Gilbert, Pia
Gilbert, Pia
Gilbert, Pia, spirited German-born American composer and pedagogue; b. Kippenheim, June 1, 1921. She began her career as a dance accompanist in the N.Y. studios of Lotte Goslar, Doris Humphreys, and Martha Graham; then found her niche as a composer for dance and theater. She served in various capacities during her lengthy tenure as prof, in the dance dept. at the Univ. of Calif., Los Angeles (1947-85), including resident composer and music director of its dance company; in 1986 she joined the music faculty at the Juilliard School in N.Y. where she held the William Schuman Scholar’s Chair in 2000. As a teacher, Gilbert is distinguished by her commitment to the musical literacy of dancers, as well as for her interdisciplinary approach. Her compositions, whether for dance, theater, or simply ′′music per se,′′ are always subtly dramatic, and a certain sly humor invades several of her vocal works; Vociano, first performed by Jan DeGaetani at the 1978 Aspen (Colo.) Music Festival, is pleasing for its use of imaginary languages, and her later chamber opera, Dialects (1990-91; Bonn, May 21, 1991), is a modern-day recreation of the most playful of Futurist ideals. With A. Lockhart, she publ. Music for the Modern Dance (1961).
Works
DRAMATIC Opera : Dialects, chamber opera (1990-91; Bonn, May 21, 1991). D a n c e : In 2s It’s Love (1949); Songs of Innocence and Experience (1952); Trio for Piano, Dancer, and Lights (1956); Valse for Lotte Goslar (1959); Bridge of the 7th Moon (1960); Freke-Phreec-Freake-Phreaque- Freak (1969); Irving, the Terrific (1971); Requiem for Jimmy Dean (1972); Legend (1985). T h e a t e r (all 1st perf. by the Mark Taper Forum Theatre Group, Los Angeles): The Deputy, after R. Hochhuth (1966); Murderous Angels, after C.C. O’Brien (1970); Tales from Hollywood, after C. Hampton (1982). ORCH.: Gestures (1988). CHAMBER: Transmutations for Organ and Percussion (1975); Spirals and Interpolations for Small Ensemble (1976); Interrupted Suite for Clarinet and 3 Pianos (1978); Tri, dispute, dialogue, diatribe for Cello and Piano (1978); Volatile for Piano (1987). VOCAL: Vociano for Mezzo-soprano and Piano (1978); Food for Soprano, Baritone, Trumpet, Piano, and Snare Drum, to texts by John Cage (1981); Bells for Soprano and Piano (1983); Das Lied der Gefallenen for Voice and Piano, after L. Feuchtwanger (1984); Quotations and Interludes for Soprano, Clarinet, Violin, Piano, and Balloons (1990).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire