Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Company, formed in 1969 by

David Borden David Russell Borden (born December 25, 1938 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American composer and keyboard player of minimalist music. In 1969, with the support of Robert Moog, he founded the synthesizer ensemble Mother Mallard's Portable Maste ...

, was an early synthesizer ensemble, predating groups like

Tonto's Expanding Head Band Tonto's Expanding Head Band was a British-American electronic music duo consisting of Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff. Despite releasing only two albums in the early 1970s, the duo were influential in the development of electronic music an ...

and

Tangerine Dream Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music band founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The group has seen many personnel changes over the years, with Froese having been the only constant member until his death in January 2015. The best-known lineup ...

. Borden was in contact with

Robert Moog Robert Arthur Moog ( ; May 23, 1934 – August 21, 2005) was an American engineer and electronic music pioneer. He was the founder of the synthesizer manufacturer Moog Music and the inventor of the first commercial synthesizer, the Moog synthesi ...

and was one of the first musicians to use his

Minimoog The Minimoog is an analog synthesizer first manufactured by Moog Music between 1970 and 1981. Designed as a more affordable, portable version of the modular Moog synthesizer, it was the first synthesizer sold in retail stores. It was first popul ...

. After recruiting Steve Drews and Linda Fisher to operate additional synthesizers, the group began playing concerts of

minimalist music In visual arts, Minimal music, music and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in post–World War II in Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimal ...

Terry Riley Terrence Mitchell "Terry" Riley (born June 24, 1935) is an American composer and performing musician best known as a pioneer of the minimalist school of composition. Influenced by jazz and Indian classical music, his music became notable for it ...

Steve Reich Stephen Michael Reich ( ; born October 3, 1936) is an American composer known for his contribution to the development of minimal music in the mid to late 1960s. Reich's work is marked by its use of repetitive figures, slow harmonic rhythm, a ...

, and

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

. They began recording their first, self-titled album in 1970, but it would not be released until 1973 by Earthquack Records. Their second album, ''Like a Duck to Water'', was released in 1976. Borden and Mother Mallard continue performing Borden's recent and older music. David Borden and Mother Mallard continued performing and releasing albums in the following years, most notably on the

Cuneiform Cuneiform is a logo-syllabic script that was used to write several languages of the Ancient Middle East. The script was in active use from the early Bronze Age until the beginning of the Common Era. It is named for the characteristic wedge-sha ...

record label. Borden adopted new digital synthesizer technology over time, and also incorporated various acoustic woodwind instruments and voices. Borden's most ambitious work, ''The Continuing Story of Counterpoint Parts 1-12'', composed between 1976 and 1987, was recorded and released on three Cuneiform CDs between 1988 and 1991. The label also reissued Mother Mallard's first two 1970s recordings on CD.

Lineup

* Blaise Bryski * David Yearsley * Josh Oxford * Conrad Alexander * Gabriel Borden * Lynn Pursen Source:

Discography (Mother Mallard and David Borden)

* 1973 '' Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Co.'' arthquack** 1998 Reissued as ''1970-1973'' with previously unissued recordings uneiform* 1976 ''Like A Duck To Water'' arthquack** 1999 Reissued with previously unissued recordsings uneiform* 1981 ''Music For Amplified Keyboard Instruments'' ed* 1983 ''Anatidae'' uneiform: LP only* 1988 ''Migration'' uneiform: LP only* 1988 ''The Continuing Story of Counterpoint Parts 9-12'' uneiform* 1990 ''The Continuing Story of Counterpoint Parts 5-8 uneiform* 1990 ''The Continuing Story of Counterpoint Parts 1-4+8 uneiform* 1992 "Double Portrait" (1987) included in collection ''U.S. Choice'' by Double Edge piano duo RI* 1995 ''Cayuga Night Music'' uneiform* 1995 ''Places, Times, and People'' uneiform* 2003 ''Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Co., music by David Borden'' (previously unissued 1976-77 recordings of "Counterpoint" Parts 1 & 3 and "C-A-G-E" part 3) rbiter* 2005 ''Waterwheel'' (by Steve Drews) (excerpt: Film by Edin Velez, Music by Mother Mallard) included in collection ''Ohm+'' VD, Ellipsis Arts

Selected music (Mother Mallard and David Borden)

* 1959 Dialogues for trombone and trumpet * 1967 All-American, Teenage, Lovesongs for wind ensemble and tape, commissioned by Ithaca High School * 1970 Cloudscape for Peggy] * 1970 Easter for Mother Mallard ensemble] * 1972 C-A-G-E, Part I for Mother Mallard ensemble * 1974 C-A-G-E, Part II for Mother Mallard ensemble * 1975 C-A-G-E, Part II for Mother Mallard ensembleI * 1976-1987 The Continuing Story of Counterpoint, Parts 1-12 for Mother Mallard ensemble * 1978 Enfield in Summer] * 1987 Double Portrait for two pianos * 1989 Angels for vocal ensemble and Mother Mallard ensemble * 1991 Unjust Malaise (anagram of Julius Eastman * 1994 Notes From Vienna for solo electric guitar and wind ensemble (or synthesizers) * 1995 Cayuga Night Music * 1995 Infinity Variations for two fortepianos and chamber orchestra * 2002 Naked American (anagram of Diane Ackerman) * 2003 K216.01a for solo electric violin and synthesizer * 2005 A Tin Haiku (anagram of Kia-Hui Tan) * 2007 Heaven-Kept Soul (anagram of

Kathleen Supové Kathleen Supové is an American pianist specializing in modern classical music. She has premiered the works of dozens of composers on her Exploding Piano series. Her recitals involve recitation, costume, theatrical elements such as lighting, and ...

) * 1990-2010 Earth Journeys by David Borden * 2007 Tribute to Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn * 2009 Viola Farber in Seven Movements *2010 Remembering Jimmy *2010 ESP 9461 NY *2011 FRKWYS07

vng Intl Videonystagmography (VNG) is a technology for testing inner ear and central motor functions, a process known as vestibular assessment. It involves the use of infrared goggles to trace eye movements during visual stimulation and positional changes. ...

with James Ferraro, Laurel Halo, Daniel Lopatin and Sam Godin

References

External links

Mother Mallard
{{Authority control Cuneiform Records artists American electronic music groups