Group & Last Name Index to Full History:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Composers are listed chronologically. Tracks are listed alphabetically.
Not on this page? See history tree below.
Alphabetical
Chronological
Featured on this page in order of the composer's birth date.
| This page concerns modern
classical composers born after 1900 to 1940.
The 20th century witnessed the decline of the popularity of classical music
and opera in the face of other genres such as folk, jazz and rock, with the
exception of popular music in film scores. Such is particularly the case
with modernistic composing as compared to recordings of earlier baroque,
romantic or traditional classical music which yet pulled a bountiful
audience, though was hard put to compete overall with other genres. This
chapter continues with twelve-tone composing begun in the last section
(Chapter 6) with such as Schoenberg et al. It is also strong in aleatory
(chance), open form, electronic and minimalist composing. Older golden
classical floats atop like a head on a brew. If the composer you're seeking
isn't on this page s/he may be in
Modern 1. Composers on
this page who were at one time or another described as minimalist are
Arvo Pärt,
Terry Riley,
La Monte Young,
Steve Reich
and
Philip Glass.
The classical pages are structured differently from
the other YouTube histories. Due that specific dates are largely impossible
with early classical music we keep the convention of indexing works on this
page by alphabetical order only. That is, they are not in chronological
order. Dates are noted by appendage and refer to the year of copyright,
publication or premiere if not composition. (Exceptions occur, such as Ravi
Shankar listed chronologically by record release.) Brackets (: [Part 1])
indicate sections made by YouTube channels. As the history of classical music is largely European until its later
arrival to the United States in the 19th century, helpful in the use of this
account may be
chronological maps of Europe and its monarchs mentioned throughout
[1,
2,
3,
4]. The
earliest major European temporal power to which this history refers
throughout is the Roman Catholic Church and the
Papal States. Much of the
history of Europe is likewise that of the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) from the 9th
to the 19th centuries [1,
2,
3;
HMEA].
France
was a major player alongside the
Church in medieval music prior to the Renaissance and
became the major European check to the HRE. Venice didn't acquire a lot of territory
but became a major cultural center during the Renaissance alike
Italy
of which it became a part in 1866. Other
European nations important to these accounts include in alphabetical order
Austria,
England [GB UK: 1,
2],
Germany,
Poland [1,
2],
Prussia [1,
2],
Russia and
Spain. Also
much affecting European music was northern Europe or, Scandinavia
[1,
2,
3],
particularly as an adversarial check to Russia.
Quick dates for monarchs and popes:
1,
2,
3,
4. See also America [1,
2].
Where World War I (7/28/1914-11/11/1918) is cited see: text: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8;
video: 1,
2,
3.
Where World War II (9/1/1939-9/2/1945) is cited see: text: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
video: 1,
2.
|
||
|
Born in 1900 in Dessau, Germany,
Kurt Weill
began piano lessons and first endeavored to compose at age twelve. Before
diving too deep into Weill it is well to cite a couple of major sources
beyond Wikipedia: the Kurt
Weill Foundation also
archived and the
OREL Foundation.
Also useful to know from the begin is that Weill met singer, Lotte Lenya, in
1922 whom he married in 1926 [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
disco,
film]. A
major element in Weill's career, they would divorce in 1933 and remarry in
'37 until Weill's death in 1950. Weill's
earliest surviving manuscript is 'Mi Addir', a Jewish wedding song
estimated to 1913. He first performed in public in 1915. 'Zriny', his first opera,
appeared in 1916, since lost as is his second, 'Ninon von Lenclos', of 1920. The Berliner Hochschule für
Musik received him in 1918 to study composition, conducting, counterpoint
and philosophy. He wrote his first string quartet that year as well, that
WoO in B minor which isn't thought to have been performed until 9 Sep 1975 in
Berlin by the Melos-Quartett [interpretation by the Melos Quartet; see also the Melos Quartet 1965-2005].
Employed as a répétiteur at the Friedrich-Theater in Dessau in 1919, he
became Kapellmeister at the Stadttheater in Lüdenscheid later that year.
Weill studied beneath
Ferruccio Busoni
from 1920 to 1923, after which he himself began to take students. It had
been 24 June 1923 that the Amar Quartett premiered his 'String Quartet No.1' Op 8 in Frankfurt [interpretation by the Brandis Quartet]. From 1924
to 1929 he wrote reviews for 'Der Deutsche Rundfunk', a radio program guide.
His 'Die Dreigroschenoper' ('The Threepenny Opera') is probably his most
famous work, premiering in Berlin on 31 August 1928
w lyrics by Bertolt Brecht
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6]
based on John Gay's 1728 'The Beggar's Opera' [1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
interpretation by Carmen Capalbo at the Theatre de Lys NYC 1954;
see also IBDB].
'The Threepenny Opera' opens and closes with 'Die Moritat von Mackie Messer'
that eventually got rewritten as 'The Ballad of Mack the Knife' by Marc
Blitzstein [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8], his English translations heard at the off-Broadway Theatre de Lys in 1954
(above) [1,
2]. The next year on 28 September 'Mack the Knife' was recorded by
Louis Armstrong,
launching it as a jazz standard. He also recorded a version w Lotte Lenya on
the same day [*; versions of 'Mackie Messer' (alpha):
arrangement for winds performed by the
Amsterdam Wind Quintet 2016,
Bertolt Brecht 1929,
Kurt Gerron
1928,
Harald Paulsen 1929;
see also *; versions of 'Mack
the Knife':
Armstrong 1955,
Armstrong & Lenya 1955].
Backing up to the thirties, 'Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny' ('Rise
and Fall of the City of Mahagonny') was a political satire with another
libretto by Brecht that premiered at the Neues Theater in Leipzig on 9 March
1930. 'Mahagonny' something summarizes the debauchery and greed of the
Weimar Republic to which Hitler put an end in 1933
[1,
2,
3,
4;
NordDeutscher Orchester w
Lotte Lenya
as Jenny 1966]. Being Jewish, Weill fled Germany
for Paris in March 1933 upon Nazi interference with his work. He there
premiered his ballet chanté (sung ballet),
'Seven Deadly Sins', on 7 June 1933 with another satirical libretto by
Brecht, this concerning a young woman who is both Anna I and Anna II as she
keeps falling into sin while attempting to make some money
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
live performance directed by Laurent Pelly
at the Opera de Paris 2019]. In 1935 Weill took work to London before moving
to New York City w Lenya in September. His move to America would
see a major shift in style as he departed from European influence toward
American popular music. His opera, 'Der Weg der Verheißung' ('The Eternal
Road'), was a great success at the Manhattan Opera House on 7 Jan 1937. With
libretto by Austrian author, Franz Werfel, translated into English by Ludwig
Lewisohn, its Biblical theme was set in a Jewish synagogue during a pogrom
[1,
2,
3;
'Song of Ruth' by Lotte Lenya 1957;
arrangement for tenor and harp performed by Torsten Mossberg & Stina Hellberg Agback *]. During World War
II Weill worked as an air raid warden in New York. His final work for stage
was 'Lost in the Stars' performed at the Music Box Theatre in NYC on 30
October 1949. The work in two acts is set in South Africa with book and lyrics by
Maxwell Anderson based on Alan Paton's 1948 'Cry, the Beloved Country'
[1,
2,
3;
'Lost in the Stars' by Lotte Lenya 1958 &
Judy Garland 1964;
lyrics].
Weill died in New York City on 3 April 1950 upon a heart attack. He had left
the musical, 'Huckleberry Finn', unfinished, though 'Five Songs' was gleaned
from it for voice and piano as well as
orchestra,
the latter first performed posthumously by Randolph Symonette in NYC on 2
March 1952 to orchestration by Robert Russell Bennett conducted by Maurice
Levine [live performance of 'River Chanty' by
Ian Greenlaw 2011].
References for Weill: Wikipedia,
All Music.
Chronologies: Kurt Weill Foundation:
1900-18,
1918-24,
1925-28,
1929-33,
1934-40,
1941-45,
1945-50;
Schott Music.
Compositions: alphabetical;
chronological;
by genre: 1,
2,
3;
KW Foundation: alpha,
chrono,
genre;
stage works: 1,
2.
Authorship.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7. Recordings of:
discos: 1,
2,
3,
4;
KW Foundation: 1,
2;
select: 'The Eternal Road';
'Huckleberry Finn' ('Five Songs') w piano by Duke Special:
1,
2;
'String Quartets' by The Sequoia String Quartet;
'Lost in the Stars' (compilation of various):
1,
2;
'Lotte Lenya Sings Kurt Weill's The Seven Deadly Sins' (compilation 1955-56):
*;
'Mack The Knife: Songs of Kurt Weill' (compilation of various):
*,
notes.
IMDb (film).
Documentaries: 'Lost in the Stars' 1997.
Interviews.
Iconography: 1,
2,
3.
Editions & scores: Germany;
Kurt Weill Edition.
Sheet music.
Books & documents: Canada; France:
BNF,
Gallica; international:
VIAF,
Worldcat.
Collections: Sibley;
Weill-Lenya Research Center:
1,
2;
Yale.
Databases: BMLO.
Further reading: analysis (Greg Scheer);
collaborators.
Bibliography:
'The Early Instrumental Style of Kurt Weill' by Michael D. Luxner.
See also the Kurt Weill Centre: 1,
2.
Other profiles:
Dutch;
English: encyclopedic: 1,
2,
3;
history: 1,
2;
musical: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Francais;
Italian;
Polish;
Portuguese;
Russian;
Spanish.
Kurt Weill 1942–47 Robert-Schumann-Kammerorchester Düsseldorfer Symphoniker Marc-Andreas Schlingensiepen Baritone: Wolfgang Holzmair Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny 'Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny'premiere 1930 Leipzig Opera 3 acts Librettist: Berthold Brecht North German Radio C & O Wilhelm Bruckner-Ruggeberg 'The Threepenny Opera' 'premiere 1928 Berlin Librettist: Berthold Brecht RIAS Kammerchor RIAS Berlin Sinfonietta John Mauceri 'The Seven Deadly Sins' Ballet chanté premiere 1933 Paris Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Leipzig Herbert Kegel 1921 1 movement Gewandhausorchester Leipzig Edo De Waart 1934 3 movements Gewandhausorchester Leipzig Edo De Waart Op 12? Gardner Chamber Orchestra Violin: Corey Cerovsek |
 Kurt Weill Source: All Music |
|
 Ernst Krenek Source: Bruce Duffie |
Born on 23 August 1900 in Vienna,
Ernst
Krenek
was the son of a Czech soldier in the Austro-Hungarian army. Composing by age six, the EK Institute and
OREL
Foundation list a WoO 1 as early as 1907 assigned to 'Early Pieces'.
Studying in Berlin with Franz Schreker
at age 16, he began
his career as a conductor in various opera houses. Stationed in Vienna in
the Austrian Army during World War I, he was able to continue studying
there.
His Opus 1a is assigned to 'Double Joint' for piano of 1917 gone
unpublished. Opus 1b is 'Dance Study' of 1920. Opus 2 got assigned to
'Piano Sonata No.1' i E-flat first performed on 3 May 1919
[*].
Op 3 is 'Violin Sonata No. 1' in F-sharp minor of 1920. Having written eight
symphonies, Krenek's first of
five that are numbered, 'Symphony No.1' Op 7, arrived in 1921
[interpretation by Radio-Philharmonie Hannover des NDR w Takao Ukigaya].
'Symphony No.2' Op 12 followed in 1922 [1,
2;
interpretation by Radio-Philharmonie Hannover des NDR w Takao Ukigaya:
1,
2].
'Symphony No.3' Op 16 was of the same year [interpretation by Radio-Philharmonie Hannover des NDR w Takao Ukigaya].
'Zwingburg' was Krenek's first of 22 operas arriving to the Staatsoper in
Berlin on 20 Oct 1924 w libretto by Fritz Demuth and Franz Werfel
[*;
BBC Northern Singers & Symphony Orchestra w Stephen Wilkinson;
libretto].
'String Quartet No.1' Op 6 premiered in Nürnberg on 16 June 1921
[*;
interpretation by the Sonare Quartett or the
Peterson Quartet: 1,
2].
Krenek wrote the libretto for the opera 'Der Sprung über den Schatten' Op 17
that premiered at the Frankfurt Opera on 9 June 1924. Incorporating elements
of jazz, the author at Wikipedia describes 'The Jump Over the Shadow' as a
parody of expressionism and psychoanalysis [1,
2,
3;
interpretation by the Bielefeld City Theater Chorus & Philharmonic Orchestra w David de Villiers:
Act I,
Acts II & III,
Chandos].
Krenek also wrote the libretto for his opera, 'Jonny spielt auf' Op 45,
about a jazz violinist, that premiering on 10 Feb 1927 at the Stadttheater
Leipzig [1,
2,
3,
4;
live performance of final scene w the Orquesta y Coro estable del Teatro Colon de Buenos Aires].
That was during the loose decade of the Weimar Republic. When the global
Great Depression arrived Germany found its alternative in Adolph Hitler who
wasn't a fan of Zionist banking, nor of degenerate music like Krenek's.
Finding it difficult to work in Europe, he immigrated to the United States in 1938 where he taught at
various universities. He became a U.S. citizen in 1945. Come his 'Symphony
No.4' Op 113 in 1947 [interpretation by Radio-Philharmonie Hannover des NDR w Alun Francis; CD: 1,
2,
3].
'Symphony No.5' Op 119 followed in 1949 [interpretation by Radio-Philharmonie Hannover des NDR w Takao Ukigaya:
1,
2].
Krenek metamorphosed neoclassical for 'George Washington Variations' Op 120
for piano composed in March of 1950 [*; live performance by
Mikhail Korzhev]. Noted for his intellectual authorship, he wrote 'Self-Analysis' in 1953.
His last symphony, 'Pallas Athene', arrived in 1954
[interpretation by the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz w
Karl-Heinz Steffens].
Krenek also examined electronic music w a Buchla synthesizer
[1,
2,
3].
His Pfigstoratorium (Pentecost oratorio), 'Spiritus Intelligentiae Sanctus'
Op 52, arrived in 1956 mixing voice and tape [Part 1,
Part 2].
It was back to the past again for the 1958 Boosey and Hawkes publication of 'Total Counterpoint in the Style of the
Eighteenth Century' [text].
Krenek moved to Palm Springs, California, in 1966 where he made his home the
remainder of his life. His final opera was a comedy written for television
to appear on 8 March 1974 titled 'Flaschenpost vom Paradies oder Der
englische Ausflug' ('Message in a Bottle from Paradise or the English
Excursion') Op 217. The OREL Foundation traces him to as late as 'Two Songs'
WoO 123 in 1990. Krenek died in Palm Springs on 22 Dec 1991.
References: 1,
2.
Chronologies: 1,
2.
Compositions:
alphabetical: All Music,
EK Institut;
chronological: EK Institut,
OREL Foundation;
by genre:
EK Institut,
Musicalics,
RYM,
Wikipedia,
Deutsch,
Portuguese;
by Opus;
operas: 1,
2.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
'A Concert of Music by Ernst Krenek: In honor of his 80th birthday' (18 April 1980)
w piano by Carolyn Horn
(set).
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3;
select: 'Complete Symphonies' by the NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover conducted by Alun Francis & Takao Ukigaya;
'Jonny spielt auf' by the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig w Lothar Zagrosek;
'Works for String Orchestra' by the Leopoldinum Orchestra w Ernst Kovacic.
Editions & scores (Europe): 1,
2.
Books & documents: Canada; France:
1,
2;
international:
IA,
VIAF,
Worldcat.
Collections: Akademie der Kunste;
UC San Diego.
Databases: BMLO.
Interviews: Bruce Duffie January 1986;
Gladys Krenek (wife) NAMM 2010.
Further reading: Gregory Dubinsky,
Georg Predota,
John Stewart.
Bibliography.
Other profiles: Catalan;
Deutsch: 1,
2;
Dutch;
English: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
Francais: 1,
2;
Italian;
Russian: 1,
2;
Spanish.
Ernst Krenek 1975-76 Op 224 Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin Roger Epple 1921 Op 6 Sonare Quartett 1921 Op 8 Sonare Quartett 1923 Op 20 Sonare Quartett 1923 Op 24 Sonare Quartett 1936 Op 78 Sonare Quartett 1943-44 Op 96 Sonare Quartett 1980 Op 233 Sonare Quartett 1921 Op 7 Radio Philharmonie Hannover Takao Ukigaya |
|
|
The 20th century began
much as all of the preceding, in turmoil, but at a much quicker pace thanks
to the Industrial Revolution. Railroads and telephone now beat horseback in taking
arguments overland, and ships no longer depended on tides or the way the
wind blows. As the world became smaller conflicts grew the more encompassing, "over there" beginning to
mean at one's own gate. Pograms in Russia had
been driving Jews to Palestine and the United States during the latter 19th
century, leading to the First Zionist Congress of 1897 calling for a Jewish
homeland. Leo XIII had been the 256th Pope since 1878 and would hand the reins to
St. Pius X in 1903 who ran the Church until 1914. The Socialist
Revolutionary Party was formed in Russia in 1900, leading to the
Revolutionary War of 1917, the year the Ottoman Empire fell apart per World
War I, leading to a Turkish Republic in 1923. The United States had fought
the Spanish-American War against Spain in 1898 leading to the annexation of
Puerto Rico, Guam, the Philippines and Cuba. Hawaii was also annexed in
1898 as well. Teddy Roosevelt became the 26th President of the United States in
latter 1901 upon the assassination of President McKinley by anarchist. Leon Czolgosz, that about a year before the birth in Brooklyn of Aaron Copland
on 14 November 1900. Despite the leftist views of his younger years,
Copland's music would come to represent the nationality of the United States
much as his contemporary,
Carlos Chavez, worked
toward a national identity in Mexico. Copland's father had been a Jewish
immigrant from the Lithuanian region of Russia, becoming a shop owner in the
States. Copland studied music beneath Leopold Wolfsohn from 1913 to 1917.
Catalogues of Copland commonly assign his first composition to 'Capriccio'
for violin and piano in 1916. After attempting a correspondence course in 1917 Copland acquired a mentor
in Rubin Goldmark
from 1917 to 1921. (Distance learning by mail had begun in the United States
as early as the 18th century after the Revolutionary War.) In 1921 Copland
traveled to France to study at the American Conservatory at
Fontainebleau in Paris in 1921, where he gladly studied beneath Nadia
Boulanger. It was 1921 that Copland published his scherzo for
piano, 'The Cat and the Mouse' [1,
2,
3;
recording by Copland (date
unidentified); live performances by
Kate Lee &
Bingnyu Liu].
Copland made his conducting debut the same year. 'Passacaglia' for piano was
published in 1922 w dedication to Boulanger
[1,
2;
interpretations by Raymond Clarke &
Ramon Salvatore;
live performance by Joseph-Roy Varela]. Publishing his first
critique in Paris in 1924, that concerning
Gabriel Fauré,
Copland returned to New York in 1925 to dedicate himself to
composition with the assistance of a couple Guggenheim Fellowships that year
and the next. Copland addressed a form of music indigenous to the United
States when he premiered his 'Piano Concerto' ('Jazz Concerto') on 28 Jan
1927 in Boston backed by Serge Koussevitzky conducting the Boston S O
[1,
2;
live performance by Copland 8 Feb 1964;
interpretations by Noël Lee &
Benjamin Pasternack].
Copland spent Jan to Oct of 1930 composing 'Piano Variations' toward
publishing in '32 [1,
2,
3;
interpretations by Marc-André Hamelin &
Beveridge Webster;
live performances by Sahun Sam Hong
&
Hung-Tao Lin]. Having established himself among the creme de la creme of modernist
composers by the thirties, in 1932 Copland helped to form the Young Composer's Group,
a circle of modernists modeled something after
Les Six consisting of Arthur
Berger, Henry Brant, Lehman Engel, Vivian Fine, Bernard Herrmann, Elie
Siegmeister et al. The Presidential election of 1936 saw Copland voting as a
Communist. It was 16 Oct 1938 when Copland's ballet addressing Wild
West Americana, 'Billy the Kid', premiered at the Civic Opera House in
Chicago [1,
2,
3,
4;
interpretation by the London Symphony Orchestra w Antal Dorati 1961: 1/3,
2/3,
3/3].
Its 'Suite' followed the next year [1,
2,
3;
Copland conducting the London S O 1969;
interpretation by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra w Erich Kunzel]. Making it through the Great Depression with the
assistance of wealthy patrons, Copland met
Leonard Bernstein
at a gathering in NYC on his birthday (14 Nov) in 1938. Bernstein, yet a
senior at Harvard, presented Copland the gift of performing his 'Piano
Variations', thereafter forming a lifelong friendship as Bernstein
championed Copland's work [1,
2,
3,
4].
As indicated, during the thirties Copland had begun to change direction from composing
modernist pieces for a select few musical connoisseurs to a more democratic
American music for everyman. Along w ballets like 'Billy the Kid' that occasioned incidental music for dramatic
works, film and radio. Copland had also toured Europe, Africa and Mexico during the thirties,
the meanwhile publishing lectures. His initial volume of 'What to Listen for
in Music' appeared in 1939, revised in 1957
[1,
2,
3;
text;
editions: 1939,
1957,
1967].
That included the chapter,
'How We Listen' [1,
2;
text]. It was during the
forties that Copland attained to the status that would see him a
multi-millionaire before he died, producing popular works and film scores.
