In 1972, Betsy Jolas (b. 1926) traveled to Indonesia with Iannis Xenakis, Toru Takemitsu, Henri-Louis de la Grange, Maurice Fleuret and several others. While there, she encountered the Topeng dance, which, nearly 50 years later, inspired the composition of her 8th quartet, Topeng. This piece was written for the Arditti Quartet in 2019. In anticipation of her 95th birthday on 5 August 2021, she tells us what happened on that trip, what it was like traveling with Takemitsu and Xenakis, and why it is that Bali left such an indelible imprint on her music.
MUSIC HEARD IN THIS EPISODE
Betsy Jolas, Topeng for string quartet (2019)
Performed live by the Arditti String Quartet
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Podcast artwork photograph © 2019 Philippe Stirnweiss