Pynchon Music: Richard Einhorn

Richard Einhorn is an American composer. In 1975, Einhorn graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University, having studied composition and electronic music with Jack Beeson, Vladimir Ussachevsky, and Mario Davidovsky. In 1977, he produced a recording of Meredith Monk’s music for Wergo Records. For the next five years, Einhorn worked for CBS Masterworks, producing recordings with such artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Isaac Stern, and many others. His productions of the Bach Cello Suites with Yo-Yo Ma was awarded a Grammy for Best Instrumental Performance. Richard Einhorn’s unique musical style has been described by critics as “hauntingly beautiful,” “incredible,” and “spectacular.” His music has not only connected with a large, world-wide audience but also received widespread critical praise for its integrity, emotional depth and craft.

In the 1980’s, Richard Einhorn wrote a piece for solo electric violin called Maxwell’s Demon which has been performed all over the world and choreographed for the New York City ballet, among others. It does indeed refer to the infamous critter that outwits entropy, although alternative explanations for the title have been advanced, such as a beast that haunts an infamous rock club in Hoboken, NJ.

Einhorn’s Voices of Light (Sony Classical 1995) was a bestseller in the U.S. and Europe and won international critical acclaim. Voices of Light (accompanied by The Passion of Joan of Arc, Carl Dreyer’s 1928 silent film masterpiece that inspired it) has been performed more than 100 times, in New York at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Next Wave Festival and in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, in Los Angeles, by the National Symphony (with Anonymous 4 ) at Wolf Trap, and in major concert halls across the country during its U.S. tour.

Einhorn has written chamber music, songs, ballets, and film and theater scores. His compositions are heard at Lincoln Center, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and other major venues throughout the world. Red Angels, a ballet scored by Einhorn with choreography by Ulysses Dove, is in the repertory of the New York City Ballet, and was broadcast on PBS as part of Live from Lincoln Center in May 2002.

Richard Einhorn Homepage — The composer’s homepage features up-to-date information.

Voices of Light — Einhorn’s celebrated recording available at Amazon.

Maxwell’s Demon Excerpts — Einhorn’s homepage features three excerpts from this energetic piece.

Interview — Bomb Magazine, 1 October 1996. Stuart Cohn interviews Einhorn about Voices of Light.

Richard Einhorn Copes With Every Musician’s Nightmare — Classical Voice, 30 September 2016. Lou Fancher on Einhorn’s sudden hearing loss.

Richard Einhorn Wikipedia Page — You can read more about Richard Einhorn on Wikipedia.

Richard Einhorn Discog Page — Collects album covers and information on Einhorn’s releases.

Authors: Dr Larry Daw & Allen B. Ruch
Last Modified: 6 November 2021
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