Short bio Robert Ashley
Full biography Robert Ashley
Robert Ashley was an American composer who was best known for his television operas and other theatrical works. He was born on March 28, 1930 in Ann Arbor, Michigan and passed away on March 3, 2014 in New York City.
Ashley was a restless innovator in the field of opera and his work often defied categorization. He was known for incorporating non-traditional elements into his compositions, such as electronic sound and video. In fact, he often saw his work as being more closely aligned with the avant-garde art of the time than with traditional opera.
Ashley's most famous work is arguably "Perfect Lives," a television opera that was broadcast on public television in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The work was an episodic narrative that blurred the lines between opera, theater, and television, and was a groundbreaking achievement in the field of experimental music.
Despite his innovative approach to composition, Ashley always remained committed to connecting with his audiences. He believed that popular music, when done right, could remind us of something we already know , and he sought to create works that were accessible and engaging to all kinds of listeners.
Overall, Robert Ashley was a pioneering composer who pushed the boundaries of opera and music composition. His work has had a lasting impact on the field of experimental music and his influence can still be seen and heard in the work of contemporary composers today.
Albums featuring Robert Ashley
| # | Сover | Name album | Year | Music label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Improvement (Don Leaves Linda)(2×CD, Album) | 2019 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 2 |  |
Crash(2×CD, ) | 2016 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 3 |  |
Atalanta (Acts Of God) Volume II(2×CD, ) | 2010 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 4 |  |
Concrete(2×CD, Album) | 2008 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 5 |  |
Robert Ashley & Walter Marchetti – October 25, 2001 Merkin Concert Hall NYC(2×LP, Limited Edition) | 2007 | Choose Records |
| 6 |  |
Tap Dancing In The Sand(CD, Album) | 2007 | Unsounds |
| 7 |  |
Now Eleanor's Idea(2×CD, Album) | 2007 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 8 |  |
Foreign Experiences | 2006 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 9 |  |
Celestial Excursions(2×CD, Box Set) | 2005 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 10 |  |
Wolfman | 2003 | Alga Marghen |
| 11 |  |
Wolfman(12", 33 ⅓ RPM, Single Sided, Limited Edition) | 2002 | Alga Marghen |
| 12 |  |
Dust(2×CD, Album) | 2000 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 13 |  |
String Quartet Describing The Motions Of Large Real Bodies / How Can I Tell The Difference? | 1999 | Alga Marghen |
| 14 |  |
Your Money My Life Goodbye(CD, Album) | 1998 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 15 |  |
Superior Seven / Tract(CD, Album) | 1995 | New World Records |
| 16 |  |
eL/Aficionado(CD, Album) | 1994 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 17 |  |
Improvement | 1992 | Elektra Nonesuch |
| 18 |  |
Yellow Man With Heart With Wings | 1990 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 19 |  |
4 American Composers(VHS, NTSC) | 1989 | Mystic Fire Video |
| 20 |  |
Music With Roots In The Æther(VHS, NTSC) | 1987 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 21 |  |
Atalanta (Acts Of God) | 1985 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 22 |  |
Robert Ashley, Henning Christiansen, Giancarlo Schiaffini, "Blue" Gene Tyranny – Rosenfest Berlin 1984 (Fragment XXX)(3×7", Box Set, ) | 1984 | Berliner Künstlerprogramm des DAAD |
| 23 |  |
Atalanta Strategy | 1984 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 24 |  |
Music Word Fire And I Would Do It Again: The Lessons | 1984 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 25 |  |
Perfect Lives Subtitled (An Opera for Television in Seven Episodes) | 1984 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 26 |  |
Perfect Lives: An Opera For Television | 1983 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 27 |  |
Perfect Lives (Private Parts): Music Word Fire And I Would Do It Again (Coo Coo)(LP, Album) | 1981 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 28 |  |
Perfect Lives (Private Parts): The Bar | 1980 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 29 |  |
Automatic Writing | 1979 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 30 |  |
Private Parts | 1978 | Lovely Music, Ltd. |
| 31 |  |
In Sara, Mencken, Christ And Beethoven There Were Men And Women | 1974 | Cramps Records |
| 32 |  |
Robert Ashley / David Behrman - Larry Austin / Allan Bryant – Source: Music Of The Avant Garde Issue Number 4(2×10", 33 ⅓ RPM, Compilation, Stereo) | 1968 | Source Records (7) |
| 33 |  |
The Brandeis University Chamber Chorus, Alvin Lucier, Pauline Oliveros, John Cage, Robert Ashley, Toshi Ichiyanagi, Morton Feldman – Extended Voices(LP, Album, Stereo) | 1967 | Odyssey |
Videos featuring Robert Ashley
Robert Ashley - Perfect Lives (Private Parts) - The Bar
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Buy (out-of-print): https://www.discogs.com/Various-Source-Music-Of-The-Avant-Garde-Issue-Number-4/release/2412864
Please drop a comment or PM if you'd like the audio removed.
