Joseph Ott (1929-1990): LOCUS-1977

LOCUS-1977 by Joseph Ott was was commissioned by Richard Bales, director of the National Gallery of Art Orchestra, for the 34th American Music Festival in honor of the Bicentennial. It was specifically designed to take advantage of the architecture of the East Garden Court and involved placing a number of large speakers in the courtyard.  A multi-channel tape manipulated by a computer specially built by Mr. Ott produced movement of sound between speakers, thus, space, and the spatial movement of sound, was a significant musical element of the piece. LOCUS-1977 was the first full concert of all electronic music to be presented at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

Richard Bales interviews Joseph Ott, 1977