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Cornelius Cardew 1936-1981

An exploration of the life and work of the controversial British composer.

Performance 1986 55 mins

Overview

An impressionistic, lively documentary in which Cardew’s unusual method of scoring music is demonstrated, and seminal British improv group AMM, featuring Keith Rowe, John Tilbury and Eddie Prévost, deliver a tense, rare performance. The experimental musician’s shift towards more overtly political songwriting is also explored by those that remember him following his death in 1981.

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