Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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0:00 Introduction
0:33 I. Early Life
2:32 II. Bell Labs & Stochastic Programs
13:44 III. Clangs and Temporal Gestalts
23:55 IV. Going Postal
30:41 V. Ergodic Form
40:41 VI. The Spectral Minimalist

📚 Sources/further reading:
“Meta+Hodos: A Phenomenology of 20th-Century Musical Materials and an Approach to the Study of Form” by James Tenney (2nd edition, 1988, Frog Peak Music): monoskop.org/images/1/13/Tenney_James_Meta-Hodos_and_Meta_Meta-Hodos.pdf
“The Early Works of James Tenney” by Larry Polansky (1983): monoskop.org/images/6/60/Polansky_Larry_The_Early_Works_of_James_Tenney.pdf
“Form in 20th Century Music” by James Tenney (1969–70): plainsound.org/pdfs/Form.pdf
“Computer Music Experiences, 1961–1964” by James Tenney: plainsound.org/pdfs/ComputerMusic.pdf
“Theoretical and Formal Continuity in James Tenney's Music” by Brian Belet (San Jose State University, 2008): https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=music_dance_pub
latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-aug-30-me-tenney30-story.html
artsjournal.com/postclassic/2006/08/james_tenney_19342006.html
http://eamusic.dartmouth.edu/~larry/published_articles/tenney_monograph_soundings/14_Spectral_CANON.pdf

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Music (all by James Tenney):

- “Septet for Six Electric Guitars and Bass” (1981), performed by Adrian Verdejo: youtube.com/watch?v=PaSycixKh9Y
- “Chorales for Orchestra” (1974), performers unknown: youtube.com/watch?v=a8-qQnwgaO8
- “Collage #1 (‘Blue Suede’)” (1961): youtube.com/watch?v=P9TGvSUUR7s
- “Analog #1 (Noise Study)” (1961): youtube.com/watch?v=fe4UlyQAgcc
- “Dialogue” (1963): youtube.com/watch?v=8zlY9-EcGf8
- “August Harp” (1971) from Postal Pieces, performed by Ulrike von Meier: youtube.com/watch?v=x34hUbPswt4
- “For Ann (Rising)” (1969): youtube.com/watch?v=bbKbE8y95sg
- “Having Never Written a Note for Percussion” (1971) from Postal Pieces, performed by William Winant: youtube.com/watch?v=v9UJXASmh48
- “Ergodos I (for John Cage)” (1963): youtube.com/watch?v=4vi3G8FDYNY
- “Wake for Charles Ives” from Three Pieces for Drum Quartet (1974/5), performed by the Maelström Percussion Ensemble conducted by Jan Williams: youtube.com/watch?v=nMI91CRvzAs
- “Koan” for string quartet (1984), performed by Quatuor Bozzini: youtube.com/watch?v=raNKAtgGRj4
- “Critical Band” (1988/2000), performed by EM62, Trio Scordatura, Juan Parra Cancino, and researchers at the Orpheus Research Centre in Music: youtube.com/watch?v=PquWrwK6wVY
- “Diapason” (1996), performed by the Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kwamé Ryan
- “Harmonium #1” (1976), performed by the Tilted Head Ensemble conducted by Carl Christian Bettendorf: youtube.com/watch?v=SRfZfrwdhxA
- “Harmonium #3” (1980), performers unknown: youtube.com/watch?v=lAKF0GnF2As
- “Three Indigenous Songs” (1979), performers unknown: youtube.com/watch?v=LM6qm-NAJ2Q
- “Arbor Vitae” (2006), performed by the Bozzini Quartet: youtube.com/watch?v=1nSigzXlLME

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