Frederic Rzewski

Work and life of Musica Elettronica Viva, group of live electronic music, mainly composed by American musicians, active in Rome, Italy. –A. L.

A 47-minute black-and-white film by Theo Gallehr and depicts Il Gruppo in various candid stages - in interviews, setting up, recording, working with eachother, and performing onstage. The players showcased here include Bertoncini, Branchi, Evangelisti, Heineman, Kayn, Morricone, Vandor and Frederic Rzewski. It's interesting to watch the composers interact and perform spontaneously as it is to see them preparing the piano by tying horsehair around the strings and rubbing the interior with empty plastic bottles and vaccuum cleaner attachments.

The composer Frederic Rzewski ordered a film from Gerd Conradt for his piece “Selfportrait”. The film was supposed to be shown while he was playing his piece of music, he didn't want to be seen. The film shows Frederic Rzewski sitting down at the table in the Trattoria Carlone in the Trastevere district of Rome from a bird's eye view. He orders wine, salad and a portion of spaghetti. We watch as he eats, pays, gets up and walks out of the picture. All in one setting.

Gerd Conradt sits with Frederic Rzewski to have a chat on music. This conversation takes place in Montiano, Italy on August 14th, 1999.

Rzewski performs 36 Variations for Piano on "The People United Will Never Be Defeated" - the song by Sergio Ortega in this 2007 performance.