Allen Strange

Allen Strange ( born June 26, 1943 in Calexico / California, † February 20, 2008 on Bainbridge Iceland / Washington) was an American composer, music theorist, and musician.

Strange to 1967 studied at California State University, Fullerton composition with Donal Michalsky. He continued his education in 1967-68 and 1970-71 at the University of California, San Diego, where he studied composition and electronic media with Robert Erickson, Harry Partch, Kenneth Gaburo and Pauline Oliveros.

He received two scholarships from the San Jose State University Foundation for research in the field of electro-acoustic music, and in 1970 professor of music and director of the electronic music studio of San Jose State University. In 1972 he published Electronic Music: Systems, Techniques, and Controls, a standard work on analog electronic music. In 1974 Programming and Meta - Programming the Electro- Organism, a manual on Don Buchlas Portable Synthesizer Music Easel. Strange co-founded two performance groups for electronic music - Biome ( 1967-72 ) and Electronic Weasel Ensemble (1974, with Buchla ).

In addition to works for live electronic instruments and live electronics composed and recorded with acoustic instruments and voices Strange music for multi-media theater pieces, including films, slides and light effects. Several pieces were created in collaboration with playwright Robert Jenkins, including Jack and the Beanstalk (1979 ) and the audio drama The Ghost Hour ( 1981). With his wife, the violinist Patricia Strange, in 2001 he published the book The Contemporary Violin: Extended Performance Techniques.

Works

• Palace for violin, tape and Theatre, 1968
• Propagation and Decay of Resonant Particles, 1969
• Teserae Rag, 1969
• Vanity Fair for actors and electronic sound, 1970
• The Hair Ring Screamers Breath for flute ensemble and tape, 1970
• Skags for four voices and digital music, 1970
• Chamber Piece for small ensemble, 1971
• Mora Speculum for actors and tape, 1972
• Vanity Fair for actors and electronic music, 1972
• Rainbow Rider for four choirs, 1972
• First Book of Angels for string quartet and tape, 1972
• Concord Gardens for tape, 1972
• Switchcraft for bass, flute and electronics, 1972
• Western Connection for orchestra and electronic instruments, 1972
• Chamber Piece for small ensemble, 1972
• Rockytop Screamers and Other Scapes for band, 1973
• Mora Speculum for actors and tape, 1973
• Charms for string orchestra, 1973
• More Charms for string orchestra, 1973
• Sound beams for chamber ensemble, 1974
• Keyboard Studies, 1975
• Dune for voice, improvising instruments and electronics, 1975
• Bit, 1976
• The First Book of Angels for 16 voices and electronic instruments, 1976
• Sound beams for chamber ensemble and electronic instruments, 1977
• Moon Moon Plus, 1977
• Strong Loop and Wild Horses, 1977
• Princess, 1977
• Music of the Spheres by Johanna Beyer, orchestration of Allen Strange, 1978
• Star Strikers Salon and Screamers Last Witness for four percussionists and string trio, 1978
• And still another story ... Concerns for tape and lighting effects, 1978
• Music of Do's for electronic music system, 1978
• Palace for solo violin, tape and Theatre, 1979
• Beamer: Building of the Beast for percussion ensemble, 1980
• Music of Do's, 1981
• Uncle Erhard for children's theater, 1981
• Vasona ( with John Barnes ) for lighting effects and stereo tape, 1981
• " Four Pages " from Saturn and the Seven Ladies for mixed ensemble, 1982
• Moon Moon Plus for multiple pianos, 1983
• No Dead Horses on the Moon for film and tape, 1985
• One for the Ladies, 1985
• Notes from Underground for choir and tape, 1985
• Heart of Gold, 1987
• Velocity Studies I: Slideshow for violin and prerecorded media, 1987
• Detour ( with Joel Slayton ) for computer-controlled instruments and Video, 1987
• Corona Borealis ( with Michael Heivly ) for live electronics and kinetic sculpture, 1988
• Ursa Major ( with Michael Heivly ) for live electronics and kinetic sculpture, 1988
• Velocity Studies II: Twitter for harpsichord and prerecorded media, 1989
• Cygnus, 1990
• Elemental Vamp for Actress and digital music, 1990
• Velocity Studies III: Rip for piano and prerecorded media, 1991
• Quitlaacayotyl, 1992
• Boat ( with Michael Heivly ) for live electronics and kinetic sculpture, 1992
• Cygnus ( with Michael Heivly ) for live electronics and kinetic sculpture, 1992
• Boat, 1993
• Velocity Studies IV: Flutter for alto saxophone and prerecorded media, 1993
• The Were Being Split Personality Jazz for actors and digital music, 1993
• Music for DoWhatDo, multimedia performance with Joel Slayton, 1993
• Elemental Vamp for actors and computer- generated sounds, 1994
• Sleeping Beauty for amplified violin and computer-controlled instruments, 1994
• Shaman for amplified violin and computer-controlled instruments, 1994
• Vasona, 1995
• Downtime for interactive CD -ROM and stories by Rob Swigart, 1996
• Silicon Seven, 1996
• Towers, 1996
• Physical States, 1996
• Witness the Dawn, 1997
• The Third Book of Angels: Lucifier 's Hammer for Disklavier, 1997
• Phoenix Rising, 1998
• Phoenix and the Harlequin, 1999
• Gargoyles for chamber ensemble and recorded music, 1999
• You've come a Long Way Baby for Four Voices and digital music, 1999
• Strike Up the Band for percussion with familiar and secret sounds, 2000
• The King of Handcuffs for tenor and chamber ensemble, 2001
• Points of Departure: The Harlem Variations for alto saxophone, 2001
• Points of Departure: The Midnight Variations for Flugelhorn, 2001
• Heroes IV: The Boys, 2002
• Goddess for amplified violin and computer-controlled instruments, 2002
• Sideshow, 2003
• Heros IV, 2003
• Spring Dancers for string quartet, 2003
• Fancy Dances, 2003-04
• Quinault Cathedral, 2004
• Misty Magic Land for instruments and digital music, 2004
• Shivaree for saxophone ensemble and five percussionists, 2004
• Letter Visits to Imaginary Places, 2005
• Time and Again for Saxophone Octet, 2005

Weblink

• Homepage of Allen Strange

Swell

• Vox Novus - Allen Strange
• Keith Kirchoff - Allen Strange
• The Composers Site - Washington Composers Forum - Allen Strange Award

• American composer
• Musicologist
• Music teacher
• Live electronics
• Born in 1943
• Died in 2008
• Man