November in Paris
Video capture
Director : Eric Pinoit
Duration : 4h36
Year of production : 2024
Broadcaster : Radio France
Support : CNC
Co-producer : Radio France
“November,” composed in 1959 by Dennis Johnson, is a five-hour piano work long thought to be lost, but reconstructed by musicologist Kyle Gann. Today, this piece is recognized as a major milestone in minimalist music and will soon be performed in France by pianist R. Andrew Lee.
Composed in 1959, November is an extraordinary five-hour piano work, considered a significant milestone in minimalist music. For a long time, this piece by Dennis Johnson was talked about but presumed lost, fueling a certain mystery about its existence.
In 1993, La Monte Young handed Kyle Gann, a musicologist, a partial recording made by Dennis Johnson in 1962. Despite the poor sound quality, Gann immediately recognized the historical significance of the work and undertook a painstaking reconstruction process that spanned over a decade.
The first public performance of November took place in 2009 during the 2nd International Conference on Minimalist Music in Kansas City, with pianist Sarah Cahill. In 2012, American pianist R. Andrew Lee recorded a version that became the reference and performed the piece in concerts across the United States and Europe (England, Poland, Lithuania). Lee will be at Radio France on November 5th to present the French premiere of the work.
With its slow rhythm, ethereal nature, and deeply meditative character, November stands out for the simplicity of its musical elements and the silences that highlight each note as a captivating entity. Today, the work is recognized as a foundational piece of the minimalist movement.
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