Allan Blank
with: Vincent Plush Richmond
Virginia
October 18, 1983
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Side a pp. 1-22
family background- -early musical experiences- -family business- -musicianship learned from violin teacher- -student at High School of Music and Art- -parental support of music interests- -environment of High School of music and Art- -beginning to compose as youngster- -colleagues at High School of Music and Art: Kupferman, Feldman, Laderman- -famous visitor to High School Music and Art- -conducting student at Julliard- -musical influences- -summer concerts of New York Philharmonic at Lewisohn Stadium- -music on radio- -Charles Ives- -service in the Navy- -study with composer Dante Fiorillo- -conducting works of Kupferman and Feldman- -study at Julliard- -composing while in the Service- -study at Julliard and NYU- -study with Bernard Wagenaar, Frederic Jacobi- -John Cage, Stefan Wolpe, David Tudor- -introduction to serialism- -B.A. from Washington Square College- -playing in National Orchestral Assn. Orchestra under Leon Barzin- -study with Donald Ferguson at Univ. of Minnesota.
Side b pp. 22-42
University of Minnesota: Donald Ferguson, Bob Erickson, Tom Nee- -playing in Pittsburgh Symphony- -death in family and move back to N.Y.- -study at teachers college- -teaching in N.Y. Jr. High Schools- -teaching position at the University of Alabama- -orchestral musician with the Pittsburg Symphony- -The Songs of Innocence, thesis piece- -summer of '53 at Tanglewood- -study at teachers College and Mannes College- -early theory lessons- -Seminar in Advanced Musical Studies t Princeton- -Subotnick, Babbit- -Univ. of Alabama- -teaching at High School of Music and Art- -playing in the Gershwin Concert Orchestra- -jazz- -choosing instruments and voice over electronic means- -Music of Our Time series- -interest in Dallapiccola's music- -openness to procedures of other composers- -first acknowledged pieces- -literary connotations in works- -attraction to poetry- -setting Wallace Stevens' Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird- -resolution of conflicting creative approaches- -published poetry- -writing libretto for opera- -plans for future opera.
Side c pp. 42-60
poetry and music as separate disciplines- -Around the Clock- -doctoral program at the Univ. of Iowa- -teaching position at Western Illinois Univ. - -decision to leave doctoral program to concentrate on composing- -keeping musical diary- -belief in work discipline- -playing with Astor String Quartet- -practicing violin daily lends to composition- -concentration on upper register material- -tendency for voice line to be initiator of total action- -using the piano to compose- -no revisions- -teaching at Paterson State College and Lehman College- -courses taught at Virginia Commonwealth Univ.- -"how to teach composition"- -Richmond, Va.- -separation of creative experience from social experience- -sharing with students- -regional distinctions in American Music?- -ways of relating works of composers to existing organizations and to the public- -reasons why music of composers to existing organizations and to the public- -reasons why music not on a par with art- -fondness for the bassoon--Duo for Bassoon and Piano- -Introduction and Rondo Fantastico- -winning Eastman competition- -NEA grant.
Side d pp. 60-76
NEA grant for completion of opera, The Magic Bonbons- -Aria Da Capo- -Excitement at the Circus- -Four Poems by Emily Dickinson- -Music for Orchestra- -reasons for writing few orchestra pieces- -writing with performance in mind- -Music for Soprano, Dancer and Barge- -saxophone quartet- -tuba quartet- -For three clarinets, Give Ear To My Words, Oh Lord, American Folio, Three Novelties For Alto Saxophone, Three For Barton- -piece for tuba and symphonic band- -resolving oppositional styles in Coalitions pieces- -donating manuscripts to Hans Moldenhauer Archives in Spokane, Wash. - -publishers- -double wind quintet, setting of Paganini Caprice- -three Pananini Caprices for brass choir.
