Collection Summary
Morton Subotnick Papers
1956-2004
1976-1989
1956-2004
1976-1989
ML31.S83
Subotnick, Morton
approximately 2,150 items
26 containers
24 linear feet
English
Swedish
German
Ialian
Dutch
French
Spanish
Korean
Collection material in English, Swedish, German, Italian, Dutch, French,
Korean, and Spanish
Music Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Morton Subotnick (born 1933) is an
American composer and teacher known for his innovation in the field of electronic
music. He helped develop synthesizers and controllers that revolutionized the
creation and consumption of electronic and electro-acoustic music in the home and
concert hall. His papers include workbooks of sketches, patch diagrams, and
electronics schematics for his compositions, along with a small number of published
scores. They also contain subject files of correspondence, reviews and interviews,
royalties statements, travel papers, and programs.
Acquisition Information
Notebooks were purchased from Morton Subotnick in 2005. The remaining materials were
donated by Subotnick in 2007.
Accruals
Future accruals are likely.
Processing History
Kate Rivers and Shantel Lambert began processing the Morton Subotnick Papers in
2019. Stephanie Akau completed processing and coded the finding aid in 2022.
Transfers
Sound and video recordings from the Morton Subotnick Papers will be transferred to
the Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division.
An inventory of this material is available in the Music Division's collection file.
Recordings of the premiere performances of [Trembling] and [Axolotl] are
available for request in the Recorded Sound Research Center.
Related Material
Electronic music composer Michael Czajkowski, who worked with the Buchla synthesizer
in Subotnick's NYU studio during the 1960s, donated the Buchla Model 100 synthesizer
on which Subotnick composed Silver Apples of the Moon
(1967) to the Library of Congress. Czajowski took over the NYU Buchla studio in
1969, when it moved on campus to the NYU Film School and changed its name to the
Composers Workshop. The Buchla modules are available to view with permission from
the Head of Acquisitions and Processing. Two posts on the Library's performing arts
blog, In the Muse, contain information about the Buchla: [Unboxing the Buchla Model 100] and [ Come for the
Stradivarius, Stay for the Buchla 100 Modular Synthesizer ] .
Scores and sketches for Subotnick's 1983 Library of Congress commission, [
Trembling
] , are in the [McKim Fund Collection]
. The [Nicolas Slonimsky
Collection] and [ Alan M. and Sali Ann
Kriegsman Collection ] contain biographical and subject files about
Subotnick, and there is correspondence from Subotnick in the [Vladimir Ussachevsky
Papers] .
A [concert of Subotnick's
music] , including the world premiere of Trembling , from the Library of Congress's Founders Day 2012 Concert is
part of the Library's digital collections, as is Subotnick's [pre-concert
conversation] .
Subotnick's first work for the Buchla synthesizer, Silver
Apples of the Moon , was selected for the Library's National Recording
Registry in [2009] . Electronic music composer Barry Schrader's [essay] on the piece provides more information.
Copyright Status
Materials from the Morton Subotnick Papers are governed by the Copyright Law of the
United States (Title 17, U.S.C.) and other applicable international copyright laws.
Access and Restrictions
The Morton Subotnick Papers are open to research. Travel papers from the
Hungers
performance in Austria and Joan La Barbara's travel papers from Berlin are
restricted until 2062. Eletronic instruments and equipment cannot be served without
prior approval from the Head of Acquisitions and Processing. Researchers are advised
to contact the Music Division prior to visiting in order to determine whether the
desired materials will be available at that time.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following
information: [item, date, container number], Morton Subotnick Papers, Music
Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Morton Subotnick is a composer and lecturer known for his innovative work in
developing synthesizers, sound processors, and software that facilitated human
interaction with computers and revolutionized electronic music. Subotnick was born
in Los Angeles on April 14, 1933, and grew up playing clarinet. After serving in the
Army, he joined the Denver Symphony while attending the University of Denver, where
he majored in English literature and graduated in 1958. Later that year, he began
graduate school at Mills College, where he completed his studies in 1960 with a
Master of Arts degree. In 1961, Subotnick co-founded the San Francisco Tape Center
and became Music Director for the Anna Halprin Dance Company, a position he held
until 1966.
