Exploring the Columbia-Princeton Digital Music Middle: 1961-1973

Works by Bülent Arel, Charles Dodge, Ingram Marshall, Ilhan Mimaroglu, Daria Semegen, and Alice Shields.

The Columbia-Princeton Digital Music Center, established as the first of its kind in the USA, became a leading sound facility worldwide from 1959 to the late 1970s. During this period, around three hundred pieces were composed, many of which have since become classics. This selection, curated from those pivotal years, offers a fascinating glimpse into the diverse musical styles and aesthetics influenced by the Center's visionary leader, Vladimir Ussachevsky. Noteworthy works include Charles Dodge's serene "Earth's Magnetic Field," lauded by The New York Times as one of the most significant works of the 1970s. Ingram Marshall's "Cortez" transforms a speaker's voice into a contemplative exploration inspired by a poem by his poet-friend, Snee McCaig. Alice Shields, a young member of the Center's early cohort, utilized musique concrète sound sources and her own voice in pieces like "Dance Piece No. 3" and "Research for Voice and Tape." Bülent Arel, another initial member of the Center, showcased his vibrant creativity in "Postlude from 'Music for a Sacred Service'," evolving from a solemn beginning to a virtuosic climax. Ilhan Mimaroglu's "Prelude No. 8 (To the memory of Edgard Varèse)" reflects a somber mood following a premonition of his friend's passing. Daria Semegen, influenced by Lutoslawski and Arel, won the 1975 International Society for Contemporary Music prize for her "Digital Composition No. 1," and her collaboration with Arel on "Out of Into" exemplifies her powerful and dramatic style, rich in timbral and dynamic contrasts akin to orchestral grandeur.