Truax, Barry (Douglas)

Truax, Barry (Douglas), Canadian composer and teacher; b. Chatham, Ontario, May 10, 1947. He studied physics and mathematics at Queen’s Univ. in Kingston (B.S., 1969), and then pursued music studies with Hultberg at the Univ. of British Columbia (M.M., 1971), and with Laske and Koenig at the Inst. of Sonology at the Univ. of Utrecht (1971-73). In 1973 he became associated with R. Murray Schafer through the World Soundscape Project in Vancouver. After serving as director of the Sonic Research Studio and asst. prof, in the dept. of communication at Simon Fraser Univ. (1976-83), he was prof, in the School of Communication and the School for the Contemporary Arts there. He publ, the vols. Handbook for Acoustic Ecology (1978) and Acoustic Communication (1985). Truax is one of Canada’s leading composers of electroacoustic music.

Works

dramatic: The Little Princefor Narrator, Singers, and Tape, after Saint-Exupery (1971); Gilgameshfor Narrator, Singers, Dancers, Sopranino Recorder, Oboe, and 4 Soundtracks (1972-74); Powers of Two,electroacoustic music opera for 6 Singers, 2 Dancers, Video Tape, and 8 Soundtracks (1995-99); Adrogyne, Mon Amour,music theater piece for Amplified Male Double Bass Player and 2 Soundtracks, after Tennessee Williams (1996-97). Mixed Media with Tape: Divanfor Computer Graphic Slides and 2 Soundtracks (1985); The Wings of Nikefor Computer Graphic Slides and 2 Soundtracks (1987); Beauty and the Beastfor Narrator (Oboe d’Amore and English Horn), Computer Images, and 2 Soundtracks (1989); Pacific Dragonfor Computer Graphic Slides and 4 Soundtracks (1991); Night of the Conjurerfor Video Tape and Optional Cello (1992); Song of Songsfor Oboe d’Amore, English Horn, 2 Soundtracks, and Computer Graphic Images (1992); Threshing (On the Mechanics of Nostalgia)for Video (1993). INSTRUMENTS AND/OR VOICE AND TAPE: She, a Solofor Mezzo-soprano and Tape (1973); Trigonfor Mezzo-soprano, Alto Flute, Piano, and Tape (1974-75); Nautilusfor Percussion and 4 Soundtracks (1976); Sonic Landscape No. 4for Organ and 4 Soundtracks (1977); Aerialfor Horn and 4 Soundtracks (1979); Love Songsfor Woman’s Voice and 4 Soundtracks (1979); East Windfor Amplified Recorder and 4 Soundtracks (1981); Nightwatchfor Marimba and 4 Soundtracks (1982); Etudefor Cello and 2 Soundtracks (1983-84); Tongues of Angelsfor Oboe d’Amore, English Horn, and 4 Soundtracks (1988); Pacific Fog,soundscape with English Horn (1990); Dominionfor Chamber Ensemble and 2 Soundtracks (1991); Bamboo, Silk and Stonefor Asian Instruments and 2 Soundtracks (1994; in collaboration with Randy Raine- Reusch); Insidefor Bass Oboe and 2 Soundtracks (1995); Patternsfor Woman Speaker and 2 Soundtracks (1996); Wings of Firefor Woman Cellist and 2 Soundtracks (1996); Twin Soulsfor Chorus and 2 Soundtracks (1997). OTHER: Tapes from Gilgameshfor 12 4-Channel Tapes (1972-73); Sonic Landscape No. 3,spatial environment for 4 Computer- synthesized Soundtracks (1975; rev. 1977); Androgynyfor 4 Computer- synthesized Soundtracks (1978); Ascendancefor Stereo Electronic Tape (1979); The Blind Manfor 2-Channel Tape (1979); Arrasfor 4 Computer-synthesized Soundtracks (1980); Wave Edgefor 4 Computer-synthesized Soundtracks (1983); Solar Ellipsefor 4 Computer-synthesized Soundtracks (1984-85); Riverrunfor 4 Computer-synthesized Soundtracks (1986); Pacificfor 4 Digital Soundtracks (1990); Basilicafor 2 Digital Soundtracks (1992); Sequence of Later Heavenfor 4 Digital Soundtracks (1993); Pacific Fanfarefor 2 Digital Soundtracks (1996); Pendlerdromfor 2 Digital Soundtracks (1997); Sequence of Earlier Heavenfor 8 Digital Soundtracks (1998).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire