov Eiar Orchestra Victor De Sabata, Arthur Honegger, Dixon Cowell, Julius Ehrlich, Paul Whiteman, Walter Ruttmann, and George Antheil. As well as Marinetti and Luigi Russolo. 

All of the above are great, but The Italian Futurists influence most of these artists, but not part of the Italian art/political group. Whatever happened to the original (if even that is so) list of artists is a mystery.  The original listing of tracks would have offered a more accurate representation of Futurist music. Although technically the label Modern Silence is a bootleg company that focuses on the avant-garde, it is still an excellent record label with fantastic packaging. For instance, "L'Italia E Nel Mondo" album design is an Italian wrapped newspaper full of text from the Futurists.  The album is a limited edition, and still, a great purchase. 

Varèse/"Amériques," Milhaud/L'homme et son désir," & Honegger/"Pacific 231" The Utah Orchestra Maurice Abravanel, Conductor (Vanguard)

What happens when three 20th century French composers come to America?  This is an interesting evening of recorded music, with a strong theme.  These trios of the titanic classical world come up with the impressions of America.   Edgard Varèse is almost an expressionist chaotic impression of his American city of choice: New York.  It's a complex piece, that really focusses on the wonder of what NYC must have been like for an European in 1922.  Noisy, tender, and obsessed.  It's a terrific piece of orchestrated music.

Darius Milhaud's "L'homme et son désir" composed in 1918, is what the composer called his 'plastic poem. ' Stockhausen-like to a certain degree, it is one of the best orchestrations mixing a chorus with a full orchestra.  The voices blend into the mix of the music as an instrument.  They're not reciting words, and I like the voice is being used as a sound.  To me, it borders on Exotica.  Yma Sumac is lurking somewhere in the orchestration, if not literally, then at least in my sense of hearing. 

The train like rhythm in Arthur Honegger's "Pacific 231" creates the impression of a culture changing, and more likely it was when he wrote this music in 1923.  It's a beautiful world.  I like the optimistic impression of a world turning around, and the intensity of this piece is almost "Bolero" like, due that it gets faster and faster.  In my opinion, a dangerous piece of music to drive with - but it is a remarkable snapshot of a world going fast as one looks out of a train window.   So if it's not literally about America, it does detail the essence of speed, motion, and a sense of wonderment.