">Robert Ashley - The Wolfman
"Source: Music of the Avant Garde", Source Records, 1968
Buy (out-of-print): https://www.discogs.com/Various-Source-Music-Of-The-Avant-Garde-Issue-Number-4/release/2412864
Please drop a comment or PM if you'd like the audio removed.
Robert Ashley - Private Parts (1978) FULL ALBUM
Lovely Music, Ltd. – LML 1001 (US, 1978)
https://www.discogs.com/Robert-Ashley-Private-Parts/release/436672
00:00 A. The Park
21:43 B. The Backyard
Recorded at The Recording Studio, Center for Contemporary Music, Mills College (Oakland, California)
Robert Ashley - The Wolfman.
Robert Ashley - The Wolfman.
Robert Ashley - Love Letter Part 1 / Bruno Part 1 / Love Letter Part 2
From Celestial Excursions.
Robert Ashley - The Miracle 0f Cars
From the opera 'Now Eleanor's Idea',
Robert Ashley - The Fox (1957)
Robert Ashley | Wolfman | Alga Marghen | 2003
Robert Ashley - My Brother Called
from eL/Afcionado (1993)
Composed By, Libretto By, Orchestrated By & Words – Robert Ashley
Voice - Thomas Buckner
Robert Ashley -Part One
In Sara, Mencken, Christ and Beethoven There Were Men and Women (1974)
Robert Ashley 'Details'
Taken from the CD 'Your Money My Life Goodbye' (Lovely Music)
Superior Seven (Concerto for Flute and Orchestra)
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
Superior Seven (Concerto for Flute and Orchestra) · Robert Ashley · Tom Hamilton · Barbara Held
Robert Ashley: Superior Seven/Tract
℗ 1995 Anthology of Recorded Music, Inc.
Released on: 1995-01-01
Auto-g
Robert Ashley – Dust
00:00:00 Friends
00:15:00 Theosophy
00:24:57 The Priest
00:34:55 If There's Anything...
00:44:52 The Little Gun
00:54:51 Friends
00:57:42 No Legs
01:06:17 Don't Get Your Hopes Up
01:12:21 Just One More Time
01:19:17
Robert Ashley - Automatic Writing
from "Automatic Writing", 1979
Robert Ashley - Isolde (Marie Isolde)
Track 1 from Perfect Lives (Private Parts) - "Music Word Fire and I Would Do It Again (Coo Coo)"
Tap Dancing in the Sand
I didn't find this uploaded anywhere. Easily one of his slickest, coolest compositions / musings. Robert Ashley just passed away on March 3. R.I.P.
Robert Ashley - Perfect Lives - Act 1 - The Park (Privacy Rules) - 1983 [Complete] - Channel Four
These are songs about the Corn Belt
and some of the people in it
... or on it.
http://www.robertashley.org/productions/1977-83-perfectlives.htm
http://www.ubu.com/film/ashley_perfect.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_Lives
https://www.discogs.com
Henning Christiansen - AKT 3 (excerpt)
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Au Pair 1
Au Pair 1, from the Robert Ashley album Atalanta (Acts of God) Volume II.
Featuring Jacqueline Humbert as "Linda", with Sam Ashley, Joan La Barbara, Thomas Buckner, Amy X Neuburg, Adam Klein and Robert Ashley, voices; Tom Hamilton,
">Robert Ashley - Improvement (CD 1)
Improvement (Don Leaves Linda) is the first of four operas about the "American " consciousness.
Featuring Jacqueline Humbert as "Linda", with Sam Ashley, Joan La Barbara, Thomas Buckner, Amy X Neuburg, Adam Klein and Robert Ashley, voices; Tom Hamilton,
Robert Ashley - Flying Saucer Dialogue (1985)
Atalanta (Acts of God), an opera (completed in 1985)
Vinyl Recording taken from the Music From Mills Compilation 3Lp Set.
ROBERT ASHLEY
(at Mills 1969-1981): Flying Saucer Dialogue from Atalanta (Acts of God), an opera (completed in 1985)
Voices: Rober
Robert Ashley – Automatic Writing (full album)
Robert Ashley – Automatic Writing (full album)
There is no copyright infringement intended. If you have an issue with this, please contact me through email at [email protected]
❏ ❐ When Dubs Cry ❑ ❒
http://whendubscry.com/
Robert Ashley - voice & all instruments
"Blue" Gene Tyranny - clavinet
IDEAS FROM THE CHURCH
in or
">Robert Ashley - Yellow Man With Heart With Wings ( English )
1990
Words and music by Robert Ashley
Based on the score "in memoriam ... KIT CARSON (opera)" and on the libretto and score "Ideas from 'The Church'".
