Sonic Mosaics: Conversations with Composers - Softcover

Steenhuisen, Paul

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0888644744 ISBN 13: 9780888644749

Publisher: University of Alberta Press, 2009

Synopsis

It is a common misconception that it is difficult or impossible to discuss music, that a piece of music simply speaks to the listener-or not. Paul Steenhuisen, in conversation with composers, offers readers insight into the creative process, and ways of listening and entering into works of new music. Steenhuisen, himself a composer of merit, talks one on one with thirty-two of his contemporaries-twenty-six of whom are Canadian-with a colleague's candour, sympathy, and expertise. These rare intimations afford fellow composers, musicologists, students, and inquisitive listeners a comparative look into the lives of the people who write some of the most innovative, challenging, and sublime music today. Composers Interviewed: R. Murray Schafer; Robert Normandeau; Chris Paul Harman; Linda Catlin Smith; Alexina Louie; Omar Daniel; Michael Finnissy; John Weinzweig; Udo Kasemets; Pierre Boulez; Barbara Croall; James Rolfe; John Beckwith; Yannick Plamondon and Marc Couroux; George Crumb; Peter Hatch; John Oswald; Francis Dhomont; Martin Arnold; Helmut Lachenmann; Juliet Palmer; Christian Wolff; Mauricio Kagel; John Rea; Gary Kulesha; Howard Bashaw; Christopher Butterfield; Keith Hamel; Jean Piché; James Harley; Hildegard Westerkamp;

About this title

From the Back Cover:

It is a common misconception that it is difficult or impossible to discuss music, and that a piece of music simply speaks to the listener--or not. In these conversations with composers, Paul Steenhuisen offers readers insight into the creative process and suggests ways of listening to and interpreting new music. Steenhuisen talks one-on-one with thirty-two of his contemporaries (twenty-six of whom are Canadian) with a colleague’s candour, sympathy, and expertise. These rare intimations afford fellow composers, musicologists, students, and inquisitive listeners a comparative look into the lives of the people who write some of the most innovative, challenging, and sublime music today. Paul Steenhuisen is a composer of art music for acoustic and electroacoustic media. He also writes articles on contemporary music. In addition to earning his doctoral degree in composition from UBC under the direction of Keith Hamel, he studied with Louis Andriessen at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, privately with Michael Finnissy in London, England, and with Tristan Murail at IRCAM (Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris). Between 1998 and 2000, Paul Steenhuisen was composer-in-residence with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and he taught Composition at the University of Alberta until 2007. He currently works by commission and with HypoSurface in Boston, MA. Composers Martin Arnold Howard Bashaw John Beckwith Pierre Boulez Christopher Butterfield Marc Couroux Barbara Croall George Crumb Omar Daniel Francis Dhomont Michael Finnissy Keith Hamel James Harley Chris Paul Harman Peter Hatch Mauricio Kagel Udo Kasemets Gary Kulesha Helmut Lachenmann Alexina Louie Robert Normandeau John Oswald Juliet Palmer Jean Piché Yannick Plamondon John Rea James Rolfe R. Murray Schafer Linda Catlin Smith John Weinzweig Hildegard Westerkamp Christian Wolff

About the Author:

Paul Steenhuisen is an award-winning composer of art music for acoustic and electroacoustic media. He has been commissioned and performed by outstanding musicians around the world. He also writes articles on topics in contemporary music. In addition to earning his doctoral degree in composition from UBC under the direction of Keith Hamel, he has studied with composers Louis Andriessen, Michael Finnissy, and Tristan Murail.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Alberta Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0888644744
• ISBN 13: 9780888644749
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 344