KPFA-FM Music Dept. ➔ A Concert by the S. F. Conservatory of New Music Ensemble (Dec. 5, 1969), 1 of 2

Analog Audio

Event Type

Music

Origin

KPFA

Identifier

C.1969.12.05.A

Program Length

93 min

Part

1 of 2

Dates

1970-02-21 | broadcast
| 1969-12-05 | created

Description

Charles Amirkhanian introduces a concert by the San Francisco Conservatory New Music Ensemble, originally recorded on December 5, 1969, at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco. After an initial selection of 15th century Christmas carols the concert veers sharply towards the 20th century with a performance of Anton Webern’s brief, but wholly satisfying, “Three Small Pieces, Op. 11,” for piano and cello. This is followed by two distinctly avant-garde compositions, Christian Wolff’s “Electric Spring III,” scored for violin, horn, and electric guitar and bass, and Robert Moran’s suitably entitled, aleatoric work, “Elegant Journey with Stopping Points of Interest,” for two spatially placed instrumental ensembles. The second half of the concert begins with a further selection of Christmas carols, followed by the whimsical, yet rarely performed, “Poème Symphonique” by György Ligeti. This later work is scored for 100 metronomes, and the audience appears to be taken back by the considerable volume of the sound, and seems split as to whether the work is a joke or a serious exploration of rhythm. The concert than concludes with a version of Erik Satie’s puppet opera “Genevieve de Braban,” orchestrated by Ivan Tcherepnin & Howard Hersh.

Genres

20th century classical
New music

Musical Selections

Medieval Christmas Carols [from a 15th century collection edited by John Stevens in Musica Britannica] (11:00) -- Drei Kleine Stücke (”Three Small Pieces”), Op. 11, for piano and cello (1914) (2:43) / Anton Webern -- Electric Spring III, for violin, horn, electric bass, and electric guitar (1967) (4:12) / Christian Wolff -- Elegant Journey with Stopping Points of Interest, for two instrumental ensembles (1965-67) (10:00) / Robert Moran

Performers

Sharon Hayes De Fremery, soprano (Medieval)
Diva Goodfriend-Koven, recorder (Medieval)
Matthew Owens, cello (Medieval ; Elegant)
Douglas Blumenstock, cello (Drei ; Elegant)
Joan Gallegos, piano ; prepared piano (Drei ; Elegant)
Catherine Coats, violin (Electric ; Elegant)
Richard Rondeau, French horn (Electric ; Elegant)
Spencer Burleson, electric guitar (Electric ; Elegant)
Peter Barshay, electric bass guitar ; string bass (Electric ; Elegant)
Robert Moran, conductor (Electric ; Elegant)
Lawrence Nobori, clarinet (Elegant)
Johannes Mager, trombone (Elegant)
Janice Negherbon, viola (Elegant)
Fred Sharpe, celesta (Elegant)
James Zimmerman, percussion (Elegant)
Barbara Bogatin, cello (Elegant)
Howard Hersh, percussion (Elegant)
Ron Daniels, conductor (Elegant)

Subjects

15th century classical
20th century classical
New music
Christmas music
Carols
Songs (High voice) with instrumental ensemble
Cello and piano music
Quartets (Horn, guitars (2), violin)
Aleatory music
Instrumental ensembles
Spatial music

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