In 1941 he published 'Our New Music'.
In 1942 Boosey & Hawkes became Copland's career-long
music publisher
starting with 'Las Agachadas'
('The Shake-Down Song') for mixed chorus premiering on 25 May by the Schola Cantorum in New
York [*;
interpretation by the Camerata Singers w Timothy Mount or
the United States Army Field Band Soldiers' Chorus w Finley Hamilton].
That had been derived of a Spanish folk song. Copland premiered his ballet with another theme from the American West, 'Rodeo',
at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City on 16 October 1942
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
interpretation by the Los Angeles P O conducted by Zubin Mehta w score]. That
included the popular fifth movement, 'Hoe-Down' [live performance by the Philharmonie
de Paris conducted by
François-Xavier Roth].
Copland's patriotic 'Fanfare for the Common Man' premiered on 12 March 1943,
composed the year before upon the United States' entry into World War II
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7;
live performance by the São Paulo S O w
Marin Alsop
or
the National S O w Joshua Weilerstein].
Come another ballet with a theme indigenous to the U.S., 'Appalachian
Spring', premiering on 30 Oct 1944 at the Library of Congress in Washington
D.C. w dancer, Martha Graham [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6], filling the lead role
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7].
Its 'Suite' followed the next year
[1,
2;
interpretation by the Ulster Orchestra w Thierry Fischer
or the Minnesota Orchestra w Eiji Oue].
Copland's 'Clarinet Concerto' was commissioned by
Benny
Goodman in 1948. Goodman first performed it for NBC Radio with the NBC
Symphony Orchestra conducted by Fritz Reiner on 6 November 1950
[1,
2,
3,
4;
audio of Goodman w the the Columbia Symphony Orchestra conducted by Copland
1963? (trace 1
to 2);
live performance by Goodman w the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra conducted by Copland
1976:
Part 1,
Part 2;
live performance by Martin Frost
w the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra]. On 10 Dec 1949
Bernstein
made his television debut by conducting Copland's 'Preamble' w the Boston Symphony
Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. Complete w speeches by Eleanor Roosevelt and
Laurence Olivier, that was in celebration of the United Nations General
Assembly's ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the
year before [*;
audio].
In 1950 Copland's name arrived to 'Red Channels: The Report of Communist
Influence in Radio and Television', a book published by the journal,
'Counterattack', identifying various alleged Communist sympathizers also
including such as
Bernstein,
Lena Horne,
Pete Seeger and Artie
Shaw. Copland studied in Rome in 1951 as the result of a
Fulbright scholarship won the previous year. in 1952 he published 'Music and
Imagination' [1,
2,
3,
4]. It came
Copland's turn to testify
before Congress that he wasn't a Communist in 1953. April 1954 saw the
premiere of his opera w libretto by Horace Everett, 'The Tender Land', with
its setting a farm in the American Midwest
[1,
2,
3;
'Stomp Your Foot' from ACT II Berkeley Opera]. Included in Act III is 'The
Promise of Living' [1,
2,
3;
text: 1,
2] which Everett drew from a Georgian folk song called
'Zion's Walls' documented in 1855 by John G. McCurry [1,
2].
Copland wrote other versions in '54 for mixed chorus w piano 4-hands and
chorus w orchestra [live performances by the Angel City Chorale &
the Orchestra e Coro del Collegium Musicum].
Also drawn from 'The Tender Land' was 'Laurie's Song' from Act I for soprano
and piano in '54 [1,
2;
live performance by Addie Hamilton (soprano) w Kristin Humbard (piano)
* or
Patrice Metcalf (soprano) w Scott Bailey (piano)
*].
Copland also wrote multiple versions of 'Stomp Your Foot' in 1954 including for
chorus and band subtitled 'Choral Square Dance'
[*;
UCLA University Chorus;
score]. Another was for chorus and piano 4-hands
[Elora Singers].
'The Tender Land Suite' arrived in 1958 [*;
interpretation by the Orquesta Sinfónica de Elgin w Robert Hanson;
'The Promise of Living' by the
Phoenix Symphony Orchestra w James Sedares]. Making his home in Cortlandt
Manor, New York, in 1960, he there resided his remaining thirty years.
Copland more focused on conducting than composing in the sixties as he
eventually directed the recording of the majority of his orchestral works.
Discogs has versions of 'Appalachian Spring' issued in
1960 and
1974. IMDb
has Copland contributing music to about seventy films scores, his
last being for 'Something Wild' of 1961 written by Alex Karmel w Jack Garfein directing
[1,
2;
audio,
opening credits].
On 3 May of 1962 Bernstein conducted the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in
the first performance of Gopland's difficult twelve-tone 'Connotations' at
Lincoln Center's Philharmonic Hall to an audience including President Kennedy
and wife which received it with polite reservation. That performance was
recorded
[1,
2,
3;
recording,
Discogs;
interpretation by the Juilliard Orchestra w Sixten Ehrling].
The 1982 revision of Copland's 1973
'Proclamation' for piano was Copland's final composition. That had been
penciled as 'Improvisation' w Bennett Lerner finishing the score as
'Proclamation' for premiere in '83
[*;
piano by Ramon Salvatore w score]. Copland's health
declined through the eighties of Alzheimer's disease until his death of
respiratory failure on 2 December 1990 in North Tarrytown (now Sleepy
Hollow) New York. He was cremated w his ashes spread over the Tanglewood
Music Center near Lenox, Massachusetts. An agnostic, Copland was also homosexual,
known to take
lovers on tour with him. Horace Everett (Erik Johns) who wrote the libretto
to 'The Tender Land' (above) had been among his companions. Copland's own favorite
overall composer had been
Igor Stravinsky.
References: 1,
2.
Chronologies: 1,
2.
Compositions:
alphabetical;
chronological: 1,
2,
3,
4;
by genre: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
Japanese.
Song texts: 1,
2.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
five essential works.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
select: 'The Americans' (Bernstein compilation);
'Piano Variations' by Stephen Hough.
Documentaries: 'Copland Portrait' directed by Terry Sanders (1975);
'Aaron Copland: A Self-Portrait' directed by Allan Miller (1985);
'Appalachian Spring' directed by Graham Strong (1996);
'Fanfare for America' directed by Andreas Skipis (2001).
Interviews: Studs Turkel March 1961 (radio);
Jeremy Noble July 1961;
'Day at Night' 1973-74 (television);
Fred Calland 1980 (radio).
Iconography: 1,
2,
3.
Editions & scores: LOC: 1,
2;
Europe.
Books & documents: Canada;
France: 1,
2;
Germany;
USA: 1,
2;
international: 1,
2,
3.
Collections: Library of Congress: 1,
2,
3.
Further reading: abstruse works (Robin);
Americanism: 1,
2,
3,
4;
arrangements of by other composers;
awards;
'Postude' (Perlis);
students of.
Bibliography: 1,
2,
3;
''The Piano Variations'' by Rinna Saun.
Other profiles: didactic;
encyclopedic: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
musical: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
LOC;
PBS
(alt).
Wikipedia international: Catalan,
Danish,
Deutsch,
Dutch,
Espanol,
Finnish,
Francais,
Italian,
Japanese,
Norwegian,
Nynorsk.
Aaron Copland 1944 Chamber ballet Sydney Camerata Chamber Orchestra Luke Gilmour Billy the Kid (Orchestral Suite) 1938From Copland's ballet same year Cincinnati Pops Orchestra Erich Kunzel 1948 Columbia Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Aaron Copland 1942 Los Angeles Philharmonic Narration: Gregory Peck 1942 Ballet Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra Antal Dorati 1940 premiere 1941 Incidental music London Symphony Orchestra Pianiste: Lamar Crowson Conductor: Aaron Copland 1936 New York Philharmonic Orchestra Leonard Bernstein |
 Aaron Copland Photo: Micki Adair Source: Quotation Of |
|
 Joaquin Rodrigo Photo: Carlos Miralles/El Mundo Source: Espana Es Cultura |
Born on 22 Nov 1901 Sagunto, Valencia, Spain,
Joaquin
Rodrigo
lost his eyesight at age three from diphtheria. At eight he began to study
piano and violin, composition at age 16. Though famous for his guitar
compositions he himself didn't play the instrument. He studied at the École
Normale de Musique in Paris before composing his first works in 1923
including an 'Ave Maria' for choir, a couple works for piano, two sketches
for violin and piano sharing designation as Op 1, a work for violin and
string orchestra, a piece for cello ('Siciliana'), and 'Juglares' ('Minstrels'), his first for orchestra
which he played at his first public performance in 1924 [see also Wikipedia
Ref 1].
Among compositions above were his first to see print in 1923. Rodrigo also
wrote versions of 'Juglares' for piano 4-hands as well as four pianos
['Juglares' for orchestra interpreted by the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León w
Max Bragado Darman *;
piano 4-hands by Albert Guinovart & Marta Zabaleta
*].
It was 1939 in Paris shortly before World War II erupted that Rodrigo wrote
what made his name and is his most famous work, 'Concierto de Aranjuez' for guitar
[1,
2;
live performances by Ricardo Gallén &
Guiseppe Zangari;
Braille manuscript].
Upon WW II flaring up in September, Rodrigo quickly returned to Spain.
Following the War he became a professor of music history at Complutense University
of Madrid in 1947. Another work for guitar with which many are acquainted is
his highly esteemed 'Fantasía
para un Gentilhombre' based on 17th century Spanish dances by Gaspar Sanz
[1,
2;
interpretation by John Williams;
live performances by Sanel Redzic &
Pepe Romero].
Forming his own publishing house in 1989, Ediciones Joaquín Rodrigo, he died
ten years later
on 6 July 1999, having received numerous awards, such
as the hereditary title of Marques from King Juan Carlos in 1991. Rodrigo
had written largely concertantes, orchestral works and pieces for guitar,
piano and voice. References: 1,
2,
3.
Chronologies: 1,
2 (scroll),
3.
Compositions:
alphabetical;
by genre: 1,
2,
3,
4;
Espanol: 1,
2 (scroll).
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
YouTube.
Recordings of: discographies: 1,
2,
3;
select: 'Complete Orchestral Works' Vol 1-10;
'Rodrigo' w Rodrigo at piano 1960.
Film: IMDb,
Czech.
Documentaries: 'Joaquín Rodrigo' 1985,
'Concierto de Aranjuez' 2001.
Iconography: 1,
2.
Books & documents: Canada,
France,
Germany,
USA;
international: 1,
2.
Collections: the Victoria and Joaquin Rodrigo Archive.
Further reading: Fundación Victoria y Joaquín Rodrigo
Blog;
Observatorio Studies
('From Spain to the United States').
Bibliography.
Other profiles: Deutsch;
Dutch;
English: 1,
2,
3.,
4;
Finnish;
French;
Italian;
Romanian;
Russian: 1,
2;
Spanish. Joaquin Rodrigo Cántico de San Francisco de Asís 1982Exeter Philharmonic Choir Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Raymond Calcraft 1928 For 2 pianos Piano: Tatyana Dudochkin Piano: Sergey Schepkin 1939 For guitar Danmark Radio SymfoniOrkestret Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos Guitar: Pepe Romero 1944 For violin O de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire Conductor: George Enescu Violin: Christian Ferras Concierto en modo galante 1949 For celloLondon Symphony Orchestra Conducting: Enrique Bátiz 1: Allegro grazioso 2: Adagietto 3: Rondo giocoso (Allegro deciso) 1965 Piano: Albert Guinovart Soprano: Ana María Martinez 1938-73 Guitar: Jérémy Jouve |
|
 Sir William Walton Source: NPG |
Born on 29 March 1902 in Oldham, Lancashire,
Sir William Turner Walton
was sent at age ten to become a chorister at Christ Church Cathedral School
in Oxford. Wikipedia [below] cites 'William Walton: Muse of Fire' by Stephen Lloyd [Boydell
& Brewer 2001: 1,
2] per its list of four compositions as early as 1916
including 'Chorale Prelude on Wheatley' for organ which the WW Trust has
performed for the first time on 17 September by organist, Henry Ley, one
month after Walton dated it on 16 August. He began his studies at Christ Church at age sixteen.
A modernistic composer, Walton went atonal with 'String Quartet No.1' composed 1919–22
[interpretation by the Doric String Quartet]. He discovered
boarding and patronage in London in 1920 with art and music critic, Sacheverell
Sitwell, a household to be made with Sacheverell's older brother, author,
Osbert Sitwell, and older sister, author, Edith Sitwell
[1,
2,
3,
4].
Walton's initial big success, due largely to controversy, were his jazzy
instrumental settings to poems by Edith per 'Facade: An Entertainment',
first performed in 1923 [1,
2;
recordings by Sitwell (Walton out) issued 1949
(Frederik Prausnitz conducting),
1954 (Anthony Collins
conducting);
live performance by Barbara Hannigan 2019]. 'Façade Suite No.1' arrived in 1926, 'Façade Suite
No. 2' later in '38 [*;
interpretations by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra w Louis Frémaux]. 'Facade' served as the basis to other works as well,
such as 'Valse' for piano in '26 [Louis Kentner] and further poems by Sitwell in '32, '77 and
'79. We back up to 1925 for Walton's first work for full orchestra, the
overture, 'Portsmouth Point' [1,
2,
3;
recording by the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Walton 1953].
Walton's 'Viola Concerto'
[1,
2,
3,
4] eventually premiered at Queen's Hall on 3 October
1929 w
Paul Hindemith
at viola. Its intended violist, Lionel Tertis,
initially rejected it as too modernistic. Walton later conducted its first
recording on 6 Dec 1937 w Frederick Riddle at viola
[interpretation by Paul Neubauer;
live performance by Maciej Rogoziński]. Walton
had begun recording in 1929, the first eleven
songs of 'Facade' going down with Sitwell on 28 November, issued in 1930 per RYM on Decca T.125 [audio]. EMI
would begin recording Walton in the forties. By the thirties Walton's compositions had earned him recognition as one of England's greatest composers of
the period. His celebrated ten-section Biblical cantata, 'Belshazzar's Feast'
[1,
2], was premiered
at the Leeds Festival on 8 October 1931 by baritone, Dennis Noble, w the
London Symphony Orchestra and the Leeds Festival Chorus conducted by Malcolm
Sargent [live performances by the BBC C & S O:
Bryn Terfel w Andrew Davis conducting;
Willard White w Andrew Davis conducting;
Willard White w Leonard Slatkin conducting].
Walton's initial film score was for 'Escape Me Never' which saw release to theaters on 1 April 1935
[film;
'Suite'
(alt)
arranged by Christopher Palmer
- see
Chandos 1990/95].
Walton had also written the three-minute 'Escape Me Never Ballet' in '34 [audio].
Walton was paid only £300 for his score, about $400. Though later film
scores brought improved remuneration, Walton wrote them reluctantly
since an original score and a final product edited for screen are two
different things. Walton premiered his highly popular 'Symphony No.1' in B♭ minor without its
finale in 1934, completely in 1935. He directed its first recording by
the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) conducted by Sir Hamilton Harty on 9–10
December 1935 about a month after its premiere on 6 Nov w the BBC Symphony.
It's been recorded numerously thereafter
[live performances by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra w Vladimir Ashkenazy & the Spanish Radio and Television Orchestra w
Carlos Kalmar]. During World War II Walton
was exempted from military service to work for the British Army Film Unit writing film scores. His house in London
was destroyed by German bombing in 1941. The War ceased in Europe in June of
1945, about the time Walton began composing his remarkable 'String Quartet
No.2' in A minor toward its radio premiere for the BBC on 4 May 1947 by the
Blech Quartet
[1,
2;
interpretations by the Doric String Quartet &
the
English String Quartet;
live performance Meadowmount School of Music].
Walton
married Susana Gil Passo in Buenos Aires in December 1948, she 24 years
younger than himself. He was knighted in 1951. Having worked on his first opera,
'Troilus and Cressida', since 1947, its premiere eventually arrived to the
Royal Opera House in London on 3 December 1954 [1,
2,
3;
'How Can I Sleep?'].
The libretto was Christopher Hassall's first, based on Chaucer's 15th
century Troilus and Criseyde'. Palmer (above) later
arranged his 'Troilus and Cressida Suite' toward issue in '88
[recording]. In 1956
Walton took his wife to live on the island of Ischia in
the Gulf of Naples. Come 'Symphony No. 2' in G major, his last, to the Edinburgh
Festival on 2 September 1960 [1,
2,
3;
interpretations by the LSO w Andre Previn or
Bryden Thomson].
Walton's second and last opera, the one-act 'The Bear', premiered
at Jubilee Hall in Aldeburgh on 3 June 1967 w libretto by Walton and Paul
Dehn [1,
2; interpretation by the Northern Sinfonia w Richard Hickox].
Walton was awarded the United Kingdom's Order of Merit in 1967 (preceded by
Edward Elgar,
Ralph Vaughan Williams and
Benjamin Britten).
Walton's first work for brass ensemble had been 'Fanfare for a Great
Occasion' in 1947 [Wikipedia]. His last of ten was 'A Birthday Fanfare' in
1981 dedicated to a neighbor on Ischia, one Karl-Friedrich Still. Walton died in La Mortella on Ischia on 8 March 1983,
survived by his wife until her own death in 2010.
References: 1,
2.
Compositions:
alphabetical;
chronological: Pytheas,
Wikipedia;
by genre: Musicalics,
Pytheas,
RYM,
Wikipedia,
WW Trust;
see also Wikipedia international below.
Song texts.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
'Facade',
'Symphony No.1';
select: 'The Bear': 1,
2;
'Troilus and Cressida';
'Walton: Symphony No.2' by the London Philharmonic Orchestra w Bryden Thomson.
IMDb (film).
Further reading: interviews: Lady Walton 2008;
WW Trust.
Books/ documents/ scores: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Bibliography:
'William Walton: A Catalogue' by Stewart Craggs (OUP Oxford 2015).
Other profiles: English: 1,
2;
Wikipedia international:
Catalan;
Deutsch;
Dutch;
French;
Hungarian;
Italian;
Japanese;
Russian;
Spanish.
William Walton 1967 Opera Northern Sinfonia Richard Hickox 1931 Cantata London Brass BBC Symphony Chorus BBC National Chorus of Wales BBC National Orchestra of Wales Tadaaki Otaka 1956 Concertante Released 2002 Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Andrew Litton Cello: Robert Cohen 1921–26 For voice Radio Kamer Filharmonie Alejo Perez 1961 Choral Bach Choir e Philharmonia Orchestra Sir David Willcocks 1947 Revised 1963 1991 2005 City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Michael Seal 1959–60 London Philharmonic Orchestra Bryden Thomson 1964–65 Choral Finzi Singers/Paul Spicer Organ: Andrew Lumsden Violin Concerto 1938–39BBC National Orchestra of Wales Thomas Søndergård |
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Born on 11 June 1902 near the northern border of
present-day Kazakhstan in Omsk, Russia,
Vissarion Shebalin
(Виссарион Шебалин) was age twenty when he went to Moscow to enroll into the
Moscow Conservatory [Wikipedia]. Taking early compositions with him, one of
them was likely his 'Sonata-Ballade' for piano of 1921 [Onno van Rijen].
Shebalin's Op 1 was 'Zwei Songs after Dehmel' of 1922 consisting of 'В полях
покой' ('Peace in the Fields') and 'Издали' ('From Afar'). His 'Symphony
No.1' in F minor Op 6 was a project required at the Conservatory in 1925,
published in 1932 [interpretation by the USSR Radio Symphony Orchestra w Mark Ermler].
Graduating from the Moscow Conservatory in 1928, he then taught there, his
'Symphony No.2' in C# minor Op 11 arriving in 1929 [interpretation by the Russian Cinematographic Symphony Orchestra w Sergei Skripka].
He wrote a more unusual 'Concertino' for horn and orchestra Op 14 No.2 in
1929-30, revised in 1958 [1,
2;
horn by Boris Alanasiev
w the USSR Radio & TV Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nikolai Anosov;
arrangement for horn and piano performed by Sergey Akimov (horn) & Minjee Lee (piano)
*].
His 'Concertino' for violin and orchestra Op 14 No.1 was written in 1931-32
[1,
2;
violin by Boris Shulgin
w the USSR Academic Symphony Orchestra Ensemble conducted by Gennady Provatorov]. His 'Symphony No.3' in C Op 17 was composed in 1934-35
[interptations by the USSR Radio Symphony Orchestra w Valery Gergiev &
the USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra w Gennady Rozhdestvensky].
'Suite No.1' for
orchestra Op 18 had also been written in 1934-35
[live performance by the Siberian Symphony Orchestra w Dmitry Vasiliev].
'Suite' No.2' for orchestra Op 22 was finished in 1935 as well as 'Symphony
No.4' (‘The Heroes of Perekop’) in B Op 24
[interpretation by the Russian Cinematographic Symphony Orchestra w Sergei Skripka]. Shebalin also became a professor at the Gnessin State Musical College in 1935.
As a Soviet composer, had Shebalin been a modernist he'd not have
won the Stalin Prize in 1943 for 'String Quartet No.5' ('The Slavonian') Op
33 composed in '42 during World War II [interpretation by the Krasni Quartet]. He won a second Stalin Prize in 1947 for his 1946 cantata,
'Moscow' Op 38. Shebalin had also composed some Russian guitar: 'Prelude' in E minor
arrived in 1951, a WoO (Without Opus). 'Two Preludes' in E minor and C major
of 1954 also went WoO. Shebalin's last symphony was 'Symphony No.5' in C Op
56 of 1962 [interptation by the USSR Radio Symphony Orchestra w Yevgeni Svetlanov]. 'Sonatina' for guitar of 1963 was assigned to Op 60
[guitar by Joel Sharbaugh].
