Frederic Rzewski

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.

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.

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

De Profundis is a three part, hand/alternative-processed experimental film based on Oscar Wilde's prison letter De Profundis. Incorporating home movies from the 1920's and early gay male erotica along with images from Radical Faerie gatherings, queer pagan rituals, drag performances and images of confinement, this 65 minute film sets up a haunting investigation of queerness, masculinity, history and sexuality. These images are buttressed against a soundtrack composed of Wilde's aphorisms, a voice and piano setting of Wilde's prison letter, and multi-tracked interviews with a diverse group of contemporary gay men.

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