In the early 1960s, Subotnick began incorporating multimedia into his works;
examples include the light show in Theatre Piece after Sonnet
47 of Petrarch (1961-1963), Play! no. 3 for
pianist/mime, tape, and film, and his collaborations with Anthony Martin, Elias
Romera, and engineer Donald Buchla at the Electric Circus discotheque in New York
City (1966-1967). In 1965, he stopped playing clarinet to focus solely on
composition. As an artist in residence at the Tisch School for the Arts (1966-1969),
Subotnick collaborated with Buchla to create a voltage-controlled synthesizer that
operated independently of an acoustic instrument and eliminated the need for tape
splicing. A control tape containing voltages of recorded sound were fed through the
synthesizer and altered the sound, which could further be manipulated using a touch
plate keyboard that Buchla developed. Subotnick later used the Buchla Series 100
modular analog synthesizer to compose Silver Apples of the
Moon during his residency at New York University in 1967. Silver Apples of the Moon was the first large-scale
electronic piece commissioned by a record label specifically for vinyl LP. Subotnick
subsequently composed Wild Bull (1968) and Touch (1969) for the LP format. The technology was hugely
influential, evolving with the emergence of the CD-ROM and computer software.
After completing his residency at Tisch, Subotnick moved to California and
co-founded the California Institute of the Arts. He served as Associate Dean until
1973, when he resigned to serve as the head of CalArt's composition program. During
the 1970s, Subotnick and Buchla developed a "ghost box" that alters the sound of
acoustic instruments in live settings with electronics controlled by tape, patch, or
digital storage media. Subotnick composed a dozen "ghost pieces," the notes and
performance instructions for which are in the [Workbooks](ead10002) subseries and [Performance Files](ead10105)
series. In 1976, he wrote Before the Butterfly for
orchestra and seven amplified instruments to celebrate the United States
bicentennial; it was premiered by the New York Philharmonic. Other major works with
electronic processing and multimedia are The Double Life of
Amphibians (1984), for instrumentalists, singers, and computer; the
operas Hungers (1987) and Jacob's
Room (1993); and Intimate Intensity (1997),
a media poem for two singers, dancer, computer, laser discs, and lights. In 1994,
Subotnick released All My Hummingbirds Have Alibis ,
one of the first pieces written exclusively for the CD-ROM format. Since the 1990s,
he has developed the CD-ROM series, "Making Music" (1995), its sequels, "Making More
Music," (1997), and "Hearing Music," (2004), as well as an iPad app called "Pitch
Painter" (2012) to help children learn about music. In addition to composing and
teaching, Subotnick has actively promoted contemporary music throughout his career
by organizing numerous new music festivals.
Subotnick's honors include a Rockefeller Grant (1966); Guggenheim Fellowship (1975);
Academy of Arts and Letters Award for Music (1979); Deutscher Akademischer
Austauschdienst Kunsterprogramm (DAAD) grant (1981); Lifetime Achievement Awards
from the Society for Electro-acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS) (1998) and
Qwartz d'Honoree (2012); and the ASCAP Concert Music Award (2000), among others.
Bibliography
Burns, Kristine H. "Subotnick, Morton."
Grove Music Online
. Accessed March 2022.
https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.27061.
Goldsmith, Kenneth. "Don't Quit Your Day Job. Yet...Composer as Educator." New
Music Box, April 1, 2000. https://nmbx.newmusicusa.org/Dont-Quit-Your-Day-Job-Yet/6/
Gordon, Ted. "New Releases of Morton Subotnick's Works for 'Ghost
Electronics.'" European American Music Distributors Company, Project Schott New
York, June 10, 2016.
https://www.eamdc.com/psny/blog/new-releases-of-morton-subotnicks-works-for-ghost-electronics/
Hanson, Jeffrey. "Morton Subotnick's Ghost Scores: Interaction and Performance
with Music Technology." Masters thesis, San José State University, 2010.
