012: Columbia University & composition
36yearsago.com
Vienna 1971—A Student Journal
A year of music, study, travel, sightseeing & friends.
After Vienna
Two Years Later
012 — Columbia University & composition
Fall–Spring 1973–74
TRANSCRIPTION
Written April 28–29, 1974
This year at Columbia University, I have professor Bülent Arel as my teacher. He is really great and has given me much insight into the technical aspects of electronic composition as well as the compositional aspects.
COMPOSITION
I have made a new composition, finished around January. It is untitled but offers various types of “poetic” impressions. I sort of like it. Professor Arel sort of liked it also (with several valid criticisms).
I have kept in contact with Professor Kaufmann in Vienna. I sent him a copy of the revised Fantasy, which he liked and said he was going to play at some festivals. I also sent him a copy of this “Untitled Work” and would be interested in hearing what he has to say about it.
I am now attempting to do several folk songs for soprano with electronic accompaniment. It is an exciting challenge and I hope the results will turn out as good as I hope. Maria has sung some of the vocal parts for it.
Of course, I am still studying with Prof. Walker.
REFLECTIONS
Composition at Columbia. I am back at the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center for a second year of study, classes, and lab time. I like it. I follow the same routine as in year 1, going to classes twice a week (I believe) and having lab time on Sundays. Classes are with Professor Bülent Arel whom I like. There are no private composition lessons as part of the class.
Electronic works. I imagine that I may still be putting on the finishing touches to the revised Fantasy on Broken Glass, thus I use 1974 as the date of that composition. I also complete a work, Untitled Work, that I think is not quite finished but a start. Prof. Arel has some valid comments, I see. Then, I send off both works to Prof. Kaufmann in Vienna.
European Performances. Surprise. Prof. Kaufmann, does play the revised Fantasy on Broken Glass at a few electronic music festivals in Europe. I’ll try to find one of the programs. That was very nice of him. Once again, while Fantasy is a programmatic work with nature and man-made sounds, I think it is an amazing achievement that it was created from a single sound.
Folk songs for soprano and tape. I appear to be starting work on new electronic compositions. I mention a piece that will be folk songs for soprano and tape that I am starting. I record my good friend, Maria, singing the folk songs, which I will later manipulate. I complete this work during my studies (in the future) at Indiana University and it is one of the works on my Master’s Recital.
George Walker. This year, I continue to study music theory and composition with Prof. Walker.
I am happy that I was active during these two years and working towards my goal of writing music.
John
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