Beth Anderson

http://www.beand.com/

Beth Anderson on phoning up John Cage, not "looking like" a composer, and the collage that is life. 

 

Photo: Suzanne Kaufman

 

WHO

Beth Anderson is a composer of new romantic music, text-sound works, and music theater events. Her early work was considered post-Cagian, non-academic but more recently, the music became more lyrical while retaining the cut-up quality of the minimalists. She has composed and has had produced an opera, an oratorio, three off-off Broadway musicals, several downtown music theater collaborations, music for orchestra, voice, chorus, tape, instrumental solos with and without electronic modulation, and a large amount of chamber music, in this country and in Europe, on radio and in concert. She has taught at New York University, Mills College Preparatory, the N.Y.C. Public School System, Young Audiences, the New School for Social Research, D.C. 37, and the College of New Rochelle. Her articles have been published in Heresies Magazine, Paid My Dues, The Soho Weekly News, and in Ear Magazine, which she created/edited/published in New York City and edited/published in San Francisco. Her publishers include Joshua Corp./E.M.I., Recital Music in England and Antes/Bella Musica in Germany.

EXTRAS

Beth's 1980 essay, Beauty Is Revolution.
"You have to say yes to what comes out. You can scoot it around a bit, but the basic material that jumps out of you is you. If you say, "That sounds like a raisin commercial," you are telling yourself you are trashy. You are allowing others to tell you what real art is."

WATCH

September Swale (1993) by Beth Anderson performed by Joseph Kubera 3/25/16 NYC Ever since a horse named Swale won the Kentucky derby several years ago, the composer has used the word "swale" frequently to describe many of her works. A swale is a meadow or a marsh whose abundant nourishment and moisture support a rich diversity of plant life.
Performed by Andrew Bolotowsky, baroque flute Gregory Bynum, alto recorder David Bakamjian, baroque cello Rebecca Pechefsky, harpsichord Brooklyn Baroque The Eighth Ancestor is a character that I read about in a Zen book entitled SELLING WATER BY THE RIVER. This ancestor's message is that it does no good to be angry.

WHAT's mentioned in this episode:

Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/listeningtoladies Listening to Ladies showcases women composers through online features, a concert series, and a podcast to be released in September 2016. Learn more at: www.listeningtoladies.com This video features "The More Things Change" composed by Ingrid Stölzel.

LISTEN

I Can't Stand It begins at 0:55. From the album Peachy Keen-O, Pogus 2003.

Uploaded by Chris Finnegan on 2015-02-28.

Torero Piece begins at 4:20. From the album Peachy Keen-O, Pogus 2003.

Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises Torero Piece · Beth Anderson Peachy Keen-O ℗ 2003 Pogus Released on: 2004-11-09 Auto-generated by YouTube.

Ode begins at 7:49. From the album Peachy Keen-O, Pogus 2003.

Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises Ode · Beth Anderson Peachy Keen-O ℗ 2003 Pogus Released on: 2004-11-09 Auto-generated by YouTube.

Pennyroyal Swale begins at 11:01 and is excerpted again at 24:45. From the album Swales and Angels, New World Records 2004. 

Beth Anderson's Pennyroyal Swale Part 1. Ms. Anderson's beautiful music for string quartet, set to images of Kentucky by photographer James Archambeault. Video by Dmitriy Khavin.

New Mexico Swale begins at 16:24. From the album Swales and Angels, New World Records 2004. 

Composed by Beth Anderson. From the album Swales and Angels, New World Records. Copyright 2004 Recorded Anthology of American Music, Inc. Flute/piccolo: Andrew Bolotowsky Violin: Dirk Van Der Hauwe Viola: Mark Sonnaert Cello: Ilia Laporev Percussion: David Rozenblatt Conductor: Gary M. Schneider

Note: The final music excerpted is a 2nd section of Pennyroyal Swale.