Martin Bookspan interviews American classical music composer and conductor Richard Yardumian. Yardumian talks about his musical family, his older brother Elijah Yardumian, a concert pianist and a product of the Curtis Institute, who served as a musical mentor to his younger brother; about his career as a composer, and his early start to composing at age 14 even before he began his formal musical education. He discusses the twelve-note technique that he created (not the same as twelve-tone system, used in conjunction with the music of Schoenberg and other twelve-tone composers). The composer also discusses each of the following works, excerpts of which are then played during the interview: Armenian suite, Desolate city, Violin concerto (1949), Piano concerto (second and third movements) (1957), and two excerpts from the mass Come Creator Spirit: Holy, Holy, Holy (Sanctus) and Lamb of God (Agnus Dei) (dedicated to the 125th anniversary of Fordham University) (1966).
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 composer Vittorio Rieti. Rieti talks about his studies economics at the University of Milan, where he obtained a doctorate in 1917 that he never used; about his composition studies with Casella, and orchestration with Respighi. He speaks about his career as a composer in Europe and the United States. Speaking about his time in Paris, he talks about ballet music that he wrote for Diaghilev (Barabau being particularly successful), and much incidental music for the Parisian theatre of Louis Jouvet. The composer discusses in detail each of the following works, excerpts of which are then played during the interview: Dance variations (for string orchestra) (1956), Chorale, variations and finale (for two pianos), Concertino (for flute, viola, violoncello, harp, and harpsichord) (1964).
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 composer and pedagogue Robert Starer. Starer talks about his career as a composer. He discusses in detail each of the following works, excerpts of which are then played during the interview: Dialogues (for clarinet and piano), On the nature of things: part 5. A little nonsense (anonymous text), and part 6. Grieve not, dear love ( words by John Digby, Earl of Bristol) (for mixed chorus, a cappella), Concerto (third and fourth movement, for violin, cello and orchestra), Concerto a tre (last movement, for clarinet, trumpet, trombone, and strings), and Symphony no. 3 (first and second movement) (1969).
Content types:
Sounds
Extent:
1 recording
Repository/Collector:
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center