| Robert Erickson |
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Information AboutRobert Erickson |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ROBERT ERICKSON | |
| 1917 births | |
| erickson, robert | |
| 1997 deaths | |
| 20th century classical composers | |
| american composers | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
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He taught at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota, San Francisco State College, University of California at Berkeley, and then the San Francisco Conservatory. Together with composer . Pauline Oliveros, among others, praises his teaching: "Robert Erickson was my principal composition teacher from 1954-60 and my professional mentor. His teaching was notable for supporting me to work in my own way as he did with all his students. His attitude in teaching composition was devoid of sexism or racism. He was ethical. His delight was helping others to be creative and professional in composition what ever the style. Erickson was skillful in drawing out the best abilities of his students. He was tireless in his investigation of music and had a wealth of advice and pointers to relevant musical resources - always useful and specific. His guidance was invaluable to me and to my peers (all male). None of us sounded alike in our compositions even though we liked and admired each other's work." Erickson was one of the first American composers to create tape music: "If you get right down to the bottom of what composers do, I think that what composers do now and have always done is to compose their environment in some sense. So I get a special little lift about working with environmental sounds." He also has used invented instruments such as Stroking Rods, used in ''Taffy Time'', ''Cardinitas 68'', and ''Roddy'' (electronic tape composition), Tube Drums, used in ''Cradle'', ''Cradle II'', and ''Tube Drum Studies'', and Percussion Loops Consol designed with Ron George, used in ''Pecussion Loops''. Many UCSD's faculty performers appear on his 1991 CRI release ''Robert Erickson: Sierra & Other Works'' (CD 616) playing works written for and with them: #''Kryl'' (1977), Harkins, named after the travelling cornet player Bohumir Kryl . The piece from time to time creates a Hocket between the singing and playing. #''Ricercar À 3'' (1967), Turetzky. For bass soloist live and on two tape tracks. #''Postcards'' (1981), Plantamura and lutist Jürgen Hübscher #''Dunbar's Delight'' (1985), timpanist Dan Dunbar . Virtuoso solo piece for timpany. #''Quoq'' (1978), flutist John Fonville . Named after "Finnegans Wake". #''Sierra'' (1984), baritone Philip Larson , SONOR Ensemble conduced by Thomas Nee. Commissioned by Thomas Buckner . For more information on the above pieces see the liner notes. He also has an album ''Pacific Sirens'' on New World Records. He wrote ''Ricercar a 5 for Trombones'' for Stuart Dempster . The piece uses barogue imitation as well as singing, whistling, fanfares, slides, and other Extended Technique s. He received several Yaddo Fellowships in the '50s and '60s, a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1966, a Ford Foundation Fellowship, was elected as a Fellow of the Institute for Creative Arts of the University of California in 1968, and his string quartet ''Solstice'' won the 1985 Friedham Award for Chamber Music. There are two books about Erickson's life and music: ''Thinking Sound Music: The Life and Work of Robert Erickson'' (ISBN 0914913336) by Charles Shere and ''Music of Many Means: Sketches and Essays on the Music of Robert Erickson'' (ISBN 0810830140) by Robert Erickson and John MacKay. SOURCE
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