Arthur Kreiger, "Dance for Sarah"

-- Liner Notes --
AMERICAN COMPOSERS ALLIANCE RECORDING AWARD

Each year, the American Composers Alliance chooses several member composers to receive the ACA Recording Award. These awards are given either to stimulate the career of a talented young composer or to call attention to the recognized achievement of a mature musician. Occasionally, the birthday of an outstanding composer is celebrated with the Award. In all cases, the selection is made by a jury of the composer's peers, whose principal criterion is artistic excellence.

Frank Wigglesworth
President

ARTHUR KREIGER
DANCE FOR SARAH (1976)
Tapes realized at the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center

ARTHUR KREIGER (b. 1945, New Haven, CT) attended the University of Connecticut where he received an undergraduate degree in English literature and master's degree in music. He earned his doctorate in composition with distinction from Columbia University. While still a student, Kreiger received fellowships from the Berkshire Music Festival and the Composer's Conference. In 1974 his electronic music won an award from the League of Composers-ISCM. Subsequent honors include the Rome Prize (1979) and a Guggenheim Fellowship (1980). In 1982 he was living in New York City and teaching at Columbia University. He writes:

"DANCE FOR SARAH (1976) and THEME AND VARIATIONS (1977) were designed to explore a rich palette of electronic sounds. Timbres are often presented in a state of flux, approximating the opulence of acoustic instruments without imitating their specific colors. The sounds manipulated in these compositions were generated on the now-standard assemblage of classical analogue tape equipment bolstered by an early model Buchla Synthesizer. Cutting, splicing, and mixing - techniques handed down from the first makers of tape-recorder music - were used to extend short segments into longer melodic lines and m&e dense textures.

"Flamboyant, raucous gestures characterize portions of DANCE FOR SARAH. The material presented in the opening undergoes considerable change as the work progresses and new elements appear, creating two broad sections. In 1977 DANCE FOR SARAH received honors at the Fifth International Electroacoustic Music Awards held in Bourges, France. The composition celebrates the birth of the composer's niece and is infused with the noisy energy of her first years.