| Numinous The Music of Joseph C. Phillips Jr. |
Year 6: 2005
Numinous at 25
6. 2005
#numinous25
#numinousmusic25
The word vipassana comes from the Pali language of early Buddhist texts. It means "to see things as they really are" but is often translated as "insight" or "clear-seeing." The type of seeing denoted by vipassana is that of direct perception or observation, as opposed to knowledge derived from reasoning or argument. Today, vipassana is a type of meditation that seeks spiritual clarity and insight through silence.
On May 11, 2005 at the Renee Weiler Concert Hall at the Greenwich House in NYC my composition Vipassana premiered. I started thinking of a large interconnected work in 2001 and after my trip to the Netherlands in 2003 for the Steve Reich Festival things began to crystallize into what would be Vipassana. It was the most ambitious of my compositions to that date for an expanded Numinous orchestra of 25 musicians (up from 14; at the time I called it Numinous+) in 60 minutes of music inspired by Gustav Mahler and Björk Gustav Mahler and Bjork. The work really fused my musical philosophy at the time—a middle way between my contemporary classical, minimalistic and jazz influences—which about 5 years later I would call “mixed music.”
From 2005 until 2010—except 2008 as worked on the recording—Numinous performed the work at least once, with 2009 seeing the release of the recording on @innovadotmu. And with each performance I found the piece revealing to me more of itself and what it means “to see things as they are”. I really look forward to a future day to experience again Vipassana’s contemplative magic in performance.
In September 2005, the “normal” 14-person ensemble performed at the Dizzy Gillespie Auditorium. Also that year, in June 2015, Pulse premiered a new collective work “The Eloquent Light” that featured legends as trumpeter John McNeil and guitarist John Abercrombie with an amazing ensemble (Chris Howes, Meg Okura, Jody Redhage, Ruth Bennett, Steve Kenyon, Dan Willis, Lis Rubard, Howard Johnson)
🎵: “Of Climbing Heaven and Gazing on the Earth” by Joseph C Phillips Jr, first movement from Vipassana (innovation recordings, 2009); Numinous: Ben Kono, Ben Kono, Dan Willis, Ed Xiques, Dave Smith, Deborah Weisz, Tom Beckham, Michael Pinto, Amanda Monaco, Sebastian Noelle, Deanna Witkowski, Brenda Earle, Peter Wise, Luke Notary, Charenee Wade, Amy Cervini, Sofia Koutsovitis, Julie Hardy, Monika Heidemann, Ana Milosavljevic, Skye Steele, Orlando Wells, Joshua Davidowitz, Jody Redhage, Lauren Riley-Rigby, Thomson Kneeland, Joseph C Phillips Jr, conductor
#numinous25
#numinousmusic25
The word vipassana comes from the Pali language of early Buddhist texts. It means "to see things as they really are" but is often translated as "insight" or "clear-seeing." The type of seeing denoted by vipassana is that of direct perception or observation, as opposed to knowledge derived from reasoning or argument. Today, vipassana is a type of meditation that seeks spiritual clarity and insight through silence.
On May 11, 2005 at the Renee Weiler Concert Hall at the Greenwich House in NYC my composition Vipassana premiered. I started thinking of a large interconnected work in 2001 and after my trip to the Netherlands in 2003 for the Steve Reich Festival things began to crystallize into what would be Vipassana. It was the most ambitious of my compositions to that date for an expanded Numinous orchestra of 25 musicians (up from 14; at the time I called it Numinous+) in 60 minutes of music inspired by Gustav Mahler and Björk Gustav Mahler and Bjork. The work really fused my musical philosophy at the time—a middle way between my contemporary classical, minimalistic and jazz influences—which about 5 years later I would call “mixed music.”
From 2005 until 2010—except 2008 as worked on the recording—Numinous performed the work at least once, with 2009 seeing the release of the recording on @innovadotmu. And with each performance I found the piece revealing to me more of itself and what it means “to see things as they are”. I really look forward to a future day to experience again Vipassana’s contemplative magic in performance.
In September 2005, the “normal” 14-person ensemble performed at the Dizzy Gillespie Auditorium. Also that year, in June 2015, Pulse premiered a new collective work “The Eloquent Light” that featured legends as trumpeter John McNeil and guitarist John Abercrombie with an amazing ensemble (Chris Howes, Meg Okura, Jody Redhage, Ruth Bennett, Steve Kenyon, Dan Willis, Lis Rubard, Howard Johnson)
🎵: “Of Climbing Heaven and Gazing on the Earth” by Joseph C Phillips Jr, first movement from Vipassana (innovation recordings, 2009); Numinous: Ben Kono, Ben Kono, Dan Willis, Ed Xiques, Dave Smith, Deborah Weisz, Tom Beckham, Michael Pinto, Amanda Monaco, Sebastian Noelle, Deanna Witkowski, Brenda Earle, Peter Wise, Luke Notary, Charenee Wade, Amy Cervini, Sofia Koutsovitis, Julie Hardy, Monika Heidemann, Ana Milosavljevic, Skye Steele, Orlando Wells, Joshua Davidowitz, Jody Redhage, Lauren Riley-Rigby, Thomson Kneeland, Joseph C Phillips Jr, conductor
Thanks and credit to all the original photos on this website to: David Andrako, Concrete Temple Theatre, Marcy Begian, Mark Elzey, Ed Lefkowicz, Donald Martinez, Kimberly McCollum, Geoff Ogle, Joseph C. Phillips Jr., Daniel Wolf-courtesy of Roulette, Andrew Robertson, Viscena Photography, Jennifer Kang, Carolyn Wolf, Mark Elzey, Karen Wise, Numinosito. The Numinous Changing Same album design artwork by DM Stith. The Numinous The Grey Land album design and artwork by Brock Lefferts. Contact for photo credit and information on specific images.