Milton Babbitt

Milton Babbitt 1916-, American composer, b. Philadelphia. Babbitt turned to music after studying mathematics. He was a composition pupil of Roger Sessions at Princeton. Babbitt has attempted to apply twelve-tone principles to all the elements of composition: dynamics, timbre, and rhythm, as well as melody and harmony. He calls this "total serialization" (see serial music ). In 1959, Babbitt became one of the directors of the new Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center in New York City. His works include Three Compositions for Piano (1947), three string quartets (1942, 1954, 1969-70), Composition for Synthesizer (1961), Philomel (1964) for soprano, taped soprano, and synthesizer, A Solo Requiem for soprano and piano, and Dual (1980) for cello and piano. In 1982 he received a special Pulitzer citation for the body of his work.

Babbitt, Milton (1916– ) US composer, musicologist, and teacher. Babbitt studied with Roger Sessions and his mathematical background influenced his music. He systematized the analysis of twelve-tone music. His compositions include vocal, piano and chamber music, as well as electronic music.

Babbitt, Milton (b Philadelphia, 1916). Amer. composer and mathematician. On staff at Princeton since 1938, becoming Conant Prof. of Mus. His comps. developed from the 12-note system of Schoenberg and Webern, later employing elec. devices such as synthesizers and tape. Author of articles and monographs on Bartók qts., elec. mus., Varèse, and Schoenberg. Works incl.:ORCH.: Relata I (1965), II (1968); Concerti, vn., orch., tape (1974–6); pf. conc. (1985).CHAMBER MUSIC: Composition for 4 instruments (1948); str. qts.: No.1 (1950), No.2 (1954), No.3 (1969–70), No.4 (1970), No.5 (1982); ww. qt. (1953); Groupwise, 7 instrs. (1983); Sheer Pluck, gui. (1984); The Joy of More Sextets (1986); Beaten Paths, marimba (1988); The Crowded Air, 11 instrs. (1988).CHORAL: Music for the Mass (1941); 4 Canons (1969); More Phenomena (1977).PIANO: 3 Compositions (1947); Partitions (1957); Post-Partitions (1966); Reflections, with tape (1974).ELECTRONIC: Composition for Synthesizer (1961); Philomel, sop., recorded sop., and syn. (1964); Correspondences, string orch. and syn. (1967); Phenomena, sop. and tape (1974).