David Lang
with Ev Grimes
New York, NY
December 14, 1986
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Side a p. 1-14
Lang's introduction to music--early musical memories--desire to write a symphony at age nine--playing trombone at a young age--lived near UCLA and worked with UCLA composer Lazarof in high school--started the "Greater Los Angeles Shostakovich Society"--learned about Russian culture--summer experience in the Soviet Union--influence of Nicolas Slonimsky--worked in record stores, collected American music LP's--ideas about jazz and sense of distance from its concepts--finishing high school--attending Stanford University--transferring to UCLA, then back to Stanford.
Side b p. 14-27
Working at Computer Music Center--views about computer music--Stanford a political hotbed of '70s--SMUT (Stanford University Marching Band)--courses in drama, music and art history--influence of composer Marty Bresnick at Stanford and Yale--Lang's early contrapuntal compositions--Lou Harrison at Stanford--Harry Partch--studying at Aspen Music Festival with Charles Jones--Soulima Stravinsky's stories of his father--Leland Smith at Stanford--meeting musicians/composers in Soviet Union--works of Arvo Part, Russian composer--student life at Stanford--courses with Martin Jenni at Stanford and University of Iowa.
Side c p. 27-39
Graduate school at University of Iowa--in-depth classes on musical analysis--Martin Jenni, Richard Hervig, William Hibbard and guest composer, Wuorinen taught composition--Center for New Music--period of experimentation--Shattered Glass--Hammer Amour, a mini piano concerto.
Side d p. 39-49
While Nailing at Random--commissioned to write for centenary of Paul Klee which became his thesis--influence of Jack Holmer, friend and Systems Dynamics expert--applied ways of modeling situations to music--graduated from University of Iowa--moved to Boston to work in arts management--entered Harvard's doctoral program--then shifted to Yale--A.B.D. at Yale--Evensong, based on movement of Berlioz' Harold in Italy.
Side e p. 49-60
Studying with Jacob Druckman at Yale--Gold Futures researched at gold trading floor--Illumination Rounds based on images of Vietnam War--While Nailing at Random, an unidiomatic piano piece--Frag, based on sixteenth notes--Fibonacci series and mathematical ideas used.
Side f p. 60-71
Wrote dissertation at Yale on The Idea of Harmonic Resonance and Its Secret Meaning Through the Ages--went to Tanglewood--studied with Hans Werner Henze--wrote Eating Living Monkeys--commissioned by Henze to write By Fire, a choral piece for BBC Singers--Frag for Huntington Trio--anti-orchestration period.
Side g p. 72-84
Flaming Youth for Youth Symphony Orchestra of New York--Frag--wrote Spud for St. Paul Chamber Orchestra--his concepts of developing a piece--lessons learned from Roger Reynolds and Morton Subotnick at Yale--works in progress, Highlights from the Death of Europe and Are You Experienced (funded by National Endowment for the Arts) for computer tape, narrator, tuba and 16 instruments--a piece about the "60s--Jimmy Hendrix--Aliens Kidnapped Me and Stole My Blood--commission for Stanford's centennial.
AMERICAN MUSIC SERIES 185 j-m
David Lang
with Libby Van Cleve
New Haven, CT
April 29, 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS
[DAT begins]
Side j pp. 1-20
Marriage and family--birth and Creation of Bang on a Can--work for Druckman at the NY Philharmonic--Michael Gordon and Julia Wolfe--uptown and dowtown music--criteria for Bang on a Can music--audience for Band on a Can--Lincoln Center--idea of the twelve hour concert--Rapp Art Center--artistic programming at Lincoln Center--more on uptown and downtown--Grind to a Halt--success of Bang on a Can--self-promotion and producing concerts.
Side k pp.20-26
Modern Painters--pop music--crisis in classical music education--problem of combining classical and pop music--impact of pop music on Lang’s music.
Side l pp. 26-44
Influences: Berlioz, Schoenberg, and Shostokovich--Schoenberg--Louis Andreissen, Philip Glass--Steve Reich--Michael Gordon--Minimalism--Louis Andriesson’s De Staat--Modern Painters--The Anvil Chorus--Cheating, Lying, and Stealing--Slow Movement--The Resistible Rise of Auturo Ui--Candide--Hecuba--International Business Machine
Side m pp. 44-44
Death of J. Druckman--Grind to a Halt
[DAT ends]
AMERICAN MUSIC SERIES 185 t-u
David Lang
with Libby Van Cleve
New Haven, CT
April 7, 2011
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART T pp. 1-59
Coffee — early Bang on a Can — People’s Commissioning Fund (2000) — Cantaloupe Music — Toby Twining, Chrysalid Requiem — providing full spectrum help/change to the music world — Bang on a Can Festival and Summer Institute — being an influence to young composers — positive spirit in music making — ideals behind Band on a Can programming — Michael Gordon — Julia Wolfe — the musician’s place in society — “hippie ideals” — music as the superior art form — Pulitzer Prize’s effect on career — new music community within classical music — job offers after winning Pulitzer — taking risks as a composer — Penderecki; aesthetic change — Elvis Costello — The Carbon Copy Building collaboration with Julia Wolfe and Michael Gordon — Settembre Musica Festival, Torino — Enzo Restagno — working with comic strip artists Art Spiegelman and later Ben Katchor — political undertone in The Carbon Copy Building — collaborative process — Little Match Girl Passion — Julia Wolfe’s suggestion — collaborative work — Lost Objects — Baroque style — Link collaboration with Michael Gordon for Royal Ballet, London — Martin Bresnick — Jacob Druckman — musical relationship with Michael Gordon — diversity of style — John Adams’ reaction to Grind to a Halt and The Passing Measures — The Difficulty of Crossing a Field — Anatomy Theater — Paul Hillier — influence of Britten’s Curlew River on Little Match Girl Passion — religion and classical music — singing with Gregorian Chant choir while at Stanford — Pärt Passio — Music and Patterns class — Jewish background — Judiasm and spirituality; with self and family — effect of religious life on musical output — upcoming project with Anonymous 4 — selecting text for Hillier commission — Writing on Water with Peter Greenaway — working with Greenaway — Moses in Judiasm — St. Matthew Passion — choosing story for Hillier commission — Zapruder tape of Kennedy assassination — September 11 — the passion form; suffering — importance of a recognizable plot — intentional blasphemy of Little Match Girl Passion — structure and architecture of Little Match Girl Passion — influence of Bach — writing against a deadline — rewriting last three movements after losing them.
PART U pp. 59-90
Writing own libretti — Fidelio, Or the Prisoner of the State — direct connections between Little Match Girl Passion and Bach St. Matthew Passion — use of St. Matthew Passion text — composition process — interest in music — emotional aspect of music — authenticity — studies with Jacob Druckman at Yale — studies at Tanglewood with Hans Werner Henze — pace of composing while a student — Horizons Festival — Henze Tristan — not being commissioned for Horizons Festival — New York Philharmonic — writing music fast — Carey Perloff — Classic Stage Company, New York — The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui — American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco — working in theater — music as a function — theatrical narrative in Little Match Girl Passion — obsolete uptown/downtown dichotomy — hostility from older composers in early career — press photo — element of danger in music — website/Internet — making music available — YouTube — making money from music — Fidelio, Or the Prisoner of the State — Simon Clugston — My Evil Twin — Reason to Believe — Trio Mediaeval — Love Fail — Anonymous 4 working from pre-existing materials — plan to direct Love Fail.