Speaking of self-indulgence, which no one has ever accused me of being immune to, one of the perks of this blog is that I can log onto a site that breaks down my readership according to statistics. Don’t worry, I don’t learn any names, just how many people a day, average visit length (1:22 – lots of speed-readers are also new-music buffs), and how many are on Mindspring, Earthlink, etc. Sometimes I can see when people from certain universities are reading. But the most fun page, I’ve just found, is a breakdown of my total readership by time zone. 45 percent of my readers so far, it turns out, have been from the time zone which includes the U.S. East Coast, Chile, Colombia, and Venezuela. Unfortunately, I can’t get much of a sense how many of those are from New York versus how many from Santiago or Bogota. 18 percent seem to be West Coast or western Canada, with another 14 percent from the Midwest and a distinct falling off around the Rockies. Central Europe and Western Africa account for 6 percent – I enjoy a certain vogue in Germany – and a measly 1 percent from the time zone that includes England and France. France, you’ll note, is where Pierre Boulez has a lot of influence, so that explains that. More worrisome, I seem to have no appeal to the Icelandic population whatever, have never gotten a hit from the Middle East (didn’t quite mean to put it that way), and I am making no inroads at all into that crucial Siberian time zone. But I know I have a friend reading me in Alaska, and I’m not showng any Alaskan hits either. When you click on me, John, give that return button a good thump so it registers.
COMING SOON: The latest new music from Reykjavik!

Recent Comments
Bob Gilmore on Ives, Caught Between Two Caricatures
Agreed. I love Ives 1, terrific piece. But I'd have to say my favourite of all the symphonies is the...M. on Ives, Caught Between Two Caricatures
Mr. Plush has already written, in his first sentence, what I would have liked to. Consider it seconded.Bill B on Ives, Caught Between Two Caricatures
You can hear it without going to it. The concert is streamed live over WQXR, as are all of...Vincent Plush on Ives, Caught Between Two Caricatures
Kyle, you have just reminded us (as if we needed reminding) why we regard you as one of the most...Steven Ledbetter on Minimalism Invented in England, It Turns Out
Sullivan did, indeed, brilliantly solve the problem set him by Gilbert's lyric, but he didn't find it easy. In fact...Paul Schleuse on Minimalism Invented in England, It Turns Out
The additive process is clearly there, but the harmony isn't really static. The alternation between D and D maj7/sus4 is...Gene on Minimalism Invented in England, It Turns Out
"Das Rheingold" opens with six minutes of tonic, not dominant. KG replies: But after six minutes of E-flat the curtain opens...Juhani Nuorvala on Minimalism Invented in England, It Turns Out
The minimalist I'm most reminded of by that Gilbert and Sullivan piece is Tom Johnson. - For additive process, there's...Ian Stewart on Minimalism Invented in England, It Turns Out
For additive precedents there is also the the folk song "Green Grow the Rushes, O". I also believe that the big...Paul A. Epstein on Minimalism Invented in England, It Turns Out
This is one of my very favorite G&S numbers. It's not only gorgeous, but if done right it can...