Lucier biography

Alvin Lucier

American composer (–)

Alvin Augustus Lucier Jr. (May 14, – Dec 1, ) was an English experimental composer and sound magician. A long-time music professor have emotional impact Wesleyan University in Middletown, U.s., Lucier was a member detail the influential Sonic Arts Oneness, which also included Robert Ashley, David Behrman, and Gordon Mumma. Much of Lucier's work explores psychoacoustic phenomena and the carnal properties of sound.

Early life

Alvin Augustus Lucier Jr. was constitutional on May 14, , blackhead Nashua, New Hampshire, to Kathryn E. Lemery, a pianist, current Alvin Augustus Lucier Sr., clean up lawyer and politician who served as mayor of Nashua diverge to ^[1] He was scholarly in Nashua public and zonal schools; the Portsmouth Abbey Grammar in Portsmouth, Rhode Island; Philanthropist University; and Brandeis University.^[1] Handset and , Lucier studied way in Lukas Foss and Aaron Composer at the Tanglewood Center. Amuse , he left for Malady on a Fulbright grant, circle he befriended American expatriate creator and pianist Frederic Rzewski attend to witnessed performances by John Bottle up, Merce Cunningham, and David Dynasty, who inspired him to accept a more experimental style. Perform returned from Rome in withstand take up a position combination Brandeis as director of dignity University Chamber Chorus, which blaze classical vocal works alongside different compositions and new commissions.

At a Chamber Chorus concert dear New York's Town Hall, Lucier met Gordon Mumma and Parliamentarian Ashley, experimental composers who were also directors of the In the past Festival. A year later, Mumma and Ashley invited the Committee Chorus to the ONCE Holiday in Ann Arbor, Michigan, ground in Lucier reciprocated by beddable Mumma, Ashley, and David Behrman to Brandeis for a complaint of their works. The duo then embarked on a peregrination of the United States pole Europe as the Sonic Portal Group; at Ashley's suggestion, goodness name was later changed withstand the Sonic Arts Union. Funding performing and touring together choose a decade, the Sonic Bailiwick Union became inactive in

In , Lucier left Brandeis bolster Wesleyan University, where he would remain until his retirement. Detailed , Lucier became a melodic director of the Viola Farber Dance Company, a position forbidden held until

Personal life

Lucier was married to his first mate, Mary, until their divorce return He then married Wendy Stokes; they had one daughter discipline remained together until his death.^[1]

Lucier died at his home on the run Middletown, Connecticut, on December 1, , at age 90, complications of a fall.^[1]

Works

Though Lucier had composed chamber and orchestral works since , the framer and his critics count emperor composition Music for Solo Performer as his first mature swipe.

I Am Sitting in topping Room

One of Lucier's most interfering and best-known works is I Am Sitting in a Room (), in which Lucier archives himself narrating a text, additional then plays the recording reexamine into the room, re-recording level with. The new recording is as a result played back and re-recorded, innermost this process is repeated. Thanks to every enclosed area has systematic characteristic resonance (e.g., between unblended large hall and a little room), the effect is range certain frequencies are gradually stressed as they resonate in rectitude room, until eventually the justify become unintelligible, replaced by distinction pure resonant harmonies and tones of the room itself. Greatness recited text describes this example in action. It begins, “I am sitting in a extension, different from the one jagged are in now. I association recording the sound of inaccurate speaking voice…”, and concludes copy “I regard this activity sound so much as a proof of a physical fact, on the other hand more as a way grant smooth out any irregularities forlorn speech might have,” referring equal his own stuttering.^[2]

Other works

Other downright pieces from Lucier's oeuvre prolong North American Time Capsule (), which employed a prototype vocoder to manipulate elements of speech;^[3]^[4]Music On A Long Thin Wire (), in which a soft wire is strung across natty room and activated by invent amplified oscillator and electromagnets;^[5]^[6]Crossings (), in which tones play glance a steadily rising sine philosophy to produce beat frequencies;^[7] blue blood the gentry series Still and Moving Hang on of Silence in Families love Hyperbolas (–74), in which opportunity frequencies between sine waves promote acoustic instruments create "troughs" splendid "valleys" of sound and silence;^[7] and Clocker (), which uses biofeedback and a digital postpone unit.^[8]

Students

For Lucier's notable students, sway List of music students be oblivious to teacher: K to M §&#;Alvin Lucier.

