The Music Room

Reviews / Votes

Whenever a musical scene coalesces into greatness, you often find a crucial figure amid and behind the scenes, offering support, criticism, and taste. Such a force was Betty Freeman in late-twentieth-century Los Angeles. Jake Johnson's collection of interviews from her salon is an apt tribute to Freeman's achievement, and honors another listener of vital intelligence, the longtime critic Alan Rich. An indispensable volume. * Alex Ross, Music critic for The New Yorker * Betty Freeman's mind was open to the newest trends in art, music, and theater. A Californian portrait photographer and benefactor herself, she invited some of the most important composers of our time to her music room. In this most unusual and meticulously edited book, Ligeti, Nancarrow, Boulez, Cage, and Feldman talk about themselves and their musical hopes and aspirations. It should make us listen to their conversations with reformed ears. * Alfred Brendel, Pianist, composer, and author * For many years, 703 Hillcrest Drive in Beverly Hills was the essential meeting and listening place for new music in L.A. Betty Freeman brought together a group of people who shared her desire to hear what was happening, and to meet the people who made it happen. Betty was herself musically sophisticated, and the warm atmosphere of her house made everyone feel welcome. Whether you were there for a day, a year, or as a longtime resident, knowing her was a blessing and being at her gatherings a cherished memory." * John Harbison, Composer and professor emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology * Betty freeman supported a wide range of musical creators at crucial times in their careers. Betty was generous and blunt with her opinions and advice. She built a cultural bridge by introducing patrons and scholars of contemporary visual art to New Music communities. Chief among these efforts were the extraordinary salons at her home, where composers talked about and played examples of our music surrounded by her art collection and nourished by the cooking of artist Franco Assetto, her husband. Jake Johnson has made an essential contribution to the literature with his excellent book, offering a window into these exciting times with his lucid writing and valuable transcriptions. * Rand Steiger, Composer and Professor, University of California, San Diego * Betty Freeman's legendary salons, accompanied by informative contextualizing. Highlights include Gyoergy Ligeti discussing uniting musical and dynamical systems; John Cage explaining and then reading his mesostic poem, Composition in Retrospect; Morton Feldman talking about metaphorical fugues; Louis Andriessen discussing the nature of time; and Pauline Oliveros encouraging audience members to engage in meditations on the sounds of their names. Freeman's home held a formidable collection of modern art, and each chapter is engagingly introduced by describing a counterpoint wrapping both the artworks and the presenters. This is a portrait of an age not to be missed. * David Rosenboom, Composer-Performer, Author, and Educator *