Faculty & Staff Directory

Sabine Feisst

Sabine Feisst is Associate Professor of Music History and Literature. She holds a Ph.D. in Musicology from the Free University of Berlin, a Master's degree in French Literature from the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University (Frankfurt/Main) and a Master's degree in Music Education from the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst (Frankfurt/Main). She was an Associate Researcher for the Free University of Berlin for the "Busoni Editionen" of the Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur Mainz and thereafter served on the faculty at Bard College and the University of Notre Dame. She was awarded fellowships and grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (2007-8), The Mannes Institute for Advanced Studies in Music Theory (2007), the ASU Herberger College of the Arts (2004-5), and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (1997-9). Dr. Feisst is a member of the American Musicological Society, Society for American Music, Gesellschaft für Musikforschung, College Music Society, American Institute for Verdi Studies and the American Music Center. Her research interests focus on the music of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including the music of Arnold Schoenberg, improvisation, experimental music, film music and eco-criticism with respect to music. Her publications include the book Der Begriff "Improvisation" in der neuen Musik (The Idea of Improvisation in New Music, Sinzig 1997) and chapters in Schoenberg and His World (Princeton University Press, 1999), Edgard Varèse. Composer, Sound Sculptor, Visionary (1883-1965) (Boydell & Brewer, 2006) and Geschichte der Musik im 20. Jahrhundert, 1925-145 (Laaber Verlag, 2006). She also contributed articles to Archiv für Musikwissenschaft, The Musical Quarterly, Journal of the Arnold Schönberg Center, MusikTexte, Chamber Music America, The Cue Sheet and 21st-Century Music and wrote encyclopedia entries for The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians II, Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, Lexikon der Violine, Lexikon des Klaviers and Lexikon der Orgel. Dr. Feisst is currently completing a book on Schoenberg in America for Oxford University Press.

Selected Publications and Paper Presentations:

I. Book

• Arnold Schoenberg in the United States (Oxford University Press, forthcoming).
• Der Begriff “Improvisation” in der neuen Musik, in series: Berliner Musik Studien Vol. 14, ed. Rainer Cadenbach, Hermann Danuser, Albrecht Riethmüller and Christian Martin Schmidt (Sinzig, Germany: Studio Verlag, 1997).

II. Music Edition

• Arnold Schoenberg and Allen Anderson, “My Horses Ain’t Hungry,” critical edition for Belmont Music Publishers, co-edited with Severine Neff (Pacific Palisades: Belmont Music, 2007).

III. Book Chapters

• "Music as Place, Place as Music - The Sonic Geography of John Luther Adams", The Music of John Luther Adams, ed. Bernd Herzogenrath (proposal under review for contract with Oxford University Press), 30 manuscript pages.
• "The City as Muse: Annie Gosfield's New York City Soundscapes," Kongressbericht: Musik - Stadt: Traditionen und Perspektiven urbaner Musikkulturen, Gesellschaft für Musikforschung, Leipzig, 28 September-3 October 2008 (Leipzig: Gudrun Schröder Verlag, 2009).
• “Schoenberg Reception in America, 1933-1951,” The Cambridge Companion to Arnold Schoenberg, ed. J. Auner and J. Shaw (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming in 2008).
• “John Cage and Improvisation: an Unresolved Relationship,” Musical Improvisation: Sound, Society and Education, ed. G. Solis and B. Nettl (University of Illinois Press, forthcoming in 2007).
• “Arnold Schoenberg in America Reconsidered: A Historiographic Investigation,” Music’s Intellectual History: Founders, Followers and Fads,”Proceedings of the First International Conference of Répertoire International de Littérature Musicale, ed. Z. Blazekovic (New York: RILM, forthcoming in 2007).
• "Music's Intellectual History: Founders, Followers and Fads", Proceedings of the First International Conference of Rpertoire International de Littérature Musicale, ed. Z. Blazekovic (New York: RILM, forthcoming in 2009), 23 manuscript pages.
• The Fruits of Exile - Central European Intellectual Emigration to America in the Age of Fascism, ed. R. Bodek and S. Lewis (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2009), 31 manuscript pages.
• "Arnold Schoenberg - Modernist or Romantic?" Engaged Romanticism: Romanticism as Praxis, ed. Mark Lussier and Bruce Matsunaga (Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Press, 2009), 196-207.
• "Echoes of Pierrot lunaire in America," I feel the Air of Another Planet: Schoenberg's Chamber Music, Schoenberg's World, ed. James K. Wright and Alan Gillmor (Hillsdale: Pendragon, 2009), 169-186.
• “Varèse and His New York Choruses,” Edgard Varèse. Composer, Sound Sculptor, Visionary (1883-1965), ed. F. Meyer and H. Zimmermann (Boydell & Brewer, 2006), 257-263.
• “Varèse und seine New Yorker Chöre,” Edgard Varèse. Komponist, Klangforscher, Visionär, ed. F. Meyer and H. Zimmermann (Mainz: Schott, 2006), 257-263.
• Essays in Geschichte der Musik im 20. Jahrhundert, 1925-1945, ed. A. Riethmüller (Handbuch der Musik im 20. Jahrhundert, Volume 2, Laaber: Laaber Verlag, 2006).
• “Edgard Varèse, Ecuatorial,” Geschichte der Musik im 20. Jahrhundert, 1925-1945, ed. A. Riethmüller (Laaber Verlag, 2006), 170-177.
• “Olivier Messiaen, Quatuor pour la fin du temps,” Geschichte der Musik im 20. Jahrhundert, 1925-1945, ed. A. Riethmüller (Laaber Verlag, 2006), 277-283.
• “Leonard Bernstein, Symphony No. 1 ‘Jeremiah,’” Geschichte der Musik im 20. Jahrhundert, 1925-1945, ed. A. Riethmüller (Laaber Verlag, 2006), 293-298.

