Tom Kolor, percussion Acknowledgments Recorded between July and Milton Babbitt December 2011, Slee Hall, Concerto Piccolino | Beaten Paths University at Buffalo, SUNY Engineered, edited, and John Cage mastered by Christopher Jacobs Composed Improvisation for Snare Drum Alone | One7 Milton Babbit’s Beaten Paths is published by Smith Publications; all other works are published by CF Peters. AmericAn Masterpieces for Photo of Tom Kolor: Irene Haupt Special thanks to the University at Buffalo College of Arts and solo percussion Sciences Julian Park Fund, and to my family, for their support. www.albanyrecords.com TROY1471 albany records u.s. 915 broadway, albany, ny 12207 tel: 518.436.8814 fax: 518.436.0643 albany records u.k. box 137, kendal, cumbria la8 0xd tel: 01539 824008 © 2014 albany records made in the usa ddd waRning: cOpyrighT subsisTs in all Recordings issued undeR This label. AmericAn mAsterpieces for solo percussion one set of mallets, allowing one to play straight through. Another is to take the necessary time to change mallets, thus breaking the piece up into a series of ten vignettes. Thankfully, masterpiece-n. a work of outstanding artistry, skill, or workmanship. (O.E.D.) the magic of digital editing has allowed me to reconcile these two choices. The ten sections are characterized as follows: Of his vibraphone solo, Concerto Piccolino, Milton Babbitt wrote: “The title Concerto Piccolino should suggest one of the more pervasive and manifest properties of the relatively (0:00-0:18) medium rubber mallets, upper register, ppp-mp short composition; the progression of “macrophrases” in what may be viewed or better (0:18-0:50) soft cord, all registers, ppp-mp heard as alternations of “solo” and “ripieno,” differentiated dynamically, registrally, and (0:50-1:08) soft yarn, middle and bass registers, ppp-mp texturally. The work was completed in October 1999, and is dedicated to Peter Jarvis and (1:08-1:36) medium yarn, upper and middle registers, ppp-fff the Composers Guild of New Jersey.” (1:36-1:55) soft yarn, bass register, mp-ff (1:55-2:22) soft cord, all registers, ppp-fff (pp-p absent) An outline of the aforementioned macrophrases and their characteristics: (2:22-2:57) medium yarn, upper and middle registers, ppp-fff (p absent) (2:57-3:22) soft cord, all registers, ppp-fff (f absent) (0:00-0:17) pp through mf, all registers, medium/thick texture (3:22-3:44) hard rubber, upper register, ppp-fff (mf absent) (0:17-0:23) mf only, low register, thin texture (3:44-4:13) medium yarn, all registers, ppp-fff (mf absent) (0:23-0:38) pp through mf, all registers, medium/thick texture (0:38-1:11) alternating p and pp, middle register, thin texture Sylvia Smith’s husband, Stuart Saunders Smith is the dedicatee of John Cage’s 1987 work (1:11-1:44) alternating f and mp, all registers, medium/thick texture Composed Improvisation for Snare Drum Alone. The performer is asked to “specify by means (1:44-1:53) pp though f, high register, thin texture of chance operations” all of the temporal and timbral aspects of the piece. It is to have three (1:53-2:36) alternating mf/f and pp/p (mp absent), all registers, thick texture parts, each part containing between one and eight events, with each event having “not more (2:36-2:58) alternating mf and mp, high and low registers, thick texture than or not less than one to sixty four attacks”. (Rolls and other sustains count as a single (2:58-3:17) alternating f and pp, high and low registers, medium/thick texture attack). Eight pairs of beaters are to be used, along with the hands. The choice of beaters, (3:17-3:38) pp through ff (mf absent), all registers, thick texture snares on or off, and whether or not there are any preparations to the drum are also to be determined by chance operations. Sixty-four small pieces of paper placed in a hat and Beaten Paths for solo marimba was composed in 1988 for Sylvia Smith. In an unusually extracted at random yielded the following structure: laconic appendix to the piece, Babbitt wrote “The performer should feel free to take whatever time is necessary to change mallets, while attempting to maintain the metrical orientation.” This refers to the frequent mallet changes that are all but impossible to execute in the time allotted. One possible solution (which never seemed to bother Mr. Babbitt) is simply to use Section 1 (0:00-0:30) scored for four players, Cage noted that “when performed as a solo, the first player’s part Event #1- more than 12 attacks, 2 timpani mallets, snares off is used and the piece is called One7.” The player is instructed to choose twelve sounds with Event #2- less than 43 attacks, hand+rute, snares off “fixed characteristics (amplitude, overtone structure, etc.),” and is given a series of timings Event #3- less than 20 attacks, superball mallet+rubber flip flop, snares on as to when these sounds should begin and when they should end (within a fixed 30 Event #4- more than 3 attacks, hand+timpani mallet, snares on minute duration). Eschewing chance operations, and relying on my own