S21:  No offense but Buffalo seems an unlikely place for one of the most important new music festivals in the world, can you give us some history on how the June in Buffalo series developed?
 
Felder:  BUFFALO DOES SEEM TO HAVE AN ESPECIALLY RESONANT PLACE IN THE COLLECTIVE--IMAGES OF RUST AND POLKAS SEEM TO FLOAT IN A HUGE PILE OF SNOW  AND ICE FOR PEOPLE. BUT, IT JUST AIN'T SO. IT'S ACTUALLY A SMALL BUT PRETTY  VIBRANT COMMUNITY WITH A LOT OF 'TRADITION' IN CONTEMPORARY ART, INCLUDING THE TERRIFIC ART GALLERY, THE ALBRIGHT-KNOX, AND THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, WHICH HAS A LONG HISTORY NOW (ALMOST 40 YEARS) OF FOSTERING
CREATIVE ARTISTS. FOLKS LIKE POETS BOB CREELEY, IRVING FELDMAN, AND CHARLES BERNSTEIN ARE MY COLLEAGUES, AND THE LIST OF COMPOSERS WHO HAVE BEEN HERE ON FACULTY THROUGH VISITING PROFESSORSHIPS IS A VERITABLE WHO'S WHO.
 
JUNE IN BUFFALO WAS AN OFFSHOOT OF THE CENTER FOR THE CREATIVE ASSOCIATES FOUNDED BY FOSS, ALLAN SAPP, AND THE UNIVERSITY WITH BIG DOLLAR SPONSORSHIP FROM ROCKEFELLER IN 1963. MORTY PUT THE FIRST ONE TOGETHER IN 1975 AS A KIND OF SPRING FESTIVAL -- SOMEWHERE BETWEEN DARMSTADT AND PRAGUE SPRING IN TONE. THE IDEA WAS TO BRING COMPOSERS IN AND TO DO MOSTLY PORTRAIT CONCERTS, AND TO HAVE SOME YOUNG COMPOSERS IN TO BASK IN THE GLOW. THE SERIES WENT ON THIS WAY FOR FIVE YEARS, THEN MORTY GOT TIRED OF PRODUCING PROGRAMS AND HUSTLING FOR MONEY, BOTH IMMENSE HASSLES, I CAN TELL YOU. THE PROGRAMS PRODUCED WERE VERY IMPRESSIVE. WHEN I CAME IN 1985-6, I BEGAN AGAIN, VERY MODESTLY TO START, AND WITH A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ATMOSPHERE AND PURPOSE. AT THAT TIME THERE WERE ALMOST NO SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG COMPOSERS AND IT WAS PRETTY DIFFICULT TO GET ANY KNID OF REASONABLY GOOD PERFORMANCE. OUR RESOURCES WERE DIRECTED TO PRODUCING EXTREMELY HIGH LEVEL PERFORMANCES OF SENIOR AND EMERGING COMPOSERS ON AN EQUAL FOOTING.
 
S21:   You took over as director of the festival from Morton Feldman a couple of
 years before his death.  Tell us about working with Feldman.
 
Felder:  I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DO THIS JUSTICE. MORTY WAS A FABULOUS GUY, WITH AN INCREDIBLE SENSE OF HUMOR, AN IMPECCABLE TIMING, AND WITH A
PERSONALITY THAT WAS ON THE SURFACE VERY DIFFERENT THAT WHAT PEOPLE MIGHT THINK FROM LISTENING TO HIS WORK. I HAD A GREAT TIME WORKING WITH HIM, WE TAUGHT A SEMINAR TOGETHER FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS; BUT HE LEFT ME ALONE TO DO THE FESTIVAL THE WAY I WANTED TO DO IT, WHICH CERTAINLY WAS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HE DID. EVERYONE WHO KNEW MORTY HAS FABULOUS STORIES--I COULD TELL YOU HUNDREDS OF HILARIOUS ANECDOTES. AND OF COURSE THERE WAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE AROUND THAT REMARKABLE MUSIC AND THE MAN WHO WAS MAKING IT. HE WAS REALLY GENEROUS AND FRIENDLY ABOUT WHAT HE WAS DOING AT ANY MOMENT AN WOULD ALWAYS TAKE HIS TIME TO TALK WITH ME ABOUT WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO. I STILL HAVE REMARKS BOUNCING AROUND IN ME FROM 1987 THAT ARE STILL PROVOKING QUESTIONS AND PROVIDING INSPIRATION. I CALLED HIM  'THE ANTIDOTE' IN THOSE DAYS--WHEN I GOT ALL BRAINY ABOUT WHAT I WAS DOING, I GOT A SHOT OF FELDMAN, AND VOILA...
 