Robert Ashley - voice & all instruments
"Blue" Gene Tyranny - clavinet
IDEAS FROM THE CHURCH
in or
Outcome Inevitable
Provided to YouTube by CDBaby
Outcome Inevitable · Robert Ashley · Ensemble MAE
Tap Dancing in the Sand
℗ 2007 Robert Ashley
Released on: 2007-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Robert Ashley - Perfect Lives Act 5: The Living Room (The Solutions) [audio only]
Robert Ashley’s television opera “about” bank robbery, cocktail lounges, geriatric love, adolescent elopement, et al, in the American Midwest. One of the definitive text-sound compositions of the late 20th century, it has been called a comic opera a
Robert Ashley - Purposeful Lady Slow Afternoon
Robert Ashley — The Backyard
Taken from Robert Ashley's «Private Parts» LP
https://www.discogs.com/Robert-Ashley-Private-Parts/release/436672
Tract
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
Tract · Robert Ashley · Thomas Buckner · Nathaniel Reichman
Robert Ashley: Superior Seven/Tract
℗ 1995 Anthology of Recorded Music, Inc.
Released on: 1995-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Robert Ashley - Perfect Lives (Private Parts) - The Bar
Blue Gene Tyranny - keyboards, Jill Kroesen vesves David van Tieghem - Chorus, Produced by Peter Gordon -- LP 1980 Lovely Music Ltd.
Robert Ashley - Raoul de Nogel (No-Zhay)
Track 2 from Perfect Lives (Private Parts) - "Music Word Fire and I Would Do It Again (Coo Coo)"
Robert Ashley - The Angel of Loneliness (1998)
From Robert Ashley's 1998 opera 'Dust'.
Au Pair 2
Au Pair 2, from the Robert Ashley album Atalanta (Acts of God) Volume II.
Paul Shorr, mixing and electronics
Episode 1 / Max
00:00:00 Odalisque & Character Reference
00:18:50 Anecdote with Chorale: "No, Never, No"
">Robert Ashley - Atalanta (Acts of God)
Robert Ashley, solo voice
Thomas Buckner, Carla Tato, Jacqueline Humbert, voices
"Blue" Gene Tyranny, keyboards
Paul Shorr, mixing and electronics
Episode 1 / Max
00:00:00 Odalisque & Character Reference
00:18:50 Anecdote with Chorale: "No, Never, No"
How can i tell the difference
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Robert Ashley - Part Two
In Sara, Mencken, Christ and Beethoven There Were Men and Women (1974)
Robert Ashley - Buddy
Track 3 from Perfect Lives (Private Parts) - "Music Word Fire and I Would Do It Again (Coo Coo)"
Au Pair 3
Au Pair 3, from the Robert Ashley album Atalanta (Acts of God) Volume II.
Robert Ashley - Friends
https://www.discogs.com/Robert-Ashley-Dust/release/1499557
Robert Ashley - The Bar (Side A)
Side A from Perfect Lives (Private Parts) - "The Bar" (episode four)
Robert Ashley – The Wolfman Tape (1964)
Wolfman / Alga Merghen, 2oo3
http://www.robertashley.org/
Robert Ashley - Perfect Lives Act 7: The Backyard (T'Be Continued) [audio only]
Robert Ashley’s television opera “about” bank robbery, cocktail lounges, geriatric love, adolescent elopement, et al, in the American Midwest. One of the definitive text-sound compositions of the late 20th century, it has been called a comic opera a
She Was a Visitor
Provided to YouTube by CDBaby
She Was a Visitor · Robert Ashley · Ensemble MAE
Tap Dancing in the Sand
℗ 2007 Robert Ashley
Released on: 2007-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Robert Ashley - She Was A Visitor
Robert Ashley — The Park
Taken from Robert Ashley's «Private Parts» LP
Au Pair 4
Au Pair 4, from the Robert Ashley album Atalanta (Acts of God) Volume II.
Robert Ashley - Perfect Lives Act 6: The Church (After the Fact) [audio only]
Robert Ashley’s television opera “about” bank robbery, cocktail lounges, geriatric love, adolescent elopement, et al, in the American Midwest. One of the definitive text-sound compositions of the late 20th century, it has been called a comic opera a
Robert Ashley - The Captain of the Football Team (Donnie)
Track 4 from Perfect Lives (Private Parts) - "Music Word Fire and I Would Do It Again (Coo Coo)"
Robert Ashley - The Bar (Side B)
Side B from Perfect Lives (Private Parts) - "The Bar" (episode four)
Hidden Similarities
Provided to YouTube by CDBaby
Hidden Similarities · Robert Ashley · Ensemble MAE
Tap Dancing in the Sand
℗ 2007 Robert Ashley
Released on: 2007-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
In Memoriam Esteban Gomez
Provided to YouTube by CDBaby
In Memoriam Esteban Gomez · Robert Ashley · Ensemble MAE
Tap Dancing in the Sand
℗ 2007 Robert Ashley
Released on: 2007-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Au Pair 5
Au Pair 5, from the Robert Ashley album Atalanta (Acts of God) Volume II.
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