Bottje, Will Gay
Bottje, Will Gay
Bottje, Will Gay, American flutist, teacher, and composer; b. Grand Rapids, June 30, 1925. He studied flute (B.S., 1947) and received instruction in composition (M.S., 1948) from Giannini at the Juilliard School of Music in N.Y. He then pursued training with Badings in Holland and Boulanger in Paris (1952–53), and subsequently was a pupil of Rogers and Hanson (composition), Joseph Mariano (flute), and Paul White (conducting) at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. (D.M.A., 1955); later worked at the Univ. of Utrecht electronic music studios (1962–63) and at the Stockholm Stiftlesen (1973). He taught at the Univ. of Miss. (1955–57) before serving as prof, of theory and composition at Southern 111. Univ. in Carbondale (1957–81), where he founded an electronic music studio (1965). His music is of a highly experimental nature, awash with corrosive dissonances in a manner influenced primarily by developments cultivated in the Northern avant-garde music laboratories.
Works
DRAMATIC: Opera: Altgeld (Carbondale, III, March 6, 1968); Root! (1971). orch.: 7 syms. (1946–70); The Ballad Singer (1951); Concerto for Flute, Trumpet, Harp, Strings, and Percussion (1955); Piccolo Concertino (1956); Theme and Variations (1958); Concerto for Trumpet, Trombone, and Winds (1959); Piano Concerto (1960); Sinfonietta (1960); Sinfonia Concertante for Brass Quintet and Winds (1961); Rhapsodic Variations for Viola, Piano, and Strings (1962); Chiaroscuros (1975); Mutations for Small Orch. (1977); Tuba Concerto (1977); Songs From the Land Between the Rivers (1980); Concerto for Oboe, Bassoon, and Orch. (1981); Scenes From the West Shore (1983); Commentaries for Guitar and Orch. (1983); Concerto for 2 Flutes and Orch. (1984); Concerto for Oboe, Violin, and Orch. (1984). chamber:4 string quartets (1950, 1959, 1962, 1982); Quintet for Flute and Strings (1954); 2 wind quintets (1957, 1984); Trumpet Sonata (1959); Cello Sonata (1959); Saxophone Quartet (1963); Modalities I for Saxophone Quartet and Tape (1970) and 17 for Clarinet and Tape (1971); Modules I for Clarinet and Piano (1973) and 71 for Double Bass and Piano (1976); Sym. for Cello and Piano, 4-Hands (1978–79); Guitar Sonata (1980); Oboe Sonata (1981); Harpsichord Sonata (1981). vocal: Song cycles.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire