The People United Will Never Be Defeated! - 36 Variations on ¡El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!
11/4/2016, 38 Tracks, 1:02:21
Featuring
Igor Levit
Frederic Rzewski
Did you know?
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Performer Biography
Igor Levit, the pianist on this album, considers variations to be his favorite musical form, comparing them to travel literature where one sets off as one person and arrives as another.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Frederic Rzewski, the composer, used eclecticism and a blend of styles in his variations as a political statement, advocating for solidarity and a more just world.
Recording & Production
This recording was made in August 2015 at Funkhaus Nalepastrasse, Berlin, with Tessa Fanelsa as Executive Producer and Andreas Neubronner as Recording Producer and Engineer.
Compositional Technique
Rzewski's 36 Variations are structured into six groups of six, where five variations explore different structural elements like rhythm or melody, and the sixth summarizes them, akin to 'five fingers, then the fist'.
Interpretation
Pianist Igor Levit views Rzewski's The People United Variations as a 'litmus test' that confronts listeners and performers with the question, 'Which Side Are You On?'
Composer Biography
Frederic Rzewski, born in 1938, was a 'maverick' artist who studied with notable composers and made a name as an avant-garde pianist, improviser, and collaborator with jazz musicians.
Historical Context
The People United Variations were written around 1973, following the murder of Salvador Allende and the US-backed overthrow of Chile's first freely elected Marxist regime.