S21: Tell us about some of the composers and works on this year's program that
interest you.
 
Felder: WE HAVE SOME NEW PIECES WRITTEN FOR US FROM WUORINEN, RANDS, READ THOMAS,  AND REYNOLDS, AS WELL AS MY NEW PIECE DEDICATED TO MORTY. THERE ARE A BUNCH OF INCREDIBLE CONCERTS--ALL REICH WITH STEVE, ALL GLASS WITH  PHILIP, TWO NEW YORK NEW MUSIC ENSEMBLE CONCERTS WITH CRUMB, FOSS, WUORINEN, ERB, THE JUNE IN  BUFFALO CHAMBER ORCHESTRA, A TRULY GREAT GROUP, PLAYING TWO OF MY PIECES, TWO FELDMAN, AND ALSO FOSS, THE SLEE SINFONIETTA, THE BUGALLO/WILLIAMS DUO, AND THE FELDMAN SOLOISTS (MORTY'S GROUP -- WITHOUT MORTY...) PLAYING "CRIPPLED SYMMETRY", A REAL TREAT. WE'RE DOING SOME RECORDING, BUT THESE CONCERTS ARE A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY FOR LISTENERS.

THE DATES ARE JUNE 5-15 IN BUFFALO FOLLOWED BY A REPEAT PERFORMANCE OF
CRIP SYM IN NYC ON JUNE 16 AT GOETHE HOUSE ON FIFTH AVENUE.
 
S21:  What were your earliest musical influences?  Whose work has influenced you most and why? 

I WAS A SINGER AND DEEPLY LOVED 15TH AND 16TH CENTURY CONTRAPUNTAL STUFF, PARTICULARLY THE VENETIANS. FROM THERE I SEEM TO HAVE GOTTEN TO BRASS MUSIC BY PLAYING SOME AND HANGING OUT WITH GREAT PLAYERS, EVEN 
CONDUCTING QUINTETS, ETC.

QUICKLY VARESE BECAME AN ICON FOR ME WHILE I WAS VERY YOUNG, AND FROM
THERE IT RADIATES OUT IN A LOT OF DIRECTIONS--THE CONNECTIVE TISSUE
ALWAYS IS THE POWER AND BEAUTY IN SOUNDS THEMSELVES, AND THE FEW
COMPOSERS THAT HAVE THE AWARENESS AND THE ABILITY TO MAKE WORKS THAT CAN TRANSCEND. ITS AN ELITE COMPANY; I OCCASIONALLY RETURN TO MAHLER, DUFAY, GABRIELLI, BRAHMS AND NORTH INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC, DERVISH MUSIC, AND  TIBETAN CHANTING; THERE ARE SOME GREAT CONTEMPORARIES, TOO, BUT I DON'T WISH TO OFFEND BY LEAVING SOMEONE OFF THE LIST THAT I SHOULD INCLUDE...
 
S21:  With so many "classics" firmly established in the repertory and audiences
so generally conservative, how difficult is it for new music to get an
audience?
 
Felder:   REALLY DIFFICULT. EVERYWHERE COMPOSERS HAVE BEEN CO-OPTED BY THE BIG INSTITUTIONS IN THE 1990'S. NOW WE HAVE 'USER-FRIENDLY' CONTEMPORARY MUSIC BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF COMPETITIVE COMPOSERS, BIG MONIES TO BE MADE, AND INSTITUTIONS INTENT UPON SUCCESS MEASURED PURELY IN RECEIPTS--A HORRIBLE MIX THAT HAS CHANGED EVERYTHING. AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE FOUNDATIONS WHO EXPECT MUSIC TO SERVE PURPOSES OF SOCIAL ENGINEERING, AND MEASURE THE WORK MADE IN 'OUTCOMES', EDUCATOR-SPEAK. HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE...
 
COMPOSERS SEEM TO HAVE THOROUGHLY ABSORBED THE SLAVISH ATTITUDE OF WISHING TO PLEASE THEIR MASTERS AND SO BEING 'NICE'; AND THIS ATTITUDE IS SO THOROUGHLY RATIONALIZED AND DEEPLY INTERNALIZED THAT THOSE SAME COMPOSERS WILL ARGUE VEHEMENTLY THAT THEY ARE 'RADICAL' HAVING CO-OPTED A 'VOCABULARY'FROM ELSEWHERE, HISTORICALLY, AND CULTURALLY SPEAKING. FOR ME, THIS IS NOT A WONDERFUL DEVELOPMENT...
 
