This "From the Vaults" program from September 30, 1991 was the first time “television-opera” composer Robert Ashley had visited the WNYC studios. His work is widely considered to be the pre-cursor of "music-television," since, according to Ashley, “many more people watch television than go the opera.” On this edition of New Sounds, Ashley talks his work "Improvement (Don leaves Linda)", the reissue of his opera, the Kitchen-commissioned “Perfect Lives,” in conjunction with the publication of opera’s libretto as a book, and other projects on the horizon.
PROGRAM #723: "With Guest Robert Ashley" Airdate: 9/30/1991
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ARTIST(S) |
RECORDING |
CUT(S) |
SOURCE |
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Robert Ashley
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Perfect Lives |
"The Banker," |
Lovely Music #4917. www.lovely.com |
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Improvement (Don leaves Linda) |
excerpt [8:00] |
Elektra/Nonesuch 79289 www.nonesuch.com |
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Perfect Lives |
"The Backyard," excerpt [8:30] |
See above. |
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El Aficionado |
excerpt [5:00] |
Lovely Music 1004 www.lovely.com |
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Private Parts -The Record |
"The Backyard," excerpt [4:00] |
Lovely #LM-1001 www.lovely.com |
*, ** Find the recordings you've heard - go to the New Sounds Recordings Information page


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