IV. Book Chapter as Edition of Texts

• "Schoenberg and America," Schoenberg and His World, ed. Walter Frisch (Bard Festival Series, Volume 10, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1999), 285-336.

V. Peer-Reviewed and Invited Articles

• “Komponieren mit urbanen Klängen. Die US-amerikanische Komponistin Annie Gosfield,” for MusikTexte, forthcoming in 2008.
• “Dika Newlin (1923-2006): A Remembrance,” NewMusicBox. American Music Center Web Magazine, 7/7, 2006, not paginated.
• “Etwas Unvorhersehbares tun – Zur Bedeutung der Improvisation im Schaffen von John Cage,“ MusikTexte 106, 2005, 63-71.
• “Meister der elektronischen Tondichtung: Der U.S.-amerikanische Komponist Ingram Marshall,“ MusikTexte 105, 2005, 21-36.
• “Pierrot lunaire in America,” Chamber Music America, November-December 2004, 36-40.
• “Losing Control: Indeterminacy and Improvisation in Music Since 1950,” NewMusicBox, 3/11, 2002, not paginated.
• “Zur Rezeption von Schönbergs Schaffen in Amerika vor 1933,” Journal of the Arnold Schönberg Center, Vol. 4, 2002, 281-293.
• “Klanggeographie – Klanggeometrie. Der US-amerikanische Komponist JohnLuther Adams,” MusikTexte. Zeitschrift für neue Musik 91, November 2001, 4-14.
• "Serving Two Masters: Leonard Rosenman's Music for Films and for the Concert Hall," 21st Century Music, 7/5, 2000, 19-25.
• "The Cue Sheet", 23/1-2 2008, 31-45 (revised version).
• "Dane Rudhyar on Arnold Schoenberg: About European Seeds in America," 20th Century Music, 6/2, 1999, 13-17.
• “Schoenberg and the Cinematic Art,” The Musical Quarterly, 38/1, 1999, 93-113.
• “Henry Cowell und Arnold Schönberg: Eine unbekannte Freundschaft,” Archiv für Musikwissenschaft, 55/1, 1998, 57-71.

VI. Encyclopedia Articles

• Entries in Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, ed. L. Finscher, Supplement-Volume (Kassel: Brenreiter Verlag, 2008):
  • "Curran, Alvin"
  • "Gosfield, Annie"
  • "Marshall, Ingram"
  • "Newlin, Dika"
• Entries in Das Lexikon der Orgel, ed. H. J. Busch, M. Schneider and M. Geuting (Laaber: Laaber-Verlag, 2007):
  • "Biggs, E. Power"
  • "Fox, Virgil"
  • "Sowerby, Leo"
• Entries in Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, ed. L. Finscher, Vols. 12, 16, 17 (Personenteil, Kassel: Bärenreiter Verlag, 2004, 2006 and 2007):
  • "Meredith Monk"
  • "Oliveros, Pauline"
  • "Subotnick, Morton"
  • "Teitelbaum, Richard"
  • "Wolff, Christian"
• Entries in Das Lexikon des Klaviers, ed. C. Kammertöns and S. Mauser (Laaber: Laaber- Verlag, 2006):
  • "Bauer, Harold"
  • "Buhlig, Richard"
  • "Cowell, Henry"
  • "Crumb, George"
  • "Joplin, Scott"
  • "Steuermann, Eduard"
  • "Sultan, Grete"
• Entry in Komponisten der Gegenwart. Loseblatt-Lexikon, ed. H.-W. Heister and W. W. Sparrer (Munich: Edition Text und Kritik, 2004):
  • "Meredith Monk - Grundblatt," co-authored with Dörte Schmidt
• Entries in Lexikon der Violine, ed. S. Drees (Laaber: Laaber Verlag, 2003):
  • "Kolisch, Rudolf"
  • "Krasner, Louis"
  • "Zukofsky, Paul"
• Entry in Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, ed. L. Finscher (Personenteil, Kassel: Bärenreiter 2002):
  • "Globokar, Vinko"
• Entry in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians II, second edition, ed. S. Sadie and J. Tyrell (New York: Grove?s Dictionaries, 2000):
  • "Pinkham, Daniel (Rogers)"

