Performance Practices: David Burge, Robert Miller, and the Makrokosmos

Abstract

The reception of George Crumb’s Makrokosmos I and II benefited from the efforts of pianists David Burge and Robert Miller. Burge, the composer’s colleague at Colorado College, gave the premiere of the first volume and made its first recording. The second volume was premiered by Robert Miller, a New York-based pianist associated with the Group for Contemporary Music, who created the initial recording of the second volume. The discographies of these two pianists testify to their tremendous and shared commitment to the music of their own time. Yet two artists drawn to the same repertoire, born in the same year, could not have been more different. There were significant differences in how they saw their goals, priorities, and responsibilities as interpreters dedicated to the evolving repertoire, which determined their immediate impact and the consequences of their work. Their choices, which reflect needs for access, self-preservation, education, standards, and audience engagement, are examined in light of contemporary debates regarding access and the bridging and bonding of diverse communities.