S21:  Tell us about your day-to-day life, your family, your work habits, and how you achieve a balance between your career as a composer, and a teacher and festival director.
 
Felder:   OUCH. ITS REALLY A CHALLENGE. IT WAS AN IMPOSSIBLE CHALLENGE WHEN I WAS CHAIR OF THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT, SO I FOCUSSED UPON REVISIONS AND RECORDING OF EXISTING WORKS, SKETCHING, AND RUMINATING ABOUT WHAT I WOULD WANT TO DO WHEN I STOPPED RUNNING A MUSIC DEPARTMENT. AS I'VE RETURNED TO NORMALCY, OR WHAT PASSES FOR THAT AS A COMPOSER, I TRY TO WORK EACH MORNING WHEN I GET UP (AFTER SPORTSCENTER), AT LEAST UNTIL NOON. ON THE DAYS THAT I TEACH, I STILL GIVE MYSELF SOME HOURS IN THE MORNING--THIS PLAN WAS A RESULT OF SOME TALKS WITH TAKEMITSU I HAD YEARS AGO ABOUT WORK...WHEN I'M  REALLY STUCK I VACUUM. MY MODEL IS A HOOVER. RECENTLY I'VE HAD A VERY CLEAN HOUSE, BUT I'M PLEASED TO REPORT AN INCREASING ACCUMULATION OF 'SCHMUTZ' LATELY... SUMMERS AND BREAKS ARE USUALLY VERY REWARDING TIMES;  MY LIFE IS COMPLICATED BY THE FACT THAT I HAVE HAD EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING EXPERIENCES WITH THE 'CLASSICAL MUSIC INSTITUTIONS' SUCH AS ORCHESTRAS, AND SO IF I WANT SOMETHING TO BE DONE, I DO IT MYSELF, A LOT OF EXTRA WORK.
 
S21:   Simon Rattle remarked in an interview with us that there are few periods in history when so many kinds of music were being produced at the same time as today.  Do you see any patterns that suggest a trend or direction?
 
Felder:   HE IS RIGHT. THE CLEAR EVIDENCE IS MULTIPLICITY -- THE MARKETERS AND CORPORATIONS WILL PUSH "SALEABLE" COMPOSERS, USUALLY FOR MUSICALLY
IRRELEVANT REASONS SUCH AS ETHNICITY AND MARKET DEMOGRAHIC POTENTIAL, AND ATTEMPT TO CREATE 'BRANDS', LIKE THE SONY CORPORATION AND TAN DUN. AND THERE WILL BE TRIBES OF IMITATORS SUCKING UP AFTER SLOPPY SECONDS. BUT THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT A HUGE NUMBER OF INDEPENDENTS ARE DOING--IF A LISTENER WANTS IT IT WILL BE OUT THERE AND AVAILABLE. WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS DESIREABLE IS A DIFFERENT QUESTION; WHAT IS THE MEANING BEHIND THE 'TOWER OF BABEL' MYTH?
 
S21:  This is a tough question, but what would be your five Desert Island disks?

Felder:   IT IS TOUGH...MOSTLY I DON'T LISTEN TO MUCH...IF I WAS MAROONED (GILLIGAN, PARTY OF ONE, YOUR TABLE IS READY) I WOULD WANT MUSIC TO HAVE A VERY SPECIAL SET OF PURPOSES FOR ME, NOT FOR CASUAL LISTENING. SO IT WOULD PROBABLY INCLUDE GYOTO MONKS, NUSRAT KHAN, BRAHMS GERMAN REQUIEM, MAHLER TWO, AND MAYBE THE TALLIS SCHOLARS WITH A BUNCH OF EARLY CHORAL STUFF LIKE CHRISTMAS/EASTER MUSIC FROM DUFAY, OCKEGEHM,
PALESTRINA, ET AL. I WOULD HOPE THAT I HAD A COUPLE OF MY CASSETTES WITH
ME, TOO, LIKE FELDMAN VIOLIN AND ORCHESTRA, WUORINEN GENESIS, IVES THREE
PLACES, AND A FEW ZAPPA TUNES, TOO.
 
S21:  What are you working on now?  How is it going?

