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4CD/BOOK
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BASTA 9165
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We're always running out of words to complement Basta's packaging, but this is really something: beautifully printed 255-page hardcover book, with 4 CDs in a supplementary folder. The music here was recorded in 2001 by the Metropole Orchestra, conducted by Jan Stulen. "Between 13 and 25 December 1923 the Gurdjieff Institute gave a series of eight public demonstrations of the Sacred Gymnastics and Movements at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris. The music, composed by Gurdjieff to accompany these dances, was orchestrated by Thomas de Hartmann and performed by an orchestra of thirty-five musicians. In January 1924, Gurdjieff and his pupils sailed to America for a series of public demonstrations in New York, Boston and Chicago. At Gurdjieff's request, de Hartmann adapted the full orchestral scores for a smaller ensemble that would accompany the demonstrations there. The four CDs enclosed with this book contain both the Paris orchestrations and the American versions, all recorded for the first time by the Metropole Orchestra and the Little Orchestra. An addenda section features music that was intended for Gurdjieff's unfinished ballet 'The Struggle of the Magicians.' In order to complete the reconstruction of the orchestral Gurdjieff/de Hartmann music, the Oriental Suite, compiled by de Hartmann in 1956, is included as well. The 255-page book is profusely illustrated with many new photos and unique historical documents. It further contains recollections of people who were present when these demonstrations were given, as well as a sampling of the extensive press coverage that the Gurdjieff Institute generated during its first (and final) public appearance."
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3CD
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BASTA 9115
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Subtitled: The Complete Harmonium Recordings 1948-1949. 2 regular CDs, an MP3-disc (with 19 hours of music & visuals), plus a 144 page illustrated paperback book on Gurdjieff and his harmonium recordings. This is the first release of this music (there have been numerous releases of Gurdjieff's earlier piano music from the 1920s, usually performed by Thomas de Hartmann), documented to the usual high Basta standards. "Basta Audio Visuals is proud to announce the release of George Gurdjieff's complete harmonium recordings. In September 2000, at the instigation of producer Gert-Jan Blom, Basta Music obtained the license of the 44 master-tapes containing Gurdjieff's complete recorded output from Mme. Sylvie Anastasieff, widow of Valentin Anastasieff, Gurdjieff's nephew. The 113 recordings on these tapes are sequenced in four series: I: First Series - recorded between 1 April and 21 July 1949; II: Mesoteric Series - recorded between 22 July and 18 August 1949; III: American Series - recorded between 25 August and 27 September 1949; IV: Second Series - recorded between 27 September and 16 October 1949. These were recorded at Gurdjieff's apartment in Paris. Additionally, the very first recordings of Gurdjieff's harmonium music -- made at the Wellington Hotel, New York, between 25 December 1948 and early February 1949 -- have been added to this collection with the consent of the Gurdjieff Foundation of New York. These New York recordings also include several talks and stories as told by Gurdjieff to his pupils.
An addenda section containing several interesting, albeit unlabeled pieces from the original wire recordings brings the grand total to 136 recordings, over 19 hours of music, all brought together in chronological sequence on a single disc in 'MP3' format. As a special bonus, a short 9-minute film made by Evelyn Sutta on several automobile trips with Gurdjieff during the summer of 1949 has been added. This disc will play on any computer with MP3 software installed and on most recent DVD players. An extra 2 CD set in standard audio format contains a representative compilation of the recordings; these discs will play on any CD player. This unique collection comes with an attractive and profusely illustrated 144-page book with many previously unpublished photographs of Gurdjieff and recollections of people who were present when these recordings were made. It further contains several chapters by Gert-Jan Blom about the process of selecting and sequencing the tracks, audio restoration of the recordings, the history of Gurdjieff's harmonium music, transcriptions of Gurdjieff's stories and an extensive track notes-section. The book has a preface by King Crimson guitarist, Guitar Craft instructor and Soundscaper Robert Fripp."
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