preference, I Event #5- less than 6 attacks, 2 rutes, snares on chose a large bass drum, bowed cymbal, Tibetan prayer bowl, bowed d flat marimba bar, bowed b flat marimba bar, plastic maraca, metal wind chimes, log drum, temple block, Section 2 (0:30-6:15) large cowbell, Indonesian angklung and a rolled four note marimba chord. Event #1- less than 57 attacks, 2 sticks, snares off, preparation Event #2- more than 2 attacks, metal rod+brush, snares on, preparation Milton Babbitt was born on May 10,1916 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and died in Event #3- less than 62 attacks, timpani mallet+stick, snares off Princeton, New Jersey on January 29, 2011. He received his early musical training in Event #4- less than 24 attacks, scrub brush+metal rod, snares off Jackson, Mississippi. Even at this stage, he revealed an innate flair for mathematics and Event #5- more than 7 attacks, scrub brush+brush, snares on, preparation this, along with his artistic abilities, determined the formulation of many of his musical Event #6- more than 8 attacks, 2 metal rods, snares off, preparation theories. His academic studies included degree courses at both New York and Princeton Event #7- more than 55 attacks, hands, snares off, preparation where, as a student, he took private lessons in composition with Roger Sessions. His teaching career at Princeton began in 1943 when he gave lessons in music theory and Section 3 (6:15-8:00) mathematics, and in 1960 he was made William Shubael Conant Professor of Music. Over Event #1- less than 10 attacks, hand+superball mallet, snares off the years he has been associated with many prestigious academic establishments including Event #2- more than 20 attacks, hand+rubber flip flop, snares on the Juilliard School; the Rubin Academy, Jerusalem; Berkshire Music Centre (Tanglewood); Event #3- more than 13 attacks, 2 metal rods, snares off Darmstadt Summer Course; New England Conservatory, Massachusetts and the Composers’ Event #4- more than 6 attacks, scrub brush+metal rod, snares off Conference at Johnson State in Vermont. A founder member of the Committee of Direction, Event #5- less than 5 attacks, 2 rubber flip flops, snares on, preparation Electronic Music Centre of Columbia-Princeton Universities; member of the Editorial Board, Event #6- less than 53 attacks, rute+brush, snares on Perspectives of New Music and member of the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation, Event #7- more than 29 attacks, hand+rubber flip flop, snares off, prep Milton Babbitt has written many articles and reviews that have gained him a reputation Event #8- less than 6 attacks, 2 sticks, snares on, preparation not just as a composer but also as a theorist. In 1949 and 1964, he received the New York Music Critics’ Citation, held a Guggenheim grant in 1961 and was elected member of the Published in 1992, the year of Cage’s death, Four6 is dedicated to Pauline Oliveros, Joan La National Institute of the Arts and Letters in 1965. His work in the field of electronic music Barbara, William Winant, and Leonard Stein, and is scored “for any way of producing sounds and his exploration of the technique of integral serialism have influenced the musical (vocalization, singing, playing of an instrument or instruments, electronics, etc.)”. Originally thinking of many young American composers. In 1980 he received a Doctorate of Music from the University of Glasgow. John Cage was born on September 5, 1912 in Los Angeles, California and died in New York Upon graduation from the Juilliard School in 1997, percussionist Tom Kolor became one City on August 12, 1992. He studied liberal arts at Pomona College. Among his composition of New York’s most in demand chamber musicians. Engagements with the Chamber Music teachers were Henry Cowell and Arnold Schoenberg. Cage was elected to the American Society of Lincoln Center, Continuum, Da Capo Chamber Players, Ensemble 21, the Group National Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters and received innumerable awards and for Contemporary Music, Manhattan Sinfonietta, New York New Music Ensemble, Orpheus honors both in the United States and in Europe. He was commissioned by a great many of Chamber Orchestra, Newband, Speculum Musicae, and Sospeso led to collaborations with the most important performing organizations throughout the world, and maintained a very such composers and conductors as Louis Andriessen, Milton Babbitt, Pierre Boulez, Elliott active schedule. It would be extremely difficult to calculate, let alone critically evaluate, the Carter, George Crumb, James Dillon, Mario Davidovsky, Tan Dun, John Eaton, David Felder, stimulating effect and ramifications that Cage’s work has had on 20th century music and Brian Ferneyhough, Phillippe Hurel, Oliver Knussen, Robert Kraft, Tania Leon, Alvin Lucier, art, for it is clear that the musical developments of our time cannot be understood without Steven Mackey, Tristan Murial, Wayne Peterson, George Perle, Steve Reich, Christopher taking into account his music and ideas.