Felder:  JUST ABOUT TO RELEASE A NEW ORCHESTRAL DISC ON MODE, AND JUST FINISHED A CHAMBER ORCHESTRA/PERCUSSION CONCERTO THAT WE'LL DO IN JUNE. NEXT TUESDAY, WE PREMIERE A MAJOR REVISION OF MY  FUTE/ELECTRONICS/ CHAMBER ORCHESTRA WORK "INNER SKY" HERE IN BUFFALO WITH PIERRE YVES ARTAUD, AND THE SLEE SINFONIETTA. THIS SUMMER I START TO WORK ON A COMMISSION FROM FROMM FOR NEW YORK NEW MUSIC ENSEMBLE, FOLLOWED BY A COMMISSIONED WORK FOR FLUTE ENSEMBLE, AND ANOTHER FROM THE BELGIAN ENSEMBLE CHAMP D'ACTION. I'LL LET YOU KNOW HOW ITS GOING IF I CAN COME UP FOR AIR AFTER JUNE. 

Contact Information:

David Felder
University at Buffalo
Department of Music
222 Baird Hall
Buffalo, NY 14260-4700
Office:  116B Slee Hall
Email:  felder@acsu.buffalo.edu
Tel:  (716) 645-3309
Fax: (716) 645-3824
 
David Felder Selected Works:

A Pressure Triggering Dreams (1996) 
for orchestra
3(=picc., afl, b.fl.).3(III=corA).3(II=E.fl.III=b.cl., cbcl.)3(III=dbn) - 4.3.3.1 - perc(3) - piano(synth) - harp - strings - tape sequences
Commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra with the Mary Flagler Cary Trust, and N.E.A..
First performance May 11, 1997, Carnegie Hall 
Duration: 20 minutes 
 

Three Pieces for Orchestra (1996) 
for orchestra
3(=picc., afl, b.fl.).3(III=corA).3(II=E.fl.III=b.cl., cbcl.)3(III=dbn) - 4.3.3.1 - perc(3) - piano(synth) - harp - strings
Commissioned by the Buffalo Philharmonic with the Meet the Composer "New Residencies" program
First performance, March 29, 1996, Kleinhans Hall 
Duration: 19 minutes 
 

Linebacker Music (1994) 
for orchestra
3(=picc.).3(III=corA).3(.III=b.cl.)3(III=dbn) - 4.3.3.1 - perc(3) - piano - strings
Commissioned by the Buffalo Philharmonic with the Meet the Composer "New Residencies" program 
First performance, October 1, 1994, Kleinhans Hall 
Duration: 6 minutes 
 

Inner Sky (1994) 
for flute( doubling picc, alto, and bass), 2 perc., piano, strings.
Commissioned by the Koussevitzky and Guggenheim Foundations
First performance, February 22, 1995, SONOR Ensemble, San Diego, CA.. 
Duration: 17.5 minutes 
 

Canzone XXXI (1993) 
for two trumpets, horn, trombone, and bass trombone.
Audio excerpt (.aiff)
Commissioned by The American Brass Quintet with support from the Fromm Foundation.
First performance, August 21, 1993 Aspen Music Festival
Duration: 7 minutes 
 

November Sky (1992) 
for flute doubling piccolo, alto, and bass flutes
Audio excerpt (.aiff)
Commissioned by N.E.A. and Rachel Rudich
First performance, November 15, 1992. 
Duration: 19 minutes
Can also be presented as media work with two Delcom video walls (16 monitors each), and video playback. 
 

In Between (1991-93) 
for solo percussion (including KAT mallet controller), live and pre-recorded MIDI sequences, and computer processed sounds.
Commissioned by New York State Council on the Arts
First performance, April 23, 1995, Daniel Druckman, percussion, New York City.
Duration: 17 minutes
Can also be presented as media work with two Delcom video walls (16 monitors each), and video playback. 
 

Six Poems from Neruda's "ALTURAS..." (1990-2) 
for orchestra
3(=picc., afl).3(III=corA).3.3(III=dbn) - 4.3.3.1 - perc(3) - piano(synth) - harp - strings
Commissioned by the Buffalo Philharmonic with New York State Council for the Arts, and N.E.A..
First performance of movements 1 and 2 only, February 1,1992. 
Duration: 18 minutes 
 

Journal (1990) 
for chamber orchestra
Audio excerpt (.aiff)
Commissioned by Indiana University "Music of Our Time" Festival.
First performance, July 8, 1990, Harvey Sollberger and I. U. New Music Group. 
Duration: 12 minutes 
 

Between (1990) 
for solo percussion and full orchestra
3(=picc., afl).3(III=corA).3(iii=bcl).3(III=dbn) - 4.4.4.1 - perc.(3 ) - keyboards - el. guitar - el. bass - strings
Commissioned by N.E.A. Consortium Commission.
First performance, April 4 , 1990, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael Udow, perc. 
Duration: 21 minutes 
 

Third Face (1988) 
Audio excerpt (.aiff)
Commissioned by the Arditti Quartet and the North American New Music Festival.
First performance, March 13, 1988. 
Duration: 11 minutes 
 

