His professional debut (12 note ET music) occurred on a Composers Forum program in New York, 1959. In 1960, compelled by his ear, he began writing microtonal music, and continued to do so for the rest of his life, with the occasional exception being taped music for dancers. His last composition in quarter tones (his sixth microtonal one) was his Third Quartet (1962). Since 1971, whatever music he has composed that is not purely electronic has employed a system of asymmetrical modes of 18 pitches per octave, drawn from a 72-note division of the octave.
I seem finally to have identified and made transcribable what my ear was after all along: a set of pitches ordered in an asymmetrical scale of 18 (or 19) notes, some of them acoustically more important than others, transposable through a chromatic of 72 pitches in the octave. ([full citation needed]1978)
He has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Koussevitsky commission, and an American Academy of Arts & Letters Award, as well as numerous commissions from organizations like the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music and private individuals. He was a co-founder of the Dinosaur Annex Music Ensemble, with Rodney Lister and Scott Wheeler, for which he served as president from 1977 to 1981 and as a member of the Board of Directors from 1981 to 2003.
He has lectured on his music in the US and abroad, most notably at the Hamburger Musikgespräch, 1994; the second Naturton Symposium in Heidelberg, 1992; and the 3rd and 4th Symposium, Mikrotöne und Ekmelische Musik, at the Hochschüle für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Mozarteum, Salzburg, in 1989 & 1991. In 1992–93, he was guest lecturer in the Richter Herf Institut für Musikalische Grundlagenforschung in the Mozarteum.
He has published articles on his technique in Computer Music Journal, Mikrotöne III, Mikrotöne IV, Perspectives of New Music, and Ex Tempore. With the American cellist Theodore Mook, he designed a font, now widely adopted, for use with computer printing programs, based on his set of accidentals, which are sufficient for 72-note music.[citation needed] His music is published by Frog Peak Music and Diapason Press (Corpus Microtonale).
As his award citation from the American Academy of Arts and Letters attests:
Ezra Sims has already contributed an outstanding body of works, many of which have explored with singular imagination, conviction and success the beautiful but elusive world of microtonal music.[This quote needs a citation]
Elegie – nach Rilke (1976) Elsa Charlston & Boston Musica Viva
Third Quartet (1962) The Lenox Quartet
CRI 643
Concert Piece (1990)
Night Piece: In Girum Imus Nocte et Consumimur Igni (1987)
Flight (1989)
Solo in four movements (1987)
Quintet (1987)
Northeastern NR 224
Sextet (1981)
Two for One (1980)
All Done From Memory (1980)
-- and, as I was saying... (1979)
CRI 578
Come Away (1978)
Ezra Sims: Quintet, Night Piece, Solo in Four Movements, Flight, Concert Piece. Gisele Ben-Dor, conductor, Pro Arte Orchestra, Dinosaur Annex Members. Composers recordings, 1994.[2]
References
^. obitsforlife.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
has FLAC files made from a high-quality LP transcription available for free download.
January 07, 2023
ezra, sims, january, 1928, birmingham, alabama, january, 2015, boston, massachusetts, pioneers, field, microtonal, composition, invented, system, notation, that, adopted, many, microtonal, composers, after, including, joseph, maneri, professional, debut, note,. Ezra Sims January 16 1928 in Birmingham Alabama January 30 2015 in Boston Massachusetts 1 was one of the pioneers in the field of microtonal composition He invented a system of notation that was adopted by many microtonal composers after him including Joseph Maneri His professional debut 12 note ET music occurred on a Composers Forum program in New York 1959 In 1960 compelled by his ear he began writing microtonal music and continued to do so for the rest of his life with the occasional exception being taped music for dancers His last composition in quarter tones his sixth microtonal one was his Third Quartet 1962 Since 1971 whatever music he has composed that is not purely electronic has employed a system of asymmetrical modes of 18 pitches per octave drawn from a 72 note division of the octave I seem finally to have identified and made transcribable what my ear was after all along a set of pitches ordered in an asymmetrical scale of 18 or 19 notes some of them acoustically more important than others transposable through a chromatic of 72 pitches in the octave full citation needed 1978 He has received a Guggenheim Fellowship a Koussevitsky commission and an American Academy of Arts amp Letters Award as well as numerous commissions from organizations like the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music and private individuals He was a co founder of the Dinosaur Annex Music Ensemble with Rodney Lister and Scott Wheeler for which he served as president from 1977 to 1981 and as a member of the Board of Directors from 1981 to 2003 He has lectured on his music in the US and abroad most notably at the Hamburger Musikgesprach 1994 the second Naturton Symposium in Heidelberg 1992 and the 3rd and 4th Symposium Mikrotone und Ekmelische Musik at the Hochschule fur Musik und Darstellende Kunst Mozarteum Salzburg in 1989 amp 1991 In 1992 93 he was guest lecturer in the Richter Herf Institut fur Musikalische Grundlagenforschung in the Mozarteum He has published articles on his technique in Computer Music Journal Mikrotone III Mikrotone IV Perspectives of New Music and Ex Tempore With the American cellist Theodore Mook he designed a font now widely adopted for use with computer printing programs based on his set of accidentals which are sufficient for 72 note music citation needed His music is published by Frog Peak Music and Diapason Press Corpus Microtonale As his award citation from the American Academy of Arts and Letters attests Ezra Sims has already contributed an outstanding body of works many of which have explored with singular imagination conviction and success the beautiful but elusive world of microtonal music This quote needs a citation Contents 1 Discography 2 References 3 External links 3 1 ListeningDiscography EditEzra Sims 1998 CRI American Masters CD 784 Originally released on CRIS SD 223 and CRI SD 377 String Quartet No 2 1962 1974 Boston Musica Viva Elegie nach Rilke 1976 Elsa Charlston amp Boston Musica Viva Third Quartet 1962 The Lenox Quartet CRI 643 Concert Piece 1990 Night Piece In Girum Imus Nocte et Consumimur Igni 1987 Flight 1989 Solo in four movements 1987 Quintet 1987 Northeastern NR 224 Sextet 1981 Two for One 1980 All Done From Memory 1980 and as I was saying 1979 CRI 578 Come Away 1978 Ezra Sims Quintet Night Piece Solo in Four Movements Flight Concert Piece Gisele Ben Dor conductor Pro Arte Orchestra Dinosaur Annex Members Composers recordings 1994 2 References Edit Ezra G Sims Jr Obituary Cambridge Massachusetts obitsforlife com Archived from the original on 2016 03 04 Gisele Ben Dor Conductor giseleben dor com External links EditOfficial website information and examples Interview with Ezra Sims June 6 1987Listening Edit Ezra Sims at the Avant Garde Project has FLAC files made from a high quality LP transcription available for free download arizonachambermusic org Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ezra Sims amp oldid 1127195176, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
