Speaking of Music:
Conlon Nancarrow (1984)

Recorded on February 2, 1984 as part of the San Francisco Exploratorium’s Speaking of Music series Charles Amirkhanian interviews composer Conlon Nancarrow before a live audience. The program begins with a short slide show narrated by Eva Soltes, about life and work of Conlon Nancarrow. Charles Amirkhanian then talks with the composer about his music. Conlon Nancarrow has been recognized as one of the most fascinating 20th century composers in the world. An expatriate American who lived in Mexico City, Nancarrow composed almost exclusively for the player piano. His incredibly complex scores are not playable by human hands, but through his laborious hand-punched piano rolls, the music is dazzling in its speed and complexity. In this program Nancarrow discussed the oppressive political atmosphere that led him to leave the United States, the reasons he took up his unique composing style, and the lengthy process of producing a composition. (from KPFA Folio)