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Collection Overview
Title: William DeFotis Papers, 1953-2004
ID: 26/20/124
Primary Creator: DeFotis, William (1953-2003)
Extent: 5.3 cubic feet
Arrangement:
Materials are arranged in four series, which are as follows:
Series 1) Personal Papers, is unrranged.
Series 2) Music, is arranged in two sub-series: sub-series 1) Original Compositions and sub-series 2) Translations and Orchestrations by DeFotis.
Series 3) Audio and Audio Visual Recordings, is arranged in two sub-series: sub-series 1) Audio Recordings and sub-series 2) Films.
and Series 4) Research and Correspondence, which is arranged in three sub-series: sub-series 1) Research Files, Publications, Lectures, and Notes; sub-series 2) Tenure Documents; and sub-series 3) Correspondence.
Date Acquired: 07/24/2003. More info below under Accruals.
Subjects: Alumni, Baylor University, Brün, Herbert (1918-2000), Clarinet, Composers, Compositions-Music, Computer Music, Conductors (Music), Films, Fulbright Awards, Gaburo, Kenneth (1926-1993), Music Composition, University of Iowa, Vocal music, William and Mary, College of
Formats/Genres: Concert Programs, Experimental Music, Papers, Scrapbooks, Sheet music, Sound Recordings, Video recordings
Languages: English
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Consists of publications, correspondence, original scores and arrangements, concert programs, audio and video recordings of William DeFotis' compositions and performances, and scrapbooks, documenting the career of alumnus and composer William DeFotis. Major correspondents include: Steven Blum, William Brooks, Herbert Brün, Constance DeFotis, Kenneth Gaburo, Perry Goldstein, Walter Levin, Allen Otte and Percussion Group Cincinnati, and Steve Whiting.
Biographical Note
William "Bill" George DeFotis (1953-2003) was born in Chicago, Illinois. DeFotis graduated from Elk Grove High Schol (Elk Grove, IL), where he began composing and playing clarinet. Following this, he studied music composition with Herbert Brün, Ben Johnston, and Morgan Powell at the University of Illinois, earning his Bachelor's of Music (1975) and his Master's of Music (1977). In 1977 he traveled to Germany on a Fulbright grant to study with composer and musicologist Wolf Rosenberg. During this period, he toured with Musica Negativa, playing clarinet throughout Germany. Upon his return to the United States, DeFotis attended the University of Iowa, earning a DMA in conducting. From 1983 to 1985, he taught composition and orchestra at Baylor University and from 1986 to 1996 he taught conducting, composition, and a course in women's studies at the College of William and Mary.
DeFotis's compositions have been performed by the LaSalle Quartet, Percussion Group Cincinnati, Opus One, the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory Philharmonia, and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. He took medical retirement in 1996, after which he composed and recorded more than a dozen songs for the album Satire is Serious Business, which was released by Centaur Records. DeFotis died due to complications from multiple sclerosis in 2003.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Accruals:
Memorial CDs and posthumous score releases were acquired sometime during 2004.
Acquisition Source:
Estate of William DeFotis
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Personal Papers, 1953-2003],
[
Series 2: Music, 1971-1998],
[Series 3: Audio and Audio Visual Recordings, 1975-2004],
[
Series 4: Research and Correspondence, 1973-1998],
[
All]
- Series 3: Audio and Audio Visual Recordings, 1975-2004
- Consists of Reel to Reel tapes, DAT tapes, Cassette Tapes, CDs, and VHS Tapes, documenting original works by Defotis and performance ensembles that Defotis played in or conducted. Materials are arranged in three sub-series: sub-series 1) Audio Recordings of Original Music, sub-series 2) Audio Recordings of Performance Ensembles, and sub-series 3) Films of Performance Ensembles.
- Sub-Series 1: Audio Recordings, 1975-2004
- Consists of Reel to Reel Tapes, DAT cassettes, tape cassettes, and CDs, documenting original music by DeFotis, performances by DeFotis, and performances of his pieces by various ensembles. Materials are arranged by media type and then chronologically, with undated materials at the end of each material batch.
- Box 9
- Item 1: Serenade Op. 24 by Arnold Schoenberg, May 4, 1980
- 10" Polyester Reel 15 IPS, Tail Out, A.
- Item 2: Poem After, Tableau, and Erasers, February 14, 1985
- 10" polyester and acetate reel, 2-channel. Dolby A Masters.
- Item 3: Ives Symphony No. 2, May 1, 1984
- Tape Cassette. DeFotis conducting Baylor Symphony Orchestra.
