1976-04-29

STUDIO
International
14 West Central Street, London, WC1A 1JH
01-2401591/2 (editorial)
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Cables: Studioart, London WC1
Editor: Richard Cork

200 Ladbroke Grove
LONDON W10
England

29 April 1976

Dear Henning Christiansen,

You may (or most probably don't) remember that we met at the Edinburgh Festival in 1970 (I was working with an electronic clarinettist up some scaffolding while you were working with Joseph Beuys). I have thought about you and your music a lot since (heard and liked a recorder piece of yours on the BBC a few weeks ago) and still play the tape you made for me at that time.

I wonder whether you would be interested in the following project: I am current writing on music for this magazine and later in the year we are putting together a complete issue devoted to Art and Music - that is experimental music since 1950 and its connections with the visual arts. We'll cover all the usual things - Cage and Johns/Rauscenberg, Dada-Futurists/Fluxus, Feldman/Abstract Impressionists. Alvin Lucier/Denis Oppenheim, etc. Some articles are less 'historical' of course, and I wondered whether you would like to contribute something - an extended article, preferably, on your work with Beuys - this could be a really unique contribution. You could have 4000-5000 words, and include any illustrations you choose. I'd be very pleased if you could do this - but I would be grateful to know, one way or the other, as soon as possible.
If you do decide to do it, you would have until the middle of August to complete it.

In a more general way I would be very interested to hear about your recent music - I'd like to see scores and hear tapes - there might even be the possibility of putting your music out on Brian Eno's new 'Obscure' record label (Island Records).
I'd be very pleased to hear from you again.
Yours sincerely

Michael Nyman