AMERICAN MUSIC SERIES 330 a-c
Jennifer Higdon
Yale Composer's Seminar
Yale School of Music
New Haven, CT
30 January 2003
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Side a pp. 1-21
Study at Bowling Green University--making a living from commissions--running the edgE--rapid.fire--manipulating the inside of the piano--compositional technique--being a freelance composer--starting with flute pieces--ZONES for percussion quartet and tape--growing number of commissions necessitate reduced teaching load--advice from Steven Paulus and Philip Glass--other composers--helping copyist for Deborah Dratell--getting commissions--sketching--more on running the edgE--Concerto for Orchestra--orders for music, repeat performances--more on Concerto for Orchestra: writing a whole movement of percussion, movement of strings alone, dress rehearsal, rehearsal time--
Side b pp. 21-36
first performance of Concerto for Orchestra--influence of flute playing on composition--Bartók and Lutoslawski concerti for orchestra--Wolfgang Sawallisch--orchestration--influence of Samuel Barber--influence of death of younger brother on her music--What is the American sound?--influence of wind ensemble--publishing--getting her music out--sitting on panels--rental--response to Concerto for Orchestra performance--recording of the piece--relation to the visual arts--Andrew Wyeth--
Side c pp. 36-37
Instruments and colors--orchestration.
Jennifer Higdon
with David Heetderks
Philadelphia, PA
April 26, 2004
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DAT 1:
Side d: pp. 1-25
Earliest musical memories (Stravinsky and Prokofiev)--writing piece as a child--attending happenings in Atlanta--childhood impression of experimental art--father’s career as artist--artistic background of other members of family--moving to Seymour, Tennessee--shock of transition from Atlanta to small town--memories of sounds in rural Tennessee--joining marching band in junior high school--discipline and camaraderie in band--playing percussion--teaching self flute--hearing Copland’s Appalachian Spring, becoming interested in classical music--four months’ study with flautist Jan Vinci--deciding to pursue classical music--playing flute solo with band--taking entry-level music theory in college--flute teacher Judith Bentley--studying contemporary music with Bentley (Berio, Fukushima, Varèse)--first piece: Night Creatures--Bentley’s influence on other students--playing at Bowling Green Festival of Music and Art (Joseph Schwantner)--deciding with Evan Chambers not to become composition major--staying for extra year and meeting Robert Spano--Spano’s conducting class--entering Curtis--more on Spano--playing orchestral literature at Bowling Green--
Side e: pp. 25-49
Higdon’s keyboard skills--earliest compositions--being accepted to Curtis with small portfolio--study with David Loeb at Curtis--study with Ned Rorem--being inspired by high level of musicians at Curtis--The Jeffrey Mode--harmonic language of Viola Sonata--rhythm and dissonant language in Steeley Pause--ASCAP award--working in computer lab with James Primrosch--ZONES for percussion quartet and tape--performance of ZONES by the Philadelphia orchestra percussion section--energetic percussion writing--influence of marching band on percussion writing--working with Yamaha DX-7 and Alesis sampler--freelancing for year after Curtis--study at University of Pennsylvania--studying with George Crumb--titles in compositions--Scenes from a Poet’s Dreams: “I Saw the Electric Insects Coming” as tribute to Crumb, “In the Blue Fields They Sing” as memorial of brother Andrew--insomnia in 1999--humor in movements from Scenes…--sense of cathartic release in pieces from 1998 to 1999--death of brother leading to emotional intensity in music--blue cathedral: audience reactions, surprise at hearing performance for first time, image that inspired piece--
Side f: pp. 49-58
More on blue cathedral: Hot air balloon trip in San Diego influencing image, sense of acceleration, use of Chinese bells, flute/clarinet duet at opening, emotional catharsis at end--conducting at University of Pennsylvania--playing academic catch-up at University of Pennsylvania--growing up with contemporary classical and rock music--sympathy for lay audiences’ perception of classical music--desire to communicate with broad audience--wide variety of Higdon’s musical tastes--
DAT 2:
Side g: pp. 59-82
rapid.fire for solo flute: use of extended techniques, premiere, firecracker at end--composing string quartet Voices--relief of graduating from University of Pennsylvania--Autumn Reflection written for Carol Wincenc--making living after graduation--staying involved with performance and conducting--writing fast orchestral music--Wind Shear--ASCAP commission for orchestral piece--Shine--orchestrating Shine--learning how to orchestrate--1997 Guggenheim--creating running the edgE--recording CD of piano part--practical considerations in prepared piano part of running the edgE--Southern Grace for choir--intuitive method of composing--creative process and sketching--Loco for Chicago Symphony--wissahickon poeTrees: inspiration of park, finding right title, structure of four movements, use of unusual colors, recent performance in Chicago--
Side h: pp. 82-107
Being programmed with standard literature--instrumental colors--influence of minimalist composers: Adams, Reich, Glass--desire to communicate with audience--effect of brother’s death on work and musical language--shock of receiving commission from Philadelphia Orchestra (Concerto for Orchestra)--preparing for Concerto for Orchestra--trying out ideas in other orchestral pieces--feeling of dread at premiere performance--partner Cheryl Lawson--writing City Scape in three months--form of last movement, “Peachtree Street”--learning how to write for younger audiences--residencies--public advocacy for new music--class on new music at Curtis--Piano Trio: premiere performance, harmonic language in first movement, working to create right phrase length in first movement--residency at Tanglewood--performance of Concerto for Orchestra at Tanglewood--influential composers of Twentieth century--importance of Beatles to today’s music--increasing prominence of tonal music--Aaron Copland--self-publishing--
Side i: pp. 107-114
More on self-publishing--managing load of commissions--teaching composition at Curtis--necessity of orchestras to embrace new music to survive--relevance of contemporary music to contemporary audience--changing landscape of new music: technology, younger chamber groups--change in reception of female composers.