1967
Ensemble. MN (bells). Work(s): Philip Corner, Popular Entertainments (1967). Other performers: Cyrelle Forman (voice and arab drum), Kathy MacDonald (voice and guitar), Malcolm Goldstein (violin), Mike Sahl (banjo), Jackson Mac Low (fife and tabor), Susan Hartung (voice and guitar), Victor Lewis (voice and guitar), John Gibson (clarinet), Vincent Wright (saxophone), Philip Wofford (trumpet), Meredith Monk (voice), Steve Reich (melodica), Takehisa Kosugi (shamisen and kichiriki), Charlotte Moorman (cello). Also “featuring the Sonnix (Arnold Heredia, Ernest Gonalez, Eddie Casals). [The specific performance date is unconfirmed. Other performances of Philip Corner’s piece date to January 1967 as part of the “Angry Arts New Music” program. Max Neuhaus will install Biproduct (1967) for the Steve Reich concert at Park Place Gallery in March, making it likely that this performance was realized between January and February 1967. See Philip Corner. Popular Entertainments. Something Else Press, 1967.]
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This was a foundational experiment in what Neuhaus termed "bi-stable" auditory states. He used high-frequency sound pulses to create an environment where the listener's own physical movement—even a slight tilt of the head—would radically alter the perceived rhythm and pitch.
It was a direct precursor to his later sound installations. Instead of a traditional "concert" where the audience sits still, "Pulses" invited a metaperceptual experience where the listener became an active participant in "shaping" the sound through their own presence.
The Gate Theater was a key hub for the NYC avant-garde during the late 60s, hosting experimental film, jazz, and multimedia performances.