June 8, 1981 - NMA San Francisco Day 2
Carl Stone ● Daniel Schmidt ● KPFA ● Arch Ensemble ● Robert Erickson ● Robert Hughes ● "Blue" Gene Tyranny ● Charles Amirkhanian ● Julius Eastman ● Phill Niblock ● The Residents with Graeme Whifler
Carl Stone - Woo Lae Oak for radio
Nigel Redden, Chair - New Music Alliance
Daniel Schmidt Sound Column
A Gaggle of Computer Composers in performance
Arch Ensemble play Robert Erickson Night Music; Robert Hughes, “Blue” Gene Tyranny, Charles Amirkhanian and Julius Eastman’s The Holy Presence of Joan of Arc
Phill Niblock - An evening of film and music
The Residents with Gareme Whifler One Minute Movies
June 8, 1981 New Music America San Francisco - Day 2
Carl Stone Woo Lae Oak from the Korean Series 1981, a radiophonic work broadcast on several stations between June 8 and June 14; advertisement/schedule in official program:
also on y2b with Carl’s own archival recording, released this century:
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morning
New Music Alliance
Nigel Redden, Chair “Business Meeting” Exploratorium
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Daniel Schmidt Sound Column
Palace of Fine Arts Rotunda
Profile of Daniel Schmidt in Ear Magazine, 1981
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A Gaggle of Computer Composers
“Computers in Composition and Performance” Japan Center Theatre
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KPFA Live Broadcast program no. 2 Charles Amirkhanian
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Arch Ensemble
The Arch Ensemble was founded in 1977 by Robert Hughes and Tom Buckner in response to the need for a West Coast performing group embodying one of each symphonic instrument.
Such groups have existed since World War II in Europe and more recently in New york and Chicago in response to the need of contemporary composers, to have the maximum possibilities of color without the prohibitive cool of a symphony orchestra.
To this date there has been no permanent group of this size on the West Coast. The Arch Ensemble's purpose has been to respond to the unique musical personality of the San Francisco Bay Area.
To the traditional performing group described above, the Arch Ensemble added extensive electronics particularly through the performance participation of Don Buchla. In its 4th season the Arch Ensemble is coming close to its goal of promoting new works, working intimately with composers, and bridging the gap between the techniques of the past and the expressions of today.
Many of the works that the ensemble performs are experimental, of mixed media and stylistically varied.
Dan Smiley, violin; Betsy London, viola; Amy Radunskaya, cello; Mel Graves, bass; Rae Imamura, piano; Beverly Bellows, harp; Norman Peck, percussion; Ward Spangler, percussion; Patrice Hambellton, flute; Robin May, oboe; William Wohlmacher, clarinet; Greg Barber, bassoon; George Mealy, french horn; David Burkhart, trombone; Tom Buckner, tenor (co-music director), Robert Hughes, conductor (co-music director), Diane Stone, manager
Japan Center Theatre
(When I discover more information about this performance, I’ll include it in an update of this page. - for a typed version of the tiny print on this screen cap, go to the separate posting on the Julius Eastman work. - gd)
♪
Robert Erickson - Night Music
♪
Night Music (1978) is for solo trumpet and ensemble. If I had to choose a single work to demonstrate the persistence of beauty in contemporary music, it might well be this haunting evocation, with the solo trumpet weaving an audible garland around a single obsessive note and the other instruments moving in and out of range like moonbeams. 'Time flows free and unmetered," Erickson writes, "or in a kind of rhythmic polyphony that has worked its way into my music in recent years. The composition stems neither from the 18th-century Nachtmusik nor from the Mahlerian evocation of it. Rather, it evokes the kind of night that belongs to dreaming, an oceanic night."
- Alan Rich quoted in the y2b as writing this in Newsweek
Arch Ensemble recording of Night Music recorded January 1983:
Boston Modern Orchestra Project (2008)
After the festival, on a KPFA post-festival morning program, Charles Amirkhanian and Han Reitziger discuss of the work with 10% of the work being heard in the background for the most part.
