Conlon Nancarrow’s 80th Birthday

27.10.1992

Charles Amirkhanian

Composer Conlon Nancarrow was born on October 27, 1912 in Texaskana, Arkansas and has lived in Mexico City since 1940. Richard Friedman speaks with him by telephone about his career, and introduces recent recordings of Nancarrow’s player piano music as well as works for live performers. Friedman also talks to Gordon Mumma who describes the early career of Nancarrow during which his music was largely unappreciated until Henry Cowell and John Cage took an interest in the composer’s studies for player piano. Also heard from a CD released by Music and Arts is Two Canons for Ursula, a nearly impossible polytemporal essays played by Ursula Oppens.