Electronic Evolution: A Five-Part Series

Lincoln Center Festival 2000 will present Electronic Evolution, a five-part concert series devoted to various aspects of electronic music, Wednesday, July 12 through Wednesday, July 19 three performances at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, as well as one performance at Alice Tully Hall and the Low Library Rotunda, Columbia University. These concerts are presented in association with the Miller Theater at Columbia University.

Eminent names scheduled to perform in Electronic Evolution include: Peter Serkin, piano; Reinbert de Leeuw, conductor; Valérie Hartmann-Claverie, Ondes Martenot; Asko and Schönberg Ensembles; Whitman String Quartet; Lydia Kavina, Theremin; Robert Moog, Moog synthesizer; Pauline Oliveros, accordion; Paul Dresher, guitar; X-ecutioners, Christian Marclay and Raz Mesinai, turntables; and Ensemble Sospeso.

Electronic Evolution does not aim to represent a history of electronic music, but to act as a bridge from early techniques, instruments, and innovations, to today's electronic music, including turntablism and modern sampling techniques. This series will juxtapose seminal electronic music classics with the very latest developments along the frontiers of new technology.

The series begins on Wednesday, July 12, at 8 p.m., in Alice Tully Hall, when Olivier Messiaen will be celebrated with a performance of his Trois petites liturgies de la Présence Divine (Three short liturgies of the Divine Presence) for Ondes Martenot, piano, ensemble and choir performed by the Asko and Schönberg Ensembles and the Vox Vocal Ensemble under the baton of Reinbert de Leeuw. Also on the bill will be Varèse's Deserts and the U.S. Premiere of Salome Fast by Dutch-based American composer Ron Ford.
Tickets: $38

On Thursday, July 13, at 8 p.m., a concert at the New York Society for Ethical Culture (Central Park West at 64th Street) will feature small ensembles performing electronic music, highlighted by the first all-electronic performance of Terry Riley's seminal work In C with an all-star cast of early innovators (including Robert Moog and Pauline Oliveros) as well as contemporary electronic artists. In addition, this program contains a World Premiere of Scott Johnson's Worth Having.
Tickets: $30

A concert exploring "Masterpieces of 20th Century Multi-Channel Tape Music" takes place on Friday, July 14 at 9 p.m., at Low Library Rotunda, Columbia University. Interactive displays will begin at 7 p.m. The concert at 9 p.m. will use state of the art multimedia technology to enhance the presentation of some of the most influential works of electronic music of the last half of the 20th century. Each work presented is indicative of one of the main schools of electronic composition. This evening is curated by Columbia University Computer Music Center.

The program includes Edgard Varèse's Poème électronique; Karlheinz Stockhausen's Gesang der Junglinge; Iannis Xenakis' Bohor; Denis Smalley's Vortex; J.B. Barriere's Chreod; and Paul Lansky's Night Traffic.

Most of the works on this concert are multi-channel works. Multi-channel works aim to immerse the audience in the sound world which is created. One of the techniques used for this effect is to place the audience in the middle and surround it with speakers. The Low Library rotunda is a circular presentation space, with a very high ceiling, and with the audience seated in the middle. This setting will enhance the surround feeling of the works.

The structure of each work, its compositional techniques and tools, the history of each work, and the relationship of each work to the development of electronic music will be presented through the following multimedia activities:

• electronic, web-based, program notes which will be available on the Lincoln Center and Columbia University websites a month before the concert. Computers will also be available at the concert site so members of the audience can access these notes there.
• audio-visual introductions for every piece which will be projected on a large screen in front of the audience.
• real time visual mapping/analysis of the structure of some of the compositions during their performance.
• multimedia, interactive installations showing present and future possibilities for the development of electronic music.

The techniques and equipment used to create the compositions of the concert will be placed in a historical perspective through an exhibition at the Low Library gallery space. The exhibition will include much of the original equipment of the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center (the first electronic music center in the United States) which has now evolved into the Columbia University Computer Music Center. The exhibition will be mounted in collaboration with the Low Library gallery and will stay open throughout July and August.

Some of the most cutting edge applications of computer music will be shown, allowing the audience to experience for themselves the current and possibly future trends and techniques established by the pieces/composers featured in the concert. All installations will require audience input for their operation. Speech, gestures, and pictures entered by the audience will be used to drive fascinating computer processes (like the game of life) in the creation of image and sound environments. These installations will be created by current graduate students at the Columbia University Computer Music Center and the creators will be there to assist the audience with the use of the installations.
Tickets: $15

"The Turntable as an Ensemble Instrument" will be the theme of the concert on Saturday, July 15 at 9 p.m. at the New York Society for Ethical Culture. John Cage's Imaginary Landscapes No. 5 will be performed in three different versions by live turntablists Christian Marclay, IXL, DJ Frankie, and DJ A. Vee. George Steel will conduct. Also on the program, the World Premiere of Raz Mesinai's String Quartet for 4 Turntables, performed by Rotor (DJ Olive, Toshio Kajiwara, and Raz Mesinai); The Kolabz re-creation of William Tell Overture featuring The Kolabz (Excess, IXL, Sugarcuts, and Mike Boogie); a Lincoln Center Festival commission of a New Work by X-ecutioners, featuring X-ecutioners (Roc Raida, Total Eclipse, Mista Sinista, and Rob Swift).
Tickets: $20

"Music from the Ether: A Celebration of the Theremin" is the theme of the concert on Wednesday, July 19 at 8 p.m. at New York Society for Ethical Culture. This concert will celebrate the Theremin in a program featuring the World Premiere performance of Howard Shore's Suite from the film Ed Wood and a World Premiere by Olga Neuwirth entitled Suite from Bählamms Fest "The Feast of the Lamb" as well as a rare performance of Spellbound by Miklós Rósza which has not been heard in New York for over 30 years, and classic early Theremin works performed by Ensemble Sospeso, conducted by Jeffrey Milarsky. Theremin soloist Lydia Kavina will also premiere her new composition.
Tickets: $20