New Music America: 1982, Program No. 2, 2 of 3

Analog Audio

Event Type

Interview and Music

Origin

WFMT

Identifier

NMA.1982.07.07.1.B

Program Series

New Music America

Program Length

178 min

Part

2 of 3

Dates

1982-07-07 | broadcast
| 1982-07-07 | created

Description

Radio station WFMT in Chicago presents the second of six broadcasts from Navy Pier, as part of the fourth New Music America Festival. Charles Amirkhanian hosts, assisted by composer and vocalist, Joan La Barbara. The concert begins with a string quartet by John J. Becker, the first deceased composer to have their work performed at a New Music America Festival. This is followed by a work for solo cello by Joseph Paul Taylor and “Tableaux Vivants” a work for flutes and two voices, by Larry Austin. Other pieces heard in this concert is “Centering” by Ruth Anderson which use galvanic skin response sensors to trigger oscillators, and Glenn Branca’s very loud work for nine electric guitars and drums, “Indeterminate Activity of Resultant Masses “. The action then moves to Lake Michigan where a squadron of boats participate in Charlie Morrow’s environmental sound work “Toot ‘n’ Blink Chicago” by blowing their horns and flashing their lights in accordance with the instructions given over the radio. Intermission features include a profile of John J. Becker as well as a report by Neil Tesser about his work with Kirk Nurock’s Natural Sound Ensemble. This group traveled to the local Chicago Zoo to perform a number of pieces for both human and animal voices, music in the same tradition of Jim Nollman’s “Turkey Song”.

Genres

New music
Electro-Acoustic / Electronic

Musical Selections

Tableaux Vivants (1973, rev. 1981) (10:30) / Larry Austin -- Missa Symphonica: Credo [excerpt] (1933) / John J. Becker -- The Abongo [excerpt] (1933) / John J. Becker -- Centering (1979) (18:30) / Ruth Anderson -- Zoo Piece, chorale for voices, sea lions, and human barks [excerpt] / Kirk Nurock -- A Rhythm Chant [excerpt] / Kirk Nurock

Performers

Mark Graf (sp?), flute (Tableaux)
Dary John Mizelle, shakuhachi (Tableaux)
Phyllis Bruce, soprano (Tableaux)
David Barron, bass (Tableaux)
Greek Byzantine Choir (Missa)
Christos Vroinides, conductor
Judith Ragir, dancer (Centering)
Annea Lockwood, electronics (Centering)
Pauline Oliveros, electronics (Centering)
Julie Winter, electronics (Centering)
Gail Turner, electronics (Centering)
Natural Sound Ensemble (Zoo ; Rhythm)

Subjects

New music
Electro-acoustic
Electronic music
Mixed media (Music)
Vocalises (Voices (2)) with instrumental ensemble
Masses (Men's voices), Unaccompanied
Ballets
Percussion ensembles
Human-animal communication
Animal sounds

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.

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