Dodge, Charles (Malcolm)

Dodge, Charles (Malcolm), American composer and teacher; b. Ames, Iowa, June 5, 1942. He studied composition with Hervig and Bezanson at the Univ. of Iowa (B.A., 1964), Milhaud at the Aspen (Colo.) Music School (summer, 1961), and Schuller at the Berkshire Music Center in Tanglewood (summer, 1964), where he also attended seminars given by Berger and Foss. He then studied composition with Chou Wenchung and Luening, electronic music with Ussachevsky, and theory with William J. Mitchell at Columbia Univ. (M.A., 1966; D.M.A., 1970). He was a teacher at Columbia Univ. (1967–69; 1970–77) and Princeton Univ. (1969–70); was assoc. prof. (1977–80) and prof. (1980–95) of music at Brooklyn Coll. and the graduate center of the City Univ. of N.Y. In 1993–94 and again from 1995 he served as a visiting prof, of music at Dartmouth Coll. He was president of the American Composers Alliance (1971–75) and the American Music Center (1979–82). In 1972 and 1975 he held Guggenheim fellowships. In 1974, 1976, 1987, and 1991 he held NEA composer fellowships. With T. Jerse, he publ. Computer Music: Synthesis, Composition, and Performance (N.Y., 1985).

Works

Composition in 5 Parts for Cello and Piano (1964); Solos and Combinations for Flute, Clarinet, and Oboe (1964); Folia for Chamber Orch. (1965); Rota for Orch. (1966); Changes for Computer Synthesis (1970); Earth’s Magnetic Field for Computer Synthesis (1970); Speech Songs for Computer-Synthesized Voice (1972); Extensions for Trumpet and Computer Synthesis (1973); The Story of Our Lives for Computer-Synthesized Voice (1974; also for Videotape, 1975); In Celebration for Computer-Synthesized Voice (1975); Palinode for Orch. and Computer Synthesis (1976); Cascando, radio play by Samuel Beckett (1978); Any Resemblance Is Purely Coincidental for Piano and Computer-Synthesized “Caruso Voice” (1980); Han motte henne i parken, radio play by Richard Kostelanetz (1981); He Met Her in the Park, radio play by Richard Kostelanetz (1982); Distribution, Redistribution for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1983); Mingo’s Song for Computer- Synthesized Voice (1983); The Waves for Soprano and Computer Synthesis (1984); Profile for Computer Synthesis (1984); Roundelay for Chorus and Computer Synthesis (1985); A Postcard from the Volcano for Soprano and Computer Synthesis (1986); Song without Words for Computer Synthesis (1986); A Fractal for Wiley for Computer Synthesis (1987); Viola Elegy for Viola and Computer Synthesis (1987); Clarinet Elegy for Bass Clarinet and Computer Synthesis (1988); Wedding Music for Violin and Computer Synthesis (1988); Allemande for Computer Synthesis (1988); The Voice of Binky for Computer Synthesis (1989); Imaginary Narrative for Computer Synthesis (1989); Hoy (In His Memory) for Voice and Computer Synthesis (1990); The Village Child, puppet theater (1992); The One and the Other for Chamber Orch. (1993; Los Angeles, April 11, 1994); Concert Etudes for Violin and Computer Synthesis (N.Y., April 12, 1994).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire