The Performer in the Music of Milton Babbitt

Abstract

Like Schoenberg, Babbitt was ambivalent about certain complexities of performance, which were integrally connected to the nature and presentation of his music. The psychological accessibility of his music, the virtuosity required for the ideal realisation of his compositions, and the implications of his notation all related directly to the creative processes of his performers. Upon considering these factors, it is suggested that Babbitt’s ambivalence about and reluctance to address the practical concerns of his interpreters, even those with whom he worked closely and for whom he had considerable regard, may have significant consequences for the dissemination of his oeuvre. Performers whose experiences are examined include Bethany Beardslee, Judith Bettina, Robert Black, Rolf Schulte, and Fred Sherry.

Keywords:

• Schoenberg
• Performance Practice
• Notation
• Virtuosity
• Psychology

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Marilyn Nonken

Marilyn Nonken, Professor of Music and Director of Piano Studies, New York University, was recognised upon her New York debut, which featured the complete solo piano music of Arnold Schoenberg, as ‘a determined protector of important music’ (New York Times). She has recorded more than 30 discs for Metier, New World, Mode, Lovely Music, Albany, Divine Art, Hanging Bell, Harrison House, Innova, CRI, BMOP Sound, New Focus, Kairos, Tzadik, and Bridge. Her writings on music include The Spectral Piano: From Liszt, Scriabin and Debussy to the Digital Age (Cambridge, 2014) and Identity and Diversity in New Music: The New Complexities (Routledge, 2019). A graduate of the Eastman School, where she studied with David Burge, she received her PhD from Columbia University. Her recording of Babbitt’s Allegro Penseroso is available from New World (American Spiritual, CRI 877).