The piece I enjoyed the most today was “Echoi” by Lukas Foss. I could definitely tell that there were elements of improvisation at play which were not as evident in the other pieces. The percussionist Jack Van Geem was impressive. I really enjoyed the use of extended techniques by pianist Jeremy Denk, Percussionist Jack Van Geem, and Clarinetist Carey Bell. The chaos implemented by the use of extended techniques in “Echoi IV” was highly comical.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Feldman piece which is unlike any other piece I have ever heard. I especially found the use of dynamics in this piece to be interesting. There was a sort of peace and tranquility that permeated this piece both as a result of Feldman’s harmonic palette and his use of silence.

Yves Jacques displayed uncommon versatility throughout his various roles within “The Anderson Project.” I am thankful he visited Musicology 406 yesterday. In class, he commented about how studying music at an early age enabled him to act with rhythm. I can honestly say that he displayed a musical rhythm when acting in Friday’s performance of “The Anderson Project.”

I was intrigued by Gesualdo’s music especially in terms of chromaticism and unexpected dissonances. My favorite text is the eighth of the “Tenebrae Responsories.” I really felt that the bassists captured the essence of the following text: “Posuerunt me in lacu inferiori / in tenebrosis et umbra mortis”-“They laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness and in the shadow of death.” Gesualdo’s use of the bass in correlation to the text (in this case the pit) is moving.

The pianist Francesco Tristano was phenomenal. What impressed me about his performance was his touch and his range of dynamic contrast. He seemed to capture the essence of Messiaen’s passion for bird sounds.

Some of Daniel Landau’s visual elements were intriguing, in particular the burning car scene. Also, I actually thought that some of the elements were relevant. However, the visual elements essentially took away from the music. Ultimately, I found Landau’s visual elements to be incoherent.

The music intrigued me and at times put me in a sort of trance. One can clearly see the influence of Ravi Shankar and Allah Rakha (with whom Glass studied) in the music. The highly complex rhythmic patterns in “Einstein”are at least partially indebted to the “additive” process (as Glass calls it) inherent in Indian music.

I was especially intrigued by the tenor saxophone feature prior to the spaceship scene. Strangely, this feature sort of reminded me of John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme,” specifically “Part 1: Acknowledgement.” It should also be indicated that Coltrane was influenced by Ravi Shankar and actually named his son after him. Hence, it may be beneficial to take an in-depth look at Shankar’s music.

At times I felt that the music, though intriguing, was a little monotonous. In other words, I felt like the music needed to breathe at times. However, I was impressed by the stamina of all the performers, and I found “Einstein” to be a positive learning experience.