Elliot Carter is still rockin’ at 100 years old

 

 

 

A life in music: Elliott Carter

‘I used to write gigantic pieces that took a long time to compose, if not to play. Now I couldn’t stand working for so long on the same thing’

 

Elliott Carter is sitting at the dining table of his Greenwich Village apartment. In front of him is a large pile of contracts for upcoming performances of his work. As he begins to sign them, he turns quickly to his manager to check the date. “It’s the 22nd, yes?” “Yes,” replies his manager, who adds, with a stage wink: “and the year is 2008”. Carter puts down his pen and laughs. “I really needed to be reminded what year it is.”