Rijen traces Shebalin to a final Op 61 assigned to 'Suite No.3' for
orchestra of 1963 [interpretation by the Siberian Symphony Orchestra w Dmitry Vasiliev].
Shebalin died on 29 May of 1963 from his third stroke
since 1953 [musical affects].
References for Shebalin: Wikipedia.
Compositions:
alphabetical: All Music,
IMSLP;
chronological (Rijen);
by genre: RYM,
Chinese,
Japanese;
by Opus: MusicBrainz,
Rijen.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Recordings of: discos: Arkiv,
rare;
select: 'Complete Music for Violin and Piano' by Sergey Kostylev (violin) & Olga Solovieva (piano)
*;
'Orchestral Music: Shebalin' Vol. 2
*;
'String Quartets' Vol 1-3;
'Vyacheslav Shirokov Plays Guitar: Dancing Music by Vissarion Shebalin' 1980
*.
IMDb (film).
Books & scores: Canada,
France,
Germany,
international: 1,
2.
Bibliography: 'Music of the Soviet Era: 1917-1991' by Levon Hakobian (Taylor & Francis 2016).
Other profiles: Deutsch;
Dutch;
English: 1,
2;
Espanol;
Japanese;
Russian: 1,
2,
3.
Vissarion Shebalin Concertino for horn and orchestra 1930? Revised 1958 Op 14:2USSR Radio & TV S O Nikolai Anosov 1942 'Slavonic' Op 33 Krasni Quartet 1943 Op 34 Krasni Quartet String Quartet 7 in A flat major 1948 Op 41 Krasni Quartet 1960 Op 53 Krasni Quartet 1963 Op 58 Krasni Quartet 1930? Op 14:1USSR Academic SO Ensemble Gennady Provatorov |
 Vissarion Shebalin Source: Belcanto |
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Born on 25 August 1902 in Berlin,
Stefan Wolpe
was a modernistic composer who
enrolled at Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory [*]
in 1916, studied at the Berlin Hochschule für
Musik 1920-21 and the Bauhaus [*] about 1923. As Wolpe himself destroyed most of
his teenage work, his only surviving piece from that period is a
'Sonatina'
for piano written in 1918. 'Six Piano Pieces' were written from 1920
('Adagio') to 1929 [*;
scores].
His 'Sonata No.1' ('Stehende Musik': 'Music of Stasis') for piano Op 1 arrived in 1925
[*;
interpretation by David Holzmann].
Wolpe's first opera was a musical grotesque [1,
2,
3] premiering in Berlin 1928, 'Zeus und Elida'
Op 5a w text by Karl Wickerhauser and Otto Hahn
[1,
2;
interpretation by the Ebony Band et al] .
'Schöne Geschichten' ('Beautiful Stories') Op 5b had been begun in '27
toward completion in '29, that a form of opera known as Zeitoper
[1,
2,
3], that is,
addressing the times. The work didn't see a world premiere until 1993 by the Ebony Band et al
[interpretation by the Ebony Band: 1,
2].
Significant during Wolpe's early career was his association with the Dada
scene. He set Kurt Schwitters' poem, 'An Anna Blume', to music in 1929 as
Op 5c [*;
interpretation by the Ebony Band; by Gunnar Brandt-Sigurdsson (tenor) & Johan Bossers (piano)
*]. Upon
the rise of the Nazi regime, Wolpe, both a Communist and Jew, fled to
Austria via Romania and Russia in 1933 where he married pianist, Irma Schoenberg,
in Vienna in 1934 and studied w
Anton Webern
before leaving for Palestine to teach at the Palestine
Conservatory in '34 and conduct the Palestine Symphony. Wolpe had also written theatrical pieces for Communists and unions
called Gebrauchsmusik [1,
2], that is, utility music.
His Communist-related 'March and Variations for Two Pianos' Op 21 begun
in Germany in '32 and finished in '33 saw its world premiere at the Moscow
Conservatory in 1935 [Gordon; interpretation by Josef Christof et Steffen Schleiermacher:
1/2,
2/2;
CD by
Steven Beck & Susan Grace]. Wikipedia has Wolpe beginning to compose music using
Arnold
Schoenberg's twelve-tone system
as early as 1929, though Warburton at Mode Records finds him more in common w Josef
Mathias Hauer [1,
2,
3,
4].
Wolpe and wife had performed the serial 'Passacaglia' for two pianos
at the Palestine Conservatoire in '34 where it wasn't received well
[*;
see also passacaglia]. His
'Four Studies on Basic Rows' Op 23 of 1935-36 included a 'Passacaglia' as
No.3 [*;
live performance by David Holzman]. The Palestine Symphony
rejected his 'Passacaglia' for orchestra Op 23 of 1937
[interpretation by the WDR Symphonieorchester w Johannes Kalitzke: 1,
2]. Wolpe
arrived in the United States in 1938 where he spent 1943 to 1947 composing
'Battle Piece' ('Encouragements') for piano [1,
2,
3;
piano by David Holzman: audio,
live
2015]. Turning more to teaching in his older years, Wolpe was director of
music at Black Mountain College in Ashville, North Carolina, from 1952 to
'56, then taught at the C.W. Post College of Long Island University. He
taught during summers in Darmstadt, Germany. Wolpe developed Parkinson's
disease in 1964, dying eight years later on 4 April 1972 in NYC. Apparently
lending credence to astrology and superstitious of the number thirteen, he had written largely for chamber,
piano and voice. Of more recent note, what is collectively titled 'Suite from the
Twenties' was commissioned by the Wolpe Society and premiered in New York in 2002 under the direction of Werner Herbers, that a set of orchestral arrangements by Geert van Keulen of titles
written by Wolpe in the latter twenties including the jazz-inspired
'Rag-Caprice' of 1927 [*,
recording by the Ebony Band;
see also 'Dancing: The Jazz Fever' on Channel Classics CCS 30611:
1,
2,
3,
4].
References: Wikipedia
[Deutsch,
Italian].
Compositions: 1,
2:
alphabetical;
by genre: 1,
2,
3;
for piano.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Recordings of: discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
select: ''Zeus und Elida' | 'Schöne Geschichten''
*.
Further reading: analyses: Ina Henning;
Wolpe as teacher;
the Wolpe Society
(old site):
newsletter 2007.
Iconography: 1,
2.
Books/ documents/ scores: Canada; Europe:
1,
2; international:
1,
2.
Collections (Carol Baron research).
Bibliography:
'Stefan Wolpe in Conversation with Eric Salzman' by Austin Clarkson ('The Musical Quarterly' 1999);
'The Works of Stefan Wolpe: A Brief Catalogue' by Austin Clarkson ('Notes' 1985);
'The Musical Representation of the Grotesque in Nineteenth-Century Opera' by Edgecombe (The Opera Quarterly 2000);
'Understanding Stefan Wolpe's Musical Forms' by Dora Hanninen ('Perspectives of New Music' 2002);
'Wolpe's Chamber Operas' by Thomas Phleps (Contemporary Music Review 2008).
Other profiles: 1,
2,
3. Stefan Wolpe 1964 Contemporary Chamber Ensemble Arthur Weisberg 1950-53 For 3 pianos Pianos: Anne Chamberlain Joel Sachs Cheryl Seltzer 1925 Op 1 'Stehende Musik' Piano: David Holzmann 1950 Revised 1954 Contemporary Chamber Ensemble Arthur Weisberg 1949 Piano: Garrick Ohlsson Violin: Jorja Fleezanis 1941 Piano: Peter Serkin 1963-64 Flauto: Harvey Sollberg Pianoforte: Charles Wuorinen Violincello: Fred Sherry |
 Stefan Wolpe 1963 Photo: Paul Sacher Foundation Source: NEOS |
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|
Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 6 June 1903,
Aram Khachaturian
was uncle to composer, Karen Khachaturian [1,
2]. Moving to Moscow in 1921, he there studied both music at the Gnessin Musical Institute and biology at Moscow University.
AK's Opus 1 was assigned to 'Poem' for piano of 1925 dedicated to Gilan, a province along the southern
coast of the Caspian in Iran (Persia)
which had been situated in the midst of a British-Bolshevik-Jangali contest
resulting in the Russo-Persian Treaty of Friendship of 1921
[*].
He enrolled at the Moscow
Conservatory in 1929, the year 'Combat March No.1' in A flat major Op 20
arrived for brass band. Khachaturian composed his 'Symphony No.1' in E major
Op 35 as a graduation piece in
1934 [interpretation by the Armenian P O w Loris Tjeknavorian].
AK's first film score was for 'Pepo' assigned to Op 37
[1,
2]. That was
released to theaters in the Soviet Union on 9 Oct 1935, being the first
full-feature film in Armenian [the independent Republic of Armenia
pronounced in 1995]. As music for film scores generally plays a supportive
role, suites are often written for the music in itself unedited for the
screen. As no Op number is given for a 'Pepo' suite, which samples at Presto
likely are, their arranger goes unidentified. Khachaturian's 'Piano Concerto' in D flat major
Op 38 of 1936
brought the acclaim which launched his career as a major
composer [1,
2; interpretation by William Kapell 1946;
live performances by Hayk Melikyan
&
Jean-Yves Thibaudet].
AK's Op 38a was a version for two pianos written the same year. In 1939 he
traveled to Armenia to study folk music, composing his first ballet,
'Happiness' Op 43, in '39 as well. His 'Masquerade' Op 48 of 1941
is incidental music to the eponymous play by Mikhail Lermontov
[1,
2]. A suite for
orchestra was designated 48a [score], another for two pianos as 48b the same year
[live performance of 'Waltz' 48a No.1 of 5 movements by the Sinfonia Toronto
led by Nurhan Arman]. Khachaturian's ballet, 'Gayane' ('Gayaneh') Op 50, premiered in Leningrad under
German siege (WW II)
on 3 Dec 1942 [1,
2;
interpretation by the USSR Radio and TV Large S O w Djansug Kakhidze;
live performance by the Latvian Opera and Ballet Company w Alexander Viljumanis]. That contained his famous 'Sabre Dance' drawn from Armenian folk
music [1,
2;
interpretation by
the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (whether from Op 50 the ballet or Op
55 the suite unidentified); live performance by Media City
Ballet of Los Angeles;
score]. 'Gayane' was followed by three suites in 1943 designated Opp 53-55, the last containing
another version of 'Sabre Dance' [interpretation
by the Hollywood Bowl S O w Alfred Newman]. AK's 'Symphony No.2' ('Symphony
with Bells' aka 'The Bell') in E minor Op 56 premiered at the Moscow
Conservatory on 9 Dec 1943 by the USSR State Symphony Orchestra conducted by
AK [interpretation by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra w Neeme Järvi; live performances by Armenian State S
O w Sergey Smbatyan &
the Armenian P O w Loris Tjeknavorian].
Khachaturian's 'Symphony No.3' Op 67 premiered in Leningrad on 13 Dec 1947 [organ by Simon Lindley
w the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Fedor Glushchenko]. Intended to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, it
earned him the denunciation of the Communist Party instead, whence he
was exiled to Armenia until December 1948 for music too avant-garde [see
also formalism;
the Zhdanov Doctrine].
AK began teaching at his alma maters, the Gnessin Institute in 1950 and the
Moscow Conservatory in 1951. His third and last ballet, 'Spartacus' Op 82 of
1954 won him the Lenin Prize [1,
2].
In 1955 AK pulled four suites from 'Spartacus' being Nos.1-4 as Opp 82a-82d.
Among titles that AK recorded for Decca in 1962 [1,
2,
3] was 'Adagio of Spartacus and
Phrygia' Op 82b No.1 of four movements
[recording;
other versions].
Khachaturian also drew two sets of 'Symphonic Pictures' from 'Spartacus'
designated Op 82e and Op 82f. Having begun to tour
internationally w a trip to Italy in 1950, he became a deputy in the
Supreme Soviet
(legislative body) of the Soviet Union
in
1958 until '62. His last documented film score was for 'The Tocsin of Peace'
Op 98 per 1962. His final of several works for brass band was 'March of the
Moscow Red Banner' ('March of the Soviet Militia' aka 'Soviet Police March')
in E minor Op 103 of 1973 [audio: 1,
2;
note:
Shostakovich
also wrote a 'March of the Soviet Militia' designated Op 139]. AK's final
composition was 'Vocalise' in C major Op 108 in 1978, that an arrangement
for piano from the 1956 film, 'Otello', for which he'd written the
music,
the piece originally for soprano and orchestra to be sung by Desdemona
[live performance by Сурен Вартанян]. Khachaturian died
shortly later in Moscow on 1 May 1978.
References: 1,
2.
Compositions:
alphabetical;
chronological;
by genre: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
Russian;
by Opus: 1,
2;
see also Wikipedia international below.
Song texts.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9.
Discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Filmographies: Deutsch,
Engllish.
Documentaries: 'Khachaturian' directed by Peter Rosen 2014.
Iconography.
Further reading: AK as conductor,
correspondence,
family,
students: 1,
2.
See also: the Aram Khachaturian International Competition,
the Aram Khachaturian School of Music.
Books/ documents/ scores: Canada,
Germany,
USA,
international: VIAF,
Worldcat.
Collections: Memory of the World.
Sheet music.
Other profiles: Armenian;
Chinese;
English: encyclopedic: New World;
geographical: 1,
2;
musical: 1,
2,
3 (Latvia),
4;
Espanol;
French;
Russian: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Wikipedia international:
Deutsch;
Espanol,
Italian;
Japanese:
Portuguese.
Khachaturian does his own conducting in a couple of recordings below. Aram Khachaturian 1946 Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra Vladimir Fedoseyev Cello: Denis Shapovalov 1939–41 Ballet USSR Radio & TV Large S O Djansug Kakhidze 1944 Incidental music Scottish National Orchestra Neeme Järvi 1955 Ballet Scottish National Orchestra Neeme Järvi 1943 'Bell symphony' Recorded 1977 USSR State Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Aram Khachaturian 1947 Symphonic poem The Japan Gustav Mahler Orchestra Hisayoshi Inoue Organ: Arthur Adamian 1950 BBC Philharmonic Fedor Glushchenko 1940 Recorded 1965 Moscow Radio S O Conductor: Aram Khachaturian Violin: David Oistrakh |
Aram Khachaturian 1964 Photo: Dutch National Archives/The Hague Source: Wikipedia |
|
 Vladimir Horowitz Source: WQXR |
A Jew born in Kiev on 1 Oct 1903,
Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz
wasn't known for composing, though he did a little of that along w
numerous variations [Horowitz website hereon referred to as VHW].
Horowitz more belongs in this history due to his impact as a pianist during
the modern period. His later great rival as a concert pianist would be Glenn Gould
who, though born nigh thirty years later in '32, died in '82 seven years
earlier than Horowitz. The latter entered the Kiev Conservatory
[1,
2] in 1912.
Originally intending to become a composer, he compared the financial rewards
for that to performing and chose the keys, giving
his first public recital in 1920. Among his few compositions is 'Danse
Excentrique' ('Moment Exotique') written in 1920 or '21 for his brother's
18th birthday [1,
2]. He later recorded it for RCA on March 4, 1930 toward issue
on Victor 1468
[recording].
It isn't known when he wrote 'Waltz' in F minor, but he put it to piano roll
sometime in the summer of 1928 for Duo-Art Studios in NYC [piano roll
w score]. Horowitz' ability at a piano translated
into relatively little struggle in building his career as
he rapidly became successful. His first performance beyond Russia was in
Berlin in 1925. Horowitz was born late enough for his virtuosity to make a
happy wedding w the recording industry. He made his first piano rolls in
early 1926 for Welte-Mignon in
Freiburg, Germany [VHW].
Those included titles by JS Bach
and Busoni
on BWV 532 [audio] and
BWV 564 [audio].
He later punched piano rolls for Aeolian in 1928. After visiting Paris and
London, Horowitz made his debut in New York City at Carnegie Hall on 12
January 1928. Recording 78s for both Victor and
Gramophone (EMI), his first session for
Victor arrived on 26 March 1928, among which titles was
Chopin's 'Mazurka
No.21' [1,
2,
3;
recording].
Often referred to as the last of the Romantics, among his great recordings
was Franz Liszt's 'Hungarian Rhapsody No.2' gone down
in concert on 25 February 1953
[audio].
More samples of Chopin arrived in 1954 on RCA LRM 7051 [audio].
A quarter century later in his seventies he recorded Rachmaninoff's
difficult 'Concerto No.3' at
Carnegie Hall on 8 Jan 1978 w
Eugene Ormandy
conducting the New York P O [audio].
He followed that later the same year at Avery Fisher Hall w Zubin Mehta
conducting [live performance]. Horowitz returned to the Soviet Union for the first time in 1986, visiting Moscow and Leningrad, followed by tour dates in
Europe and Tokyo. Horowitz' final recordings arrived in 1986 and '87
consisting of
Schubert's 'Sonata' in B-flat major and
Schumann's 'Kinderszenen'
issued posthumously in 1991 by Deutsche Grammophon [*;
audio]. His final tour of Europe was in 1987 when he gave his last
public recitals. He died on 5 Nov 1989 of heart attack in New York City
[obit].
References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Chronology.
Compositions.
Concertography.
Repertoire.
Sessionographies:
by composer: A-K,
L-Z;
live;
studio;
DAHR;
see also piano rolls.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
'In the Hands of the Master' *,
piano rolls 1926.
Recordings of: discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
Deutsche Graammophon,
piano rolls,
Vladimir Horowitz Collection;
select: 'In the Hands of the Master': 1,
2;
'Concerto No.3' (Rachmaninoff).
Documentaries: 'The Last Romantic'
('alt) directed by Maysles & Maysles 1985
[1,
2].
Iconography: 1,
2.
Further reading: Stuart Isacoff
(Rachmaninoff and);
Köln Klavier;
Martin Meyer;
PediaPress;
VHW;
David M. Wolff.
Books & documents: France: 1,
2;
Germany; international:
1,
2.
Collections: Yale.
Databases: DBPedia.
Other profiles: Deutsch:
1,
2;
English: encyclopedic: 1,
2,
3;
history;
musical: 1,
2,
3,
4;
IMDb;
NPR Radio;
Espanol;
Francais,
Norwegian,
Portuguese.
Vladimir Horowitz Composer: Chopin 1835-1836 Op 23 Solo Live performance at Carnegie Hall Composer: Chopin 1841 Op 49 Solo Recorded live at Carnegie Hall 1948 1951 Composer: Tchaikovsky Op 23 3 versions: 1874–75 1876–79 1888-90? NBC Symphony Orchestra Arturo Toscanini Recorded live at Carnegie Hall 1943 Composer: Rachmaninoff 1909 Op 30 3 movements RCA Victor SO/Fritz Reiner Recorded 1951 |
|
|
Born in Philadelphia on 19 Oct 1903, neoromantic,
Vittorio Giannini
began training on violin at age five, his mother his teacher as she prepared
him for a scholarship at age nine to study violin and composition at the Verdi
Conservatory [Milan Conservatory: 1,
2]. Upon leaving four years later, he studied
privately, during which period his first compositions began to appear. The
'Catalog of Copyright Entries 1920' has the song, 'April, Gowned
In Green', on list that year [*],
publishing status unknown. 1922
found him composing another vocal piece, this time for the SATB Choir and
Orchestra, so a premiere for 'Stabat Mater' is assumed that year if not later. Giannini
entered Juilliard in 1925, then composed the song, 'Tell Me, Oh Blue, Blue
Sky', in 1927 [*;
interpretations by Mario Lanza c 1952,
Leonard Warren 1958;
live performance by Mary Ceccarelli].
'Resurrection', another vocal piece, appeared in 1929 before Giannini began composing
instrumentals for chamber, 'String Quartet
appearing in 1930. A 'Suite' for orchestra surfaced in 1931, then the opera,
'Lucedia', in 1934. More operas followed throughout the thirties for radio.
Come his 'Piano Concerto' of 1935
[piano by Gabriela Imreh]. Giannini's first of seven symphonies, ‘In Memoriam Theodore Roosevelt’,
also arrived in 1935 toward its debut performance at the American Museum of
Natural History in New York for a radio broadcast by the NBC Symphony
Orchestra w Giannini conducting on 19 Jan 1936 [*]. It
was first performed in concert by the Rochester-Eastman Orchestra at the Eastman School of Music
w Howard Hanson directing on 30 April 1936
[recording].
Giannini's second symphony, 'IBM Symphony', arrived in 1937
toward its first performance at IBM Headquarters in New York on 18 Jan 1938
w Giannini conducting the Columbia Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra
[*;
recording;
see also International Business Machines
founded in 1911 as CTR: the Computing Tabulating Recording Company: 1,
2]. The 'IBM
Symphony' was also performed for IBM in 1939 at the New York World's Fair. Gianinni's most successful opera, 'The Taming of the Shrew'
after Shakespeare, had been begun in 1938 to be put on a back burner until
eventually finished in
1950 toward its premiere at the Cincinnati Music Hall on 31 Jan 1953
[*;
Kansas City Lyric Theater w Russell Patterson
conducting]. Giannini became the founding director of the North Carolina School of the
Arts in 1965, the same year his 'Symphony No.5' arrived [audio
w Guy Taylor directing]. He died the next year in New York City on 28 Nov 1966.
