Johanna Beyer: a woman far ahead of her time.
German-American composer Johanna Beyer (1888-1944) experimented with sounds to her heart’s content. Sometimes this resulted in profound, dissonant works full of counterpoint, at other times in very minimal pieces. Her music from the 1930s, including some exceptional percussion pieces and intense chamber music, was particularly groundbreaking. She found common ground with ultra-modern composers such as her teachers Ruth Crawford Seeger and Dane Rudhyar, and She was good friends with composers such as John Cage and Henry Cowell, maintaining a close relationship with Cowell in particular. Some of Beyer’s unique chamber music and percussion compositions are featured in this special, including her first two string quartets and recent recordings of her music for woodwinds.