Randall, J(ames) K(irtland)
Randall, J(ames) K(irtland)
Randall, J(ames) K(irtland ), American composer; b. Cleveland, June 16, 1929. He studied at the Cleveland Inst, of Music (1934–47), Columbia Univ. (B.A., 1955), Harvard Univ. (M.A., 1956), and Princeton Univ. (M.F.A., 1958), numbering among his teachers Leonard Shure for piano and Elwell, Thad Jones, Sessions, and Babbitt for composition. He taught at Princeton Univ. (from 1958). From 1980 he produced various improvised performance pieces under the general name INTER/PLAY.
Works
Slow Movement for Piano (1959); Improvisation on a Poem by e.e. cummings for Soprano, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Guitar, Piano or Soprano, and Piano (1960); Pitch-derived Rhythm: 7 Demonstrations for Flute, Clarinet, Piano, and 2 Cellos (1961–64); Quartets in Pairs for Computer (1964); Mudgett: Monologues by a Mass Murderer for Taped Violin and Computer (1965); Lyric Variations for Taped Violin and Computer (1968); Quartersines for Computer (1969); Music for Eakins, film score for Computer (1972); …such words as it were vain to close… for Piano (1974–76); Troubador Songs for Voice and Percussion (1977); Meditation on Rossignol for Piano (1978); Soundscroll 2 for Piano (1978); Greek Nickel I and II for Piano (1979).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire