Earlier this month, American composer George Crumb passed away. Above is a lovely video with George from Open G Records wherein he talks at length about his work and his influences.

Here’s a brief bio from his Wikipedia page.

George Henry Crumb[1][2] or George Henry Crumb Jr.[3] (October 24, 1929 – February 6, 2022) was an American composer of modern classical and avant-garde music.[4] He was known as an explorer of unusual timbres, alternative forms of notation, and extended instrumental and vocal techniques, which obtain vivid sonorities.[1] Examples include seagull effect for the cello (e.g. Vox Balaenae), metallic vibrato for the piano (e.g. Five Pieces for Piano), and using a mallet to play the strings of a double bass (e.g. Madrigals, Book I), among numerous others. Crumb’s most renowned works include Ancient Voices of Children (1970), Black Angels (1971), and Makrokosmos III (1974).

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