WHEN IS THE COMPOSER NOT THE COMPOSER?
STANFORD, CA—This open question was the foremost takeaway from the evening’s tour de force, a nonstop outpouring of intensity and virtuosity. Terry Riley’s west coast premiere piece “The Holy Liftoff” raised these questions when his work was performed here May 8. Sample pages of his score showed his elaborate illustrations full of imaginary figures and whimsy—-but including merely 100 or so musical notes written out for the 75-minute nonstop work played by flute, string quartet and multiple prerecorded tracks, devoid…