References: Wikipedia,
All Music.
Compositions: 1,
2.
Song texts.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
YouTube ('The Taming of the Shrew').
Discographies: 1,
2,
3.
Books/ documents/ scores: Canada,
France,
USA, international:
1,
2.
Further reading: IBM culture,
IBM music chronology.
Other profiles: Catalan;
English;
Japanese;
Qwerty international (Wikipedia mirrors):
Dutch;
Espanol;
Finnish;
Russian. Vittorio Giannini 1938 NKU Opera Workshop 1950 NKU Opera Workshop Opera: 'The Taming of the Shrew' 1950 1963 1952 1934 Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Daniel Spalding Piano: Gabriela Imreh 1932 1955 1963 Orchestra of America Conducting: Gary Karr1958 Eastman Wind Ensemble Director: Archibald Clyde Roller 1965 1927 Vocal: Genevieve Marino 1931Piano: Adam Neiman Violin: Stefan Milenkovich Violoncello: Ani Asnavoorian |
 Vittorio Giannini Source: UNC School of Arts |
|
 Luigi Dallapiccola Source: Il Sussidiario |
Born 3 Feb 1904 in what is now Pazin, Croatia,
Luigi Dallapiccola
began composing because he liked
Richard Wagner, that to become old hat as he
moved on to
Debussy before developing
an interest in the Second Viennese School
(a la
Schoenberg),
particularly the work of
Alban Berg, that would
make of him the major Italian representative of twelve-tone composing.
Dallapiccola graduated in piano in the twenties from the Florence Conservatory
(matriculation 1922). During that time he wrote what are commonly listed as
his first compositions of 1924-26, 'Fiuri de Tapo', being three settings for
voice and piano to poems by Biagio Marin
included in the latter's first book by the same title. Dallapiccola,
however, came to dislike his compositions of the twenties and wished them
removed from his catalogue. Becoming a professor
at the Conservatory in 1931, he there remained
until 1967. He had initially supported Mussolini's rise to power in 1922, but
during the thirties he turned decidedly antifascist, especially upon
Mussolini's cooperation with Adolf Hitler, as Dallapiccola's wife, Laura,
was Jewish. World War II began during the years that he wrote 'Canti di
Prigionia' ('Songs of Imprisonment'), setting music to texts by Mary Stuart
(Queen of Scots), Boethius and Savanarola. Representative of his early
mature period when Dallapiccola was only beginning to wade into serial
waters, he employed a dodecaphonic system of two
twelve-tone rows [1,
2] for 'Canti
di Prigionia'. The 'Canti' were an indignant political protest in response to a racial
manifesto concerning Jews appearing in Italian newspapers on 15 July 1938.
Their first performance arrived in Rome at the Teatro delle Arti on 11
December 1941 [1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
interpretation by the Coro e Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
* or
New London Chamber Choir & Ensemble Intercontemporain
*]. Though forced into hiding a couple times during World War II,
Dallapiccola
largely carried on as before with the exception of refraining from recitals
in Nazi-occupied countries. His only ballet, 'Marsia' begun in 1942, was also his last
work completely composed on an old-fashioned scale before twelve-tone method
saw usage in everything he wrote. Per Péter Várnai [Ref 4 below], he also
composed a symphonic suite for 'Marsia', likely completed the same year in '43 [score fragments]. In 1949
Dallapiccola pulled a suite for piano from 'Marsia' titled 'Tre Episodi dal
Balletto 'Marsia'' [interpretation by Roberto Posseda;
live performance by Filippo La Marca].
Dallapiccola had also begun his triptych, 'Liriche Greche' ['Greek Lyrics':1,
2],
in 1942 consisting of 'Cinque Frammenti di Saffo' [1,
2], 'Due Liriche di
Anacreonte' [1,
2] and
'Sex Carmina Alcaei' [1,
2]. 'Liriche Greche' was a major stepping
stone with which LD decidedly went twelve-tone
[soprano by Anita Morrison;
Victoria Schneider
(Malipiero);
various].
Among LD's last titles written to a traditional scale was his four-movement 'Sonatina Canonica'
in E-flat of 1943 on the '24 Caprices' Op 1 of Paganini
[piano by Mieczyslaw Horszowski].
It was 1944 when LD commenced the writing of the opera, 'Il Prigioniero'
('The Prisoner'), which was first performed on 1 Dec 1949 for Italian radio
station, RAI [Radiotelevisione italiana: 1,
2,
3,
4]. Its stage premiere
was at the Teatro Comunale in Florence on May 20, 1950
[1,
2,
3,
4;
libretto;
live performance w Leonardo Estévez as Prisoner
(alt)].
'Il Prigioniero' was first
performed in the U.S. by the New York City Opera on 29 September 1960
w Norman Treigle as Prisoner [recording].
It was 30 October 1950 when LD's Biblical cantata for stage, 'Job', appeared
at the Eliseo Theater in Rome [interpretation by the Coro e Orchestra del Teatro La Fenice di Venezia
directed by Hermann Scherchen
(alt: 1,
2)]. In 1951 and '52 he made appearances at Tanglewood, home of the Boston Symphony
Orchestra since 1937 [1,
2]. Come Dallapiccola's
impressionistic 'Piccola Musica Notturna' ('Little Night Music') in 1954
[interpretation by the BBC Philharmonic w Gianandrea Noseda].
He followed that with a version for chamber ensemble in 1961
[live performance by the MDI Ensemble of Milan]. Dallapiccola began teaching at Queens College in New York in
1956. Though he began his last opera, 'Ulisse' ('Ulysses' aka 'Odysseus'),
in 1960, it didn't premiere until 29 September 1968 at the Deutsche Oper
Berlin w libretto by himself translated to German by Karl-Heinrich Kreith who played
the role of Odysseus [1,
2,
3,
4;
libretto;
recording by the Chor und Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin:
1/5,
2/5,
3/5,
4/5,
5/5].
LD wrote 'Sicut Umbra' in 1970 for mezzosopran und twelve instruments w text
by Juan Ramón Jinénez [interpretation by Sybil Michelow
w the London Sinfonietta directed by Gary Bertini]. 'Commiato'
('Farewell') for soprano and fifteen instruments arrived in 1972 for text originally written by
Brunetto Latini (c 1220–94), that believed to be Dallapiccola's last completed
composition [live performance by Susanna Rigacci
w the Cameristi del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino]. Dallapiccola was working on another
vocal piece but hours before his death on 19 Feb 1975 in Florence of lung
edema. References: 1,
2,
3,
4 (Várnai 1977).
Compositions:
chronological: 1,
2;
by genre: 1,
2;
see also Wikipedia international below.
Authorship: 1,
2,
'The Genesis of the 'Canti di Prigionia' and 'il Prigioniero'' ('The Musical Quarterly' 1953).
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3;
select: 'Luigi Dallapiccola',
notes;
'Il Prigioniero';
'Ulisse'.
Further reading: Dallapiccola: 'Musical Innovations' by Alessandro Cassin;
the Luigi Dallapiccola Fund;
'Twelve-tone Technique in Italian' by Mario Ruffini;
by various (Italian): 1,
2.
Further reading: twelve-tone technique: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Books/ documents/ scores: Canada; Europe:
1,
2,
3,
4;
USA;
international: VIAF,
Worldcat.
Sheet music: 1,
2.
Bibliography: 'Octatonicism in Luigi Dallapiccola's Twelve-Note Music' by Brian Alegant (U of Rochester Press 2010);
'The Twelve-Tone Music of Luigi Dallapiccola' by Brian Alegant (U of Rochester Press 2010):
reviews: Graham Phipps,
Alan Theisen;
'Luigi Dallapiccola: The Complete Works: A Catalogue' by Calum MacDonald ('Tempo' 1976); 'Twelve-Tone Polarity in Late Works of Luigi Dallapiccola'
by David Mancini ('Journal of Music Theory' 1986); 'Row Construction and Accompaniment in Luigi Dallapiccola's
'Il Prigioniero'' by Dori Waggoner;
'In Memoriam'.
Other profiles: English: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
French;
Italian;
Russian.
Wikipedia international: Catalan,
Czech,
Deutsch,
Dutch,
Espanol;
Francais,
Hungarian;
Italian,
Japanese,
Russian.
Luigi Dallapiccola 1938-41 New London Chamber Choir James Wood Ensemble InterContemporain Hans Zender 1972 For soprano & orchestra Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Lucas Vis Sopran: Dorothy Dorow 1944-48 Opera O & C del Teatro Comunale di Bologna Michele Mariotti La Madre: Valentina Corradetti Il Prigioniero: Chad Armstrong 1951 For violin & orchestra BBC Philharmonic Gianandrea Noseda 1955-56 For piano & violin Piano: Duccio Beverini Violin: Simone Ferrari Tempus destruendi - Tempus aedificandi 1970-71 For choirNew London Chamber Choir James Wood Three Questions with Two Answers 1962-63BBC Philharmonic Gianandrea Noseda 1954 Recorded 1994 Orchestra Filarmonica di Leningrado Mario Ruffini |
|
|
Born on 25 Sep 1906 in St. Petersburg,
Dmitri Shostakovich
thought it not enough that Russian composition nigh owned the Romantic
period but for a
German here and there (Beethoven, Wagner, et al) or a Polish
Chopin. With Shostakovich Russia could make a strong claim to the
modern period as well, though not without considerable tension between them. Shostakovich began
piano at age nine and was composing at age twelve with a happy theme called
'Funeral March for the Fallen Heroes of the Revolution' ('Traurnyi marsh
pamyati zhertv revolyutsii') for piano concerning Kadets murdered by
Bolsheviks during
the Red Terror of
the Russian Revolution
[piano by Emil].
Shostakovich enrolled at the Petrograd Conservatory
[1,
2] the next year where, nevertheless, he showed little interest in
the politics that would later present him with problems as a Russian
composer. His Op 1, 'Scherzo'
for orchestra in F sharp
minor, appeared in 1919 [interpretations by Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg
* &
the USSR Symphony Orchestra *].
Of the large oeuvre that Shostakovich left behind, this column will follow
his fifteen symphonies, all of which are discussed by conductor,
Mark Wigglesworth, who
has recorded them all:
Symphony Nos. 1; 2, & 3;
Symphony Nos. 1 & 15;
Symphony No. 4;
Symphony Nos. 5, 6, & 10;
Symphony No. 7;
Symphony No. 8;
Symphony Nos. 9 & 12;
Symphony No. 11;
Symphony No. 13;
Symphony No. 14.
Shostakovich's first, 'Symphony No.1'
in F minor Op 10, appeared in Leningrad on 12 May 1926 by the Leningrad
Philharmonic [1,
2,
3,
4] conducted by Nikolai Malko.
Wikipedia has its premiere in the United States sometime in 1928. It also saw
performing in December '28 by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Frederick
Stock conducting [1,
2,
3,
4;
interpretation by the Russian National Orchestra w Vladimir Jurowski;
live performance by the Frankfurt Radio S O w Paavo Järvi].
'Symphony No.2' ('To October') in B major Op 14 was written for the 10th
anniversary of the October Revolution
[1,
2,
3;
interpretations by the Royal Philharmonic C & O w
Morton Gould &
the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra w Kirill Kondrashin;
live performance by the Azusa Pacific University Symphony Orchestra and Oratorio Choir *].
Shostakovich's debut film score (WoO) was for the silent 'The New Babylon'
released to theaters on 18 March 1929 [1,
2;
film;
music performed by the Russian State S O w Valeri Polyansky]. Shostakovich's opera, 'The Nose' Op 15, premiered in Leningrad on 18 January
1930 to poor result, that based on the 1836 tale concerning social status in
Russia by Nikolai Gogol [1,
2;
live performance at London's Covent Garden Royal Opera House directed by Barrie Kosky].
'Symphony No.3' ('First of May') Op 20 arrived to Leningrad on 21 January 1930,
its finale set to text by Semyon Kirsanov applauding
May Day which is also
International Workers' Day
in the Russian Federation (formerly USSR) corresponding to
Labor Day in the United States
celebrated on the first Monday of Sep [1,
2,
3;
interpretation by the WDR Radio Chorus & Symphony Orchestra Cologne
*;
live performance by the Azusa Pacific University Symphony Orchestra and Oratorio Choir
*].
On 19 May 1933 Shostakovich married the first of three wives, Nina Varzar, who would bear
Galina in 1936 and
Maxim in 1938.
Nina would die in 1954. His betrothal to Margarita Kainova in 1956 ended in
divorce after five years, upon which a happier marriage was made in 1962 w
27 year-old Irina Supinskaya nearly three decades younger than he. Writing a
number of concertos for piano, violin and cello, his 'Piano Concerto No.1'
in C minor for trumpet Op 35 premiered on 15 October 1933
[1,
2;
recording
of Shostakovich at piano w Josif Volovnik at trumpet on 27 November 1957
[1,
2 (not '54)];
interpretation by
Martha Argerich w Philip Smith at trumpet;
live performance
by Eriko Takezawa w Reinhold Friedrich at trumpet]. It was 22
January 1934 when Shostakovich premiered his opera, 'Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District' Op 29, with libretto by Alexander Preys and himself based
on the 1865 horror novella by Nikolai Leskov
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
live performance directed by Vidnyánszky Attila].
He added a 'Suite' from that in '34 as well
[interpretation by Gürenzich Cologne Orchestra w James Conlon].
His ballet, 'The Limpid Stream' ('The Bright Stream') Op 39 premiered at
Leningrad's Mikhaylovsky Theatre in 1935 with its 'Suite' designated Op 39a
[1,
2; interpretations by
the National S O of Ukraine w Theodore Kuchar
&
Royal Stockholm P O w Gennady Rozhdestvensky]. In
Jan of 1936 Joseph Stalin visited a performance of
'Lady Macbeth' which earned it his condemnation along w that of 'Pravda'
[leading Communist newspaper: 1,
2]
and the Politburo
[1,
2,
3].
'The Limpid Stream' was rejected as well. To receive a negative rating from
Stalin was a big deal not only since it came with a huge plunge in income, but because
Stalin's Great Purge started in 1936, during which artists, musicians,
intellectuals, scientists and the like with unacceptable views were imprisoned or shot
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5]. Shostakovich was working on
'Symphony No.4' Op 43 at the
time, which he thought better to withdraw before its intended premiere in Dec
1936. The work didn't see a performance for a quarter century until 30
December 1961 by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra w Kirill Kondrashin eight
years after Stalin's death
[1,
2;
interpretation by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra w Neeme Järvi;
live performance by the Helsinki P O w Jukka-Pekka Saraste]. Presented with the problem of needing both money and
a safer profile, Shostakovich composed 'Symphony No.5' Op 47 in form more pleasing to powers that be
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
interpretation by the Leningrad P O w Yevgeny Mravinsky;
live performance by the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester w Philippe Jordan]. His
'Symphony No.6' Op 54 arrived to Leningrad on 21 November 1939
[1,
2,
3;
interpretation by the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne w Rudolf Barshai;
live performance by the Wiener Philarmoniker w Leonard Bernstein]. In 1939 Shostakovich composed
'Suite on Finnish Themes', a work of imagination in more ways than one which
had been intended for Russia's triumphal entry to
Helsinki as of the Winter War of 30 November 1939 to 13 March 1940
[1,
2,
3,
4]. The Soviets thought
Finland would be an easy take, the latter vastly overpowered in military might. But Stalin's
Terror had by then imprisoned or executed some 30,000 experienced officers,
toward the result of having a lot of big guns but few who knew how to use them. The result of
the Winter War for the Fins were some huge concessions (: 11 percent
territory, 30 percent economy), but for the Soviets the war had been a great
strain and Helsinki remained independent. 'Suite on Finnish Themes'
consequently saw no premiere until 2001,
Shostakovich himself having no interest in it [interpretation by Anu Komsi (soprano) w Tom Nyman (tenor)
* 2002].
Come the Siege of Leningrad on 8 September 1941
which killed about 500,000 civilians alone until 27 January 1944 during
which period DS wrote his next two symphonies. 'Symphony No.7' ('Leningrad') in C
major Op 60 premiered on 2 March 1942, having been composed in Samara
[1,
2,
3,
4;
interpretation by the Chicago S O w Leonard Bernstein;
live performance by the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln w Semyon Bychkov;
film
of Shostakovich at piano 1941]. Shostakovich's 'Symphony No.8' in C minor Op
65 premiered in Moscow on 4 November 1943 by the USSR S O led by Yevgeny
Mravinsky. A tragic rather than
triumphal work, it was unofficially banned until 1956
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
interpretations by the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln w Rudolf Barshai &
the Moscow P O w Kirill Kondrashin].
World War II had come to end in both theatres when DS premiered his 'Symphony
No.9' in E-flat major Op 70 on 3 Nov 1945, deemed by one critic as too "childish" to be expressive of
Nazi defeat which had been its purpose
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
interpretation by the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne w Rudolf Barshai
(alt);
live performance by the Vienna Philharmonic w Leonard Bernstein 1987;
score]. Shostakovich found his works banned again in 1948
per the
Zhdanov Doctrine, which intent was to sterilize Russia of foreign
influences, including in musical composition. Summoned to apologize before
the Central Committee for writing unacceptable (anti-proletarian) works,
Shostakovich then watched his income fall away. Russia wasn't making it easy
for one of its greatest composers. Facing a compromising
situation, in 1949 Shostakovich was given opportunity to redeem himself as
a representative of Soviet Russia at the Cultural and Scientific Congress
for World Peace in New York City. Publicly asked by Russian composer,
Nicolas Nabokov [a United States citizen since 1939: 1,
2], if he agreed with
Soviet denunciation of
Stravinsky, Shostakovich saw
little choice but confirm, though
Stravinsky
was among his favorite composers. Nabokov then published that Shostakovich
was a tool of the Soviet government. Shostakovich was then compelled to
write the oratorio, 'Song of
the Forests' Op 81, in the summer of 1949 in which Stalin is praised
for forestation projects in the Russian Steppes. premiered by the Leningrad
Philharmonic led by Yevgeny Mravinsky on 15 November 1949, it won DS a
Stalin Prize in 1950 [interpretations by
the Estonian National S O w Paavo Jaervi &
the USSR State S O w Yevgeny Mravinsky;
live performance by the USSR State S O w Evgeny Svetlanov].
In 1950-51 DS composed '24 Preludes and Fugues' for solo piano
Op 87 after
JS Bach's 'The Well-Tempered Clavier' [*], one for each major and minor
key of the chromatic scale [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
piano by Tatiana Nikolayeva;
live performance by Tatiana Nikolayeva: Book I,
Book II]. In 1951
Shostakovich found himself a deputy in the
Supreme Soviet
(legislative body) of the Soviet Union. His 'Symphony No.10' Op 93 premiered
on 17 December of 1953 by the Leningrad P O led by Yevgeny Mravinsky, Stalin having died
the previous March [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7;
live performances by
the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra w Gustavo Dudamel,
the Moscow State S O w Pavel Kogan &
the New England Conservatory Philharmonia w Hugh Wolff].
It was 1957 when DS came up with 'Piano Concerto No.2' in F major Op 102 for his
son's (Maxim) 19th birthday. Redlands and
Rijen have that first performed on 10 May 1957
at the Moscow Conservatory by the USSR S O led by Nikolai Anosov. The same
date is given at Musicweb for Shostakovich's recording of it w the Moscow
Radio Symphony Orchestra led by Alexander Gauk.
Britten & Pears
as well as Hippo proffer a
broad date of 1958 instead [recording w Gauk ("Op 101" is probably a typo: the
correct Opus is 102)]. Shostakovich also recorded 'Piano Concerto No.1' and
'No.2' in May of 1958 w André Cluytens conducting the French National Radio
Orchestra [1,
2; recording]. 'Symphony No.11' ('The Year 1905') in G minor Op 103 was first performed by the USSR Symphony
Orchestra w Natan Rakhlin on 30 October 1957. Sir Malcolm Sargent led a
performance by the BBC Symphony Orchestra at Royal Festival Hall on 22
January 1958. It reached the Houston S O in the U.S. on 7 April 1958 beneath
Leopold Stokowski.
'The Year 1905' refers to the First Russian Revolution of 1905. It had been the
Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 large on the mind of Tsar Nicholas II when
Bloody Sunday arrived closer to home in St. Petersburg
on 22 Jan 1905, the day Nicholas spelled the doom of monarchical Russia by
opening fire on protesting workers at his gates, perhaps several hundred
killed [1,
2,
3,
4,
interpretation by the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln w Rudolf Barshai;
live performances by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales w Thomas Søndergård &
the New England Conservatory's Philharmonia w Hugo Wolff]. In 1960 Shostakovich became a member of the
Communist Party under Khrushchev succeeding Stalin, less than apparently by blackmail, making
that one of the saddest periods of his life. Articles appeared in 'Pravda'
that he didn't write denouncing individualism in music. Twisted one way and
the other like one's appendages caught in a Chinese finger trap, he spent
three days in July composing 'String Quartet No.8' ('Ghost Quartet')
dedicated to "the victims of fascism and war" by which he meant
totalitarianism, according to his son, Maxim, making that a ghost
reference while the work is in reference to himself become a burdened
man [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
Borodin Quartet of Moscow;
live performance by the Emerson Quartet].