Lefebvre, Sam. "Fifty Years of Limitless Possibility at the Center for
Contemporary Music at Mills College." KQED, October 26, 2016.
https://www.kqed.org/arts/12248119/fifty-years-of-limitless-possibility-at-the-center-for-contemporary-music-at-mills-college
"Lifetime Achievement Award to Morton Subotnick"
Computer Music Journal
22, no. 4 (1998): 16.
Mandel, Howard. "Electronic Music's Godfather Isn't Done Innovating." NPR,
October 12, 2013.
https://www.npr.org/2013/10/12/231546813/electronic-musics-godfather-isnt-done-innovating
Mastropolo, Frank. "A Look Back at Electric Circus, the Greatest Show on St.
Mark's Place." Bedford + Bowery, September 17, 2013.
https://web.archive.org/web/20130920023048/http://bedfordandbowery.com:80/2013/09/a-look-back-at-the-electric-circus-the-greatest-show-on-st-marks-place/
Murphy, Bill. "Morton Subotnick. Synthologist."
Remix Magazine
9, no. 7 (July 2007): 98.
Roads, Curtis and Morton Subotnick. "Interview with Morton Subotnick."
Computer Music Journal
12, no. 1 (Spring 1988): 9-18.
Subotnick, Morton. "Biography." Accessed April 2022.
http://www.mortonsubotnick.com/bio.html
Yelton, Geary. "50 Years of Silver Apples of the Moon. An Interview with Morton
Subotnick,"
emusician.com
(November 2017): 26-30.
Scope and Content Note
The Morton Subotnick Papers span from 1956 to 2014, the bulk of which date from 1976
to 1989. The collection documents Subotnick's innovative work and career, starting
with his early acoustic pieces and his movement into electronic, mulitmedia, and
electro-acoustic music beginning in the 1960s.
Four series comprise the Morton Subotnick Papers. The [Music Series](ead10001) is divided into two
subseries, the first of which contains workbooks of his music sketches, electronics
schematics, patch diagrams, and performance instructions. Since Subotnick utilizes
electronic sound modification, synthesizers, patches, and modulators in his work,
these workbooks serve as the "scores" for many pieces since they do not require
musical notation. The workbooks for his electro-acoustic pieces also contain musical
sketches. Some workbooks contain ideas for multiple projects that he was engaged
with simultaneously; these titles are cross-referenced. The second subseries
contains full printed scores for his acoustic and electro-acoustic works.
The [Performance
Files](ead10002) consist primarily of programs, publicity, and reviews in addition to
correspondence, rehearsal schedules, and equipment lists. The [Subject Files](ead10174) series contains press
about performances of Subotnick's works, primarily from the 1970s and 1980s. There
is also correspondence and financial papers, as well as press and cover proofs for
the first CD-ROM, "Making Music," from his Creating Music series for children. The
[Electronic Instruments
and Equipment](ead10257) series contains the dancer's bodysuit used in Intimate Intensity , the amplifying box and other
electronic equipment used in Before the Butterfly , and
one of Subotnick's ghost boxes. These materials may be served with approval of the
Head of the Music Division's Acquisitions and Processing section.
Organization of the Morton Subotnick Papers
The collection is arranged in three series:
-
[Music and Sound Art,
1972-2004](ead10001)
-
[Performance Files,
1956-2001](ead10105)
-
[Subject Files,
1960-1997](ead10174)
-
[Electronic Instruments
and Equipment, undated](ead10257)
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Antosca, Steve.
Blau, Herbert.
Breuer, Lee.
Buchla, Donald.
Czajkowski, Michael.
Denk, Jeremy.
Halprin, Anna.
La Barbara, Joan, 1947-
Petlin, Irving, 1934-2018.
Rands, Bernard.
Reynolds, Roger, 1934-
Subotnick, Morton--Archives.
Subotnick, Morton--Correspondence.
Subotnick, Morton--Interviews.
Subotnick, Morton.
Subotnick, Morton. Axolotl.
Subotnick, Morton. Silver apples of the moon.
Subotnick, Morton. Trembling.
Organizations
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
Mills College.
San Francisco Tape Music Center.
Tisch School of the Arts.
Subjects
Composers--United States--Correspondence.
Composers--United States--Interviews.
