Music From The ONCE Festival (1961-1966)

The primary aim of ONCE’s founders—Robert Ashley, Gordon Mumma, George Cacioppo, Roger Reynolds, and Donald Scavarda—was to create a forum for the presentation of cutting-edge music. To this end they were phenomenally successful. Performers and composers—whether little-known or renowned—embraced the endeavor, demanding almost nothing in return. Perhaps most important, however, ONCE acted as a creative stimulus for its organizers. Scavarda describes the adventure as an explosion of pent-up energy: “Suddenly we could write anything we wanted and have it heard.” And they did. The ONCE composers—and many guest artists—wrote a host of new works, some experimental, others more traditional.

Tracklist

Disc 1: 1961 [72:56]
Robert Ashley: Sonata (7:44) 2/25/61
Donald Scavarda: Groups for Piano (1:03) 2/25/61
George Cacioppo: String Trio (10:23) 3/4/61
Roger Reynolds: Epigram and Evolution (8:50) 3/4/61
Gordon Mumma: Sinfonia for 12 Instruments and Magnetic Tape (12:03) 3/4/61
Donald Scavarda: In the Autumn Mountains (7:01) 3/4/61
Bruce Wise: Two Pieces for Piano and Chamber Group (6:23) 3/4/61
Robert Ashley: The Fourth of July (18:37) 2/25/61

Disc 2: 1962 [72:23]
Donald Scavarda: Matrix for Clarinetist (9:07) 6/2/62
Roger Reynolds: Wedge (7:56) 2/10/62
Gordon Mumma: Meanwhile, A Twopiece (7:16) 2/10/62
Donald Scavarda: Sounds for Eleven (10:55) 2/16/62
Gordon Mumma: From Gestures II (13:14) 2/16/62
George Cacioppo: Bestiary I: Eingang (7:16) 2/16/62
Robert Ashley: Details (7:09) 12/16/62
Robert Sheff (aka Blue Gene Tyranny): Ballad (8:31) 12/16/62

Disc 3: 1962–63 [74:21]
Gordon Mumma: Large Size Mograph (8:09) 12/16/62
Robert Ashley: Fives (12:36) 2/9/63
Gordon Mumma: A Quarter of Fourpiece (4:56) 2/9/63
George Cacioppo: Two Worlds (6:02) 2/10/63
Roger Reynolds: Mosaic (9:38) 2/10/63
George Cacioppo: Pianopieces 1-3 (8:19) 2/16/63
Roger Reynolds: A Portrait of Vanzetti (20:27) 2/16/63
Gordon Mumma: Greys (3:19) 12/3/63
Stereo electronic music for the film/score Greys by Donald Scavarda

Disc 4: 1963–1964 [76:32]
Philip Krumm: Music for Clocks (10:24) 2/17/63
Robert Sheff: Diotima (18:58) 2/28/64
George Crevoshay: 7PTPC (5:57) 2/29/64
Donald Scavarda: Landscape Journey (9:31) 2/25/64
George Cacioppo: Advance of the Fungi (15:54) 2/25/64
Robert Ashley: in memoriam … Crazy Horse (symphony) (15:12) 2/25/64

Disc 5: 1964–1966 [76:52]
Bruce Wise: Music for Three (29:30) 2/26/64
George Cacioppo: Time on Time in Miracles (9:44) 2/12/65
David Behrman: Track (10:11) 2/13/65
Pauline Oliveros: Applebox Double (17:07) 3/28/66
Robert Ashley: Quartet (9:51) 3/28/66

New World Records 80567