Seymour N. Siegel interviews Milton Helpern, Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York at that time, about his duties, and the difference between a coroner and a medical examiner.
Content types:
Sounds
Extent:
1 recording
Repository/Collector:
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
Martin Bookspan interviews American composer of contemporary classical music, musicologist, and flutist Claire Polin. Polin talks about the current status of women composers, and about sexism in music. She speaks about both of her careers: as a composer, and as a flutist. The composer also discusses in detail each of the following works, excerpts of which are then played during the interview: Summer settings (for harp), The journey of Owain Madoc, Consecutivo: study on a requiem (for flute/alto flute, clarinet/bass clarinet, violin, violoncello, piano) (1966), and Infinito: a requiem (for alto saxophone, soprano solo, narrator, and chorus).
Content types:
Sounds
Extent:
1 recording
Repository/Collector:
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
Maude Adams on Stevens College (1:13) -- Maude Adams recites prologue to Edmond Rostand's Chantecler (2:27) -- Rudy Vallee speaks with Hilaire Belloc (7:59) -- Virgil Thomson speaks about Four Saints in three acts (6:30) -- Gertrude Stein [from a 1934 radio broadcast?] (1:20) -- Fay Compton [from a 1969 television broadcast?] (3:33)
Content types:
Sounds
Formats:
Reel-to-reel and CD
Extent:
2 recordings
Repository/Collector:
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
Martin Bookspan interviews composer and music theorist George Perle. Perle discusses his background, his career as a composer, and his influences.The composer talks about his article on Webern's 12-tone sketches, and explains the 12-tone system that he uses in his music in some detail. He talks about the influence of Berg and Stravinsky in his composition, but though he uses aspects of their methods in his own composing, he never adoptes them fully. He speaks about the meaning of avant-garde and new classical music in past and today, and compares it to "conservative music." He discusses the opera Lulu by Alban Berg. The composer introduces each of the following works, which are then played in their entierty: String quartert no. 5, Solo partita (for violin and viola), Serenade no. 1 (for solo viola and chamber orchestra).
Content types:
Sounds
Extent:
1 recording
Repository/Collector:
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center