Imaginary Landscape: Lou Harrison: 40 Years of Music - A 60th Birthday Tribute

Digital Audio

Event Type

Music

Origin

KPFK

Identifier

IL.1977.08.15.c2

Program Series

Imaginary Landscape

Program Length

115 min

Dates

1977-08-15 | broadcast
| 1977-05-14 | created

Description

On May 14, 1977 Lou Harrison celebrated his 60th birthday. Composers, musicians, music lovers, and friends paid tribute at St. John’s Church in Berkeley CA. The concert was produced by Paul Dresher, Peter Garland and Rae Imamura. The performers included the Repercussion Unit from the California Institute of the Arts, The East Bay New Music Ensemble directed by Robert Hughes, and the Berkeley Gamelan. Carl Stone and Leni Isaacs from KPFK play selections of Lou Harrison’s work. The pieces heard are “Song of Quetzalcoatl”, “Double Music”, “Suite for Cello and Harp”, “Happy Birthday”, “Canticle No. 1”, “Fugue”, “In Praise of Johnny Appleseed”, “Cinna”, and “Schoenbergiana”.

Genres

New music
20th century classical

Musical Selections

Song of Quetzalcoatl (1941) / Lou Harrison -- Double Music (1941) / Lou Harrison & John Cage -- Suite for Cello & Harp (1949) / Lou Harrison -- Happy Birthday / Mildred J. Hill -- Canticle No. 1 (1940) / Lou Harrison -- Fugue (1942) / Lou Harrison -- Many Happy Returns [a poem for Lou Harrison] / John Cage -- In Praise of Johnny Appleseed (1942, rev. 1976) / Lou Harrison -- Incidental music for Corneille’s "Cinna" (1955-57) / Lou Harrison -- Schoenbergiana (1944, arr. 1962) / Lou Harrison [arranged by Robert Hughes]

Performers

Repercussion Unit (Quetzalcoat l; Double Music ; Happy Birthday ; Canticle ; Fugue )
Sarah Kell, cello (Suite)
Beverly Bellows, harp (Suite)
East Bay New Music Ensemble (In Praise ; Schoenbergiana)
Rae Imamura, re-tuned tack piano (Cinna)
Robert Hughes, conductor (Schoenbergiana)
Janet Woodhams, flute (Schoenbergiana)
Patrice Hambelton, flute (Schoenbergiana)
Robin May, oboe (Schoenbergiana)
Larry London, clarinet (Schoenbergiana)
Greg Barber, bassoon (Schoenbergiana)
George Mealy, French horn (Schoenbergiana)

Subjects

New music
20th century classical
Percussion ensembles
Suites (Cello and harp)
Ballets
Incidental music
Prepared piano music
Wind sextets (flutes (2), oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn)
Poetry

Acknowledgment

Funding for the preservation of this program made possible through a grant by the GRAMMY Foundation.