Entrevista a Witold Lutoslawski

KPFA - 05.03.1991
Charles Amirkhanian

Charles Amirkhanian interviews Polish composer and conductor, Witold Lutoslawski (Warsaw, 1913, Warsaw 1994). They discuss the political changes in Poland after the end of the Cold War and how that effects the ability to criticize the government and change the way in which the arts are supported. Lutoslawski also talks about his composition, Mi-Parti, which was to be performed by the San Francisco Symphony soon after this interview. Charles then quizzes the maestro about the role of emotions in music, his opinion of some lesser known Polish composers, and the importance of silence while composing. Lutoslawski also discusses the difficulties he experienced as a composer in Poland during and soon after World War II.

Lou Harrison on Aaron Copland

07.02.1992

Charles Amirkhanian

As part of a February 7, 1991 program in memory of  Aaron Copland (New York, 1900 - New York, 1990), Charles Amirkhanian interviews composer Lou Harrison about his friendship with Copland, as well as playing some samples of Copland's music, and a brief excerpt from a talk by the quintessential 20th century American composer. Amirkhanian and Harrison discuss Copland's illustrious career, comparing his early and latter works, and pondering what more might have been, if it had not been for Copland's decline and eventual death due to Alzheimer's disease. Harrison expresses great admiration for, and just a bit of mystification about, the qualities of Copland's music that made it so representative of the American spirit, even more so than that of Charles Ives. And in a brief excerpt from a talk, we hear Copland himself suggest that his best music simply appears in his mind, rather than resulting from any more deliberate effort to fulfill the requirements of a commission.