Thomas Feng, piano

April 23, 2021
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Milton Babbitt – About Time

The death of my mentor and friend, Allan Schindler, on October 8th, 2018 hit me hard. From him I had learned not only technical skills and musical imagination. Allan taught me, by example, about artistic sincerity and the genuine expression of humanity through art (music that "makes you happy to be alive"). He also taught me how to be a teacher and and a mentor, how to support and encourage those around you to thrive.

Through the Door is a reflection of a memory of waiting outside Allan's ​office to meet with him for a lesson, hearing the strange sonorities emanating through the door from his piano, knowing these sounds were the root of some new piece he would later refine at the computer.

The piece is rooted in a brief passage from Allan's 1997 piece, Breath of Life, a moment early-on where we hear the child's breath for the first time. This moment begins Through the Door, followed by the sound of Allan's inhale (taken from an interview of him speaking about his own work) and my own consequent exhale, leading to a series of labored breaths I recorded of myself soon after hearing of Allan's passing.

The piece was written for a memorial concert featuring primarily Allan's own music. the 2:00 duration was by request, as so many students and colleagues had offered dedicatory works.

https://gregwilder.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Allan-Schindler-Memorial-Concert-Program.pdf

Through The Door

Thomas Feng, piano

recorded March 3, 2022
special thanks to Ryan McCullough and Andrew Zhou

Milton Babbitt – Partitions

This is a “quiet recording” from nature reserve Flói in the southwest of Iceland.
This recording contains many local birds and migrants. Birds as Red- necked Phalarope, Arctic stern, Red throated diver, Black tailed Goldwit, Common Snipe, Golden Plover, Whimbrel, Eurasian Oystercatcher and many other birds are in this recording. Noisiest and probably "ugliest sound" in this recording is the Red throated diver´s territorial call, but they also express in the recording a beautiful calm conversation with their eyes.
Background noise is coming from the surf among the south cost.
The recording was made in 26th of June 2012 around 3 am and is just nine minutes of ten hours recording that day. The weather was calm, clear sky and temperature around 5°C.
This is a very quiet nature recording so you should not play it loud. If you stay there you can barely hear this birdsong or this bird activity with open ears. You should play it like you think you will hear it trough open window, as a background sound. Best way to listen to all the details and explore the bird species is using quality headphones. This recording contains also very loud session when all Red throated divers in the area “scream” their territorial call.

Recorder: Sound devises 744. (24bit/48Khz)
Microphones: Rode NT1a (NOS setup)
The picture was taken at 26th of June 2012 at the recording place almost at the same time.

Listen to more recordings from Flói. Southwest Iceland
http://fieldrecording.net/tag/fri%C3%B0land-i-floa/

See more pictures from this two days recording trip.
https://picasaweb.google.com/104187345157190691446/FriLandIFloa2012?noredirect=1

Location of the nature reserve Flói:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Selfoss,+South,+Iceland&hl=en&ll=63.901525,-21.192284&spn=0.038891,0.132093&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=69.814448,135.263672&oq=selfoss&t=h&hnear=Selfoss,+Iceland&z=14

Nature reserve in Flói 2012

Cuneiform Records Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of "Easter", The First Composition that Composer/ Keyboardist/ Electronic Music Pioneer David Borden Created for Moog Synthesizer, and  The World's First Live Performance With a Mini-Moog, with a Free Stream of "Easter", as Recorded by Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Company and Released by Cuneiform on 1970-1973

***

Fifty years ago, on Easter weekend 1970, David Borden composed "Easter", his first tonal pulse-piece for the Moog synthesizer. Working throughout the night at Bob Moog's Trumansburg studio during Easter weekend, he completed the multi-layered piece at 4am. Two weeks later, Borden and fellow Mother Mallard member Steve Drews performed "Easter" at Cornell University's Willard Straight Theater.

The April 1970 performance of "Easter" was the first-ever live public performance using a MiniMoog.

In a couple months, Mother Mallard again used Moog's prototype to perform "Easter" in New York City's Trinity Church - the June 1970 concert marked the debut of the MiniMoog in New York. Mother Mallard would perform Easter again the following year, on Easter Sunday 1971, at Cornell University's Sage Chapel.

"Easter", born in the Spring of 1970, heralds the Dawn of the Age of Electronic Music, both technically and symbolically. This David Borden work marks the debut of compositions created for, and works performed on the legendary MiniMoog.

Cuneiform is thus providing this stream of "Easter" in April 2020, to celebrate the  first live performance of Easter using the MiniMoog equipment by the world's first all-synthesizer ensemble, Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece Co., founded by David Borden with Steve Drews.

Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Co. - "Easter" from '1970-1973' (Cuneiform Records)

Gabriel Borden, guitarist, multitracks several of David Borden's compositions originally written for synthesizers and electric pianos.  Father (David) and son (Gabriel) have collaborated on several projects over the years and have performed together since 1990.

TCOSC.06 GABEguitar

TCSOC.09 GABEguitar

Taylan Cihan and Peter Vincent
Single-take improvisation early January 2013
Barnes Hall, Ithaca NY

Through The Door

Kevin Ernste

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