first cut is the deepest day

'there is occasionally something bordering on downright incompetence about works of genius...' 

- andrei sinyavsky (abram tertz), a voice from the chorus.

it is the anniversary of horsemouth writing first cut is the deepest  his essay length review of ben watson's derek bailey and the story of free improvisation. 

in the course of writing this horsemouth read (and managed to drag into the review) his reading of improvisation: it's nature and practice  in music by derek bailey as well as keith johnstone's impro: improvisation and the theatre. 

horsemouth's work is sadly not a work of genius but, also sadly, it is not entirely free of incompetence either... that said he is proud of it and recommends it to you. 

soon, well  saturday 15th nov 2025 there will be a showing of 4 episodes of derek bailey's documentary  on the edge – improvisation in music. the next day there will be a screening of rare footage of derek bailey solo and in collaboration.

meanwhile horsemouth has been listening to the keller quartet recording of bartok's  string quartets. quite how far he will get with them he does not know. he has the naxos version of the music for strings, percussion, and celeste  somewhere. 

ionarts seems to rate the keller quartet recording though;

'all meat and natural ease in excellent sonics... and perhaps one of the nowadays most underrated cycles out there.'

in string quartet no.1 bartok is supposed to be sobbing his heart out for violinist stefi geyer, 'dark to light' says this review. 

what will horsemouth do next? will he listen to no.2 (so as to demonstrate progress) or listen again to no.1 (so as to consolidate learning). 

yesterday a brief zoom beer with howard (knackered as usual). he's only got to survive two more weeks and it is half term. 

ok greyish morning. let horsemouth get his coffee.