New Music America:
1982, Program No. 1

Radio station WFMT in Chicago presents the first of six broadcasts from Navy Pier, as part of the fourth New Music America Festival. Charles Amirkhanian hosts, assisted by composer and vocalist, Joan La Barbara. The concert includes electronic music by Tom Cameron, Robert Moran’s “Spin Again” for harpsichords, organs, and percussion, “Autumn Resonance” for piano and delay by Wayne Siegel, and to conclude, Meredith Monk’s work for four voices and organs, “Turtle Dreams.” Also heard, although unfortunately not seen, is a work of avant-garde musical theater by the performing duo of Ed Harkins and Philip Larson known as THE. This work combines strictly choreographed movements by the two, often involving sight gags of one type or another, mixed with electronic and new wave rock music. The intermission features includes a profile of Charles Ives, a talk with John Cage about his sound installation “A Dip in the Lake”, and a look at the only theremin virtuoso ever, Clara Rockmore.