Electronic music.
Musical sketches.
Synthesizer music.
Form/Genre
Art music.
Business correspondence.
Electronic instruments.
Electronic music.
Financial records.
Interviews.
Music criticism and reviews.
Musical sketches.
Personal correspondence.
Programs (Publications)
Scores.
Synthesizers.
Travel documents.
Catalog Record: [https://lccn.loc.gov/2014572465]
Container List
1-10, 20-25
Music and Sound Art, 1972-2004
1972-2004
This series contains Subotnick's composition workbooks that detail the ideas
and technical specifications behind his electronic works. Also present are
printed scores and some sketches for his acoustic and electro-acoustic
works.
Organized as two subseries.
Workbooks, 1972-2004
1972-2004
Subotnick's workbooks date chiefly from the 1980s. Since his fully
electronic pieces do not use acoustic instruments (and consequently do
not require a score), his workbooks contain notes about the genesis of a
piece and information about patches, synthesizers, and other electronics
necessary to perform it. Also present are sketches of musical ideas for
acoustic and electro-acoustic works, lecture notes, and budget
information.
Arranged alphabetically by title and chronologically therein.
2/2
2 Butterflies
see also
[ Ascent
into Air/Double Life of Amphibians/2 Butterflies ](ead10013) and [Before the
Butterfly](ead10023)
After the Butterfly
1/1
circa 1980
circa 1980
Includes: Notes on A Sky of Cloudless Sulphur ;
lectures
1/2-3
Undated
Undated
All My Hummingbirds
Have Alibis
1/4
circa 1991
circa 1991
1/5
Undated
Undated
Ascent into
Air
1/6-7
1980
1980
Title on cover: IRCAM
Includes: Photocopy of workbook
1/8-9
1980
January-April
1980 January-April
2/1
1980
September-October
1980 September-October
2/3
1982 February
1982 February
Note: For U. S. version
2/4
1984 April?
1984 April?
2/5 to 3/2
Undated
Undated
2/2
Ascent into Air; Double
Life of Amphibians; 2 Butterflies, 1981
July
1981 July
3/3
Axolotl, 1980 November
see also
[ Double
Life of Amphibians; Last Dream of the Beast; Axolotl ](ead10028)
1980 November
Laid in: Letter from Joan Tower
Before the Butterfly
21/1
1974-1975
1974-1975
Title on cover: 2 Butterflies for
Amplified Orchestra
Laid in: Performance instructions;
sketches; electronics schematics
3/4
1975
September-1976 February
1975 September-1976 February
3/5
A Desert Flowers;
Jacob's Room, 1987 February-August
1987 February to August
Includes: Early notes on children's
music software
3/6
A Desert Flowers [?];
Last Dream of the Beast, 1989
1989
Includes: Notes about Presser?, Peter
Menin
Double Life of Amphibians
see also
[ Ascent
into Air/Double Life of Amphibians/2 Butterflies ](ead10013)
4/1
1981 March
1981 March
Early notes
4/2
1984
1984
Laid in: Letter from Subotnick to
Gene Moon at Theodore Presser, Co.
4/4
1984
February-August
1984 February-August
4/5
1985
1985
Includes: Miscellaneous notes
4/6-8
Undated
Undated
5/1
Double Life of
Amphibians; Ascent into Air, undated
undated
Note: Contains Subotnick's changes to
the pieces
3/7
Double Life of
Amphibians; Last Dream of the Beast; Axolotl, 1981
January-May
1981 January-May
4/3
Double Life of
Amphibians; Parallel Lines, 1984
1984
Laid in: Financial memos for Double Life of Amphibians performance;
mailgram
Eclipse
5/2
1974 June
1974 June
5/3
1975 February
1975 February
The First Dream of
Light; A Sky Full of Sulphur
5/4
1979
1979
5/5
Undated
Undated
5/6
A Fluttering of Wings,
undated
undated
Four
Butterflies
6/1
1972 June 7
1972 June 7
6/2
Undated
Undated
6/3
Game Room; Immortals,
1972
see also
[ Place
[?]; The Game Room; Passages of the Beast ](ead10071)
1972
6/4
Game Room;
Improvisation, undated
undated
Note: For Minnesota-Walker performance
6/5
Gestures, 1999
1999
Hungers
6/6
1986 May 25
1986 May 25
6/7-8
Undated
Undated
6/3
Immortals
see also
[Game Room;
Immortals](ead10046)
6/4
Improvisation
see also
[ Game
Room; Improvisation ](ead10048)
Intimate Immensity
6/9
1993?
