Milton Babbitt

Date of Birth: May 10, 1916

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

Date of Death: January 29, 2011

Biography

Milton Babbitt was an American composer, music theorist, and teacher renowned for his work in serial and electronic music. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Babbitt showed an early interest in music and mathematics. He attended New York University, where he initially studied mathematics but soon shifted his focus to music, studying under Roger Sessions. Babbitt was a pioneer in the field of twelve-tone serialism and was one of the first composers to explore the potential of electronic music. His work at the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center was groundbreaking, and he composed several pieces that utilized the RCA Mark II Sound Synthesizer. Babbitt’s compositions are known for their complexity and rigor, often incorporating advanced mathematical concepts. He was a prolific writer and lecturer, contributing significantly to the theoretical underpinnings of modern music.

5 Interesting Facts about Milton Babbitt

1. Milton Babbitt was one of the first composers to use the RCA Mark II Sound Synthesizer.

2. He was awarded a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation in 1982 for his contributions to American music.

3. Babbitt was a founding member of the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center, one of the first facilities dedicated to electronic music.

4. He held long-term teaching positions at Princeton University and the Juilliard School, influencing generations of composers.

5. Despite his association with complex, avant-garde music, Babbitt was a passionate advocate for music education and accessibility.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Milton Babbitt

1. “I dare suggest that the composer would do himself and his music an immediate and eventual service by total, resolute, and voluntary withdrawal from this public world to one of private performance and electronic media.”

2. “I think of all music as a language, and I think of all language as a music.”

3. “The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought.”

4. “Nothing we do is inevitable, but everything we do is irreversible.”

5. “Music can be composed in such a way that it is a coherent structure, and yet it is not immediately comprehensible.”