Charles Amirkhanian: Um, we’re going to also listen to a little bit of music by Robert Erickson. You said that was another one of your ah one of your favorites of the…
Han Reitziger: Yeah.
Charles Amirkhanian: …performance.
Han Reitziger: Since I – I didn’t know so much about him, Robert Erickson, I didn’t know his music, wh-…
Charles Amirkhanian: But he’s been very influential in San Francisco, particularly where he was a teacher of many of the composers we know now today as the leaders of the avant-garde like um, well, ah, (breath) Pauline Oliveros, Mort Subotnick and others. And um, this was his piece called Night Music performed by the Arch Ensemble.
Han Reitziger: Was this the piece with the trumpet solo in it?
Charles Amirkhanian: Yeah, Ed Harkins…
♪ (in background barely audible)
Han Reitziger: I think it…
Charles Amirkhanian: …played beautifully.
Han Reitziger: Won-derfully! And boo-, beautiful played, it was a great piece.
Charles Amirkhanian: And the ensemble is divided in half so you have a string bass in each left…
Han Reitziger: That’s what surprised me.
Charles Amirkhanian: …and right ensemble.
Han Reitziger: It was so nice…
Charles Amirkhanian: (chuckles)
Han Reitziger: …to see those two bass players throwing to each other. It’s (Laughs) …
Charles Amirkhanian: And then the percussionists are mirrored…
Han Reitziger: Yes…
Charles Amirkhanian: …also in...
Han Reitziger: …yeah…
Charles Amirkhanian: …the piece. This is Night Music by Robert Erickson
♪17:21 Arch Ensemble - Robert Erickson Night Music (last 27 seconds only)
Charles Amirkhanian: Well, we caught just the end of it I think.
(gd – not really considering the piece started playing and they kept talking for quite a while)
Han Reitziger: Yeah.
[Audience applause out of nowhere]
Charles Amirkhanian: (chuckles) Night Music by Robert Erickson.
* *
Robert Hughes
* *
“Blue” Gene Tyranny
* *
Arch Ensemble plays Charles Amirkhanian
Han Reitziger: Ah, let me see – I liked, your, your piece ah Charles.
Charles Amirkhanian: You liked my piece?
Han Reitziger: Oh, yeah, I did.
Charles Amirkhanian: (chuckles)
Han Reitziger: It was a very nice piece, yes. (They move on to other subjects.)
- From KPFA’s Morning Concert with Charles Amirkhanian June 18, 1981 San Francisco
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Julius Eastman – The Holy Presence of Joan of Arc
for cello ensemble
y2b version with Maureen Hynes · Abby Newton · Julie Green · Sarah Carter · Barry Gold · David Sabee · Christine Gummere · Chase Morrison · Larry Rawdon · Jodi Beder
Live version on January 25, 2017 posted on y2b by “Mondayeveningconcert”: Prelude to the Holy Presence of Joan d'Arc performed by Davóne Tines, baritone
'he Holy Presence of Joan d'Arc'(1981) (Transcription by Clarice Jensen, 2016) performed by ECHOI (from left to right): TJ Borden, cello; Seth Parker Woods, cello; Judith Hamann, cello; Jennifer Bewerse, cello; Ashley Walters, cello; Derek Stein, cello; Timothy Loo, cello; Eric Byers, cello; Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick, cello; David Mason, cello; Jonathan Hepfer, conductor
Recorded live in Zipper Hall at the Colburn School
There are several other versions of this work and they are here at:
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Phill Niblock An evening of film and music
Cinematheque
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Residents with Graeme Whifler One Minute Movies
unknown location
(from y2b description via “Icky Flix” DVD 2000)
One Minute Movies
date: original music 1980 / new music 2000 / video 1989
time: 4:32
Composer: The Residents
Designer: The Residents, Graeme Whifler
Producer: The Cryptic Corporation
Director: The Resident, Graeme Whifler
After recording an LP made 40 one-minute songs (The Commercial Album), the Residents found it appropriate to create this video consisting of four one-minute movies. Working with director Graeme Whifler, the group developed a more sophisticated look than the earlier Third Reich N’ Roll. This film is also in the New York Museum of Modern Art Film Collection.