March 18, 1997 – West Meets East: Lou Harrison, Terry Riley and Peter Garland

I was at this concert. I introduced myself to Terry Riley and asked naive questions about the Shri Camel tuning before the show.

The Great Hall at Cooper Union
Tuesday, March 18, 1997
92nd Street V Today’s Composers

6:30 pm Entrance music by Gamelan Son of Lion with guest coordinator Jody Diamond
6:45 pm pre-concert discussion, Mark Swed speaks with Lou Harrison, Terry Riley and Peter Garland
7:30 Entrance music by Gamelan Son of Lion

West Meets East

Henry Cowell (1897-1965) – The Universal Flute (1946) for shakuhachi
Ralph Samuelson, shakuhachi

Colin McPhee (1900-1964) – Balinese Ceremonial Music (1934) transcribed for two pianos
Pemoengkah
Gambangan
Taboeh
Teloe
Michael Barrett and Steven Blier, piano

Lou Harrison (b. 1917) – Song of Badershan (1968) for 2 violins and percussion
transcribed from traditional Music of Afghanistan (East Coast premier)
Eva Gruesser and Mary Rowell, violin
John Kennedy, percussion

John Cage (1912-1992) – Amores (1944) for prepared piano and percussion
Aki Takahashi, piano
Maya Gunji, Eric Kivnick. Charles Wood, percussion

Terry Riley (b. 1935) – Cinco de Mayo (1996) for piano 4 hands (East Coast premiere)
Sarah Cahill and Joseph Kubera, piano

Lou Harrison (b. 1917) – Festival Dance (1951) for 2 pianos (premiere)
Aki Takahashi and Sarah Cahill, piano
Suite for Sangen (1996) (United States premiere)
Akiko Nishigata, sangen

Peter Garland (b. 1952) – Dreaming of Immortality in a Thatched Cottage (1978) for three voices, Anklung ensemble, and harpsichord San Coast premiere)

The temple of the Forest Beneath the Clouds
Dreaming of Immortality in a Thatched Cottage

Charles Wood, Conductor
Aki Takahashi, harpsichord; Karen Burlingame, soprano; Marion Najarian, mezzo-soprano; James Javore, baritone, Joe Gramley, Maya Gunji, Eric Kivnick, James Priess, Ben Ramirez, Bill Trigg, percussion

Henry Cowell – Ostinato Pianissimo (1934) for 7 percussionists
John Kennedy, conductor
Aki Takahashi and Sarah Cahill, piano
Joe Gramley, Maya Gunji, Eric Kivnick, James Priess, Ben Ramirez, Bill Trigg, percussion

 


….by the way, I’m a composer too.