1993?
7/1
Undated
Undated
Includes: Miscellaneous notes
Jacob's Room
see also
[ A Desert
Flowers; Jacob's Room ](ead10026)
7/2
circa
1989-1991
circa 1989-1991
7/4
Undated , Philadelphia workbook
Undated
7/3
Jacob's Room; Voyager,
1991 September 25
1991 September 25
The Key to Songs
7/5
circa
1981-1983
circa 1981-1983
7/6-7
Undated
Undated
21/2
The Key to Songs;
Return, undated
undated
Last Dream of the Beast
see
[ A Desert
Flowers [?]; Last Dream of the Beast ](ead10027)
8/1
Life History; ghost
pieces log, 1976
1976
8/2
Messiah, 1999
1999
Passages of the Beast
see
[ Place
[?]; The Game Room; Passages of the Beast ](ead10071)
Place
22/1
1976
1976
8/3, 22/2
1978 August
1978 August
8/4
1986 December
1986 December
22/3
Place [?]; The Game
Room; Passages of the Beast, circa 1976-1978
circa 1976-1978
Performance instructions;
sketches
8/5
Release, 2003
2003
Return
see also
[ The Key
to Songs; Return ](ead10064)
8/6 to 9/1
1985-1986
1985-1986
9/2-3
Undated
Undated
Sidewinder
9/4
2002-2003
2002-2003
9/6
Undated
Undated
9/5
Sidewinder; Wispers
[?]; Until Spring, revised, 2004
2004
A Sky of Cloudless
Sulphur
see also
[ The First
Dream of Light; A Sky Full of Sulphur ](ead10041)
9/7
1978
1978
Includes: Program notes and Urbana
lecture notes
9/8
1979
1979
Until Spring
see also
[
Sidewinder; Wispers [?]; Until Spring ](ead10080)
24/1
1975
1975
23/1
1976
1976
Voyager
see
[ Jacob's
Room; Voyager](ead10058)
10/1
Unidentified,
undated
undated
Scores,
1980-2003
1980-2003
Subotnick's scores consist mostly of printed editions for his acoustic
and electro-acoustic works. Also contained here are some of his sketches
for Serenade no. 3 and A Sky of Cloudless Sulphur , which is fully
electronic and Subotnick's last piece composed for the LP medium.
Arranged alphabetically by title.
20/1
4 Butterflies,
undated
undated
Excerpt of photocopied printed
score
25/1
After the Butterfly,
undated
undated
Printed full score
20/2
All My Hummingbirds
Have Alibis, 1991
1991
Printed full score
24/2
Ascent into Air, 1982
1982
Ozalid of full score with
annotations
24/3
Before the Butterfly,
1978
1978
Printed full score
20/3
A Desert Flowers, 1989
1989
Printed full score
24/4
The Fluttering of
Wings, 1981
1981
Printed full score
25/2
Game Room, circa 1980
circa 1980
Patches
20/4
Jacob's Room,
undated
undated
Printed full score
24/5
The Key to Songs,
undated
undated
Printed full score
20/5
Last Dream of the
Beast, undated
undated
Printed score with annotations; two
manuscript onionskin full scores
Laid in: Notes
20/6
Release. Without End,
2003
2003
Printed full score
25/3
Serenade no. 3,
undated
undated
Holograph sketch
25/4
A Sky of Cloudless
Sulphur, undated
undated
Holograph sketches; electronics
schematics
24/6
The Wild Beasts, 1978
1978
Printed full score
23/2
Unidentifed, undated
undated
Holograph sketch
10-13, 15, 26R
1
Performance Files, 1956-2001
1956-2001
This series contains clippings, financial papers, correspondence, and
program notes related to specific performances. This includes technical
information such as patch diagrams, program notes, and other relevant
performance instructions, including those for Game
Room , a work where the audience must interact with the
technology, as well as reviews and publicity. There are additional reviews
and programs in the [Subject Files](ead10003) series.
