AMERICAN MUSIC SERIES                               161 a-e                                                OHV

Lejaren Hiller

With Vincent Plush

Buffalo, New York

November 12, 1983

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Side a                                                                                                                          pp. 1-21

Family background--origin of name--life during Depression--artistic ambiance of home--first experimental piece at age eight--early music education--singing solo and in choral groups--piano and theory lessons--acquaintance with bohemian life of the Village in the thirties--father's photographic career--chemistry major at Princeton--early compositions--study with Babbitt and Sessions at Princeton--Sessions' hostility to nationalism--Andrew Imbrie--influence of Peter Rickett--oboe study with Joseph Marx--playing jazz at Princeton--arranging--First Sonata--Second Sonata--using piano for composing--pitch.

Side b                                                                                                                          pp. 21-40

Marriage to Elizabeth Halsey--research job at DuPont--discovery of method for dyeing acrylic fibers--stay in Europe--return to University of Illinois--use of computer--Illiac Suite--talks on computer music--anecdote about defector to USSR--reactions to Illiac Suite--musica1influencs--Jesse James, Americana piece.

Side c                                                                                                                          pp. 40-60

Music Department, University of Illinois--theater pieces--courses with Hubert Kessler--theater people at University of Illinois--transfer to Music Department--explosion of ideas in the sixties--creation of electronic music studio at Illinois--Blue Is the Antecedent of It--theater pieces--music for film Time of the Heathen--Spoon River, Illinois--using the computer to compose at Illinois--Computer Cantata--Cage and chance music--Machine Music--overseas travels.

Side d                                                                                                                          pp. 60-81

Visit to Europe in early sixties--émigré composers--performances in Europe--the berimbau--John Cage--accepting Slee Professorship at Buffalo--decline of "golden days" in Buffalo--dislike of repetition in pieces--Electronic Sonata--movie score.

Side e                                                                                                                          pp. 81-88

Failure of movie to materialize--Algorithms pieces.