Prior commitment found Shost dedicating his 'Symphony No.12' ('The Year 1917'
[Bolshevik Revolution]) Op 112 to Vladimir Lenin,
that premiering in Oct 1961[1,
2,
3,
4;
interpretation by the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks w
Mariss Jansons
or the Moscow P O w Kirill Kondrashin;
live performance by the American Youth Symphony w Carlos Izcaray].
Shostakovich's 'Symphony No.13' ('Babi Yar'; see the Babi Yar ravine) Op 113
was finished on 20 July 1962 toward its premiere in December, that concerning the
Nazi slaughter of 33,000 Ukrainian Jews in Kiev in a period of 24 hours during World War II
[1,
2,
3,
4;
interpretation by the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne w Rudolf Barshai;
live performance by the Michigan State U Symphony Orchestra w
Christopher James Lees or
the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra w Dmitri Slobodeniouk].
Come 'Symphony No.14' for soprano and bass Op 135 in 1969 setting
texts to music by
García Lorca, Guillaume Apollinaire, Wilhelm Kuchelbecker, et al
[1,
2,
3; interpretation by
Teresa Kubiak (soprano) w Isser Bushkin (bass) backed by the New York Philharmonic w Leonard Bernstein
*; live performance by
Olga Sergeyeva (soprano) w Yuri Vorobiev (bass) backed by the Mariinksy Theatre Orchestra w Valery Gergiev
*].
Shostakovich's last symphony was 'Symphony No.15' in A major Op 141 which was
first performed in Moscow on 8 January 1972 by the All-Union Radio and Television S O led Maxim Shostakovich (son)
[1,
2,
3;
interpretation by the Netherlands Radio P O w Mark Wigglesworth;
live performance by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra w Bernard Haitink].
On 23 December 1974 his 'Suite on Verses of Michelangelo' Op 145 for bass
voice and piano was performed
[1,
2,
3,
4], its orchestrated version designated as Op
145a following on 31 January 1975
[1,
2].
Texts
without headings by Michelangelo were given
titles by Shost [Op 145a w bass by
Ildar Abdrazakov or
Evgeny Nesterenko]. Shostakovich's final Opus which is 147 was also his last completed
composition, 'Sonata' for viola and piano in C major, which he didn't live
to hear its first private performance on 25 Sep 1972 by violist, Fyodor Druzhinin, and pianist, Mikhail Muntyan, who also gave its public premiere on
1 Oct 1975 [1,
2,
3;
viola by
Isabelle van Keulen;
live performances by Gilad Karni
&
Sara Kim].
Shostakovich died on 9 August 1975 of lung cancer. He is thought to have
considered Op 145a his sixteenth symphony.
References: 1,
2.
Chronologies: life,
life w Soviet Union parallel,
premieres;
Compositions: Deutsch,
Espanol;
alphabetical;
chronological: 1,
2;
by genre: 1,
2,
3,
4,
Finnish,
French,
Russian;
by Opus: 1,
2,
3,
4,
Japanese;
string quartets.
Song texts: 1,
2.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
10.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
select: '24 Preludes & Fugues Op 87' by
Tatiana Nikolayeva (piano);
'New Babylon';
'Suite on Finnish Themes | Chamber Symphonies' by the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra w Juha Kangas:
1,
2.
Filmographies: 1,
2.
Iconography.
Further reading by source:
Exhaustive Shostakovich:
ballet;
'The Big Lightning';
chamber;
choral;
film;
incidental;
lost works;
operas;
orchestral: 1,
2;
piano;
'Piano Concerto No.1' Op 35;
songs;
symphonies;
Ho & Feofanov;
Stephen Jackson;
Bruce Duffie interview w Maxim Shostakovich.
Further reading by topic: film;
'Myths Debunked';
politics: 1,
2,
3;
the Shostakovich Debate;
'The Shostakovich Wars';
'Socio-Tonal Battles';
trivia: 1,
2,
3.
See also L’Association Internationale Dimitri Chostakovitch; DSCH Journal;
London Shostakovich Orchestra.
Books/ documents/ scores: Canada; France:
1,
2;
Germany;
Russia;
USA;
international: VIAF,
Worldcat.
Collections: Centre de Documentation de Musique Contemporaine
*.
Bibliography: 1,
2;
'Contemplating Shostakovich' by Andrew Kirkman (Routledge 2016);
'Dmitri Shostakovich, Pianist' by Sofia Moshevich (McGill-Queen's Press 2004).
Databases: DBPedia.
Other profiles: English: didactic;
encyclopedic: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
musical: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
Web Archive;
Espanol;
Finnish;
French: 1,
2,
3;
Japanese;
Russian: 1,
2,
3.
More Shostakovich interpreted by conductor,
Eugene Ormandy. Dmitri Shostakovich Cello Concerto 1 in E flat major 1959 Op 107French Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Conducting: Lionel Bringuier Dedicated to victims of fascism and war 1960 Op 110 Fitzwilliam String Quartet 1940 Op 57 Beethoven Quartet Piano: Dmitri Shostakovich 1924–25 Op 10 Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra Kirill Kondrashin 1927 'To October' Op 14 Oratorio Choir/John Sutton Azusa Pacific University S O Christopher Russell 1929 'The First of May' Op 20 Russian State Academic Choir Cappella Orchestra of the USSR Ministry of Culture Gennadi Rozhdestvensky 1935-36 Op 43 Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra Kirill Kondrashin 1937 Op 47 Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra Kirill Kondrashin Royal Philharmonic Orchestra 1939 Op 54 Wiener Philarmoniker Leonard Bernstein 1941 'Leningrad' Op 60 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Vasily Petrenko 1943 Op 65 WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln Rudolf Barshai 1945 Op 70 Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra Kirill Kondrashin 1953 Op 93 Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra Kirill Kondrashin |
 Dmitri Shostakovich Source: Wikipedia |
|
 Olivier Messiaen Source: Cleveland Com |
Born in Avignon in southern France on 10 Dec 1908, avant-garde organist
Olivier Messiaen
was a Roman Catholic who entered the Paris Conservatoire at age eleven where
he studied under
Paul Dukas,
Maurice Emmanuel,
Charles-Marie Widor,
Marcel Dupré. et al. His initial composition in 1917 was a setting for piano
to Alfred Tennyson's La Dame de Shalott'
[1,
2]. In 1931 he
was appointed organist at the Église de la Sainte-Trinité [1,
2] which
position he maintained until his death as he wrote works like 'Apparition de
l'Eglise Eternelle' for organ in 1934 [*;
interpretations by Timothy Coriddi (live) &
Olivier Latry].
He had married violinist, Claire Delbos, prior to that in 1932 with whom
they produced a child, Pascal, in 1937. Delbos would die in 1959 after which
Messiaen married pianist, Yvonne Loriod [1,
2], in 1961. World War II found Messiaen drafted
into the French Army working as a medical auxiliary. Becoming a POW in 1940,
while captured he composed an early version of 'Quartet for the End of Time'
and premiered it at Stalag VIII-A on 15 January 1941 with a frozen piano
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
live performances by the Israeli Chamber Project,
the Manchester Collective &
the Trio Oriens]. Upon
release from prison camp in May of 1941 he became a teacher of harmony at
the Paris Conservatoire. He there remained until retirement in 1978. In 1944 Messiaen published 'Technique of
My Musical Language' in which he relates what he does a little differently
as a composer. Messiaen was an
ornithologist who much concerned himself with birdsong, taught by
Dukas
back when he was a student at the Conservatoire to listen to birds. His 'Le
Merle Noir' ('The Blackbird') for flute and piano of 1952 is among his earliest compositions incorporating birdsong
[1,
2,
3,
4;
interpretation by
Peter-Lukas Graf (flute) w Michio Kobayashi (piano)
* or
Christian Lardé (flute) w Yvonne Loriod (piano)
*;
live performance by John McMurtery (flute) w Adam Bowles (piano)
* or
Peter-Iva Ugrćič (flute) w Kyle Johnson (piano)
*].
Messiaen began to orchestrate birdsong in 1953 with 'Réveil des Oiseaux' ('Waking
of the Birds'). His future wife, Loriod, premiered the work on 11 Oct backed by the Südwest-funk Orchestra w Hans Rosbaud conducting [1,
2,
3;
piano by Pierre-Laurent Aimard or
Yvonne Loriod].
Loriod also premiered 'Oiseaux Exotiques' on 10 March 1956 at
the Petit Théâtre Marigny in Paris [1,
2,
3,
4;
piano by Markus Bellheim (live),
Boris Berman
(live) or
Jean-Yves Thibaudet]. Messiaen wrote his 'Catalogue d’Oiseaux' ('Catalog of Birds') consisting of Books
1-7 from 1956 to 1958
[1,
2;
piano by Pierre-Laurent Aimard: 1,
2;
Ciro Longobardi; Yvonne Loriod: Book 1,
Book 2,
Book 3,
Book 4,
Book 5,
Book 6,
Book 7]. Messiaen's 1962 visit to
Japan inspired his 'Sept Haïkaï' ('Japanese Sketches') for piano and small
orchestra premiered by Loriod on 30 Oct 1963 at the Odion in Paris [*;
score]. His hugely orchestrated work
requiring about 200 performers, 'La
Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ', premiered in Lisbon on 2
June
1969, Loriod again at piano [1,
2;
piano by Gerard Bouwhuis (live) or
Roger Muraro;
score]. A 1972 visit to Utah's Bryce Canyon inspired his 'Des
Canyons aux Etoiles' ('Canyons to the Stars') in Parts 1-3 premiered by Loriod on 20
November 1974 at Alice Tully Hall in New York
[1,
2,
3,
4;
piano by Paul Crossley
or
Roger Muraro]. Among
Messiaen's last compositions was 'Éclairs sur l'au-delà...' ('Flashes of Lightning...' or 'Illuminations of the
Beyond...') commissioned for the 150th anniversary of the New York
Philharmonic [1,
2], completed in 1991 to premiere posthumously on 5 Nov 1992 at
Avery Fisher Hall. Lincoln Center, by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
interpretation by the SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg w Sylvain Cambreling or the Berlin P O w
Simon Ratte].
Messiaen wrote 'Piece' for piano and string quartet as late as Feb 1991 for
the ninetieth birthday of Alfred Schlee which first performance on November
18 he was too frail with old age to attend
[1,
2;
piano by Yvonne Loriod or
Matthew Schellhorn]. Messiaen died in
Paris on 27 April 1992 [obit].
He had left his 'Concert Four' begun in 1990 unfinished, that written for
Loriod, Mstislav Rostropovich (cellist), Heinz Holliger (oboist), Catherine
Cantin (flautist) and Myung-Whun Chung (conductor). Completed by Loriod
and George Benjamin, she premiered it at the Opéra-Batille in Paris 26
September 1994 [1,
2;
Orchestre de l'Opéra Bastille conducted by Chung 1995:
1/4 Entree,
2/4 Vocalise,
3/4 Cadenza,
4/4 Rondeau].
References: Wikipedia.
Chronology.
Compositions:
alphabetical: 1,
2;
chronological: 1,
2,
3,
Spanish;
by genre: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
French.
Authorship.
Song texts.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
10.
Recordings of: discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
select: 'Des Canyons aux Etoiles' ('Canyons to the Stars') by the
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France conducted by Myung-Whun Chung;
'La Transfiguration de Notre-Seigneur Jésus-Christ' by the
Orchestre Philharmonique et Chœur de Radio France conducted by Myung-Whun Chung w piano by Roger Muraro;
'La Transfiguration de Notre-Seigneur Jésus-Christ' by the
Groot Omroepkoor and the Radio Symphonie Orkest conducted by Reinbert de Leeuw w piano by Yvonne Loriod.
IMDb (film).
Documentaries: 'Quartet for the End of Time':
1,
2.
Iconography.
Further reading by source:
'The Politics of Transcendence: Ideology in the Music of Olivier Messiaen in the 1930s'
Jane Fulcher ('The Social Movement' 2004);
Rick Jones;
Elizabeth McLain (analysis);
Bruno Serrou;
Deborah Small;
Brin Solomon.
Further reading by topic: Messiaen and birdsong:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
See also: the Messiaen Festival;
the Olivier Messiaen Foundation.
Books & documents: Canada; Europe & international:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
USA.
Editions & scores: 1,
2.
Sheet music.
Bibliography: 1,
2;
'Messiaen' by Peter Hill & Nigel Simeone (Yale U Press 2005),
review
by David Schiff.
Databases: DBPedia.
Other profiles: Catalan;
Deutsch;
Dutch;
English: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8;
Finnish: 1,
2.
French: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8;
Russian: 1,
2,
3,
4;
Serbo-Croatian;
Spanish;
Swedish.
Olivier Messiaen 1932-33 4 meditations for orchestra C & OS de RTVE/Carlos Kalmar 1956-58 'Bird catalogue' 7 books Piano: Yvonne Loriod 1988–91 'Illuminations on the Beyond' SWR SO Baden-Baden & Freiburg Sylvain Cambreling Organ: Olivier Messiaen Recorded 1991 1985 'Small sketches of birds' Piano: Håkan Austbø 1940–41 Cameo Trio with Janis Laurs 1943 For 2 pianos Pianos: Elizabeth & Marcel Bergmann |
|
|
Born on 3 Jan 1909 in Denmark,
Victor Borge
(Børge Rosenbaum) was among the more important composers of the modern
period without ever authoring an Op 1. What Borge composed was comedy via
lending himself disabilities, he an otherwise able pianist who also
conducted a number of orchestras during his career. Borge gave his first piano
concert in 1926 in Denmark. Beginning to joke around during performances a few
years later, he started giving comical musical criticisms (so-called
"reviews") in 1933. He was in
Sweden during the Nazi occupation of Denmark and fled to Finland, then
America, arriving in 1940 with twenty dollars. Borge began his career in the
States in radio in 1941, changing his name. His first employment on
Broadway was
in the orchestra for 'Crazy with the Heat' in 1941. Though barely able to speak
English he quickly became popular. Having already appeared in films in the
thirties, Borge began recording and making television appearances in the forties which over the decades would make him a financially comfortable
man. His most expensive joke was not one, but two, concert grand pianos
staged back to back, his imaginary talents magnificent requiring more greatly specialized
instrumentation than other concert pianists. Those were cream-of-the-crop Bosendorfers and
Steinways [1,
2,
3,
4,
5].
One can purchase used models of such these days for between $50,000 and
$150,000 already mauled by grubby hands. Naxos has Borge recording 'A Lesson
in Composition: The Blue Serenade' as early as 29 January 1942
[recording 1945].
He apparently recorded an unissued 'Phonetic Punctuation' for RCA Victor on
3 Feb 1942 [audio].
A version was released on Columbia 36911 in 1945.
The first segment of 'The Victor Borge Show' aired for NBC in 1946.
'Inflation Language' was another of Borge's popular routines, recording a
version in Hollywood on 22 December 1947 toward issue on Columbia 38183
[audio;
Ed Sullivan 12 June 1960;
the Royal Theatre
Copenhagen 1996]. In 1971 Borge published 'My Favorite Intermissions' by Doubleday,
co-authored w Robert Sherman. They co-wrote 'My Favorite Comedies in Music'
issued by Dorset Press in 1980 [*]. Gyldendal published Borge's memoir, 'Smilet
er den korteste afstand' ('The Smile is the Shortest Distance'), in Denmark
w assistance from Niels-Jørgen Kaiser in 1997.
In 1999 Borge was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at
Kennedy Center.
He
performed until dying in his sleep
in Greenwich, Connecticut, on 23 Jan 2000 [1,
2]. References:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Live performances:
CLASSIC fM (piano four-hands, et al);
'Dean Martin Show' 1968;
'Page Turner'.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
IA; radio:
1,
2.
Recordings of: discos:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
select: 'Live';
'Unstarted Symphony': 1,
2,
notes.
Filmographies: 1,
2,
IMDb,
TCM.
Further reading:
Dawson/McLellan,
Rainer Hersch,
Bruce Johnson.
Databases: OMNIA.
Other profiles: English:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7;
French. Victor Borge With baritone Robert Merrill 1986 Boston Pops Orchestra With sopran Marilyn Mulvey Piano 4 hands with pianist Leonid Hambro (Eisenhower Inauguration) 1980 'The Don Lane Show' |
 Victor Borge Source: Victor Borge |
|
 William Schuman Source: Bruce Duffie |
Born on 4 August 1910 in Manhattan,
William Howard Schuman
wrote for orchestra as well as stage works such as ballet, concertantes,
pieces for voice, chamber ensembles and bands. He first trained at violin and banjo as a child, also attending the Temple Shaaray Tefila (being Jewish). He was an adolescent about age thirteen when
his play, 'College Chums', was performed at the Speyer Experimental Junior
High School. In 1924 he gave his first public performance on violin with a
rendition of Edward MacDowell’s 'To a Wild Rose'. He put together Billy
Schuman and His Alamo Society Orchestra in 1926. Upon graduating from George
Washington High School in 1928 he
pursued a business degree at New York University
while working at the Paramount Advertising Service. He there met lyricist and music publisher, Edward
Marks, for whom he began writing popular melodies in 1928. Steve Swayne
[Chronology below]
identifies titles like 'It’s Up to Pa for Cobbossee' and 'I Want To Be Near
You'. Schuman exchanged NYU for the Malkin Conservatory latter '29. He was also
performing in nightclubs when he decided to become a classical composer in
1930 upon attending a concert by the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall.
In the meantime he began writing popular tunes, composing his
first published melody in 1931 w lyricist, Frank Loesser
[1,
2], per 'In Love With the Memory
of You'. Some forty more with Loesser followed which would have typically been sold as sheet music in Tin Pan Alley.
Schuman studied under
Roy Harris
from '33 to 38. Upon acquiring his bachelor's degree in 1935 from Columbia
University NYC he began teaching composition at Sarah Lawrence College in
Yonkers, New York. Schuman's 'String Quartet No.1' premiered on 21 October
1936, a work, however, which Schumann withdrew from publication. Presser
[Comps below] shows his 'Symphony No 1' premiering on the same date as
'String Quartet No.1', performed by the Gotham Symphony Orchestra conducted
by Jules Werner. Schuman withdrew that from publication as well. His 'String
Quartet No.2' of 1937 saw publishing. His
'Symphony No 2', however, was withdrawn, having been premiered on 25 May
1938 by the Greenwich Orchestra w Edgar Schenkman conducting
[unidentified radio broadcast
by the CBS Symphony Orchestra led by Howard Barlow]. Schuman's 'String
Quartet No.3' saw its first performance on 23 Feb 1940 by the Coolidge
Quartet [interpretations by the
Gordon String Quartet &
the Juilliard String Quartet]. Schuman's 'Symphony No.3' premiered
on 17 October 1941 by the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Serge
Koussevitzky [1,
2,
3;
interpretation by the New York Philharmonic w Leonard Bernstein;
score]. Schuman owns
the distinction of being the first Pulitzer Prize [1,
2] winner for Music for 'Secular Cantata No 2: A Free Song'
first performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra beneath Serge Koussevitzky in March of 1943,
that to text by
Walt Whitman
[1,
2;
interpretation by the Grant Park Orchestra & Chorus w Carlos Kalmar]. Pulitzer had previously awarded a
scholarship for music, that category becoming a Prize in '43. Schuman formed the
Juilliard String Quartet [1,
2] after becoming President of
the Juilliard School [1,
2] in
1945. Schuman's Symphony Nos. 4-6 had arrived before his 'String Quartet No.4' in 1950
[interpretation by the Juilliard String Quartet]. He became first President of Lincoln Center [1,
2] in 1961, to retain that
role until 1969. Schuman's final 'Symphony No.10'
saw performance on 6 April 1976 by
the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antal Doráti
[interpretation by the New York P O w Rafael Kubelik
1983]. In 1987 he won a Pulitzer Special Citation for
contributions to composition and education. The NEA (National Endowment for
the Arts) bestowed to him the National Medal of Arts in 1987. Schuman's last
'String Quartet No.5' was commissioned by Chase Manhattan Bank to premiere on
21 June 1988 by the Oxford String Quartet [interpretation by the Lydian String Quartet]. Among his last
compositions was 'The Lord Has a Child' for mixed choir and brass premiering
on 16 July 1990 by the Greenwich Choral Society led by Richard Vogt. Schuman died
in New York City on 12 Feb 1992 [obits: 1,
2]. References:
Wikipedia,
Wright. Chronology:
Swayne.
Compositions: alphabetical: 1,
2;
chronological;
by genre: Musicalics,
Presser,
Pytheas,
RYM.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4;
select: 'Sure on this shining night' by Robert White (tenor) w Samuel Sanders (piano)
*;
'The Symphonies' by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra w Gerard Schwarz.
IMDb.
Further reading: awards;
1986 interview w Bruce Duffie;
William Schuman Trust.
Books/ documents/ scores: France,
Germany,
USA,
international: VIAF,
Worldcat.
Collections: NYPL.
Bibliography: 'William Schuman: A Bio-bibliography' by K. Gary Adams (Greenwood Publishing Group 1998);
'American Music: The Life and Times of William Schuman' by Joseph Polisi (Amadeus Press 2008):
1,
2,
3;
'Orpheus in Manhattan' by Steve Swayne (Oxford U Press 2011):
1,
2
Other profiles: Catalan;
Deutsch;
Dutch;
English: 1,
2,
3;
French;
Spanish.