Travel papers from the Hungers performance in
Austria and Joan La Barbara's travel papers from Berlin are restricted until
2062.
Arranged alphabetically by title.
10/2-4
After the Butterfly, 1979-1981 and undated
1979-1981 and undated
Performance instructions; program notes;
programs; publicity; reviews
15/11
All My Hummingbirds Have
Alibis, undated
undated
Review
10/5
And the Butterflies Begin
to Sing, 1988
1988
Audio/MIDI setup; programs;
reviews
10/6
Angel Dance, 1984
1984
Program
10/7-9
Ascent into Air, 1982-1984
1982-1984
Performance instructions; photographs;
program notes; programs; reviews
10/10
Axolotl, 1981-1985
1981-1985
Programs
10/11-13
Before the Butterfly, 1976-1979
1976-1979
Programs; reviews
10/14
Butterfly, 1978
1978
Program
Note: For Alvin Ailey American Dance
Theater
10/15
Danton's Death, 1965
1965
Review
10/16
A Desert Flowers, 1989
1989
Programs; reviews
10/17
The Double Life of
Amphibians, 1984-1985
1984-1985
Correspondence
10/18
The Double Life of
Amphibians, 1984 and undated
1984 and undated
Budget; program notes; performance
information; technical requirements
11/1
The First Dream of Light,
1982-1983
1982-1983
Program notes; reviews
11/2-4
Fluttering of Wings, circa 1979-1988
circa 1979-1988
Correspondence; equipment list; program
notes; programs; reviews
11/5
Four Butterflies, 1973-1977
1973-1977
Notes; programs; publicity;
reviews
11/6
Four Butterflies. Butterfly
no. 1, 1972-1984
1972-1984
Programs; reviews; notes
11/7
Game Room, 1980 and undated
see also
[Ritual Game
Room](ead10151)
1980, undated
Planning notes; publicity; reviews;
scoresheets; performance instructions
11/8
Game Room,
undated
undated
Electronics and synthesizer
schematics
11/9
Hungers, 1985-1986
1985-1986
Workbook containing budget
information
11/10
Hungers (after Los
Angeles), 1988
1988
Correspondence
11/11
Hungers (Austria), 1988 and undated
1988 and undated
Contracts; correspondence; personnel
information; rehearsal schedules
11/12, 26R/1
Hungers (Austria), 1988
(Restricted)
1988
Financial papers
Note: Materials restricted until 2062.
11/13
In Two Worlds, 1987-1988, undated
1987-1988 and undated
Reviews; program notes; tour
information
11/14
Interrogating Slam, 1991
1991
Review
11/15
Jacob's Room, 1993 and undated
1993 and undated
Reviews
11/16
The Key to Songs, 1985-1994
1985-1994
Programs; reviews
11/17
King Lear,
undated
undated
Review
11/18-19
Last Dream of the Beast,
1979-1985
1979-1985
Program notes; programs; publicity
12/1-2
Liquid Strata, 1977-1983
1977-1983
Programs; program notes; publicity
12/3
Mandolin, 1964-1965, undated
1964-1965 and undated
Alternate title: Theatre Piece on Sonnet 47
of Petrarch
Performance directions; programs; reviews
12/4
Misfortunes of the
Immortals, 1969
1969
Press release
1
Olympic Arts Festival,
1983
1983
Lighting design and stage plan, Japan
America Theatre
12/5
Parallel Lines, 1979-1985
1979-1985
Programs; program notes; publicity; reviews
12/6
Passages of the Beast,
1979-1983
1979-1983
Programs; program notes; reviews
12/7
Place, 1979
1979
Review
12/8
Play!, 1964-1981
1964-1981
Programs; publicity; reviews
12/9
Preludes, 1967-1977
1967-1977
Programs; reviews
12/10
Return, 1985-1986
1985-1986
Press; reviews
12/11
Ritual Game Room, 1971 and undated
see also
[Game
Room](ead10128)
1971 and undated
Correspondence; performance instructions;
photographs
12/12
Serenade no. 1, 1960-1964, undated
1960-1964 and undated
Reviews
12/13
Serenade no. 2, circa 1962-1964
circa 1962-1964
Programs; reviews
12/14
Serenade no. 3, 1965-1972
1965-1972
Programs; publicity; reviews
