Early Life and Influences

Elliott Carter was born in New York in 1908. During his youth, he had the opportunity to travel to Vienna, where he became drawn to the New Viennese School while also developing an interest in Stravinsky.

After studying English literature and music at Harvard University, he continued his studies at the Longy School of Music. At the recommendation of his fellow student Walter Piston at Longy, he moved to Paris, where he studied at the École Normale de Musique while also receiving private instruction from Nadia Boulanger.

The 1930s: Neoclassicism and Rejection of Expressionism

In the early part of his career, during the 1930s, Carter was drawn to Neoclassicism, showing influences from composers such as Stravinsky, Hindemith, and Barber, but no inclination towards German Expressionism.

According to Carter, "the Expressionist aesthetic at that point (the 1930s) seemed to be part of the madness that led to Hitler."

The 1940s: Developing a Unique Style and Instrumental Focus

Subsequently, he gradually explored his own compositional methods, and in the 1940s, he broadened his stylistic range to include works ranging from diatonic to polytonal, as well as pieces employing Stravinskyan cross-rhythms.

This period also marked Carter's departure from Neoclassicism, and his Piano Sonata (1945-46) is a work that focuses on the interplay between instrumental technique and its inherent timbre.

As seen in this work, Carter began to emphasize the unique techniques and timbres of individual instruments. The Sonata for Cello and Piano (1948) intentionally highlights these "differences in characteristics between instruments," and this period was crucial for establishing "contrast" as a defining feature in Carter's works.

Concurrently, he was also influenced by fellow American composer Henry Cowell's book New Music Resources and by Conlon Nancarrow's player pianos.

The 1950s: Serialism and Texture

In the 1950s, he became drawn to serial technique, leaving its mark on works such as his string quartets. However, for Carter, what was more important than the practical aspects of serial technique was likely its ability to construct textures from limited material.

The 1960s: Furthering Contrast

In the 1960s, "contrast" was further explored, and Carter established a compositional technique that freely applied deliberately limited and constrained materials. Representative works from this period include the Double Concerto (1961), the Piano Concerto (1964-65), and the Concerto for Orchestra (1969).

The 1970s: Internalizing Contrast

In the 1970s, this "contrast" began to be applied internally within works. For example, in his String Quartet No. 3, while the first violin and cello are given the instruction "rubato to quasi rubato," the second violin and viola are instructed "giusto sempre" (always precise). The Sonata for Piano and Violin (1973-74) was also written in this style.

The 1980s Onwards: Complexity, Presentness, and Instrumental Focus

From the 1980s onwards, while Carter approached a style characterized by complex écritur, works that more consciously addressed "presentness" became prominent. Particularly from the 1990s, with the collaboration of excellent performers dedicated to his music, numerous works that further highlight the unique characteristics of individual instruments have been created. This explains the high number of concertos among his recent works. Furthermore, the opera What Next (1997) is an important work for understanding Carter's awareness of "presentness."

Selected Piano Works

Among his piano-related works alone, compositions such as:

• Two Diversions (1999)
• Dialogues for Piano and Orchestra (2003)
• Intermittences for Piano (2005)
• Catenaires for Piano (2005)
• Interventions for Piano and Orchestra (2007)

have been created.

Later Years

As of 2009, he continues his creative activities even after surpassing 100 years of age.