Conlon Nancarrow
with Vivian Perlis
New York, New York
April 18, 1986
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Side a pp. 1-24
Writing for live performance‑-London festival performance of several live pieces‑‑1939 League of Composers Concert‑-conversation with Aaron Copland about live performances‑‑reasons for writing for player piano—possibilities of writing more live music‑‑early years as a composer‑‑feelings on the young performers of today‑‑impressions of New York City in 1986‑‑thoughts on the Margaret Randall trial‑‑living in Mexico‑‑recognition in recent years‑-views on audience receptiveness‑‑moving to Mexico from New York City—first years in Mexico‑‑growing up in Texarkana‑-education through Little Blue Books--father's factory‑‑mother and father's backround‑‑family history of cancer‑-musical aptitude as a child‑‑religious upbringing‑‑attending Vanderbilt University‑‑mother's discovery of Little Blue Books‑‑relationship with brother Charles‑‑time spent at Cincinnati Conservatory‑‑marriage to first wife at age 17‑‑decision to move to Boston‑‑first hearing of The Rite of Spring in Cincinnati‑‑Boulez on Stravinsky‑‑influence of Cowells book, New Musical Resources‑‑working for the WPA in Boston‑-studies with Roger Sessions‑-relationship with Koussevitzky‑‑Communist Party member.
Side b pp. 24-44
Awareness of the Communist Party in the early 1930's‑‑Communist Party meetings in Boston‑‑smoking habits‑‑Lenin Memorial concert at Symphony Hall in Boston--taking works to Roger Sessions‑‑years in Spain serving in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade‑‑after the war in Spain‑‑time spent in a French concentration camp--return to New York‑‑returning to Texarkana‑‑meeting Elliott Carter in New York‑‑thoughts on the Continuum Concert, April 18, 1986‑‑impressions of the Shankar Ballet and Indian music‑‑recordings of Indian music with tablas-‑arrival in Mexico in 1940‑‑marriage and building a new house‑‑second marriage--separation and settlement of second marriage‑-meeting Chavez in Mexico--concert sponsered by Rodolfo Halffter‑‑letters to Aaron Copland—meeting Copland in Mexico in the 1940's‑‑early years of writing for the player piano experimentation with the instrument‑-problems in punching rolls‑‑getting machine made to punch rolls‑‑motivation in composing‑-surprises in listening to a finished roll‑‑problems in composing‑-the process of composing‑-punching scores and finished rolls‑‑duplication of rolls.
Side c pp. 44-
Duplication of rolls cont.‑‑possible tour to Germany sponsored by Dr. Becker of Radio Cologne‑‑meeting John Cage in 1948‑-friendship with Minna‑‑hearing prepared piano music of Cage‑-composing for prepared piano‑-feelings on Chavez and Copland‑‑seeing the Cunningham Company in Mexico‑-Nancarrow compared with Ives‑‑independence in composing for player piano‑-composing on commission‑‑working with deadlines‑-opinions on the musicians performing for the concert on April 18, 1986‑‑hearing a finished roll for the first time--discovering new techniques of the player piano‑-opposition to Cage's philosophy‑-attitude towards composing after becoming a father.
AMERICAN MUSIC SERIES 141 d
Colon Nancarrow
with Vincent Plush
Santa Cruz, California
August 29, 1992
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Side d pp. 1-7
Peter Garland book--interviews--visitor to Mexico City--recent concert--string quartet--further instrumental pieces--player piano--septet in New York--abandoning live performance--movements in Holland--blues movement--jazz influences--symphonic jazz--Americanism--Chamber Orchestra--instrumentation--Toccata--Charles Amirkhanian--tape of player piano--Keith Jarrett--Arch records--Columbia record--tempo of work--study forty- five--European Broadcasting Union--Gratz--Betty Freeman--study forty- two--travel to Mexico City and Gratz, Austria--Ligeti talk on pieces and comparison to Webern and Ives--punch machine--meeting Cage--San Francisco--Cabrillo
AMERICAN MUSIC SERIES 141f
Conlon Nancarrow
With Bruce Duffie
Telephone interview
October 12, 1987
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Side f PP. 1-18
Working with player piano—relationship of player piano to working with electronic media—returning to work with live musicians—the audience—future of music—technique of writing for player piano—playing his music in a live concert—string quartet—concerto for pianola and orchestra—preference of record buying public—music as art vs. entertainment—young composers—performers—performances of his music—recordings.