William Schuman 1968 Overture for band Keystone Wind Ensemble 1943 'Secular Cantata No 2' 1950 President's Own US Marine Band 1941 Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Director: Lukas Foss 1947 Ballet 1947 Conducting: Howard Barlow CBS Symphony Orchestra 1941 2 movement Conducting: Leonard Bernstein New York Philharmonic 1945 3 movements Conducting: Leonard Bernstein New York Philharmonic 1953 Conducting: Eugene Ormandy Philadelphia Orchestra 1960 Movements 1 & 2 Director: Lorin Maazel New York Philharmonic 1960 Movements 3 & 4 Director: Lorin Maazel New York Philharmonic 1962 Director: Gerard Schwarz Seattle Symphony Orchestra 1945 Ballet 1945 1947 Revised '54 '57–8 Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Conducting: José Serebrier Violin: Philippe Quint |
|
 John Cage Source: WikiArt |
Born on 5 Sep 1912 in Los Angeles,
John Milton Cage Jr.
had was a complicated and self-confessed anarchistic composer with a sense of timing that
expanded or squeezed like an accordion. He had an inventor and journalist for a father who raised one of the most
controversial of modern classical musicians who did nigh nothing in a
conventional manner.
It is yet to be determined if there is any music at all in his most famous
piece, '4′33″'. Cage began piano lessons in the
fourth grade. Matriculating into Pamona College in 1928 with intent to be a
writer, he dropped out in 1930 to travel in Europe. He there experimented
with composition using math equations which would lead to a fascination with
aleatoric (chance) [1,
2] and
indeterminate music [1,
2]. Heading back to California in 1931
(Santa Monica), Cage pursued art and music independently while composing his
first titled compositions in 1932 consisting of 'Piano Etudes', 'Greek Ode'
for voice and piano, and 'First Chapter of Ecclesiastes' ('The Preacher')
for piano, the last perhaps unfinished. Cage headed to NYC in 1934 to study with
Henry Cowell,
Adolph Weiss and
Arnold
Schoenberg. On 7 June of 1935 he married artist, Xenia Andreyevna
Kashevaroff,
in the desert near Yuma, Arizona. They remained married for a decade,
divorcing in 1945. It was about 1936 that he met composer, Lou Harrison, who
introduced him to the Chinese oracular system known as the 'I Ching' or
'Book of Changes'
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5]
which would later become a tool of composition. Sometime in 1938 he met his
future lover and partner in theatre, dancer and choreographer, Merce
Cunningham [1,
2]. He taught at Mills College in San
Francisco before heading to Seattle to work with choreographer, Bonnie Bird,
where he composed his electronic 'Imaginary Landscape No.1' for premiere at
the Cornish School on 24 March 1939, that for piano, cymbal and two
turntables w frequency recordings [1,
2,
3;
audio;
live performances: 1,
2].
Cage wrote five versions of 'Imaginary Landscape'
to include instruments like electric buzzers, audio frequency oscillators,
radios
and tin cans. 'No.5' was completed in
1952 for magnetic tape and 42 phonograph recordings, the 'I Ching' employed
in its composing such that the final piece varies depending on the performer
[1,
2,
3;
audio]. Cage's 'First Construction (in Metal)' arrived to the Cornish Theatre on 9
Dec '39 for six percussionists and one assistant using either conventional
or nonconventional instruments (anvils, brake drums, et al)
[1,
2]. That was his
initial piece composed in "micro-macrocosmic" or "square root" form
[*;
audio;
live performances: 1,
2].
Cage wrote four versions of 'Construction', reduced to three upon 'Fourth
Construction' for five percussionists getting renamed to 'Imaginary Landscape No.2 (March No.1)' after
its premiere in San Francisco on 7 May 1942
[1,
2;
audio,
live performance]. His 'Bacchanale'
that premiered at the Cornish School on 28 April 1940 was his first
prepared piano piece.
A prepared piano is one with its strings manipulated to
produce various sounds, such as by clamping, taping or placing weights on them
[1,
2;
interpretation by Giancarlo Simonacci or
Margaret Lang Ten;
live performance by Sarah Cahill].
Cage began teaching art at the Chicago School of Design (IIT Institute of
Design) in 1941. He also worked at the University of Chicago in a musical
capacity. In 1942 Cage and Xenia left for NYC where they lived with
painter, Max Ernst, and art collector, Peggy Guggenheim. Cage was intended to
supply the music for the opening of Guggenheim's gallery. But he had secured
another commission at MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) so Guggenheim dropped him.
Thus 'Amores' for one
prepared piano and three percussionists was performed at the MoMA by Cage,
Xenia and Cunningham on 7 February 1942 [1,
2;
Ensemble Percussion Ricerca w piano by
Carlo Rabeschin;
New Jersey Percussion Ensemble w piano by
CP Bolleia (live)].
Come
'The City Wears a Slouch Hat' for CBS radio first performed on 31 May 1942
on WBBM Radio in Chicago. That was incidental music for
a play by beat poet, Kenneth Patchen
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
original broadcast directed by Les Mitchell;
version directed by Charles Wood]. 'Credo in Us' w text by Cunningham
premiered at Bennington College in
Vermont on 1 August 1942 with choreography by Jane Erdman and Cunningham.
That was the first of numerous
collaborative productions between Cage
as musician and Cunningham as choreographer and dancer
[1,
2,
3;
interpretation directed by Rainer Riehn;
live performance by
Third Coast Percussion].
Cunningham later changed the title of 'Credo in Us' to 'A Suburban Idyll'
per his own catalogue. It had also been the summer of 1942 when Cage met artist,
Marcel Duchamp [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8], who taught Cage to play chess.
Thus arrived 'Chess Pieces' in 1943, a composition written in a painting of a
chessboard [1,
2,
3,
4;
audio of arrangement for accordion and harp]. Cage began teaching at
Black Mountain College in Ashville, North Carolina, in 1948. His 'Sonatas
and Interludes' [1,
2,
3,
4,
5] for prepared piano there premiered on either 6 April of '48
[*] or 11 Jan 1949
[*]. Monoskop [Chronologies
below]
and Wikipedia have the work performed at Carnegie
Hall in NYC on the 12th [interpretations by Boris Berman].
Later in '49 he acquired a grant from the Guggenheim Foundation
to study with
Pierre Boulez and
Olivier Messiaen
in Europe. Book I of 'Music of Changes' arrived to the University of
Colorado Boulder on 5 July 1951 w David Tudor at piano. Tudor performed
Books 1-4 on 1 January of '52 at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York. Cage
had employed the 'I Ching' to compose 'Music of Changes'
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
performance by David Tudor
(dates given correspond to composing, not recording, dates at the JC Compendium and JC
Page below)]. Cage's 'Sixteen Dances' arrived to Milbrook, New York, dedicated to
Cunningham with choreography by the same. The juxtaposition of choreography
to music was left to chance by Cage and Cunningham working separately with
the exception of meeting at structural points
[1,
2,
3;
music by the Ars Ludi Percussion Ensemble w Gianluca Ruggeri;
live performance by the Mills Performing Group w Steed Cowart].
On 29 August of 1952 Cage's '4'33"' premiered at the Maverick Concert Hall
in Woodstock, New York, consisting of Tudor not performing at piano, ostensibly to reveal the music
being played in the atmosphere to which no one listens
at a concert (coughing and such). '4'33"' nigh ruined Cage's career w
performances of it typically consisting of
nothing but musicians sitting at their instruments
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
sample]. Ten years later on 24
October 1962 he performed his '0'00"' ('4'33" No.2') in Tokyo consisting of
him writing the sentence, "In a situation provided with maximum
amplification (no feedback), perform a disciplined action"
[audio].
Cage launched his "happenings" of chance operations w 'Black Mountain Piece'
(Cunningham's 'Theater Piece No.1') in August of 1952 at Black Mountain
College in North Carolina
consisting of him reciting, Cunningham dancing, Tudor at piano and Robert
Rauschenberg (painter) spinning records while others played slides and films
[1,
2,
3].
Happenings were theatrical events nigh entirely spontaneous and often
involving the audience.
Cage staged numerous happenings into the eighties
including 'Sounds of Venice' in '59, for
radio in the sixties
and 'Il Treno'
in Bologna in June of 1978 with "prepared train" describing its
instrumentation. On 21 March 1953 Cage realized his
'Williams Mix' consisting of eight tapes played at once
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5]. Wikipedia cites
that as the first instance of octophonic sound. The considerable job
of recording, splicing and gluing it all together required the
assistance of Earle Brown.
Cage produced five such mixes in all to as late as the 'Mozart Mix' in 1991
for which he also created a sound installation the same year.
Touring Europe in 1954, Cage then taught at the New School in Greenwich
Village from 1956 to 1961. He had issued 'Indeterminacy' in 1959, that consisting of him reading 90
stories [1,
2] at various speeds to the accompaniment of Tudor recording
piano separately
[1,
2,
3]. Cage had seen little material success throughout his early career. Not
until the sixties did his scores start getting published, but when his name
finally began to register it would be to huge fame. He commenced that path
with a residency at Wesleyan University in Connecticut in 1960 to teach
experimental music. He then published 'Silence' in 1961, a collection of lectures
[1,
2].
He used star charts by Antonín Bečvář to compose 'Atlas Eclipticalis'
for one to 86 performers first realized on 3 August 1961 in Montreal
[1,
2,
3;
interpretation by the Barton Workshop].
A later composition via star chart was 'Etudes Australes' for piano
consisting of 32 pices written
in 1974-75 for pianist, Grete Sultan,
who recorded Books 1 & 2 in August '78, Books 3 & 4 in latter 1982
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
'Etude No.1'
by Grete Sultan]. Returning to the sixties, in 1965 he received a lifelong grant of living expenses from
philanthropist, Betty Freeman. He published
'A Year From Monday' in 1967 [1,
2,
3].
Cage's 'Reunion' was a scoreless composition first performed via chessboard
rigged for sound in a game between Cage and Duchamp (above) in
Toronto on 5 March 1968 [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8]. On 16 May 1969 Cage premiered 'HPSCHD' for up to seven harpsichords and 51
tapes, the latter now generated by computer
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
recording by Cage & Lejaren Hiller
1969]. His arrangement of
Érik Satie's 1919 'Socrate'
arrived to 'Cheap Imitation' for piano first performed w Cunningham dancing
on 9 Jan 1970 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, that an indeterminate work
composed via the 'I Ching' w conventional scoring [1,
2;
recording by Cage
7 March 1976].
As Cage advanced into the seventies arthritis began to prevent him from
performing, though that decade would see him producing the largest portion
of his visual art.
Another collection of writings appeared per 'M' in 1973
[1,
2].
Cage's first of several improvisations was 'Improvisation I' aka 'Child of Tree', premiering on 8 March 1975, an
'I Ching' chance operation using such as cacti for instruments
[1,
2,
3; interpretations by
Rosie Bergonzi,
Peter Dayton].
'Improvisation II' was 'Inlets' requiring conch shells filled w water, that
performed in Seattle on 10 Sep 1977 w Cunningham dancing [live performance (instrumental)]. 'Branches'
of '76 had been another 'I Ching' operation also designating cacti [1,
2,
3;
interpretation by Robyn Schulkowsky at Royal Albert Hall 2012;
live performance].
Another book, 'Empty
Words', was published in 1979 [1,
2,
3]
followed by 'X' in 1983 [1,
2].
Cage gave a recital of 'Empty Words' in 1991 in Miami [video excerpt].
Cage had spent 1977 to 1980 composing his first set of 'Freeman Etudes' for solo violin
consisting of 'I-XVII' dedicated to his benefactress, Betty Freeman (above).
They came with interesting instruction to play as many notes as fast as possible. The
second set, 'Etudes XVIII-XXXII', were later composed in 1989-90. Those got
arranged into Books 1 & 2 consisting of 'I-XVI' and Books 3 & 4 consisting
of 'XVII-XXXII'. Books 1 & 2 saw their premiere in 1984 in Turin by Hungarian
violinist, János Négyesy, who also premiered Books 3 & 4 in Ferrara in 1991
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
Books 1 & 2 by Marco Fusi].
Cage was guy who took his time writing compositions that did the same. Not a
sound engineer on Earth has the patience for 'ASLSP' ('As Slow and Soft
as Possible') which is being performed at this very moment at St. Burchardi in Halberstadt,
Germany. 'ASLSP' there began on a rest (note) on 5
September 2001 to strike its first note 17 months later on Feb 5 2003. It
was Jan 1985 when Cage conceived the piece which now races toward the
completion of its world premiere in the year 2640
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7;
notes as of 21 October 2012
and
5 October 2013].
'Voiceless Essay' [*;
excerpt] was premiered on 21 Nov 1986 in San Francisco consisting
of eighteen computer-generated mesostics from Henry David Thoreau's
'Civil Disobedience' of 1849. 'Voiceless Essay' was written for Cage's sound
installation of 1987 in Kassel, Germany, titled 'Writings through the Essay:
On the Duty of Civil Disobedience' [1,
2].
'Essay' finished in 1988 consisted of 18 superimposed computer-generated mesostics read by Cage from
Érik Satie's only liturgical
work of c 1894, 'Messe
des Pauvres' ('Mass for the Poor'). Cage's 'One' for piano solo was first
performed on 27 Feb 1988, that consisting of ten chord systems selected by
the performer by chance [piano by Marino Formenti w score].
Though Wikipedia includes that as his first Number Piece,
Pritchett
and the
JC Trust both commence those with 'Two'
[interpretation by Eberhard Blum (flute) w Marianne Schroeder (piano)
*]. Cage's Number Pieces
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5] were so titled according to the number of
performers roughly required. 'Two' required one flautist and one pianist. 'One²'
('One 2') is the second work requiring one performer alike 'Two²' ('Two 2') is the
second work requiring two performers.
'One³' ('One 3') is the third work requiring one performer alike 'Two³' ('Two 3') is
two performers, third work. Later titles included such as 'Five' arriving in
1988 for five voices or instruments [instrumental,
vocal,
live performance].
'1O1' (w a letter: not 101) for orchestra was premiered by the Boston
Symphony Orchestra on 7 April 1989 [1,
2;
interpretation by the BBC Scottish S O at Royal Albert Hall 2012
*].
'One⁸' ('One 8') was completed for violoncello solo in April 1991 toward premiere
in Stuttgart on 20 November 1991 [1,
2; interpretations by
Michael Bach or
Julius Berger].
He had written 'Five³' ('Five 3') in October of '91 for trombone and string quartet.
We need back up a little for Cage's Europeras
[1,
2],
1 & 2 of which premiered in
Frankfurt on 12 December 1987. 'Europeras 3 & 4' premiered on 17 June 1990 at
the Almeida Festival in London [1,
2].
Come the final, 'Europera 5', to Slee Hall at the State University of New
York in Buffalo on 12 April 1991 [1,
2;
live performance Rustbelt Salon].
On 19 Sep 1992 '103' for orchestra premiered in Cologne w 'One¹¹' ('One 11')
for camera solo which together comprise the film titled 'One¹¹ and 103'
[1,
2,
3].
Cage's final compositions were several Number Pieces in 1992, most of
unknown date, though Solomon [Comps below] lists 'One¹³' ('One 13') for 1
live cello and 3 recorded cellos as late as July-August that year left
unfinished. Cage died in Manhattan on 12 August 1992.
References: Wikipedia.
Chronologies: JC Compendium by Paul van Emmerik: 1912-1971,
1972-1992;
JC in Italy 1949-1992;
Monoskop.
Compositions:
alphabetical: All Music,
JC Compendium,
JC Trust,
Larry Solomon;
chronological: the JC Page,
James Pritchett,
Larry Solomon,
Japanese,
Spanish;
by genre:
1,
2,
3,
4;
Happenings (Espanol);
Number Pieces: English,
Spanish;
prepared piano: English,
Spanish.
Authorship: 1,
2,
3;
"Autobiographical Statement" (1990):
1,
2;
books;
correspondence;
'Indeterminacy'.
Art: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Performances:
w Cunningham.
Song texts.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9.
Film: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Videos: 1,
2,
3.
Documentaries: 'Journeys in Sound' by Allan Miller & Paul Smaczny (2012).
Interviews w Cage: Paul Cummings 1974,
1987;
Brave New Waves 1989;
various: 1,
2;
Interviews w others: David Platzker (Curator MoMA) 2014.
Iconography.
Further reading by source:
Bob Becker;
'Listening to Cage: Nonintentional Philosophy and Music' by Richard Fleming:
1,
2;
Russell Hartenberger;
'The Cambridge Companion to John Cage' ed. by David Nicholls;
James Pritchett:
choral music;
letter to 'Music Report';
'Opening the door into Emptiness';
silent pieces;
taping music from without;
Alex Ross: 'The John Cage Century',
'Searching for Silence';
Silence listserv;
Sterneck;
Christian Wolff.
Further reading by topic: chance music
and; chess
and; computer programs
employed; Europeras;
'I Ching' and: 1,
2;
indeterminacy and:
1,
2;
'Lascia o Raddoppia?' game show 1959:
1,
2,
3;
New School Experimental Composition course;
prepared piano and: 1,
2,
3,
4; radio
and; Robert Rauschenberg and;
'Song Books' (1970);
“The ten thousand things” (1953-1956): 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
time brackets: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Further reading various: 1,
2.
See also: the John Cage Festival;
the John Cage Trust;
'The Aesthetics of Silence'
(Lichtensteiger).
Books/ documents/ scores: France;
Germany;
United States: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
international: VIAF,
Worldcat.
Collections: Northwestern Libraries;
UC Santa Cruz.
Bibliography: 1,
2;
JC Compendium: 1,
2,
3,
4;
'The Amores of John Cage' by Thomas DeLio (Pendragon Press 2009): review by Paul Cox: 1,
2;
'Indeterminate Music and Probability Spaces: The Case of John Cage’s Number Pieces' by
Alexandre Popoff;
'The Music of John Cage' by James Pritchett (Cambridge U Press 1996):
1,
2.
Databases: DBPedia.
Other profiles: Dutch;
English: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
10,
11;
Francais: 1,
2,
3;
Japanese;
Norwegian;
Russian;
Serbo-Croatian;
Spanish.
John Cage 1961-62 Star chart piece for 86 instruments Westminster Chamber Orchestra Brandon Derfler 1944 For two prepared pianos Josef Christof & Steffen Schleiermacher 1943 For percussion & prepared piano Ensemble Percussion Ricerca Eddy De Fanti Prepared piano: Carlo Rabeschin 'I Ching' chance tape music for 12 tapes Recorded 1972 1976 'I Ching' chance piece For performance with branches Robyn Schulkowsky 1975 'I Ching' chance piece For perfomance with plants Greg Beyer 1991 Opera Piano: Amaral Vieira Sopran: Catherine Gayer 1977 For conch shells, fire and 4 performers Simone Beneventi Music for Amplified Toy Pianos 1960 For toy pianosPascal Meyer & Xenia Pestova 1979 Tape music 1990 Number piece for seven performers Ives Ensemble 1950-51 Chance pieces Mills Performing Group Steed Cowart 1992 For orchestra Radio Sinfonie Orchester Frankfurt Lucas Vis 1949–50 LaSalle Quartet 1960 Object music Television performance: 'I've Got A Secret' |
 Variations III 14 1992 Painting by John Cage Source: Wikipedia |
|
Born in Warsaw on 17 Feb 1913,
René Leibowitz
is among the more obscure composers in this history. He studied beneath Maurice Ravel, as well as
Arnold Schoenberg's
twelve-tone system with Erich Itor Kahn and Anton Webern.
Leibowitz made his conducting debut in 1937 with the Chamber Orchestra of
the French Radio in Europe, then in America. His Opus 1 was assigned to
'Piano Sonata' of 1939, Opus 2 to '10 Canons' for wind trio the same year.
Come 'String Quartet No.1' Op 3 in 1940, his 'Symphony' Op 4 in 1941.
'Double Concerto' for violin, piano and 17 Instruments Op 5 arrived in 1942. His 1947 book first published
in Paris, 'Schoenberg et son école', was among the earliest treatises
addressing
Schoenberg's twelve-tone serialism,
a term Leibowitz helped to coin
[serialism: 1,
2,
3;
YouTube].
Leibowitz recorded a number of works as a conductor as early as a version of
Bizet's opera, 'Les Pêcheurs de
Perles', in 1951
[1,
2,
3]. Another of multiple
operas was Gluck's earlier 'Alceste' w a date of 1951-52
[1,
2,
3]. He conducted
Schoenberg's's 'Gurre-Lieder' in 1953 found on
VOX VBX 204 in 1962. His 'Violin Concerto' of 1959 was Op
50. Leibowitz' best-known composition in contemporary times is for its
title, 'Marijuana' ('Variations non sérieuses') for violin, trombone,
vibraphone and piano Op 54 in 1960
[interpretation by the Ensemble Aisthesis directed by
Walter Nussbaum].
That sounds like twelve-tone technique was used, though I've not been
able to discover just how that was written.
Lending (another) example of twelve-tone serial composing is 'Motifs' Op 74 of 1967
for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano [interpretation by the Ensemble Aisthesis directed by
Walter Nussbaum]. Leibowitz' final Opus was
'String Quartet No.9' Op 93 of 1972 before dying on 29 August 1972 in Paris,
half a year shy of only sixty years of age. Among his students in
twelve-tone had been Pierre Boulez.
