Pierre Schaeffer+Henry+Arthuys:Musique Concrete 1955 lp

$

50

Panorama of Musique Concrete-- Pierre Henry+Pierre Schaeffer: Trifle in C (1950) / Pierre Schaeffer: Mexican Flute (1949); Study for Piano (1948); Study for Whirligigs (1948); Railway Study (1948); Pathetic Study (1948); A Single Sound Source / Pierre Henry: Fleeting Percussion; Finale of the Concerto of Ambiguities (1950); 5th and 6th movements of Music Without a Title (1952); The Veil of Orpheus (1953) / Philippe Arthuys: Musical Box. Ducretet-Thomson DTL 93090

This mega-rare and essential 1955 UK-pressed lp is the first ever release of electronic tape music. It documents the amazing early experiments, from 1948 to the early 1950s, of the founding figures of the Groupe de Recherche de Musique Concrete (which would become the INA-GRM, where pioneer electroacoustic composers like Francois Bayle, Michel Chion, Luc Ferrari, Francois Bernard Mache, Ivo Malec, Bernard Parmegiani, Michel Redolfi, Jean-Claude Risset, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Edgar Varese, and Iannis Xenakis all produced major works). Schaeffer, Henry, and Arthuys recorded "natural", non-synthesized sounds like trains, instruments, factory machinery, small objects, voices, bells, children's toys, etc., and created structured noise compositions by cutting up the tape and changing its speed. Many of the pieces incorporate an instrument Schaeffer invented called the Phonogene, which uses a keyboard to control a series of motors that allows the composer to transpose tape speeds on an octave scale (a primitive precursor to the sampling keyboard). Included here are landmark pieces like Schaeffer's Railway Study, the world's first tape composition, and Pathetic Study, which mixes Tibetan Chants, famous voices, and the motors of canal boats. Study for Whirligigs is Schaeffer's first work, a non-tape piece that was produced using 8 turntables with locked groove records. Interestingly, in an attempt to make the music more palatable to mainstream audiences, the liner notes classify the pieces into different types such as "classical", "instrumental studies", "expressionism", "primitive", etc. This lp is a highly recommended artifact of early electronic music.

Henry studied under Nadia Boulanger and Olivier Messiaen, and together with Pierre Schaeffer founded the world's first tape music studio; their groundbreaking work would influence contemporaries like John Cage, Jean-Michelle Jarre, Tod Dockstader, Jon Appleton, Vladimir Ussachevsky, Ilhan Mimaroglu, Tom Dissevelt, and Jean-Jacques Perrey, and modern electronic artists like Christian Marclay, Otomo Yoshihide, Martin Tetreault, Erik M, Squarepusher, and Aphex Twin. More recently, Henry has worked with Spooky Tooth, Coldcut, DJ Vadim, William Orbit, Fatboy Slim and Funki Porcini. Schaeffer was a radio engineer involved with the French resistance during WWII and a researcher of television technology in addition to being the inventor of musique concrete.

Vinyl Condition: ex (looks beautiful, especially for its age)
Cover Condition: vg (there are some wrinkles and tears on the front and back which have been carefully repaired with tape or glue by a previous owner; back has scattered small stain marks; no splits, but spine has wear)

I have more Pierre Henry for sale. Check out my other auctions this week for more avant garde/experimental, early electronic/electroacoustic/synthesizer, 20th century classical, minimalism, free jazz, psych, and space age pop.









Shipping to US destinations is 3.85 for 1-2 single records by Media Mail, then 0.50 for each additional (Priority Mail, other expedited shipping options, and insurance are all available on request). International rates for shipping 1 12" lp: Canada by airmail is 6.50; Western Europe/UK/Scandinavia is 7.00 surface or 12.00 air; Japan/Taiwan/Australia is 7.00 surface or 13.50 air; other international destinations vary. 7" and 10" records will cost less; heavy box sets will cost more. Combine multiple items to save on shipping. Note: I can now offer international buyers the super-cheap M-Bag bulk mail rate for orders of 9 or more lps; to most destinations this starts at 20.00 for surface mail or 31.50 for air for up to 17 lps, a huge per-record savings over standard rates for smaller parcels! Feel free to email with any shipping questions.

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Packing - I pack professionally and adequately using new record mailers exclusively from Cameron Packaging (which I have determined are the best and most protective). For used lps, I remove the lp and inserts from the jacket, cover it in a layer of bubble wrap, and then reinforce it with a cardboard insert. All records are shipped with poly plastic sleeves. All packages are completely sealed with strong packing tape covering all openings. If you'd like your package done any differently, just let me know.

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