Aaron Jay Kernis                                                    

With Ev Grimes

New York, N.Y.

November 13, 1986

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Side a                                                                                                             pp. 1-9

Earliest memories‑‑first instruments and choir‑‑first musical influences‑-home life‑‑California and back‑‑switching from choir to violin and piano‑-writing for choirs‑‑record buying‑‑readings on music‑‑persecution in school‑‑improvising while alone‑‑first audition experience‑‑high school musical experiences‑‑first composition for chamber group‑‑meeting Theodore Antoniou‑‑studying the Hindemith style‑‑Ernst Krenek's Studies in Twelve Tone Counterpoint‑‑listening to contemporary composers‑‑realization of composition as a career‑‑choosing a college and looking back at the choice‑personal studies out of music‑‑the Philadelphia Governor's School of the Arts.

Side b:                                                                                                           pp. 9-16

Applying to conservatories‑‑compositions from high school‑‑improvement in technique‑‑leaving home for school‑‑prizes won‑‑summer theater‑‑moving to San Francisco Conservatory‑‑important lessons in San Francisco‑‑John Adams‑-pieces from college years‑‑Cycle I‑‑Andrew Imbrie‑‑Manhattan and Charles Wuorinen‑‑new works and studies‑‑Elias Tanenbaum.

Side c:                                                                                                                        pp. 16-24

Dislike of minimalism‑‑Cycle III‑‑parody in music‑‑Meditation and John Lennon's Imagine‑‑senior thesis: Music for Violin and Orchestra‑‑goal in moving within the music‑‑Yale‑‑Bernard Rands' contribution‑‑Todesfugue.

Side d:                                                                                                           pp. 24-31

Not catering to an audience in compositions‑‑hatred of manipulation‑‑focus on composing‑‑Cycle IV‑‑direction in composing‑‑changing his senior thesis piece‑‑"dream of the morning sky"‑‑the Horizons Festival‑‑copying costs.

Side e:                                                                                                            pp. 31-40

Zubin Mehta, the New York Philharmonic, and "dream of the morning sky"‑-reviews of the open rehearsal‑‑musical atmosphere in the U.S. vs. England‑-lack of work‑‑Harlem Boys Choir‑‑prizes awarded‑‑American Academy in Rome‑-new commission for America(n) (Day) Dreams‑‑influence of European stay on composition‑‑travels‑‑freeing up in compositions.

Side f:                                                                                                                        pp. 40-48

Composition taking more time‑‑wanting to free up, but not lose a direction‑-variations‑‑Dartington and a commission‑‑Amsterdam‑‑need for color‑‑a new chromaticism in his variations‑‑keeping a vision of the finished product‑-needed break to Rome‑‑Invisible Mosaic‑‑influences into the Mosaics‑-contact with contemporary British composers‑‑new commission—view of his own role as a composer‑-outlook on compositional style.

AMERICAN MUSIC SERIES                                                                                          181 g-j

Aaron Jay Kernis

With:  Jenny Raymond

New York, NY

August 1, 1998

Side g                                                                                                                         pp. 1-11

Double Concerto--summer festivals--Too Hot Toccata--Pulitzer prize--Susan Feder--John Adams--Yehudi Wyner--Symphony in Waves--[Invisible] Mosaic III--musica celestis--St. Paul Chamber Orchestra--Hugh Wolff--Second Symphony--Michael Torke--Double Concerto premiere--methods of composition (style, format and fulfilling a commission)--Millennium Oratorio--Colored Field--Still Movement with Hymn--100 Greatest Dance Hits--notation--Penderecki--instruments--New Era Dance--use of non-instrumental sounds--Double Concerto--the concept of a piece--political pieces--Lament and Prayer--Second Symphony--New Era Dance--Aria Lament [sp?]--Hymn for Accordion--Colored Field--Still Movement with Hymn.

Side h                                                                                                                                    pp. 11-21

Extra-musical sources--John Cage’s Silence--New Era Dance--influence of art--looking for good poetry--looking for an opera story--Carol Ann Duffy--Millennium project for Disney--Michael Torke--Welsh poet--Michael Eisner--Fantasia--Second Symphony--Second String Quartet--Seven Gates of Jerusalem by K. Penderecki--Phantom Polka--100 Greatest Dance Hits--Still Movement with Hymn--Bernard Holland--Goblin Market--Colored Field--variety of subject matter in Kernis’ work.

Side i                                                                                                                          pp. 21-29

Characteristic elements in Kernis’ music--Kernis’ distinctive style--criticisms of the older generation--eclectic repertoire of the present--creation of new music--use by composers of jazz and rock elements--feelings about New York City--role of composer--thoughts on new music in the next century--working with an electronic medium--barriers to incorporating twentieth century music into the chamber or symphonic literature.

Side j                                                                                                                          pp.  29-35

Position as New Music Advisor to the Minnesota Orchestra--Jacob Druckman--Dream of the Morning Sky--teaching--piece for Yo-Yo Ma and the Chicago Symphony--reworking of English Horn part of Colored Field for cello --Tom Sudaci [sp?]--Renée Fleming song cycle--Carol Ann Duffy--Barbara Bonney--project for Natural History Museum--opera for Santa Fe on The Passion by Jeanette Winterson--orchestra piece for San Francisco.