References: 1,
2.
Compositions. alphabetical,
chronological,
by genre,
by Opus.
Authorship.
Song texts.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
'Musique de Chambre | Concerto pour Violon' by
various.
Discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
select: 'Musique de Chambre | Concerto pour Violon' by
various.
Further reading: 'Motifs'
(serial work).
Books/ documents/ scores: France,
USA,
international: VIAF,
Worldcat.
Bibliography: review of 'Schoenberg et son école' by Milton Babbitt.
Other profiles: English;
Japanese;
Russian;
Spanish.
René Leibowitz 1944 Op 12a Flauto: Severino Gazzelloni Piano: Else Stock 1970 Op 87 Piano: J Marc Reichow 1960 Op 54 'Marijuana' Ensemble Aisthesis Walter Nußbaum 1966-67 Ensemble Aisthesis Walter Nußbau Narration: Jean-Michel Fournereau |
 Rene Leibowitz Source: Bach Cantatas |
|
 Tikhon Khrennikov Source: Mariinsky Theatre |
Born on 10 June 1913 in Yelets, Russia, to a family of
horse traders,
Tikhon Nikolayevich Khrennikov
took up guitar and mandolin as a child, also singing in a choir. He played
in an orchestra, then studied piano, he to become a concert pianist notable
at the keys. The
Khrennikov Project traces 'Three
Waltzes' for piano to as early as 1925 consisting of 'Remembrance', 'Dreams'
and 'Fantasy'. Khrennikov enrolled at the Gnessin
State Musical College in 1929, the year he set 'Lullaby' to text by Mikhail
Lermontov (1814-41). He was being recognized as a potentially leading
composer, especially Soviet
composer, when he was yet writing works without opus in 1931 including
'String Quartet', 'Concert' for piano and orchestra, a romance titled 'Old
Husband, Formidable Husband' to text by Pushkin, and 'October Anxiety' for
voice and piano to text by Utkin. Khrennikov entered the Moscow Conservatory in 1932,
the year of 'Sonata' for violin and cello. His Opus 1 was
'Piano Concerto
No.1' in F major [piano by Khrennikov w
the USSR State Orchestra conducted by Yevgueni Svetlanov on an unidentified
date estimated in the sixties or seventies per my guess that this was issued
on
Kapelmeister KAP 009 among other releases; see also 1,
2].
Khrennikov's graduation
piece for the Conservatory was his 'Symphony No.1' Op 4 completed in 1935
[recording by the USSR State Orchestra conducted by Yevgueni Svetlanov
presumably corresponding to Kapelmeister KAP 008
recorded sometime in the seventies]. Khrennikov was a highly political
composer, his a sweet antifascist and anti-Zionist marriage with the Stalin
regime, necessarily conservative per anti-modernist
formalism
which held that the merit of a work was a matter its form. Khrennikov's
career much consisted of policing the avant-garde in Soviet music. His big
burst to renown was upon winning the Stalin Prize in 1941 for music to the
film, 'Свинарка и пастух' ['Swineherd and Shepherd':
1,
2 titled 'They Met in
Moscow' in America 1,
2;
film: 1,
2]. As a result he
became musical director at the Central Theatre of the Red Army that year, a
position he held for the next quarter of a century.
'Symphony No.2' in C
minor Op 9 was premiered in Moscow on 10 January 1943 by the Symphony
Orchestra of the Soviet Radio conducted by Nikolai Golovanov
[USSR State Academic Orchestra conducted by Evgeny Svetlanov;
see also
Kapelmeister KAP 008)]. His score for the film,
'At 6 P.M. After the War' was heard at theaters in 1944, titled 'Six P.M.'
in America. He both joined the
Communist Party and became a deputy of the Supreme Soviet in 1947. The
following year he was appointed Secretary of the Union of Soviet Composers
by Stalin. During the fifties Khrennikov became a member of the Central
Committee of the Communist Party. 'Violin Concerto No.1' in C major Op 14
saw its performance on 21 October 1959 in Moscow by violinist, Leonid Kogan,
backed by the Grand Symphony Orchestra of the Soviet Radio and TV conducted
by Kirill Kondrashin [violin by Vadim Repin
backed by the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio conducted by Vladimir Fedoseyev
in 1988;
see also Relief CR 991058: 1,
2].
Khrennikov became a representative in the Supreme
Soviet in 1962. He first performed his 'Piano Concerto No.2' in C major Op
21 a decade later on 8 February 1972 in Moscow backed by the State Academic Symphony
Orchestra of the Soviet Union conducted by Evgeny Svetlanov
[recording by Khrennikov (see
also Kapelmeister KAP 009: 1,
2);
live performance by Khrennikov
backed by the Moscow P O led by Dmitri Kitayenko 1981;
piano by Evgeny Kissin 1988
(see also Relief CR 991058)].
Come his 'Symphony No.3 in A major Op 22 on 11 March 1974 to Moscow by the
State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Soviet Union conducted by Evgeny
Svetlanov [recording by Khrennikov backed by the Tckaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio conducted by Vladimir Fedoseyev;
see also
Kapelmeister KAP 008)].
His ballet, 'Napoleon Bonaparte' Op 40, was first performed on 3 October
1995 at the Kremlin Palace of Congresses in Moscow w direction by Andrei
Petrov and conducting by Pavel Ovsyannikov. Though not his final work,
Khrennikov's last Opus is 42 per 'Six Pieces' for piano for children. A
version of 'At 6 P.M. After the War' for stage appeared on 9 May 2003 at the
State Musical Theatre in Omsk directed by Viktor Ryabov. A waltz titled
'Tatyana’s Day' was performed on 23 Jan 2005 by the Tchaikovsky Symphony
Orchestra conducted by Sergei Politikov for the 250th anniversary of
Lomonosov Moscow State University. Khrennikov died on 14 August 2007 yet a firm Stalinist
[obit].
References: All Music,
Wikipedia.
Chronology.
Compositions: chronological: 1,
2;
by genre: 1,
2;
by Opus (Francais);
stage works.
Song texts.
Audio: 1,
2,
3.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Film: Czech,
English.
Iconography.
Further reading: awards: 1,
2;
concerti;
criticism;
interviews: 1993,
1998;
Soviet Union and: 1,
2.
See also: the Khrennikov Foundation,
the Khrennikov Museum.
Books/ documents/ scores: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Bibliography.
Databases: DBPeida.
Other profiles: English: 1,
2.;
русский: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
Spanish.
Tikhon Khrennikov 1976 Ballet Direction: Pavel Sorokin 1976 Ballet Direction: Pavel Sorokin 1942 Allegro con fuoco Direction: Evgueni Svetlanov 1942 Allegro con fuoco Direction: Evgueni Svetlanov 1942 Allegro molto Allegro marchialo Direction: Evgueni Svetlanov 1974 Fugue Intermezzo 1974 Finale Direction: Evgueni Svetlanov 1959 Direction: Evgeny Svetlanov ? Violin: Vadim Repin 1975 Direction: Vladimir Fedoseyev Violin: Maxim Vengerov |
|
|
Born on 22 Nov 1913 in Lowestoft, Suffolk, on the east coast of England,
Benjamin Britten
was a pianist who was less a performer than composer of tonal and dissonant
works, also employing
twelve-tone technique. Composing as a child, his 'Do you no my daddy has gone to London
today' (sic) for 3 voices and piano is documented as early as 1919 w a string of titles following
the next year [*].
That commences the Britten Thematic Catalogue (Comps below) as BTC 1. His early education
during the twenties included composition beneath violinist, Frank Bridge, in
1926. He enrolled at the Royal College of Music in London in 1930 where he
composed the first of numerous concertantes, his unfinished 'Rondo Concertante' for piano and strings, in October
that year [interpretation by the Northern Sinfonia of England Orchestra w Thomas Zehetmair]. Britten's Opus
1, 'Sinfonietta' for five winds and five strings,
followed in 1932 [interpretation by the Mahler Chamber Orchestra;
live performances: 1,
2].
His 'Phantasy Quartet' Op 2 for oboe and strings was premiered by BBC Radio
on 6 August 1933 [1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
oboe by Rachel Bulllen
(live);
Erin Hannigan
(live);
Gernot Schmalfuß
(w score);
various].
Op 3 is 'A Boy Was Born' for mixed chorus which premiered on BBC Radio on 23
February 1934 [1,
2,
3;
recording
conducted by Britten date unidentified]. In 1935 he wrote the score for the documentary film
directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, 'The King's Stamp', commissioned by the
GPO
(General Post Office) to commemorate the issue of a postage stamp
[1,
2;
audio: 1,
2,
3].
The year of 1937 was major for Britten in that his mother died that year, and
he met his lifelong musical and personal partner in tenor, Peter Pears [1,
2]. 'Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge'
Op 10
was also composed in 1937, the work that launched his career [1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
Slovak Chamber Orchestra w Bohdan Warchal;
live performances by the Camerata Bern w
Antje Weithaas &
IMusici de Montréal w Maxim Rysanov].
Much of Britten's fame was for his operas although his first, 'Paul
Bunyan' Op 17,
an operetta that premiered at the Salzburg Festival
[1,
2] on 27 August of '37,
went flat. Revised in 1976, 'Paul Bunyan' saw Britten using American folk
songs, jazz and hymns to a libretto by W.H. Auden
[1,
2,
3;
live performance].
Part of the cause of his first arriving to Canada, then New York, in 1939 w
Pears was his
pacifism as Great Britain prepared for war against Germany (WW II). His
return to
Great Britain in 1942 came with exemption as a pacifist from military service.
Britten first recorded for Decca on 26 May 1943 w sopran, Sophie Wyss,
singing such as 'La belle est au jardin d'amour' and 'Quand j'étais chez mon
père' [*], all of which appear
on 'Complete Folk Song Arrangements'.
Britten's opera, 'Peter Grimes' Op 33, was a considerable success. Composed at his home in Snape,
Suffolk, it premiered on 7 June
1945 in London w libretto by Montagu Slater borrowing from the poem in
George Crabbe's 'The Borough Sadler's Wells'
[1,
2;
audio;
live performance]. Britten gave recitals after the War
ended
that year to concentration camp survivors.
In 1948 he and Pears moved from Snape to Aldeburgh where they launched
the Aldeburgh Festival [1,
2;
audio].
Those were held at old unused malting buildings (from grain for beer)
to become the venue known as Snape Maltings.
Another of his highly regarded operas is 'The Turn of the Screw' Op 54 first
performed on 14 September 1954 at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice w libretto
by Myfanwy Piper after the 1898 novella by Henry James
[1,
2,
3,
4;
interpretation by the Mahler Chamber Orchestra w
Daniel Harding].
Come 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream' Op 64 to Jubilee Hall in Aldeburgh on 11
June 1960 with text by himself and Pears a la Shakespeare
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
arias;
libretto;
live performance].
Britten's 'War Requiem'
Op 66 may be his most significant work, that a setting to the
liturgical Requiem Mass commissioned for the consecration of the
new Coventry Cathedral [1,
2] rebuilt after the 14th-century original was destroyed
by bombing during WW II. 'War Requiem' was premiered on 30 May 1962 [1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
analyses;
audio;
live performances:
1,
2;
text].
Britten's 'Owen Wingrave' Op 85 was an opera composed for television. With
libretto again by Piper after another story by James, It premiered at Snape
Maltings in November 1970 for broadcast by BBC2 on 16 May 1971 w
narration by Pears also in the role of General Sir Philip Wingrave
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
interpretation by the Deutsches Symphony Orchestra Berlin directed by
Kent Nagano].
Britten's final opera was 'Death in Venice' Op 88 w another libretto by
Piper, this time from Thomas Mann. That was first performed at Snape
Maltings on 16 June 1973 [1,
2,
3,
4;
live performance w the English National Opera C & O conducted by
Edward Gardner]. Britten's last
work for solo voice and orchestra was the cantata, 'Phaedra' Op 93,
performed by the mezzosoprano for whom it was written, Janet Baker, at the
Aldeburgh Festival on 16 June 1976. That was with text from Racine's 'Phèdre'
of 1677 [1,
2;
Janet Baker w
the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Steuart Bedford on
31 March 1977; interpretations by
Ruby Hughes &
Ann Murray].
Op 94 was 'String Quartet No.3' in G major performed at Snape Maltings on 19
Dec 1976 [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
Britten Quartet,
Maggini Quartet;
live performance by the Ives Quartet].
Britten's final Op 95 was also his last completed, his 'Welcome Ode' for
young voices and orchestra written for Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee
visit to Ipswich on 11 July 1977 which he didn't live to witness
[audio;
live performances: 1,
2].
Britten died
of congestive heart failure on 4 December 1976. He'd left his cantata,
'Praise We Great Men' BTC 1184 for SATB w orchestration by Colin Matthews,
unfinished. The work eventually got premiered in 1985 at Snape Maltings by
the Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich for
whom it had been written [*].
Britten had been offered internment at
Westminster Abbey, but preferred to be buried next to Pears who followed Britten
to the grave in 1986. References: Wikipedia.
Timeline.
Compositions:
alphabetical: 1,
2; BTC: 1,
2;
chronological: 1,
2;
by genre: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
French,
Japanese;
by Opus:
Japanese;
cantatas,
operas,
songs.
Song texts: 1,
2,
Christmas (Russian).
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
podcasts,
YouTube.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
'The Turn of the Screw';
select:
'Benjamin Britten'
by the New Stockholm Chamber Orchestra w Péter Csaba;
'Britten'
by the English Chamber Orchestra w Steuart Bedford,
notes;
'Britten
by the Corydon Singers w Matthew Best.
IMDb (film).
Further reading: assessment by Roy Brewer; film and: 1,
2 (video);
Frank Bridge and: 1,
2;
opera;
Peter Pears and: 1,
2;
post-Britten;
traveling;
trivia.
See also the Benjamin Britten Foundation
(alt).
Iconography.
Books/ documents/ scores: Europe: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
North America: 1,
2,
3;
international: VIAF,
Worldcat.
Collections: The Red House (UK).
Bibliography: 1,
2;
'On Behalf of Gustav Mahler' by Britten.
Databases: DBPedia.
Other profiles: Deutsch;
English: encyclopedic: 1,
2;
musical: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7;
universities: 1,
2;
Espanol;
Francais: 1,
2;
Japanese;
Norwegian;
Russian: 1,
2,
3;
Swedish.
Benjamin Britten 1939 Op 14 3 movements London SO & C/Richard Hickox 1933 Revised 1955 Op 3 English Opera Group Purcell Singers Choristers of All Saints Margaret Street 1963 Orchester Camerata Musica Luzern 1937 Central City Chorus Adelphi Chamber Orchestra Phillip Cheah 1973 Op 88 Opera for film Robert Gard 1956 Ballet Op 57 London Sinfonietta Oliver Knussen 1939 Revised 1958 Op 15 Concertante Orchestre de Paris Paavo Järvi Janine Jansen 1961-62 Op 66 The Bach Choir Highgate School Choir London SO Chorus Melos Ensemble London Symphony Orchestra Sopran: Galina Vishnevskaya |
 Benjamin Britten Source: Britannica |
|
 George Perle Source: George Perle |
Born on 6 May 1915 in Bayonne, New Jersey,
George Perle
studied at DePaul University in Chicago where he studied with Wesley
LaViolette while acquiring private instruction from
Ernst Krenek.
Though Perle wrote 'Pantomime, Interlude and Fugue' for piano in Sep and
October of '37, it apparently didn't see a performance until 27 Feb 1982 in
New York by Shirley Rhoads [*;
piano by Michael Brown].
He spent time in the Army during World War II before graduating from New
York University with a doctorate in 1956. Perle was hired onto the faculty
of Queens College in NYC in 1961 where he would remain above twenty years.
His main claim to fame was
his development of twelve-tone tonality, similar to, though more liberal
than,
Schoenberg's
dodecaphonic system that replaced the major and minor keys of seven notes
each with a twelve-note chromatic scale to better accommodate atonality.
Being a twelve-tone composer wasn't the quickest path to popularity as a
musician, Perle's music surviving obscurely to contemporary times also due
to the considerable work he made for himself as a musicologist. Since Perle's
career was heavily weighted in theory this column follows his several books.
The George Perle Website dates his first
as of 1962, 'Serial Composition
and Atonality: an Introduction to the Music of Schoenberg, Berg and Webern',
concerning which Google books lists an edition published by the U of
California Press in 1963
[or see Sixth Edition pages 1-9 1991].
It was 1969 when Perle's student, Paul Lansky [1,
2], began to assist Perle on
an expansion of twelve-tone theory that Perle worked into 'Twelve-Tone
Tonality' in 1977. 'The Operas of Alban Berg' was issued in two volumes
per 'Vol 1' concerning 'Wozzeck' in 1980 and 'Vol 2'
addressing 'Lulu' in 1985. Having retired from Queens College in 1984, his
'Wind Quintet No.4' saw premiere at Merkin Concert Hall on 2 October 1985 by
the Dorian Wind Quintet who had commissioned it
[Dorian Wind Quintet 1998].
Perle won an '86 Pulitzer for that, also acquiring a MacArthur Fellowship.
He became composer-in-residence for the San Francisco Symphony in 1989 for a
few years, his next book arriving in 1990 titled 'The Listening Composer'.
Come 'The Right Notes: 23 Selected Essays on 20th-Century Music' in 1995 by
Pendragon Press. His final book, 'Style and Idea in the Lyric Suite of Alban Berg', also saw
publishing by Pendragon Press in 1995 [Edition 2001].
Perle also finished 'Six Celebratory Inventions' in 1995 toward their
premiere on 17 Jan 1997 in Boston by Russell Sherman
[Michael Brown at piano: audio,
live].
Moving into the new millennium, Perle wrote Triptych' for solo violin and piano
in 2002 [interpretation
by Francesca Anderegg (violin) w Brent Funderburk (piano)]. Come 'Bassoon
Music' in 2004 [solo bassoon by Etienne Boudreault or
Matthew Nickel].
Perle died in New York City on 23 January 2009
[obits: LA Times,
NPR].
References: 1,
2.
Compositions: alphabetical;
by genre: 1,
2,
3.
Authorship:
1,
2;
publishers.
Song texts: 1,
2 (Menu: Songs).
Audio: 1,
2,
3.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
select:
'Complete Quintets' by the Dorian Wind Quintet,
notes;
'Piano Works' by Michael Boriskin,
notes;
'A Retrospective' by various.
Interviews: David Dubal for WNCN-FM 1983,
Bruce Duffie 1986.
Further reading by source: Leon Botstein,
George Sturm.
Further reading by topic: Paul Lansky and;
twelve-tone and.
Books/ documents/ scores: Canada;
France;
USA:
1,
2; international:
VIAF,
Worldcat.
Bibliography: reviews of books by Perle:
Jonathan Dunsby,
Dave Headlam.
Other profiles: Dutch;
English;
Francais;
Russian;
Spanish.
George Perle 1938 Piano: Michael Brown 1938 Daedalus Quartet London SO & C/Richard Hickox 1964 Piano: Michael Boriskin 1984 Piano: Michael Boriskin 1970 Piano: Michael Boriskin 1993 The American SO w Leon Botstein 1969 Piano: Michael Brown 2002 Piano: Brent Funderburk Violin: Francesca Anderegg |
|
 Humphrey Searle Photo: Don Smith/BBC Source: Music Web |
Born on 25 August 1915 in Oxford,
Humphrey Searle
was another musician who never sold a gold record because he was largely a serial
composer [twelve-tone serialism: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5].
He received instruction at the Royal College of Music in London in 1937,
then the New Vienna Conservatory in 1937 to '38 while also studying with
Anton Webern. Searle's Op 1
was assigned to 'Suite No.1' for orchestra written in 1941-42. Op 2 was
'Night Music' for orchestra as of 1943
[interpretation by the BBC Symphony Orchestra w Adrian Boult].
Op 3 is 'Vigil' for piano of 1944. From 1946 to 1948 Searle worked as a producer for the BBC promoting
the twelve-tone chromatic scale of
Schoenberg's
serialism, helping to coin the term. Best-known for his symphonies, his
'No.1' Op 23 was composed in 1952-53
[interpretation by the BBC S O w
Adrian Boult or
the BBC Scottish S O w
Alun Francis].
Searle's book, 'Twentieth Century Counterpoint', saw publishing by Williams
and Norgate in 1954 along w 'The Music of Liszt'
[Edition 2012].
'Ballet Music' was published by Cassell
in 1958, the year 'Symphony No.2' Op 33 was premiered on 18 Oct by the Royal Liverpool
P O conducted by John Pritchard. Come 'Symphony No.3' Op
33 to Usher Hall in Edinburgh in Sep 1960 performed by the Royal
Liverpool P O conducted by Pritchard
[interpretation by the Royal P O w
Sandor Salgo].
Searle conducted 'Symphony No.4' Op 38 at Town Hall in Birmingham on 8 November
1962 leading the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra for which it was
commissioned by the John Feeney Trust
[recording;
interpretation by the BBC Scottish S O led by Alun Francis:
1/2,
2/2].
