David Amram has been called “the Renaissance man” of music. He does everything. He composes, conducts and plays the French horn, piano, guitar, various flutes, whistles, drums and folk instruments from around the world. And the 69-year-old Amram has been doing it since the Yes. His compositions reflect his life’s travels, combining ethnic music with jazz and classical forms. On Monday Amram appears at the Steppenwolf Theatre as part of their performance arts series, Traffic, to perform some of his classic compositions.
Q-You wrote the music for “Splendor in the Grass” and “The Manchurian Candidate What was that like?
A-That was 40 years ago. I found out, in the course of doing it, that most of the composers in Hollywood didn’t write half of the music themselves. They used a factory system. My challenge and triumph was to write every note, orchestrate every note, conduct every note and even perform every note myself. I combined the spontaneity of American jazz and Latin mariachi with the formalism of classical music, which was what I was doing in my own compositions. I tried to bring the same level of excellence and devotion to it that I did to the other music I wrote.
Q–Why didn’t you do more films?
A–It would have been much more lucrative than the life I’ve chosen, but at that particular time, nobody, except for Elia Kazan, the director of “Splendor in the Grass,” and John Frankenheimer, the director of “Manchurian Candidate,” had any desire for the kind of person that I was doing the kind of work that I did. But I continued working in the theater. I recently worked with Al Pacino on “Oedipus” at the Actor’s Workshop. It will eventually become a film.
Q–What was it like working with Pacino?
A–He’s exactly the kind of person you dream a real artist will be. He loves the theater, and he’s a very dedicated person. He was gracious to all the other artists. What I admired most about him was how supportive he was to the younger actors and actresses in the production. They were in awe of him, and he dealt with it the same way that I’ve seen Dizzy Gillespie, Dustin Hoffman, Willie Nelson and Leonard Bernstein–in fact all the great ones–deal with it. They go out of their way to make everybody realize that they’re all part of a larger picture. They’re inclusive, not exclusive. They’re concerned that younger people have the opportunity to share in the beautiful things in life, to pursue excellence. To some this sounds beyond old-fashioned, almost an alien thought in today’s society.
Q–When you were writing your Holocaust opera, “The Final Ingredient,” what was your goal?
A–When I wrote it in 1965, there was virtually nothing in the public arena that dealt with the Holocaust. No one wanted to talk about it. I thought, here is an opportunity to portray a true-life experience that actually took place quite often: people trying to celebrate their religious holiday, in spite of where they were. I was able to tap into my own Jewish heritage while doing it.
Q–You wrote the music for Arthur Miller’s “After the Fall,” a play based on his marriage to Marilyn Monroe. Was that when you first met him?
A–No. Miller had been a singer in his youth, and he shared my love of European classical music and indigenous American music, including jazz. He was down to earth and passionate, and we got along great.
Q–What was his marriage to Marilyn Monroe like?
A–It was difficult for both for them. They were both extraordinarily gifted, and it’s difficult for one person that gifted to be married, but for two, it’s almost impossible. Marilyn was very, very sensitive, very shy, very vulnerable, and she really wanted, above everything else, to be accepted as a serious artist. Her heart was broken that her enormous success made people assume she cold only do one thing. She was always typecast in their minds.
Q–How did the flute concerto “Giants of the Night” come about, and who are the giants?
A–James Galway wanted a piece inspired by jazz, Latin American and Native American music, and I was honored that he asked me to compose it. It’s dedicated to three people I was blessed to know and play with, and they also knew one another. The first is Charlie Parker, the second is Jack Kerouac–I did the first jazz poetry reading with him–and the third is Dizzy Gillespie.
Q–I’m looking at a picture of you wearing some pretty strange jewelry. What is it?
A–Those are actually things people gave me in the places I’ve toured in last 40 years. My oldest daughter told me to put them on different strings and wear them for good luck. I do when I give concerts, and they’ve brought me nothing but good luck.
Q–What will you be playing at Steppenwolf?
A–Two of my classical compositions. But before I play them, I’ll play different folk music and what is now called world music, which I’ve been playing all my life, and jazz and Native American music–all the idioms that inspired me to compose the compositions. It will be a chance for people to see how all of life’s experiences contribute to a symphonic piece that is then played around the world and has a life of its own.
Q–It seems, as you near 70, that you’re having your greatest success.
A–I always told my kids that Moses wandered in the desert for 40 years. What I did with my music was different. I’ve been on a path chosen by my heart. That was the way I wanted to go. I try to tell young people to hang in there, to never give up, and always to strive for excellence and purity. They may not make much money, but it’s good for the health.