12/15
Sidewinder, circa 1972-1973
circa 1972-1973
Liner notes (?); programs; program notes;
review
12/16
Silver Apples of the Moon,
undated
undated
Article
12/17-18
A Sky of Cloudless Sulphur,
1980 and undated
1980 and undated
Research materials; sketches; 1980
performance information; programs; radio station playlists
12/19, 25/5
A Sky of Cloudless
Sulphur/After the Butterfly. Nonesuch, 1979
1979
Album notes; reviews
12/20
Solo, 1974
1974
Programs
12/21
Sonata for piano, four
hands, 1959-1966
1959-1966
Programs; publicity; reviews
12/22
Suite for clarinet and
piano, 1956
1956
Alternate title: Four Pieces for clarinet
and piano
Programs; reviews
12/23
Tarot, 1966
1966
Programs
13/1
Ten, undated
undated
Review
13/2
Time Out with Lola, 1991
1991
13/3
Touch, 1970-2001
1970-2001
Programs; publicity; album and performance
reviews
13/4
Trans, 1978
1978
Correspondence; receipts
13/5
Trembling, 1984-1985
1984-1985
Reviews; programs; performance instructions
13/6
Two Butterflies, 1975
1975
Electronics modifications schematics; tech
rider; program; reviews
13/7-8
Two Life Histories, 1976-1984
1976-1984
Performance instructions; programs; program
notes; publicity; reviews
13/9
Until Spring, circa 1977
circa 1977
Program; program notes
13/10
The Wild Beasts, 1978-1983
1978-1983
Liner notes; programs; reviews
13-20, 24-25
Subject Files, 1960-1997
1960-1997
The bulk of this series is press materials and programs for performances of
Subotnick's works. The press materials are mostly interviews of Subotnick
and his contemporaries that were featured in major publications such as
Newsweek and the New
York Times , or reviews of performances. Researchers are also
advised to consult the [Performance Files](ead10002) series for additional programs
and reviews.
This series contains a variety of business papers that include
correspondence, royalties statements, discographies, and press and cover
proofs from the "Making Music" CD-ROM. Subotnick is married to vocal artist,
writer, and composer Joan La Barbara, with whom he has collaborated for
performances of his works. Several of La Barbara's articles for Musical America are in this series, as are
photographs of her and Subotnick. Personal papers concerning real estate,
miscellaneous expenses, and travel comprise the rest of the series.
Arranged alphabetically.
13/11
Biographies, 1986-1990 and
undated
1986-1990 and undated
13/12
Buchla/IRCAM, circa 1979-1983
circa 1979-1983
13/13
Budget, 1983
1983
Workbook
13/14-15
CBS Records, 1972-1983
1972-1983
Correspondence, royalties
13/16
Clippings, 1970s
1970s
13/17
Commissions, 1984
1984
13/18
Composers Recordings, Inc.
(CRI), 1981 and undated
1981 and undated
14/1
Contempo '70, 1970
1970
14/2
Copyright registrations,
1964
1964
Correspondence
14/5
A - L miscellaneous,
1994
1994
14/6
M - Z miscellaneous,
undated
undated
14/3-4
Miscellaneous, 1980
1980
14/7
Miscellaneous, circa 1985-1986
circa 1985-1986
14/8
Creative Playthings,
undated
undated
Article
14/9
Digital Ghosts, 1982 October
1982 October
Workbook
14/10
Discographies, 1987-1992
1987-1992
14/11
E. A. R. Unit, circa 1985-1986
circa 1985-1986
Photographs; biography
14/12
Equipment manuals, circa 1985-1996
circa 1985-1996
14/13
Florida. Boca Raton
performance, 1973
1973
Concert reviews
14/14
Ghost pieces, 1977-1982
1977-1982
Reviews
14/15-16
Intimate Immensity, 1995-1997
1995-1997
Recording notes
14/17
KUSC, 1982
1982
15/1, 26R/2
La Barbara, Joan. Berlin,
1993
(Restricted)
1993
Correspondence; reviews; travel
papers
Note: Materials restricted until 2062.