VII. Reviews

• "Amerikanismus, Americanism, Weill. Die Suche nach kultureller Identität in der Moderne, ed. by Hermann Danuser and Hermann Gottschewski (Schliengen: Edition Argus, 2003)," Notes. The Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association, June 2004, 970-972.
• "British American Symphony. Neil Butterworth, The American Symphony. Aldershot and Brookfield, Vermont: Ashgate, 1998," 21st Century Music, 7/10, 2000, 25-26.

VIII. Liner Notes and Program Notes

• Program notes for Schoenberg's My Horses Ain't Hungry for the "Happy 100th Elliott Carter!" concert, New York Virtuoso Singers under Harold Rosenbaum, New York City, 2 November 2008
• "Exploring the Art of Duetting," notes for a CD released by Cavalli Records, Bamberg, Germany, 2007.
• "Exploring the Art of Solo Writing: Luciano Berio's Sequenze and Nine Other Works," Notes for 5 CD- set, Mode Records 161, 2006.
• "Luciano Berio: Quattro Canzoni Popolari," Notes, Mode Records 48, 2006, co-authored with M. Swed.
• "Toward Ceuna nota sola,: Notes on Giacinto Scelsi's World of Ideas and Piano Music," Notes, Mode Records 143, 2005.
• "On John Luther Adams and on In the White Silence," Notes, New World Records 80600-2, 2003.
  
• "The Indeterminate Music of Morton Feldman," Notes, Mode Records 103, 2002.
• Program Notes, Chamber Music Concert of the Houston Friends of Music, The Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, Texas: "The Jacques Thibaud String Trio Playing Beethoven, Schoenberg, Bach, Mozart and Dohnányi," 17 January 2002.
• "The Piano Works of Giacinto Scelsi," Notes, Mode Records 92, 2001.
• Program Notes, Chamber Music Concert of the Houston Friends of Music, The Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, Texas: "The American String Quartet Playing Haydn, Beethoven and Schoenberg," 14 September 2001.
• "Iannis Xenakis: Complete Works for Piano," Liner Notes, Mode Records 80, 2000 and reissue 2005.
  
• "Ray Green and His Music (Solo Piano and Chamber Music)," Notes, American Music Edition, AVL 96307, 1999.
• "Program Notes for the Bard Music Festival: Schoenberg in America," Lincoln Center, New York City, 20 November 1999.

IX. Published Discography, Bibliography, Catalog of Works

• "John Luther Adams: Selected Discography - Selected Bibliography - Catalog of Works," John Luther Adams, Winter Music. Composing the North (Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 2004), 185-198.