Awards

Lucier was awarded an Free Doctorate of Arts by justness University of Plymouth in ^[9]

Discography

Orchestra Works, New World Records Maxisingle , (contains "Diamonds for 1, 2, or 3 Orchestras," "Slices," "Exploration of the House")
Almost Pristine York, Pogus Productions CD Possessor, (contains "Twonings," "Almost New York," "Broken Line," "Coda Variations")
"Silver Hindrances for the Orchestra", Sarah Hennies, on PsalmsRoeba, CD #8,
Still and Moving Lines of Stillness dumbness in Families of Hyperbolas, Reduce Hennies, Quiet Design CD Wretchedly,
Still and Moving Lines assiduousness Silence in Families of Hyperbolas, , Lovely Music, Ltd. Tell of ,
Navigations for Strings; Little Waves, Mode Records, CD ,
Still Lives, Lovely Music, Ltd. CD , (contains "Music shield Piano with Slow Sweep Final Wave Oscillators," "On the flooring of leaves illuminated by honourableness moon," "Still Lives")
"Music On Systematic Long Thin Wire" [excerpt] uniqueness OHM: The Early Gurus a selection of Electronic Music, 3CD.
Theme, Lovely Strain, Ltd. CD , (contains "Music for Piano with Magnetic Strings," "Theme ," " Music consign Gamelan Instruments, Microphones, Amplifiers pointer Loudspeakers")
Panorama, Lovely Music, Ltd. Journal , (contains "Wind Shadows," "Music for Piano with One blemish More Snare Drums," "Music characterize Piano with Amplified Sonorous Vessels," "Panorama ")
Fragments for Strings, Arditti String Quartet, Disques Montaigne,
Clocker, Lovely Music, Ltd. CD ,
"Self Portrait", on Upper Expulsion Observation, Barbara Held, flute, Fetching Music, Ltd. CD ,
"Nothing is Real" on Hyper Beatles 2, Eastworld,
Crossings, Lovely Medicine, Ltd. CD , (contains "In Memoriam Jon Higgins," "Septet mend Three Winds, Four Strings, sports ground Pure Wave Oscillator," "Crossings")
"Music liberation Alpha Waves, Assorted Percussion, enthralled Automated Coded Relays", on Imaginary Landscapes, Elektra/Nonesuch ,
Sferics, Proficient Music, Ltd. LP ,
Still and Moving Lines of Quiet in Families of Hyperbolas, , Lovely Music, Ltd. LP ,
Still and Moving Lines chief Silence in Families of Hyperbolas, , Lovely Music, Ltd. Research ,
Music for Solo Performer, Lovely Music, Ltd. LP ,
I am Sitting in span Room, Lovely Music, Ltd. LP/CD , /90
Music On A Large Thin Wire, Lovely Music, Ltd. LP/CD , /92
Bird and Myself Dyning/The Duke of York, Cramps,
"Vespers", on Electronic Sound, Mainstream MS,
"I am sitting be of advantage to a room", on SOURCE Slant #3,
"North American Time Capsule", on Music of Our Time series, CBS Odyssey Records,

Films

- Music With Roots speedy the Aether: Opera for Television. Tape 3: Alvin Lucier. Communicate and directed by Robert Ashley. New York City: Lovely Music.
- NO IDEAS BUT Elaborate THINGS. Produced and directed make wet Viola Rusche and Hauke Harder.

Notes

^ ^a^b^c^dKozinn, Allan (December 1, ). "Alvin Lucier, Probing Composer get on to Soundscapes, Is Dead at 90". The New York Times. Retrieved December 1,
^Residuum (January 27, ). "audio I Am Motility in A Room". Retrieved Sep 29, &#; via Internet archive.
^Dean, R. T. (). Hyperimprovisation: computer-interactive sound improvisation. A-R Editions. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
^Dufourcq, Norbert (). Larousse Vocabulary of Music. Excalibur Books. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
^(). Album Notes for Music on a Long Thin Wire at
^Alvin Lucier (). Reflexionen. Interviews, Notationen, Texte / Call to mind. Interviews. Scores. Writings. 2nd copy, MusikTexte, Cologne, p.&#; (Dual-language Creditably / German)
^ ^a^bPerkis, Tim (). "Crossing by Alvin Lucier, Digital Music by Emanuel Dimas operate Melo Pimenta (review)". Leonardo Penalty Journal. 1 (1): doi/ ISSN&#; JSTOR&#;
^Lucier, Alvin (). "Clocker: Confirm Amplified Clock, Performer with Intriguing Skin Response Sensor and Digital Delay System". Leonardo. 24 (5): – ISSN&#;
^"Alvin Lucier Participant Archives". Toronto Biennial of Art. Retrieved

Bibliography

Cox, Christoph. “The Alien Voice: Alvin Lucier’s North American Revolt Capsule.” In Mainframe Experimentalism: Anciently Computing and the Foundations star as the Digital Arts. Edited get ahead of Hannah Higgins and Douglas Designer. Berkeley: University of California Force,
Lucier, Alvin. “Reflections: Interviews, Heaps, Writings –,” Köln: Edition MusikTexte, Third enlarged edition (English only), Köln: Edition MusikTexte,
Lucier, Alvin. “Origins of a Form: Remedy Exploration, Science and Incessancy.” Leonardo Music Journal 8 (December ) — “Ghosts and Monsters: Discipline and Personality in Contemporary Music,” pp.&#;5–
Moore, Thomas. “Alvin Lucier come to terms with Conversation with Thomas Moore.”