- Item 4: William Defotis UCSD Departmental Seminar on Hans Eisler, February 28, 1985
- Tape Cassette.
- Item 5: Hans Eisler 14 Ways to Describe Rain, May 1985
- Tape Cassette, Type 2 Cryo 2. Recorded in LaJolla. Defotis Conductor.
- Item 6: In the Cracks, premiere by Stefan Litwin, 1989
- Tape Cassette, metal tape type IV, Dolby B.
- Item 7: J.S. Bach Prelude and Fugue in C# Minor, from the Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1, ca. 1990
- Tape Cassette, type II No Dolby. Recorded by the Cincinnati Philharmonia, Gerhard Samuel, conducting.
- Item 8: Prelude and Fuge in C# minor and C# Major, by J.S. Bach, ca. 1991
- Tape Cassette, type II no Dolby. Recorded by the Cincinnati Philharmonia, Gerhard Samuel, conducting.
- Item 9: Directions for Orchestrating Prelude and Fugue in Ab Minor, ca. 1995
- Tape Cassette.
- Item 10: DeFotis Septet, two performances, undated
- Tape Cassette.
- Item 11: DeFotis, Short Talk on L'Historie du Soldat, undated
- Tape Cassette.
- Item 12: William DeFotis Introduction and Program Notes to String Quartet and Against that time, undated
- Tape Cassette, Cr02, No noise red.
- Item 13: William DeFotis Kenneth Star, undated
- Tape Cassette. Annotation reads: Like to Be, Kenneth Star, Simon Harns, Piano and Harmonica.
- Item 14: William DeFotis Conducting Movements by Mahler, Webern, Debussy, Purcell, and Schoenberg, undated
- Tape Cassette.
- Item 15: William DeFotis Instrumental Music, undated
- Tape Cassette. Annotation reads: Wind Quintet (very bad performance), Septet (ok performance), Cello and Piano Piece (so-so performance), Variation for Piano and Percussion (good performance).
- Item 16: Schoenberg Serenade, May 4, 1980
- DAT Tape. Conducted by William DeFotis. Has Been Digitized.
- Item 17: DeFotis Continuous Showing, undated
- DAT Tape.
- Item 18: DeFotis Continuous Showing, undated
- DAT Tape.
- Item 19: Bill's CD Master (#19/20), undated
- DAT Tape. Annotation reads: e.e. cummings bagatelles, Honey it Aint Postmodern.
- Item 20: Flute and Tape Piece, undated
- DAT Tape.
- Item 21: Berg 4 pieces for Clarinet and Piano and Brahams Sonata op. 120 no. 2, undated
- DAT Tape. William DeFotis, clarinet; Stephen Blum, piano.
- Item 22: Bill's CD 5/94, undated
- DAT Tape.
- Item 23: New Graduate Works from the Experimental Music Studios at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1990
- CD. Denon Digitial. Includes the following tracks: 1) Choi - Later, the Runaway, leaving no trace, not even a trace of misfortune, 2) Mizma - DSP, 3) Preissing - excerpts from Enigmatic Game, 4) Cohen - Drum Machine, 5) Feller - This Appearance, 6) Hinkle-Turner - Insurrection I, 7) Krause - Dead Aria, 8) DeFotis - Breaking Up Immediately Recognizable Units of Significance is Hard to Do, 9) Bargar - Business as Usual.
- Item 24: Satire is Serious Business, 1995
CD. Centaur Records.
Tracks: 1) Some of My Best Friends Are Women, 2) How Many Times Had We Found Ourselves Mouthing Received Opinions Using the Language of Oppression Before We No Longer Had Any Claim to Be Oblivious to Our Having Become Both Victim and Perpetrator of Injustice?, 3) Happy Earth Day, 4) Family Values, 5) You'd Better Not, 6) Homophobia, 7) e.e. cummings bagatells, 8) Sex in Space, 9) Don't Dare Call me a Lefty, 10) Continous Showing, 11) What's in a Name, 12) Currency Crisis, 13) We Won the Cold War, 14) The PC Tango, 15) In the Cracks, 16) Piece for Flute Solo with Tape Accompaniment, 17) Election Bailed, 18) Televangelists in the Closet, 19) Honey, It Aint Postmodern to be Hankering for You, 20) Breaking Up Immediately Recognizable Units of Significance is Hard to Do, 21) Poem After, 22) String Quartet.
- Item 25: I am a Composer, July 2, 1998
- CD. Paradise Mountain Recording Studio.
