Electronic Music Winners

various artists compilation - Electronic Music Winners

* originally posted on July 30, 2006

There was an electronic music competition that took place in the 1970s and the best pieces chosen by the judges were put on this record. Here's more information about this contest:

In the autumn of 1974, the League of Composers-International Society for Contemporary Music, U.S. Section, organized an International Electronic Music Competition, the first undertaken by the organization. Tapes of electronic music compositions were solicited from composers and electronic music studios all over the world. A distinguished panel agreed to select the winners.

The judges were:

Bulent Arel, composer and Professor of Music at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Mario Davidovsky, Pulitzer prize-winning composer, Co-Director of the Electronic Music Center of Columbia and Princeton Universities, and Professor of Music at City College of New York.

Jean Eichelberger Ivey, composer and teacher of composition and electronic music at Peabody Conservatory of Music.

J.K. Randall, composer and Professor of Music at Princeton University.

129 tapes representing composers from 15 countries were entered in the competition. Each judge listened to each tape individually, and then the judges met as a group to make their final selections. During the entire judging process, the tapes were placed in unlabeled boxes and identified only by numbers.

The winning compositions are presented in this album. It should be noted that no distinctions were made between the winning compositions, and that the order of works presented on the recording does not signify a ranking. Program notes and biographical material have been provided by the composers.

As President of the League-ISCM and coordinator of the International Electronic Music Competition, I feel that these works, besides being excellent pieces of music, represent a wide spectrum of approaches, attitudes, styles, and technical procedures that will give the listener much enjoyment and, also, an understanding of the breadth and sophistication of current electronic music. (Hubert S. Howe, Jr.)

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Maurice Wright - Electronic Composition {5:12}

2. Joel Gressel - Points In Time {6:50}

3. Daria Semegen - Electronic Composition No. 1 {5:37}

4. Menachem Zur - Chants For Magnetic Tape {3:50}

Side 2

1. Richard Cann - Bonnylee {1:22}

2. Arthur Kreiger - Short Piece {2:34}

3. Paul Lansky - mild und leise {17:39}

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