Lang, David

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Lang, David

Lang, David, American composer; b. Los Angeles, Jan. 8, 1957. He studied with Lou Harrison, Martin Bresnick, and Leland Smith at Stanford Univ. (A.B., 1978), with Richard Hervig, Donald Jenni, and William Hibbard at the Univ. of Iowa (M.M., 1980), and with Bresnick, Druckman, Reynolds, and Subotnick at Yale Univ. (D.M.A., 1989); also trained at the Aspen (Colo.) Music Festival (summers, 1977-81) and the Berkshire Music Center in Tanglewood (summer, 1983). Among his awards were an NEA grant (1986) and the Rome Prize (1990); also BMI awards (1980, 1981). In 1987, with Michael Gordon and Julia Wolfe, he founded the international N.Y. festival bang on a can. His compositions are starkly dissonant.

Works

dramatic:Judith and Holofernes, chamber opera (1989; Munich, April 27, 1990); Modern Painters, opera (1994); The Carbon Copy Building, comic-book opera (Turin, Sept. 9, 1999). orch.:Hammer Amour for Piano and Chamber Orch. (1979; rev. version, Sept. 25, 1989, Alan Feinberg soloist); Eating Live Monkeys (Cleveland, April 19, 1985, Henze conducting); Spud for Chamber Orch. (St. Paul, Minn., March 6, 1986); Are You Experienced? for Chamber Orch. (Pittsburgh, May 27, 1988); Dance/Drop for Chamber Orch. (Toronto, Feb. 10, 1989, composer conducting); International Business Machine (Boston, Aug. 25, 1990, Slatkin conducting); Bonehead (N.Y, 1990); Fire and Forget (1992); Concerto on Orpheus (1994); The Passing Measures (1998). chamber:Hammer Amour for Piano, 2 Flutes, 2 Clarinets, 2 Horns, Trumpet, Trombone, and Percussion (1979; rev. 1989); Illumination Rounds for Violin and Piano (N.Y, April 23, 1982); Frag for Flute, Oboe, and Cello (Philadelphia, Oct. 1, 1985); Spud for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, Timpani, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Double-bass (1986); Burn Notice for Flute, Cello, and Piano (N.Y., Nov. 7, 1988) Dance/Drop for Bassoon, Baritone Saxophone, Piano, Synthesizer, and Percussion (1988–89); The Anvil Chorus for Percussion (1990); Vent for Flute and Piano (1990); Hunk of Burnin’ Love for 14 Instruments (1991); Press Release for Bass Clarinet or Bassoon (1991); Bitter Herb for Cello and Piano (1992); My Evil Twin for 12 Instruments (1992); Cheating, Lying, Stealing for Chamber Ensemble (1993); Slow Movement for Amplified Ensemble (1993); Street for 13 Instruments (1993); Thorn for Flute (1993); I Fought the Law for Piccolo, Oboe, Clarinet, Trumpet, Violin, Viola, Cello, Double-bass, and 2 Pieces of Junk Metal (1 or 2 Players) (1998); Link for 11 Instruments (1998; in collab. with Michael Gordon); Scraping Song for Percussion (1998); My Very Empty Mouth for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano (1999); Sweet Air for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, and Piano (1999). piano:While Nailing at Random (1983); Orpheus Over and Under for 2 Pianos (N.Y, March 27, 1989); Cage (1992); Face So Pale for 6 Pianos (1992); Spartan Arcs (1992); 3 Memory Pieces (1992-94); Deep (1994). vocal:By Fire for Chorus (1984; London, June 30, 1986); Are You Experienced? for Narrator and Chamber Ensemble (1987–88); Music for Gracious Living for Narrator and String Quartet (1993).