- Item 26: Works by William DeFotis (copy 1), undated
- CD. Tracks: 1) The Charm of Trivia, 2) Erasers, 3) Tableau, 4) Continuous Showing, 5) Piece for Flute Solo with Tape Accompaniment (tape part), 6) Poem After, 7) Breaking up Immediately Recognizable Units of Significance is Hard to Do.
- Item 27: Works by William DeFotis (copy 2), undated
- CD. Tracks: 1) The Charm of Trivia, 2) Erasers, 3) Tableau, 4) Continuous Showing, 5) Piece for Flute Solo with Tape Accompaniment (tape part), 6) Poem After, 7) Breaking up Immediately Recognizable Units of Significance is Hard to Do.
- Box 10
- Item 1: Brahms Sonata no. 1 for Clarinet and Piano, July 21, 1973
- 7" polyester reel, 7 1/2 ips, stereo. William DeFotis and Kathleen Otte performing. Recorded in Smith Hall, University of Illinois. progam included in box.
- Item 2: Der Hirt auf den Felsen - Schubert, July 21, 1973
- 7" polyester reel, tail out. Annotations on box read: Der Hirt auf den Felsen - Schubert (Marcia Parks Toole, soprano; William DeFotis, clarinet; Richard Aslanian, piano); Sonatina for Clarinet Solo - Apostel (DeFotis, clarinet); Martern aller Arten from Die Entführung aud dem serail (Marcia Parks Toole, soprano and Richard Aslanian, piano). Performance of 7/21/73, Smith Music Hall.
- Item 3: Tableau, two cuts, ca. 1974-1975
- 7" polyester reel, 7 1/2 ips, head out, 8" between cuts. Annotations on back read: (Not on this tape) Wind Quintet (1974-1975) John Fonville, flute and piccolo; Ron Hill, oboe; William DeFotis, clarinet; Ruth Wimp, horn; Kevin Hall, bassoon.
- Item 4: Berg 4 Pieces, reel II, February 22, 1975
- 5" polyester reel, tail out.
- Item 5: DeFotis Senior Composition Recital, April 19, 1975
- 7" polyester reel, 7 1/2 ips, tail out. Includes program. Recorded at Smith Music Hall.
- Item 6: The Charm of Trivia, ca. 1975
- 7" polyester reel, 15 ips, 1/2 track stereo, tails out. Recording has been digitized.
- Item 7: Brahms Sonata in F, op. 120, no. 1, June 24, 1976
- 7" polyester reel, 7 1/2 ips, stereophonic.
- Item 8: Eclipse, ca. 1979
- 7" polyester reel, 2 track stereo, head out, 7 1/2 ips.
- Item 9: String Quartet, ca. 1979
- 7" polyester reel, 7 1/2 ips, 1/2 track. Performed by the La Salle Quartet. Likely from October 2, 1979.
- Item 10: Poem After, ca. 1979-1980
- 7" polyester reel, 15 ips, DBX Encoded, 4 channel.
- Item 11: Serenade op. 24 - Schoenberg, April 27, 1980
- 7" polyester reel, 7 1/2" ips, 1/2 track, tail out. Smith Music Hall - Old Library. Has been Digitized.
- Item 12: Against that Time, December 3, 1982
- 7" polyester reel, 1/2 track. Recorded by the CCM Philharmonia Orchestra.
- Item 13: Wind and Percussion Music, ca. 1984
- 7" Polyester Reel, 7 1/2 ips, 1/4 track, head out. Recorded by Baylor Wind Ensemble with Michael Haithcock, conductor.
- Item 14: Schubert Octet (Part 1 of 2), undated
- 7" polyester reel, 7 1/2 ips, 2 track stereo, tail out.
- Item 15: Schubert Octet (Part 2 of 2), undated
- 7" polyester reel, 7 1/2 ips, 2 track stereo, tail out.
- Sub-Series 2: Films, 1973-1985
- Consists of VHS tapes, documenting performance ensembles that Defotis played in or conducted. Materials are unarranged.
- Box 10
- Item 28: Haydn Symphony No. 104, movements 1 and 2, undated
- VHS. Rehearsal with the Baylor University Symphony Orchestra.
- Item 29: 14 Ways to Describe Rain, synchronization with film screening of Joris Ivens' Rain, undated
- VHS.
- Item 30: Prelude and Fugue in C# Major, Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1, undated
- VHS. Performance tape.
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Personal Papers, 1953-2003],
[
Series 2: Music, 1971-1998],
[Series 3: Audio and Audio Visual Recordings, 1975-2004],
[
Series 4: Research and Correspondence, 1973-1998],
[
All]
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