The world premiere of Randy’s Hostetler’s P[l]ACES was the centerpiece of a Memorial concert for Randy Hostetler held on January 13, 1998 at New York’s Film Anthology Archives. The concert was the third in a new music series produced by Philip Glass with Lisa Bielawa and Eleanor Sandresky as artistic directors. The work was conducted by Beatrice Jona Affron, music director of the Pennsylvania Ballet Company who most recently conducted the national tour of Philip Glass’s ballet opera, “Les Enfants Terribles.”
The work used twelve instrumentalists, including five percussionists. Other instruments included soprano and tenor saxophones, trombone, trumpet, piano, electric and washtub bass, electric and acoustic guitar, amplified power tools and spoons, and taped sounds of barking dogs and other ambient sounds. Each performer also “played” an old fashioned floor or table lamp, creating polyrhythmic tableaus of light.
Performing P[L]ACES was the Talujon Percussion Quartet; Jack Vees from the Yale School of Music faculty who knew Hostetler in California (electric and washtub bass); Monique Buzzarte, author, educator and performer (trombone); Oren Fader, director of Guitar Chamber Music Program and faculty member of the Manhattan School of Music (electric and acoustic guitar); and several members of the Philip Glass Ensemble: Eleanor Sandresky, piano; Lisa Bielawa, keyboard; Frank Cassara, timekeeper; and Susan Radcliff, trumpet.
Contributing technical and historical assistance to the performance were: Michael Riesman and Dan Dryden of the Philip Glass Ensemble and several artists who had heard or worked with Randy Hostetler at the time he composed P[l]aces including Minnesota composer Libby Larsen; Los Angeles composer Robert O’Neill; Texas filmmaker, Francesca Talenti; and former California Institute of the Arts colleague, Ted Morano.
Financial contributions in support of the performance were made by: Becca Bahr, Lawrence and Mary Hewes, Paul Lansky, Libby Larsen, Mariza Scotch, Muna Shehadi and Andrews G. Sill and Elizabeth Stauderman.
The performance was filmed by Rob Tate, whose film, “Neptune’s Rocking Horse”, has been screened at numerous film festivals this past year.
- RealAudio Excerpt of P[L]ACES
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Rob Tate’s Document(ary) of P[L]ACES
Rob Tate’s video document(ary) of Randy Hostetler’s P[L]ACES is now available. The film includes interviews, footage by Francesca P. Talenti of Randy conducting rehearsals of P[L]ACES in l989 at the California Institute of the Arts, and the January 13, 1998 premiere performance in New York’s Music at the Anthology Series conducted by Beatrice Jona Affron. Rob Tate, award winning New York filmmaker, has graciously offered to make and ship copies of his P[L]ACES document(ary). Requests for copies may be sent directly to Rob Tate, 235 West End Avenue, #11B, New York, N.Y. 10023 (e-mail address: Robsqrd@AOL.com) Copies may also be ordered through The Living Room Fund.
