KPFA-FM Music Dept. ➔ Ojai Festival: Ojai Festival Report 1979

Analog Audio

Event Type

Music

Origin

KPFA

Identifier

OJF.1979.06.04

Program Series

Ojai Festival

Program Length

37 min

Dates

1979-06-04 | broadcast
| 1979-05-20 | created

Description

Charles Amirkhanian reviews the 1979 Ojai Festival, held on May 18-20 of that year, and produced by composer and conductor, Lukas Foss, and concert impresario, William Malloch. The Festival, which was held in the bucolic setting of Ojai, California, situated 30 minutes inland from Ventura, began with a night of live music accompaniment for a number of silent films, including a rare showing of Dudley Murphy’s and Fernand Léger’s “Ballet Méchanique” accompanied by George Antheil’s score. The second day featured a collaboration between a group of Indian musicians led by Ravi Shankar and a group of Japanese musicians performing on traditional instruments. This performance perfectly blended the sound of the sitar and koto in a concert that was billed as East Greets East. Later that day Foss played a number of Bach keyboard concertos while also conducting the orchestra with his left hand, with additional choral interludes provided by the California Boys Choir. Other highlights include Foss’s reworking of Salamone Rossi’s music, and Haydn’s Symphony No. 60. Charles Amirkhanian got a chance to interview Lukas Foss in his car as the busy conductor was rushing home to get his tuxedo, during which Foss described his recent work and his memories of George Antheil. Also included is a clip of Foss being interviewed by Dick Cavett, in which he offers his opinions about twelve tone and aleatoric music. The program concludes with a rehearsal in which Foss directs the audience in singing the participatory chorus parts of Bertolt Brecht’s and Paul Hindemith’s “Lehrstück”.

Genres

20th century classical
Orchestral music

Musical Selections

Salomon Rossi Suite [excerpts] (1975) / Lukas Foss -- Lehrstück [excerpts, text by Bertolt Brecht] (1929) / Paul Hindemith

Performers

Ojai Festival Orchestra (Solomon)
Lukas Foss, conductor (all selections)
Firesign Theater: (Lehrstück)
Phil Austin (Lehrstück)
Peter Bergman (Lehrstück)
David Ossman (Lehrstück)
Philip Proctor (Lehrstück)
Werner Klemperer, narrator (Lehrstück)

Subjects

20th century classical
Orchestral music
Suites (Orchestra)
Music theater
Choruses, Secular (Mixed voices) with orchestra
Participatory art

Acknowledgment

Funding for the preservation of this program made possible through a grant by Save America’s Treasures, a program of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Related places

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

Related Entities

Ojai, Calif. Festival
Ojai Festival Orchestra
Firesign Theatre (Performing group)
Amirkhanian, Charles
Foss, Lukas, 1922-
Rossi, Salamone, 1570?-ca. 1630
Hindemith, Paul, 1895-1963
Brecht, Bertolt, 1898-1956
Austin, Phil
Bergman, Peter
Ossman, David
Proctor, Philip
Klemperer, Werner
Cavett, Dick