Ellen Taaffe Zwilich

with Janice Fournier 

Riverdale, New York

October 1, 1986

              TABLE OF CONTENTS

Side a                                                                                                             pp. 1-16

Family background‑‑musical background‑‑early piano lessons‑-composing at an early age‑‑playing various instruments‑-improvisation‑‑years in high school‑‑jazz‑‑concert master of high school orchestra‑‑Beryl Murphy‑‑playing trumpet‑‑hearing contemporary music‑‑focusing on composition‑‑pursuing a doctorate in composition at Juilliard‑‑prior studies at Florida State University‑‑Carlisle Floyd‑‑John Boda‑‑studying with Roger Sessions and Elliott Carter‑‑imagining instruments being written for‑‑influences as a performer‑‑desire to write for harpsichord‑‑getting to know the harpsichord‑‑relationship between composer and audience‑‑composer coming first‑‑performer coming second‑‑respect for the performer's opinion‑‑bringing the audience and composer together.

Side b                                                                                                                        pp. 16-29

Presenting new music to ordinary people‑‑New Romanticism‑‑inaccuracies in labeling periods of music in this century‑‑travel to India‑‑organic approach to musical form‑‑admiration for Beethoven‑‑organic approach vs. architectural approach to form‑-Alfred North Whitehead‑‑Process and Reality‑‑choice of text for songs‑‑Marion Szekely Freschl‑‑poetry of Hesse‑‑Einsame Nacht‑-Im Nebel‑‑poetry of Trakl‑‑poetry of Hungarian poet Petőfi‑-"Passages"‑‑poetry of Ammons‑‑opera‑‑composing for ballet‑-Peter Martins‑‑Pulitzer Prize‑‑International League of Women Composers

AMERICAN MUSIC SERIES                                                                  177 g-i

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich

With Jenny Raymond

October 24, 2002

New York, N.Y.

                                                TABLE OF CONTENTS

Side g                                                                                                             pp. 1-16

Predilection for the concerto--concerto as an exploration, not a form to fit into--Concerto Grosso l985--Oboe Concerto--oboist John Mack--commissioning--Clarinet Concerto--David Shifrin--possibility of making a living without teaching--Symphony No. 3--Symbolon--tour to Russia with the New York Philharmonic--Concerto for Trumpet and Five Players--Double Quartet for Strings--Clarinet Concerto--musical form--Clarinet Quintet--nature of the clarinet--Celebration for Orchestra--character of music changing from performance to performance--communicating those qualities of music left out of notation--French Horn Concerto--David Jolley--Bassoon Concerto--Nancy Goeres--Third Symphony--Oboe Concerto--Bass Trombone Concerto--Symphony No. 4, “The Gardens.”

Side h                                                                                                                        pp. 16-32

Text for chorus in Symphony No. 4--documentary--Clarinet Concerto: two versions of the piece--Prologue and Variations--more on Clarinet Concerto; second movement, “Elegy for Sept. 11--Sept. 11--change in music after the passing of her husband--time spent at American Academy in Rome--holding the Composer’s Chair at Carnegie Hall--String Quartet No. 2--Carnegie Hall Millennium Piano Book--composer’s workshop--video archive--Lament--Peanuts®Gallery--being mentioned in the Peanuts® comic strip--Violin Concerto--Piano Concerto--chamber pieces--more on composer’s workshop--piece for Nexus and orchestra--folk music traditions.

Side i                                                                                                              pp. 32

More on piece for Nexus and Orchestra.