Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center (album)
Encyclopedia
Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center was an album of electronic music
released in 1961. It was the recording of a concert performed at the McMillin Theatre (today called the Miller Theatre) at Columbia University
on May 9 and 10, 1961. The stereo version was MS 6566 and the monophonic version was ML 5966. There was a sequel released in 1998 on the New World label titled Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center 1961–1973. Bülent Arel
is the only artist who appears on both albums.
The Arel composition is completely electronic, with articulated signals over a continuous background texture. Halim El-Dabh
's composition, an "electronic drama," has a text drawn from the epic of Layla and Majnun
, and consists primarily of tape manipulated instrumental and vocal sounds. Ussachevsky's work has lyrics derived from the Enuma Elish
creation myth, with chorus and electronic accompaniment. Babbitt's piece is composed entirely on the RCA Synthesizer. Davidovsky created a work manipulating sine wave
, square wave
, and white noise
generators. Luening's composition combines solo violin with RCA Synthesizer sound followed by tape manipulation.
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
released in 1961. It was the recording of a concert performed at the McMillin Theatre (today called the Miller Theatre) at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
on May 9 and 10, 1961. The stereo version was MS 6566 and the monophonic version was ML 5966. There was a sequel released in 1998 on the New World label titled Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center 1961–1973. Bülent Arel
Bülent Arel
Bülent Arel was a Turkish-born composer of contemporary classical music and electronic music.He was born in Istanbul, and studied composition at the Ankara Conservatory and sound engineering in Paris...
is the only artist who appears on both albums.
The Arel composition is completely electronic, with articulated signals over a continuous background texture. Halim El-Dabh
Halim El-Dabh
Halim Abdul Messieh El-Dabh is an Egyptian-born American composer, performer, ethnomusicologist, and educator, who has had a career spanning six decades...
's composition, an "electronic drama," has a text drawn from the epic of Layla and Majnun
Layla and Majnun
Layla and Majnun, also known as The Madman and Layla – in Arabic مجنون ليلى or قيس وليلى , in , Leyli və Məcnun in Azeri, Leyla ile Mecnun in Turkish, in Urdu and Hindi – is a classical Arab story, popularized by Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi's...
, and consists primarily of tape manipulated instrumental and vocal sounds. Ussachevsky's work has lyrics derived from the Enuma Elish
Enûma Elish
The is the Babylonian creation myth . It was recovered by Austen Henry Layard in 1849 in the ruined Library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh , and published by George Smith in 1876.The Enûma Eliš has about a thousand lines and is recorded in Old Babylonian on seven clay tablets, each holding...
creation myth, with chorus and electronic accompaniment. Babbitt's piece is composed entirely on the RCA Synthesizer. Davidovsky created a work manipulating sine wave
Sine wave
The sine wave or sinusoid is a mathematical function that describes a smooth repetitive oscillation. It occurs often in pure mathematics, as well as physics, signal processing, electrical engineering and many other fields...
, square wave
Square wave
A square wave is a kind of non-sinusoidal waveform, most typically encountered in electronics and signal processing. An ideal square wave alternates regularly and instantaneously between two levels...
, and white noise
White noise
White noise is a random signal with a flat power spectral density. In other words, the signal contains equal power within a fixed bandwidth at any center frequency...
generators. Luening's composition combines solo violin with RCA Synthesizer sound followed by tape manipulation.
Side one
- Bülent ArelBülent ArelBülent Arel was a Turkish-born composer of contemporary classical music and electronic music.He was born in Istanbul, and studied composition at the Ankara Conservatory and sound engineering in Paris...
: Stereo Electronic Music No. 1 – 10:28 - Halim El-DabhHalim El-DabhHalim Abdul Messieh El-Dabh is an Egyptian-born American composer, performer, ethnomusicologist, and educator, who has had a career spanning six decades...
: Leiyla and the Poet – 5:20 - Vladimir UssachevskyVladimir UssachevskyVladimir Kirilovitch Ussachevsky was a composer, particularly known for his work in electronic music.-Biography:...
: Creation—Prologue – 8:09
Side two
- Milton BabbittMilton BabbittMilton Byron Babbitt was an American composer, music theorist, and teacher. He is particularly noted for his serial and electronic music.-Biography:...
: Composition for Synthesizer – 10:36 - Mario DavidovskyMario DavidovskyMario Davidovsky is an Argentine-American composer. Born in Argentina, he emigrated in 1960 to the US, where he lives today...
: Electronic Study No. 1 – 5:50 - Otto LueningOtto LueningOtto Clarence Luening was a German-American composer and conductor, and an early pioneer of tape music and electronic music....
: Gargoyles – 9:21