Series:

Interviews not in a series, part two

Topic:

UCLA Faculty

Music

UCLA and University of California History

Biographical Note:

UCLA professor of musicology. Scholar of popular and indigenous music of Iberia and Latin America.

Interviewer:

Le Guin, Elisabeth and Gentry, Philip

Interviewee:

Stevenson, Robert

Persons Present:

Robert Stevenson, Elisabeth Le Guin, and Philip Gentry.

Place Conducted:

The UCLA Faculty Center dining room, UCLA.

Supporting Documents:

Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library’s Center for Oral History Research

Interviewer Background and Preparation:

The interview was conducted by Elisabeth Le Guin, associate professor of musicology at UCLA.The interview was conducted by Philip Gentry, assistant professor of music history at University of Delaware.

Processing of Interview:

The transcript is a verbatim transcription of the recording. It was transcribed by a professional transcribing agency using a list of proper names and specialized terminology supplied by the interviewers. Stevenson was then given an opportunity to review the transcript but made no corrections or additions.

Length:

5.8 hrs.

Language:

English

Copyright:

Regents of the University of California, UCLA Library.

Audio:

Importance of people who have helped Stevenson—Teaching appointments at conservatories—Circumstances of Stevenson's studies with Arthur Schnabel—Martha Baird’s support—Studies with Igor Stravinsky—Time at Eastman School of Music with Howard Hansen and Charles Warren Fox—Musicology at Yale University with Leo Schrade and Paul Henry Lang—Teaching at Columbia University and early archival finds—Departmental politics at UCLA—Studies at Yale—Discussion of Vaughn Williams, Benjamin Britten, and Stravinsky—Composers' ability to play their own music—Repertoire of studies with Schnabel—Stevenson's mother's background and growing up poor in El Paso—Early piano studies in El Paso—Brother’s involvement with Judith Coplon spy trial—Brother’s marriage.

Music department chairs at UCLA—Marie Louise Göllner—John Vincent—Dean Jackey and organizational strife at UCLA—Music education—Ray Moreman—Conflict with John Vincent—Roger Wagner—Complaints about Jan Popper—Mantle Hood and early days of the Institute for Ethnomusicology—Early involvement in Latin American music—Politics within the study of Latin American music—Circumstances of Mantle Hood’s resignation—Frank D’Acconne’s tenure—Jascha Heifetz and instrumental music at UCLA—Breakup of the music department—recent musicology chairs—Lily Bess Campbell and the English department—Participation in the Faculty-in-Residence Program—Homophobia at UCLA.

First visits to Latin America—Carlos Chavez and politics within Mexican music circles—cirucmstances of first visit to Spain—Francisco Barbieri’s influence on scholarship—Early publications—Importance of archival research—Relationship with Higinio Anglés—Problems with current Iberian music scholarship—Marginalization of Slavic and Portuguese scholarship—Legacy of Anglés—Reasons for success in Spanish archival research—Further ideas for research—Thoughts on Adolfo Salazar—Opinion of Heitor Villa-Lobos and Manuel de Falla—Relationship with La Monte Young—Life after retirement.

Paucity of contemporary music in Los Angeles—Relationship between past music and new compositions—Former students—Thoughts on scholarly publishing—First article on Cristóbal de Morales—Relationship with Paul Henry Lang—Music criticism in newspapers—Jan Popper at UCLA—Opinions on music appreciation—Teaching at UCLA—Faculty politics—Experiences with Inter-American Music Review—Opinions on peer review process.

Importance of secretaries and other assistants—Origins of La Purpura de la Rosa transcription—Helpful individuals in South America—Early archival discoveries—Importance of mentors—Howard Hanson—Roger Wagner—Steve Loza—The operas of Daniel Catan—Religious background—Service as Army chaplain—Honorary degrees—Future of the discipline—Success of former students—Student evaluations.