Two Neruda Texts (1986,1996) 
for chamber chorus and orchestra
1(=picc, afl).1(=corA).1(=bcl).1(=dbn) - 1.1.1.1 - perc.(2) - piano - harp - strings (6.6.4.4.4 minimum)
Commissioned by the Brooklyn Philharmonic, and Meet the Composer. 
Duration: 9 minutes 
 

La Dura Fria Hora (1986) 
for sixteen voices, a capella. 
Duration: 6 minutes 
 

Three Lines from Twenty Poems (1987) 
for chamber orchestra and digital reverb for piano, harp, and trombone.
Audio excerpt (.aiff)
With support from the Research Foundation of SUNY.
First performance, June 14, 1987, Buffalo Philharmonic. 
Duration: 10 minutes 
 

Crossfire (1986-92) 
for trombone, violin, flute, percussion
Commissioned by N.E.A. Inter-Arts and La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art.
First performances, May 7 and 8, 1987, La Jolla Museum 
Duration: 1 hour
Consists of four individual works: Boxman, Another Face, November Sky, and In Between.
Each work may be presented with or without video, and individually, or with one or more of the others.
Please see the individual entries for more specific information. 
 

Boxman (1986-88) 
for amplified solo trombone with pitch transposer, digital delay, digital reverb, 4 channel tape
Commissioned by trombonist Miles Anderson, the N.E.A. Inter-Arts Program, Hallwalls, Inc., and the Ars Electronica Festival of Linz, Austria.
First performance, June, 1986. 
Premiere with video, September 19, 1987, Linz, Austria. 
Duration: 15 minutes
Can also be presented as media work with two Delcom video walls (16 monitors each), and video playback. 
Duration: 21 minutes 
 

Another Face (1987) 
for solo violin
Commissioned by violinists Janos Negyesy and Karen Bentley.
First performance, April 22, 1987, Albright-Knox Museum, Buffalo, New York. 
Premiere with video, June 10, 1988, June in Buffalo Festival. 
Duration: 14 minutes
Can also be presented as media work with two Delcom video walls (16 monitors each), and video playback. 
 

Coleccion Nocturna (1984) 
for clarinet(=bcl), piano, orchestra and optional tape
2(=picc).2..2.2(II=dbn) - 2.2.2.0 - perc.(1) - harp - strings.
With funds from the American Music Center and Steve Horn.
First performance, April 10, 1986, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. 
Duration: 19 minutes 
 

Coleccion Nocturna (1983) 
for clarinet(=bcl), piano and tape.
Commissioned by William Powell and Zita Carno.
First performance, October 15, 1983. 
Duration: 18 minutes 
 

Rocket Summer (1983) 
for solo piano
Commissioned by Stephan Zegree, Western Michigan University.
First performance, September 28, 1983, Kalamazoo, Michigan. 
Duration: 8 1/2 min. 
 

Rondage/Cycle (1977, 1983 rev.) 
for trumpet (trombone), with amplification/delay, piano, percussion, digital synthesizer, and tape.
Commissioned by the Miami University Ensemble for New Music.
First performance, April 1977, Carnegie Recital Hall, by the commissioning group.
Revised with choreography by Elizabeth Weil Bergman, and Synclavier II digital synthesizer, 1983.
Duration: 12 minutes 
 

Passageways II (1980) 
for ensemble
flute(=picc), trombone, percussion (1 or 2), piano (=Fender-Rhodes 88 Electronic Piano), 'cello.
Commissioned by Ensemble Nova, University of California, Santa Cruz.
First performance, January 21, 1981, Encounter Series, La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art. 
Duration: 4 minutes 
 

Passageways IIa (1991) 
for ensemble
flute(=picc), oboe, clarinet, trombone, percussion, piano, violin, 'cello.
Commissioned by De Ijsbreker, Amsterdam.
First performance, October 16, 1991. 
Duration: 4 minutes 
 

Passageways I (1979) 
for ensemble
flute(=picc.), 'cello, bass trombone, percussion (optional two players), acoustic piano, Fender-Rhodes 88 electric piano, mixing engineer (all amplified).
Commissioned by Ensemble Nova, University of California, Santa Cruz.
First performance, January 21, 1981, Encounter Series, La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art. 
Duration: 6 1/2 min. 
 

Nexus (1975) 
for solo bass trombone
First performance, February 25, 1975. 
Duration: 10 minutes 

For further information on the music of David Felder, please contact:
 

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Phone: (610) 525-3636
Fax: (610) 527-7841