Tenney, James Carl (EN)

Tenney James Carl, *10 August 1934 Silver City (New Mexico), †24 August 2006 Valencia (California), American composer, pianist and music theoretician. In 1958, he graduated from the Juilliard School of Music in E. Steuermann’s piano class and from Bennington College in L. Nowak’s composition class. In 1961, he obtained a Master of Arts from the University of Illinois, where he studied with K. Gabur (composition) and L. Hiller (information theory and electronic music). He also studied with Chou Wen-Chung, C. Ruggles and E. Varèse. In 1961–64, he conducted pioneering work on the use of computers in music at Bell Telephone Laboratories in New Jersey. In 1963–70, he directed the Tone Roads Ensemble in New York, an ensemble that contributed to popularising the work of Ch. Ives. As a performer, he worked with Ph. Glass and S. Reich, and he cooperated with, among others, J. Cage, M. Feldman and M. Neuhaus. He taught at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, the California Institute of the Arts, the University of California and York University in Toronto (1976–2000). He was the beneficiary of many awards and scholarships, including the National Science Foundation, American Academy of Arts and Letters and Fromm Foundation; in 1993–94, he stayed in Berlin as a scholarship holder of the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD).

Tenney’s work includes compositions for electronic media and acoustic instruments; it is characterised by a formal shape with a clear hierarchy of elements and a sequence of the so-called temporal gestalt units, the use of mathematical rules in organising sound material and attention to sonoristic values.

Tenney was one of the pioneers of electronic music, and his works created in the 1960s at Bell Telephone Laboratories are a testimony to the composer’s interest in digital sound synthesis and the development of computer software, which allowed not only to generate new electronic sounds but also to use stochastic methods of arranging them in time (Analog I “Noise Study,” Ergodos I, II).

In addition to strict compositional procedures, Tenney created graphic scores (String Complement, Instrumental Responses), and under the influence of Cage and the Fluxus group, he turned, together with C. Schneemann, towards happenings and musical theatre with a political undertone (Choreogram, For two (gently), Thermocouple, Redbed). A conceptual vision of music and formal reduction were revealed in the series 10 Postal Piece. In solo works sent to friends in 1965–71, written on postcards, Tenney gave performance instructions in the form of graphics, sheet music and verbal descriptions. Micro-intervals became a particularly important area of Tenney’s creative exploration. Starting with Clang, he used precise microtonal scales, and the sequence of sounds and their rhythmic progression were determined by a previously developed algorithm (Harmonium cycle, Changes. 64 Studies). The composer also used rhythmic canons and the harmonic series, and in terms of form – the combination of strictly composed cells with a free selection of instruments (Forms I–IV), which were his characteristic features. In the 1980s and 1990s, in works for acoustic instruments, Tenney used a sound delay system: tape-delay (Glissade, Voice(s)). Tenney wrote numerous articles in the field of acoustics and cognitive psychology.

Literature: B. Belet, An Examination of the Theories and Compositions of James Tenney, 1982–1985, [research paper], Illinois University 1990; P.N. Wilson, Mittler zwischen Ratio und Intuition. Die polymorphe Klangwelt des James Tenney, “Neue Zeitschrift für Musik” 2001 No. 5 (162); T. Bächli, S. Geisel, ‘Neue Probleme schaffen neue Lösungen’. Zu den Klavierwerken von James Tenney, “Dissonance” 2003 No. 80; T. Bächli, S. Geisel, Der Komponist als Klangforscher. Ein Porträt des amerikanischen Komponisten James Tenney, “Dissonance” 2003 No. 80; G. Gronemeyer, Brückenbauer. Zum Tod des Komponisten, Theoretikers und Musikers James Tenney, “Neue Zeitschrift für Musik” 2006 No. 6 (167); R. Oehlschlägel, Der experimentelle Western-Musiker der USA. James Tenney (1934–2006), “Musik Texte” 2006 No. 111; M. Sabat, Drei Kristallwachstumsalgorithmen. Im durch die Primzahl 23 begrenzten harmonischen Tonraum (nach James Tenney), “Musik Texte” 2007 No. 112; Ch. Schlavnitz, Die Vergangenheit mit der Zukunft verknüpfen. Überlegungen zu James Tenney, “Musik Texte” 2007 No. 112; W. von Schweinitz, ‘Koan’: James Tenney sagte schon. Methode – Computer – Graphik – Fluxus – Minimalismus – Konzeptmusik – Natürliche Intonation, “Musik Texte” 2007 No. 112; P. Oliveros, Blue Heron. Zum Andenken an James Tenney (1934–2006), “Musik Texte” 2007 No. 112; E. Smigel, V. Krausas, ‘Man befindet sich immer in guter Gesellschaft’. Auszüge aus den letzten Interviews mit James Tenney, “Musik Texte” 2007 No. 112; O. Nonnenmann, Tönend bewegte Bauklötzchen. Das vierte, James Tenney gewidmete Kölner Festival ‘Computing music’, “Musik Texte” 2007 No. 112; O. Budón, Una mirada a la música de James Tenney desde Spectral CANON for CONLON Nancarrow, “Revista del Instituto Superior de Música” 2009; O. Fernández Herrero, Análisis espectral de Critical band de James Tenney, “Espacio sonoro” 2017 No. 9 (43); R.A. Wannamaker, The music of James Tenney, part I Contexts and paradigms, Urbana 2021; R.A. Wannamaker, The music of James Tenney, part II Handbook to the pieces, Urbana 2021.