Vladimir Ussachevsky
Encyclopedia
Vladimir Kirilovitch Ussachevsky (Hailar, Manchuria
, November 3, 1911 – New York
, New York
, January 2, 1990) was a composer, particularly known for his work in electronic music
.
parents in Manchuria
(now Inner Mongolia
, China
), Ussachevsky emigrated to the United States
in 1931 and studied music at Pomona College
in Claremont
, California
(B.A., 1935), as well as at the Eastman School of Music
in Rochester
, New York
(M.M., 1936, Ph.D., 1939). His early, neo-Romantic works were composed for traditional instruments, but in 1951 he began composing electronic music. He served as president of the American Composers Alliance
from 1968 to 1970 and was an advisory member of the CRI
record label, which released recordings of a number of his compositions. Recordings of his music have also been released on the Capstone, d'Note, and New World labels.
division in World War II
, he joined the faculty of Columbia University
, teaching there until his retirement in 1980. Together with Otto Luening
, Ussachevsky founded, in 1959, the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center in New York City
. While acting as head of the Electronic Music Center Ussachevsky specified the ADSR envelope in 1965, a basic component of modern synthesizer
s, samplers
and electronic instruments. Ussachevsky also taught and was composer-in-residence at the University of Utah
.
His notable students include Charles Wuorinen
, Alice Shields
, Ilhan Mimaroglu
, Faye-Ellen Silverman
, Charles L. Bestor
, Ingram Marshall
, Wendy Carlos
, and Richard Einhorn
.
This is a compilation rerelease of recordings originally issued on various CRI LP's in the 1960s and 70's.
"Vladimir Ussachevsky: Film Music". New York: New World Records (80389), 1990.
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
, November 3, 1911 – New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, January 2, 1990) was a composer, particularly known for his work in electronic music
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...
.
Biography
Born to RussianRussians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
parents in Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
(now Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
), Ussachevsky emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1931 and studied music at Pomona College
Pomona College
Pomona College is a private, residential, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887 in Pomona, California by a group of Congregationalists, the college moved to Claremont in 1889 to the site of a hotel, retaining its name. The school enrolls 1,548 students.The founding member...
in Claremont
Claremont, California
Claremont is a small affluent college town in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population as of the 2010 census is 34,926. Claremont is known for its seven higher-education institutions, its...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(B.A., 1935), as well as at the Eastman School of Music
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
in Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(M.M., 1936, Ph.D., 1939). His early, neo-Romantic works were composed for traditional instruments, but in 1951 he began composing electronic music. He served as president of the American Composers Alliance
American Composers Alliance
The American Composers Alliance is an American membership organization dedicated to the publishing and promoting of American contemporary classical music. Founded in 1937 by Aaron Copland, Milton Adolphus and others, it is the oldest national organization of its kind, and represents over 200...
from 1968 to 1970 and was an advisory member of the CRI
Composers Recordings, Inc.
Composers Recordings, Inc. was an American record label dedicated to the recording of contemporary classical music by American composers. It was founded in 1954 by Otto Luening, Douglas Moore, and Oliver Daniel, and based in New York City....
record label, which released recordings of a number of his compositions. Recordings of his music have also been released on the Capstone, d'Note, and New World labels.
Teaching career
In 1947, following a stint with the U.S. Army IntelligenceArmy Intelligence
Army Intelligence may refer to:* The intelligence component of a given nation's army.* In the United States, Army Intelligence is usually referred to as Military Intelligence .-Further reading:...
division in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he joined the faculty of 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...
, teaching there until his retirement in 1980. Together with Otto Luening
Otto Luening
Otto Clarence Luening was a German-American composer and conductor, and an early pioneer of tape music and electronic music....
, Ussachevsky founded, in 1959, the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. While acting as head of the Electronic Music Center Ussachevsky specified the ADSR envelope in 1965, a basic component of modern synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, samplers
Sampler (musical instrument)
A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
and electronic instruments. Ussachevsky also taught and was composer-in-residence at the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
.
His notable students include Charles Wuorinen
Charles Wuorinen
Charles Peter Wuorinen is a prolific Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer born and living in New York City. His catalog of more than 250 compositions includes works for orchestra, opera, chamber music, as well as solo instrumental and vocal works...
, Alice Shields
Alice Shields
Alice Shields is an American composer. She is a respected electronic composer particularly known for her work in opera....
, Ilhan Mimaroglu
Ilhan Mimaroglu
İlhan Mimaroğlu is a musician and composer. He was born in Istanbul, Turkey on March 11, 1926, the son of the famous architect Mimar Kemaleddin Bey depicted on the Turkish lira banknotes, denomination 20 lira, of the 2009 E-9 emission. He graduated from Galatasaray High School in 1945 and the...
, Faye-Ellen Silverman
Faye-Ellen Silverman
Faye-Ellen Silverman is an American composer of contemporary classical music. She is also an author and an educator.-Life and education:...
, Charles L. Bestor
Charles L. Bestor
Charles Lemon Bestor is an American composer of contemporary classical music, professor, and administrator....
, Ingram Marshall
Ingram Marshall
Ingram Marshall is an American composer and a former student of Vladimir Ussachevsky and Morton Subotnick. Son of Bernice Douglas and Harry Reinhard Marshall, Sr. He was a talented soprano in the Boy's Choir at the Mt. Vernon Community Church, and was influenced early by noted music instructor,...
, Wendy Carlos
Wendy Carlos
Wendy Carlos is an American composer and electronic musician. Carlos first came to notice in the late 1960s with recordings made on the Moog synthesizer, then a relatively new and unknown instrument; most notable were LPs of synthesized Bach and the soundtrack for Stanley Kubrick's film A...
, and Richard Einhorn
Richard Einhorn
Richard Einhorn is a modern classical composer.Graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University in New York City in 1975, studied composition and electronic music with Jack Beeson, Vladimir Ussachevsky, and Mario Davidovsky....
.
Discography
"VLADIMIR USSACHEVSKY ELECTRONIC AND ACOUSTIC WORKS 1957–1972". New York: New World Records (80654-2), 2007.This is a compilation rerelease of recordings originally issued on various CRI LP's in the 1960s and 70's.
- Metamorphosis (1957)
- Linear Contrasts (1958)
- Wireless Fantasy (1960)
- Of Wood and Brass (1965)
- Computer Piece No. 1 (1968)
- Two Sketches for a Computer Piece (1971)
- Three Scenes from The Creation (1960; rev. 1973)
- Missa Brevis (1972)
"Vladimir Ussachevsky: Film Music". New York: New World Records (80389), 1990.
- Suite from No Exit (1962)
- Line of Apogee (1967)
External links
- Art of the States: Vladimir Ussachevsky
- Listen to Ussachevsky's "Incantation for Tape" (with Otto Luening) at Acousmata music blog
- CMC (previously known as the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center) history page.