X. Paper Presentations at International Conferences

• Paper, "Defying Constructions of Female Gender: Annie Gosfield's Industrial Soundscapes," International Conference for Feminist Theory and Music, 27-31 May 2009, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, refereed, proposal submitted.
• Paper, "The City as Muse: Annie Gosfield's New York City Soundscapes," 14th International Congress "Music - City. Traditions and Perspectives of Urban Music Cultures," Gesellschaft für Musikforschung, Institut für Musikwissenschaft, University of Leipzig, Germany, 28 September-3 October 2008, refereed.
• Paper, “Arnold Schoenberg – American,” Annual Meeting, American Musicological Society, Quebec City, Canada, 1-4 November 2007.
• Paper, “Negotiating Three Identities: Arnold Schoenberg’s Strategies of Acculturation in America,” 18th International Congress, International Musicological Society, University of Zurich, Switzerland, 10-15 July 2007.
• Paper, “Arnold Schoenberg: Modernist or Romantic? “Engaged Romanticism: Romanticism as Praxis,” International Conference on Romanticism, ASU, Tempe, 9-12 November, 2006.
• Paper, “Schoenberg Reception in America, 1933-1951,” “Festival On the Hill,” International Conference on the Musical Legacy of North Carolina’s Black Mountain College, UNC, Chapel Hill, 30 March - 2 April, 2006.
• Paper, “Arnold Schoenberg’s Strategies of Acculturation and Dissimilation in America – Negotiating Three Identities,” 37th Annual Conference, Association of Jewish Studies, Washington, D.C.18-20 December, 2005.
• Panel Organizer, “Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Schoenberg,” “Analytical Perspectives on Schoenberg,” and “Schoenberg Reception in Europe and America” at “New Directions in Schoenberg Scholarship,” International Schoenberg Conference, ASU, 21-22 March, 2005.
• Paper, “Echoes of Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire in American Music,” “New Directions in Schoenberg Scholarship,” International Schoenberg Conference, ASU, 21-22 March, 2005.
• Paper, “Arnold Schoenberg in America Reconsidered: A Historiographic Investigation,” “Music’s Intellectual History: Founders, Followers and Fads,” First International Conference of Répertoire International de Littérature Musicale, CUNY Graduate Center, 17-19 March, 2005.
• Paper, “Arnold Schoenberg in America Reconsidered: A Historiographic Investigation,” “The Fruits of Exile: Central European Intellectual Emigration to America in the Age of Fascism,” College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, 11-13 November, 2004.
• Paper, “John Cage and Improvisation: An Unresolved Relationship,” Fourteenth Nordic Musicological Congress, Helsinki, Finland, 11-14 August, 2004.
• Paper, "Minimalism and After: The Sonic Geography of John Luther Adams," Second Biennial International Conference on Twentieth-Century Music, Department of Music, Goldsmiths College, University of London, 1 July 2001, refereed.
• Paper, "Zur Rezeption von Schönbergs Schaffen in Amerika vor 1933," "Schoenberg in America," International Symposium, Arnold Schoenberg Center, Vienna, 4 May 2001, refereed.

XI. Presentations at National and Local Conferences

• Paper, "The City as Muse: Annie Gosfield's New York City Soundscapes," Annual Meeting, Society for American Music, Denver, 19-22 March 2009, refereed.
• Paper, “Arnold Schoenberg – American” Annual Meeting, Rocky Mountain Chapter, American Musicological Society, ASU, Tempe, March 30-31 2007.
• Paper, “Arnold Schoenberg – American,” Annual Meeting, Society for American Music, Pittsburgh, 1-4 March 2007.
• Paper, “Negotiating Three Identities: Arnold Schoenberg’s Strategies of Acculturation in America,” Spring Meeting, Greater New York Chapter, American Musicological Society, Princeton University, 6 May 2006.
• Paper, “Arnold Schoenberg in America Reconsidered: A Historiographic Investigation,” Annual Meeting, Rocky Mountain Chapter, American Musicological Society, UNA, Flagstaff, 8-9 April 2005,
• Paper, “John Cage and Improvisation: An Unresolved Relationship,” Meeting, Rocky Mountain Chapter, American Musicological Society, Greeley, Colorado, 27 March, 2004.
• Paper, “’I have been most of my life with a chip on my shoulder against improvisation’ – John Cage’s Struggle With Improvisation,” “New Directions in the Study of Musical Improvisation,” National Conference University of Illinois, Urbana- Champaign, 1-4 April, 2004.
• Paper, “Echoes of Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire in American Music,” Meeting, Greater New York Chapter of the American Musicological Society, Manhattan College, Riverdale, New York, 24 April, 2004.
• Paper, "The Reception of Schoenberg's work in America before 1933," Meeting, Greater New York Chapter of the American Musicological Society, NYU, 16 October 1999, refereed.

XII. Selected Guest Lectures and Addresses

• “Schoenberg and Pierrot lunaire,” Columbia University, 18 April, 2007.
• “In Commemoration of Dika Newlin,” “Dika Newlin Life Celebration,” First Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond, Virginia, 16 September, 2006.
• “Negotiating Three Identities: Arnold Schoenberg’s Strategies of Acculturation and Dissimilation in America,” Goethe-Institut Boston, “Beethoven and Schoenberg,” Lecture Series of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Music Department of Harvard University, 8 February, 2006.
• “John Cage and Improvisation: An Unresolved Relationship,” Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, 27 October, 2003.
• “John Cage and Improvisation: An Unresolved Relationship,” Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 31 October, 2003.
• "The Reception of Schoenberg's Work in America before 1933," University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 16 April 2002.
• "Improvisation in New Music, 1950-1980," UC, Davis, 15 March 2002.
• "Improvisation in New Music, 1950-1980," Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, 26 September 2000.
• "Concepts of Improvisation in New Music," College of Arts and Science, NYU, 16 April 1999.
• "Zur Rezeption von Schönbergs Schaffen in Amerika vor 1933," Free University, Berlin, 19 November 1998.
• "Schoenberg and the Cinematic Art," Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, 27 February 1998.