New Music America: 1980: Selected Highlights, Program 2, 1 of 2

Analog Audio

Event Type

Music

Origin

MPR

Identifier

NMA.1980.06.XX.02.A

Program Series

New Music America

Program Length

111 min

Part

1 of 2

Dates

| broadcast
| 402 | created

Description

From a program produced by Minneapolis Public Radio (MPR) and the Walker Art Center, Nigel Redden, Director for Performing Arts at the Minneapolis based Center, introduces selected performances from the 1980 New Music America Festival, which was held over nine days in June 1980.
This second in a series of four programs, begins with “Pattern Study No 2” an aleatoric piece for piano saxophone, trombone, percussion and double bass, composed by Stacey Bowers. This is followed by the final movement of “Dryer” one of a number of short “Shaggy Dog Operas” by Tom Johnson. This humorous and slightly minimalist piece features the composer on piano and a baritone who catches fish and hangs them up to dry while a tenor looks on, wondering why. The next piece, “Sunrise Celebration” is by Charlie Morrow, in which a local Minnesota drum and bugle corps performs as a hardy audience braves the predawn weather while enjoying coffee and pastries. Back in the concert hall, Julian Eastman and a piano ensemble perform his “Evil Nigger.”
The second half of the program begins with an series of free improvisations by free jazz musicians Leroy Jenkins on violin and viola, and Oliver Lake on saxophone. We next hear environmental sound artist Leif Brush describe his “Terraplane Chorography II” in which sounds from the surrounding natural environment were recorded, transmitted, electronically processed and played back over multiple speakers in a local park, brief excerpts of which are also included. This program then concludes with Peter Gordon and his Love of Life Orchestra in concert performing their particular brand of modern art-rock.
The 1980 New Music America Festival brought together more than 75 composers and performers from such diverse backgrounds as contemporary classical, new wave rock, and experimental electronic music as well as a number of sound sculptors and performance artists, all of which are represented in this fascinating and informative series of programs.

This program was supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Genres

New music
Electro-Acoustic / Electronic

Musical Selections

Apparent Forms [excerpt] / Linda Fisher -- Pattern Study No. 2, for piano, saxophone, trombone, percussion and bass (1977) (19:52) / Stacey Bowers -- Shaggy Dog Operas: Dryer, for tenor, baritone, and piano [excerpt] (1978) (11:10) / Tom Johnson -- Sunrise Celebration, for drum and bugle corps [excerpt, talked over] (ca. 1980) (3:42) -- Evil Nigger, for four pianos (1979) (20:06) / Julius Eastman

Performers

Zeitgeist: (Pattern)
James DeMars, piano (Pattern)
Jay Johnson, percussion (Pattern)
Joe Holmquist, percussion (Pattern)
Pat Moriarty, alto sax (Pattern)
Homer Lambrecht, trombone (Pattern)
Anthony Cox, bass (Pattern)
Tom Johnson, piano (Shaggy)
Peter Lightfoot, baritone (Shaggy)
Jean Richard (sp?), tenor (Shaggy)
St. Croix Rivermen (Sunrise)
Julius Eastman, piano (Evil)
Gwen Goldsmith, piano (Evil)
Peter Gena, piano (Evil)
Carol Van Nostrand, piano (Evil)

Subjects

New music
Electro-acoustic
Aleatory music
Sextets (Piano, saxophone, trombone, percussion , bass)
Operas -- Excerpts
Vocal duets with piano
Drum and bugle corps music
Piano ensembles

Acknowledgment

Funding for the preservation of this program made possible through a grant by the National Endowment for the Arts.

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