Program 522: Monsters and Musings
KALW Broadcast Date: June 29, 2018 | Host: Randall Wong
The first work, Frankenstein!, is by the neo-tonal, neo-expressionistic composer H.K. Gruber. The work melds components of cartoon music, jazz, and contemporary classical music into an action packed, and highly absurd, song cycle. Gruber employs a full sized symphony orchestra with many musicians doubling on children’s toys. Slide and wolf whistles, music boxes, taxi horns and kazoos are utilized to create an interactive and highly entertaining sound world.
Next we will hear the work, Dans Le Sable, from the Other Minds archive by the Bay Area native composer, Loren Rush. It is scored for the unorthodox ensemble of soprano, four altos, speaker; vibraphone, harp, celesta, and piano; alto flute, english horn, trumpet, trombone, bassoon and string quartet. The recording is an unreleased KPFA tape of a live performance that occurred on March 20, 1972 at the old DeYoung Museum in San Francisco. Randall was in the audience as a young student for this performance and cites it as being a very memorable experience.
Program Audio
30-Second Spot
Track Info & Links
Title: Frankenstein!!
Composer: Heinz Karl “Mali” Gruber
Performers: Franz Welser-Möst, Conductor/Camerata Academica Salzburg, Orchestra and Heinz Karl Gruber, voice
Recording Title: Gruber: Frankenstein
Record Label: EMI
Catalog Number: B000002RYW
Title: Dans Le Sable
Composer: Loren Rush
Performers: Loren Rush, Conductor/ San Francisco Conservatory of Music New Music Ensemble/Anna Carol Dudley, Soprano/Martin Bresnick, Speaker
Recording Title: N/A
Record Label: KPFA live recording, March 20, 1972
Catalog Number: N/A