15/2
La Barbara, Joan. Writings,
1975-1986
1975-1986
15/3
La Barbara, Joan. Writings
about, 1984 and undated
1984 and undated
Lectures
15/4
Making Music, 1995-1997
see also
[Making
Music, 1991-1995](ead10206)
1995-1997
15/5-7
St. Louis, 1978-1983
1978-1983
Notes; program notes; ghost pieces
reviews; performance instructions
15/8
Yale/Cal Arts class,
1982 December
1982 December
15/9
Yale?, 1983
1983
15/10
Mailing lists, 1984-1985
1984-1985
15/11, 25/9
Making Music, 1991-1995
1991-1995
Press; cover proofs
15/12 to 16/2
Miscellany, 1979-1986
1979-1986
Notebooks
16/3-6
Nonesuch, 1981-1984
1981-1984
Clippings; contracts; correspondence; liner
note drafts; packing slips; notes; royalties
16/7
Ojai Festivals, 1971
1971
Photographs
16/8
Contact sheets,
undated
undated
16/9
La Barbara, Joan,
undated
undated
16/10
La Barbara, Joan and
Morton Subotnick, undated
undated
16/11
Miscellaneous,
undated
undated
Headshots; performances
16/12
Subotnick, Morton,
undated
undated
Press
17/4
ASCAP in Action, 1986
1986
17/5
Aspen new music, 1985
1985
17/6
Keyboard , 1982-1985
1982-1985
17/7
KPFK Folio 90.7 FM,
1978-1979
1978-1979
16/13, 20/7
Miscellaneous, 1970s
1970s
17/1-2, 24/7
Miscellaneous, 1980-1988
1980-1988
17/3, 20/7
Miscellaneous, 1990s
1990s
17/8
The New York Times , 1977-1988,
undated
1977-1988 and undated
17/9
The New Yorker , 1981-1984
1981-1984
17/10
Newsweek , 1962, 1982-1983
1962, 1982-1983
17/11
Porquoi Pas? , 1980
1980
17/12
Program notes, 1973-1980, undated
1973-1980 and undated
Programs and
publicity
17/13
1960s
1960s
17/14-15, 20/8
1970s
1970s
18/1-4, 25/7
1980-1985
1980-1985
18/5
1990s
1990s
18/6-7
Real Estate. California,
1979-1981
1979-1981
18/8
Rental inventory, 1994
1994
Reviews
18/9
Albums, 1968-1988
1968-1988
18/10
Performances, 1988
1988
18/11
Sweden, 1972-1973
1972-1973
18/12
Sculpting class
assignments, undated
undated
18/13
Telecom expenses, 1996
1996
19/1-4
Theodore Presser, Co.,
1973-1983
1973-1983
Correspondence; press kit; contracts;
royalties
19/5-6
Travel documents, 1993-1995
1993-1995
19/7
Universal Edition, 1979-1983
1979-1983
Correspondence
19/8
Work orders, 1996
1996
19/9-10
1970-1986 and
undated
1970-1986 and undated
Writings
19/13
Miscellaneous, 1983
1983
19/12
Subotnick, Morton,
1984 and undated
1984 and undated
19/11
Whipple, Harold. Beasts and Butterflies: Morton Subotnick's
Ghost Scores
, circa 1980
circa 1980
19/11
Whipple, Harold. The Electronic Works of Morton Subotnick
, circa 1980
circa 1980
Electronic Instruments and
Equipment, undated
(Not Available)
undated
This series contains the bodysuit and MIDI controllers used in Intimate Intensity , as well as the amplifying
box, MIDI batons, and drum machine used in Before the
Butterfly , and one of Subotnick's ghost boxes.
These materials are not available due to format consideration and cannot be
served without prior approval from the Head of Acquisitions and Processing.