KPFA-FM Music Dept. ➔ Morning Concert: Leo Ornstein: An 88th Birthday Tribute, 1 of 2

Analog Audio

Event Type

Interview and Music

Origin

KPFA

Identifier

MC.1980.12.11.2.A

Program Series

Morning Concert

Program Length

133 min

Part

1 of 2

Dates

1980-12-11 | broadcast
| 1980-12-11 | created

Description

Charles Amirkhanian celebrates the 88th birthday of American composer Leo Ornstein with a special program devoted to his music. Born in Kremenchug Russia, on December 11, 1892, (or Dec. 2, 1893) he moved to the United States in 1907. His antics as a pianist, including his introducing to concert audiences around 1910 a brand of composing previously unknown, brought him a reputation as a fiery radical of the keyboard. His experiments in percussive sonorities and dissonance presaged those of Bartok, Cowell, and Antheil. But by 1927 he had retired due to nervous exhaustion brought on by an overwhelming concert schedule. He later founded a music school in Philadelphia bearing his own name and taught such future notables as Berkeley, California composer Andrew Imbrie. At the time of this program he continued to compose in the sunny, dry (usually) atmosphere of Brownsville, Texas, where he and his wife continued to live happily. This program includes an interview with Leo Ornstein and selections of his works from piano to chamber music. (from KPFA Folio)

Genres

20th century classical
New music

Musical Selections

Wild Men's Dance (”Danse sauvage”), Op. 13, No. 2 (ca. 1913) -- Sonata No. 4, for piano (20:43) -- Quartet No. 3, for strings [1st movement] (1976) (13:00)

Performers

Michael Sellers, piano (Wild Men)
Martha Anne Verbit, piano (Sonata)
Boston String Quartet: (Quartet)
Daniel Stepner, violin (Quartet)
Sophie Vilker, violin (Quartet)
Ronald Carbone, viola (Quartet)
Lynn Nowels, violoncello (Quartet)

Subjects

20th century classical
New music
Piano music
Sonatas (Piano)
String quartets

Related places

Berkeley (Calif.) (was recorded at)
Berkeley (Calif.) (was broadcast at)

Related Entities

Boston String Quartet
Amirkhanian, Charles
Ornstein, Leo, 1892-2002
Sellers, Michael
Verbit, Martha Anne
Stepner, Daniel
Vilker, Sophie
Carbone, Ronald D.
Nowels, Lynn