'Symphony No.5' Op 43 dedicated to
Webern
arrived to Free Trade Hall in Manchester on 7 October 1964 w Lawrence
Leonard conducting the Hallé Orchestra, that Searle's last numbered symphony. Searle's fourth book,
'Twentieth Century Composers: Britain, Scandinavia and the Netherlands' saw
publishing in 1972. A solitary work for guitar called 'Five' arrived in
1974. He began writing his 'Memoirs' in 1976
to their conclusion in 1982. 'Three Ages' Op 77 for orchestra was written in
1982 toward premiere by the Royal College of Music Sinfonia conducted by
Christopher Adey [recording].
Searle divided the three ages of the last century of music as 1883-1914,
1914 to 1945 (such as jazz comes to bear in classical music) and 1945 to
1982. Searle's final Opus, 78, was assigned to 'Paraphrase on Themes of
Liszt' for two pianists thought incomplete at the time of his death
in London on 17 May 1982. In addition to orchestral works Searle had
composed for chamber, chorus, voice and stage (operas, ballets).
References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Compositions:
chronological;
by genre;
by Opus w WoO: 1,
2 (scroll).
Authorship (unmentioned): on the
symphony.
Audio: 1,
2,
3.
Recordings of: discographies: 1,
2,
3;
select:
Symphonies 1-5.
IMDb (film).
Further reading: interview
w Martin Kingsbury 1968; Amelie Roper.
Books/ documents/ scores: Canada;
Europe: 1,
2; international:
VIAF,
Worldcat;
USA.
Other profiles: English: Rob Clements;
Faber Music;
French: Wikipedia.
Humphrey Searle 1953 Op 23 London Philharmonic Orchestra Adrian Boult 1956-58 Op 33 BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Alun Francis 1960 Op 36 BBC Symphony Orchestra John Pritchard 1962 Op 38 City of Birmingham S O Humphrey Searle 1964 Op 43 Halle Orchestra Lawrence Leonard 1982 Op 77 Royal College of Music Sinfonia Christopher Adey 1977 Film score |
|
|
Born on 10 May 1916 in Philadelphia,
Milton Babbitt
was a serial composer who
made his name producing electronic music. The author(s) at
Wikipedia
demarcates his career into three periods, the second from 1961 to 1979 being
electronic. Though dates closely correspond, drumtch at Music 7703 places
Babbitt's second period
from '64 to 1980 according to the kind of arrays employed in his
dodecaphonic technique. [Compare Wikipedia French
&
Italian].
The twelve-tone array is variously referred to as a magic square or simply a
matrix containing tone rows [1,
2,
3;
video instruction: 1,
2]. Babbitt had intended to study math alone before he switched from the University
of Pennsylvania to New York University in 1931 to add music to his
curriculum. His first composition, 'Generatrix' for orchestra of 1935, was
left unfinished. He composed 'String Trio' from '39 to '41, leaving his
'Composition for String Orchestra' of 1940 incomplete as well as his
'Symphony' of 1941. 'Music for Mass' I and II arrived in '41 and '42. Graduating in 1942
with a degree in fine arts, he first worked in math
research in Washington DC, then taught math at Princeton from '43' to '45'.
Babbitt composed the musical, 'Fabulous Voyage', in 1946 followed by 'Three
Theatrical Songs' the same year. Come 'Three Compositions for Piano' in 1947
[piano by Robert Taub]. In 1948 he joined Princeton's music department,
the same year of his 'Composition for Twelve Instruments'
[1,
2;
ensembles led by Gil Rose
&
Ralph Shapey;
score].
The only film score Babbitt wrote was for 'Into the Good Ground'
of 1949 which he withdrew, not liking it.
Babbitt wrote 'All Set' in 1957 for jazz ensemble, that commissioned for the
Brandeis University Creative Arts Festival [1,
2;
interpretation by the BMOP (Boston Modern Orchestra Project) led by
Gil Rose;
live performance by the NEC Wind Ensemble led by
Charles Peltz].
That was a twelve-tone work of complicated arrays presaging his later
periods. Babbitt's electronic period began with 'Composition for
Synthesizer' in 1961 [Babbitt at
synthesizer 1964]. Of the ten electronic works listed at Pytheas, a few were
for synthesizer w voice live and taped like the serial 'Philomel'
[1,
2,
3;
soprano by Tony Arnold (live);
array (matrix): Example 1c: 1,
2].
Babbitt became a member of the faculty at Juilliard in 1973. His last
electronic work arrived in 1979 called 'Images' for saxophone and
synthesized tape, returning to acoustic instruments the same year with
'Paraphrases' for ten instruments. He was recipient of a Pulitzer Special
Award in 1982 for life work. His 'Manifold Music' for organ appeared
in 1995 [organ by Gregory D'Agostino ].
Pytheas traces him to as late as 'An Encore' for violin and piano in
2006. His death followed several years later on January 29, 2011
[obits: 1,
2,
3].
References: 1,
2.
Compositions:
chronological: MWP,
Pytheas,
Japanese,
Spanish;
by genre: Edition Peters,
Musicalics,
Pytheas.
Authorship: 'The Collected Essays of Milton Babbitt' ed. by Stephen Peles (Princeton U Press 2003)
*;
'Who Cares if You Listen?' ('High Fidelity' Feb 1958):
English,
Russian,
review by Christopher Palestrant;
'Words about Music' (U of Wisconsin Press 1987).
Song texts.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
'Babbitt’s Beguiling Surfaces' by
Joshua Mailman (Columbia University).
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4;
select: 'Milton Babbitt' by the Boston Modern Orchestra Project w Gil Rose (BMOP 1034), review;
'Philomel' by Juliet Fraser.
Documentaries: 'Portrait of a Serial Composer' by Hilferty & Karpman 2011.
Interviews: Bruce Duffie 1987;
Juilliard School of Music 2001;
James Romig Dickinson 2002;
Fred Child for NPR 2006;
Gabrielle Zuckerman (date unknown): 1,
2.
Further reading by source: Amanda Cook,
Jacob Threadgill;
Further reading by topic: works for guitar;
serialism and.
Books/ documents/ scores:
Canada,
Europe,
USA,
international: VIAF,
Worldcat.
Collections: LOC.
Bibliography: 'An Introduction to the Music of Milton Babbitt' by Andrew Mead (Princeton U Press 1994):
reviews by Lawrence Fritts,
Richard Kurth.
Databases: BNF.
Other profiles: English: 1,
2,
3,
4;
Finnish;
French;
Russian;
Spanish.
Milton Babbitt 1974 Group for Contemporary Music Harvey Sollberger 1983 Piano: Robert Taub 1996 Phoenix Ensemble 1961 Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center Concerto for Piano & Orchestra 1987American Composers Orchestra Charles Wuorinen Piano: Alan Feinberg 1964 Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center 1984 Composers Ensemble w Paul Zukofsky 1985 Piano: Robert Taub 1991 Flute: Rachel Rudich 1992 Composers Ensemble w Paul Zukofsky 1973 Piano: Robert Taub |
 Milton Babbitt Source: Princeton University |
|
 Bernd Zimmermann Source: Biografias y Vidas |
Born on 20 March 1918 in Bliesheim, Rhine Province of
Germany,
Bernd Alois Zimmermann
was the son of a farmer and railway worker. As an avant-garde composer who
developed a
"spherical" approach to time his
career can be demarcated into three periods being pre-serial, serial
(including pluralistic method) and
post-serial. Both a complicated composer and among the most difficult to perform, pluralistic can
also refer to Zimmermann's use of multiple forms or techniques within a
composition. Raised a Catholic,
he matriculated into the University for Music in Cologne in 1938. Drafted into
the Wehrmacht (Army) in 1938, he served a couple years then returned to his
studies, his graduation delayed until 1947 due to wartime conditions in
Germany. In the meantime his 'Kleine Suite' für geige und klavier ('Little
Suite' for violin and piano) was published in 1942 per Schott 7564
[violin by Alessandro Cappone w piano by Cordelia Höfer; see also 'Initiale: Lieder und Frühe Kammermusik' WERGO WER 6735 2].
Between 1942 and 1946 Zimmermann wrote 'Fünf Lieder' ('Five Songs')with
music set to texts by Harald Gloth, Friedrich Nietzsche, Rainer Maria Rilke
and Li-Tai-Po (c 700-762 T'ang Dynasty). Notable to our purpose in that selection,
due to possible
relevance to 'Stille und Umkehr' which can be translated 'Silence and Return'
(below), are Rilke who was a Nietzsche authority
and Nietzsche with whose
concept of eternal recurrence or eternal return
[Deutsch] Zimmermann was likely
acquainted. Such is of interest in relation to Zimmermann's self-described
examination of "spherical" time due the spherical quality of Nietzsche's
writing which lends a sense of a global dimension wrapping linear time in
its grasp, that achieved across flat linear pages via means such as measures
of gravity or something of seemingly peripheral note bobbing to the surface
for a moment to disappear back into the deep again. It's fore and aft and up
and down and back and forth as Nietzsche's world becomes round along some
greater
theme moving across a surface that, like the ocean's, is both always and
never the same. But let what similarities there may be between Nietzsche and
Zimmermann be elsewhere discussed as we return to the latter who gave his first public performances in 1946. Breitkopf & Härtel have Tiny Wirtz
premiering Zimmermann's 'Extemporale' für klavier in
Cologne on
12 April 1946. The Zimmermann Society gives those five pieces a
composing date of 1938-1946 [piano by
Tiny Wirtz]. Citing dates at the Society, among compositions filling out
the forties were 'Fünf Stücke' ('Five Pieces') für orchester in 1945,
'Symphonisches Vorspiel' ('Symphonic Prelude' aka 'Sinfonia Prosodica') for
grand orchestra in '45 and 'Concerto for Orchestra' in '46 revised in '48
for premiere in Darmstadt. He kept alive in the fifties by arranging for films and composing for radio.
His 'Canto di Speranza', a cantata for violoncello and small orchestra of
1952 was revised in '57 [interpretation by the SWF Sinfonieorchester led
by
Michael Gielen].
Zimmermann won a scholarship to the German Academy in Rome in 1957, also
becoming Professor of Composition, as well as Film and Broadcast Music, at
the Cologne Music University. In 1960 Zimmermann brought 'Sonata' for cello solo
to bear, his initial serial work to employ his pluralistic tonal method
[1,
2;
live performance by Thomas Demenga,
Esther Saladin or
Pierre Strauch].
'Dialoge' for 2 pianos and orchestra is another pluralistic composition
which arrived in 1960
[interpretation
by Andreas Grau and Götz Schumacher at piano;
live performance
by Helena Bugallo and Amy Williams at piano]. That was revised in 1964 as 'Monologues' [interpretation
by Alfons et Aloys Kontarsky at piano]. In the meantime 1963 brought
another scholarship, this time to the Villa Massimo, as well as a fellowship
in the Berlin Academy of the Arts. The only opera Zimmermann finished was
'Die Soldaten' ('The Soldiers') employing twelve-tone (serial)
method. That eventually premiered in Cologne upon delay on 15 Feb of 1965 [1,
2,
3,
4,
5
6;
interpretation by the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne w
Michael Gielen].
As Zimmermann's initial work for 'Die Soldaten' had been rejected as
unperformable by the Cologne Opera by whom it was commissioned, Zimmerman
wrote 'Vokal Sinfonie' in 1963 to demonstrate that it could be done.
That work is more consistent with Zimmermann's original approach to the opera
than its finished version of '65 (above) much revised
[interpretation by the Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester Köln w Hiroshi Wakasugi
at Royal Albert Hall 1978 London]. 'Requiem für einen Jungen Dichter'
('Requiem for a Young Poet') was an electronic work for speaker, soprano,
baritone, three choirs, orchestra, jazz combo, organ and
tape
written from 1967 to '69. That was dedicated to three poets who had committed suicide:
Konrad Bayer, Vladimir Mayakovsky and Sergei Yesenin
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8;
interpretation by the Holland S O w
Bernhard Kontarsky
or the SWR S O Baden-Baden & Freiburg w
Michael Gielen].
Among compositions written in the last year of Zimmermann's life was
'Stille
und Umkehr' ('Silence and Repentance') for orchestra of 1970 presaging his own suicide,
thus likely considerably difficult to compose. 'Stille und Umkehr' is also
seen translated as 'Silence and Return' (as to God, rebirth, et al, w "umkehr"
also meaning "reversal" or "about-face"). With both included in Zimmermann's
theme, along w its manner of composition in context w his approach to
time and probable reference in some measure to Nietzsche (above), as well as
his approaching suicide, make 'Stille und Umkehr' among the more interesting
works in classical music [interpretations by the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg w
Peter Hirsch &
the Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester des Hessischen Rundfunks w
Hans Zender (w score)]. Zimmermann
killed himself at his home in Königsdorf near Cologne on 10
August 1970, his last composition finished only five days earlier on the 5th
called 'Ecclesiastical Action'. The work's longer title is 'Ich wandte mich
und sah an alles Unrecht das geschah unter der Sonne' ('I turned and
considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun') for two speakers, solo bass and orchestra.
See also Alban Berg's last composition, 'Violin Concerto', of 1935
[Tom Service]. References: 1,
2.
Timeline.
Compositions:
alphabetical;
by genre: Musicalics,
RYM,
Deutsch.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Recordings of: discographies: 1,
2,
3;
select: 'Bernd Alois Zimmermann' by the Deutsches Symphonieorchester Berlin w Bernhard Kontarsky:
1,
2,
3;
'Bernd Alois Zimmermann' by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra w Hannu Lintu; 'Canto di Speranza' by the WDR Sinfonie Orchester Köln w Heinz Holliger; 'Complete Works for Piano Solo' by Andreas Skouras:
1,
2;
'Requiem für einen Jungen Dichter' by
the Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester w Gary Bertini
or
the Berliner Philharmoniker w Péter Eötvös.
Further reading: Peter Davis,
Michael Denhoff
(analysis: sound layers & time expansion),
Vladimir Tarnopolsky.
Books/ documents/ scores: 1,
2.
Bibliography:
'Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Bernd Alois Zimmermann und ihrer Quellen' by Heribert Henrich
1,
2.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Book stores: Europe,
USA.
Other profiles: Czech;
Deutsch: 1,
2,
3,
4;
English: 1,
2,
3;
French: 1,
2,
3;
Russian;
Spanish.
Bernd Zimmermann 1950 Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz Director: Karl-Heinz Steffens Die Befristeten 1967 For jazz quartet Manfred Schoof Quintet 1960 Konzert für 2 Klaviere und Orchester London Philharmonic Orchestra Royal Albert Hall London Conducting: Vladimir Jurowski Piano: Pierre-Laurent Aimard Piano: Tamara Stefanovich 1970 Radio Symfonie Orkest Director: Richard Dufallo Bass: Wout Oosterkamp Speaker: Bernard Kruysen Speaker: Lieuwe Visser Performance: Amsterdam 1986 1966 Photoptosis 1968 Prélude für großes Orchester Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Direction: Ingo Metzmacher 1968 Prélude für großes Orchester Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken Direction: Hans Zender 1951 Revised 1953 North German Radio P O Conductor: Gunter Wand 1970 Orchestral sketch Hessischer Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Directing: Hans Zender Nobody Knows the Trouble I see 1954 Trumpet concertoRadio Sinfonie Orchester Frankfurt Conducting: Dmitrij Kitajenko Trumpet: Reinhold Friedrich |
|
 Leonard Bernstein Source: Leonard Bernstein |
This history of classical music is dotted with
the conducting of
Leonard Bernstein
who performed versions of not a few compsers. Bernstein (no relation to Elmer though they were friends)
was also a composer, the combination of which which would make his a stellar
name while playing an important role in the popularization of classical
music.
Though Bernstein played a little with atonality and took to jazz like a
sponge, after all the twelve-tone modernism this history has seen, he is the
first postmodern figure to arrive insofar as he was a traditionalist w no
interest in such as serial composing [Goodman].
"Postmodern"
is similar to earlier "neoclassical"
insofar as both may refer to either a reactionary return to the past or new
developments beyond. Born on 25 Aug 1918 in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Bernstein was of Ukrainian Jewish
heritage. His father owned a downtown bookstore. Beginning to acquire piano
instruction in 1931, his first composition comes to us as 'Psalm 148' written
at age seventeen in 1935 [live performance
by Carol Lin (mezzo-soprano) w Alexander Wong (piano);
text].
He was a student at Harvard when he wrote Piano Trio in 1937
[1,
2,
3,
4;
interpretation by the Australian Piano Trio;
live performance by the Rubik Ensemble].
'Music for 2 Pianos' was also composed in 1937
[interpretation by Effie Agrafioti w Giorgos Kοntrafouris;
live performance by William Tang w Brian Wang]. Graduating from Harvard as
a music major in 1939, he then studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in
Philadelphia. Upon leaving Curtis he began his professional life as and
arranger and transcriptionist for a music publisher. He composed his
'Symphony 1' ('Jeremiah') in 1942. His career took off in 1943 when composer
and conductor, Bruno Walter, fell w flu and required quick replacement at a
New York Philharmonic performance at Carnegie Hall on 14 Nov 1943, which Bernstein did
without rehearsal. Among his orchestral works was 'Symphony No.1' premiering
at the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh on 28 Jan 1944. In April that year
'Jeremiah' became Bernstein's first recording for RCA Victor toward issue on
78 rpm in December 1945 w Bernstein conducting the St. Louis Symphony
Orchestra [1,
2,
3,
4;
Bernstein conducts the Israel P O (19??) &
the New York P O (19??);
interpretation by
the Orchestre National de l'ORTF w Marc Sbar]. Bernstein wasn't shy about
making records, being elemental to his fame, and of which he sold far more
than dedicated serialists and such whose recordings generally became rare
nigh as soon as issued. Bernstein is ultimately best-known for his Broadway musicals. 'On the Town' arrived to much fanfare at the Adelphi Theatre on
Broadway in NYC on 28 Dec 1944 under the direction of George Abbott w
conducting by Lehman Engel. That was derived from Jerome Robbins' ballet,
'Fancy Free', of the same year [1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
Bernstein
conducts the RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra 1945;
live performance
by the Banda Simfònica d'Algemesí w Alberto Ferrer Martínez 2015]. Bernstein became Music Director of the New York City Symphony
Orchestra in 1945. Making his first trip to Europe in 1946 with the Philharmonia Orchestra, he conducted in Tel Aviv the next year.
'Peter Pan' with text by himself went flat at its premiere at the Imperial Theatre in NYC on 24
April 1950 and hasn't much recovered since, albeit Koch International
Classics finally issued a recording of 'Peter Pan' in 2005 w vocals by Linda
Eder and Daniel Narducci backed by the Amber Chamber Orchestra conducted by
Alexander Frey [1,
2,
3;
'Dream With Me' by Linda Eder;
'Peter Peter' by Robyn Mae
(live)]. On 10 Sep 1951 Bernstein married actress,
Felicia Montealegre, who
would bear three children, Jamie, Alexander (president of Artful Learning) and Nina. Bernstein's
'Trouble in Tahiti' was a one-act opera with libretto by himself premiering
at Brandeis University on 12 June 1952 w Elliot Silverstein directing and Bernstein conducting
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
live performance w direction by Matthew Eberhardt w
Tobias Ringborg conducting or
Elaine Tyler-Hall w Nicholas Kok]. Bernstein's
jazzy Broadway musical, 'Wonderful Town', saw performing at the Winter
Garden Theatre on 25 Feb 1953 w its book written by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Upon its premiere in
London at the Prince's Theatre on 25 February 1955 it was good for 207
performances. It was televised by CBS for airing on 30 Nov 1958
[1,
2,
3;
'Overture'
by the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group led by Simon Rattle 1999].
Bernstein's career as an educator had begun w lectures for the Ford
Foundation on the CBS television show, 'Omnibus'. His first of seven lectures was
'Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony' aired during Season 3 on Episode 5 of 'Omnibus'
on 14 Nov 1954 [1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
broadcast;
script].
'Candide' was another Broadway musical, a comedy which opened at the Martin
Beck Theatre on 1 Dec 1956 w a libretto by Lillian Hellman after Voltaire's
eponymous novella of 1759, a satire addressing monarchy and religion
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7;
'Overture':
Bernstein
conducts the London Symphony Orchestra 13 Dec 1989 (live);
interpretation
by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra w Leonard Slatkin (live)]. Bernstein's
most famous work is the Broadway musical, 'West Side Story', which premiered
to huge success at the Winter Garden Theatre on September 26, 1957
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7].
Bernstein composed 'West Side Story' with extensive use of the two-note
chord that is called the devil's interval or devil's tritone
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
10].
Bernstein followed in 1961 w 'Symphonic Dances from West Side Story'
[1,
2,
3,
4;
Bernstein
conducting the Israel P O at Symphony Hall in Osaka 1985;
interpretation by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France led by
Mikko Franck 2018 or
the National Youth orchestra of the USA w
David Robertson
2014]. Bernstein became Music Director for the New York Philharmonic in Jan of 1958
followed two weeks later by his first Young People's Concert on 18 Jan 1958
at Carnegie Hall titled 'What Does Music Mean?'
[1,
2].
Concert 2, 'What is American
Music?', followed on 1 Feb 1958 [broadcast].
Wikipedia lists 53 such concerts to as late as 'Holst: The Planets' on 26
March 1972. Concert 6 was 'Humor in Music' on 28 February 1959
[broadcast].
Come Concert 7, 'What is a Concerto?', on 28 March 1959
[broadcast].
Concert 49, 'The Anatomy of a Symphony Orchestra', arrived on 24 May 1970
[broadcast].
Simon and Schuster published Bernstein's first book,
'The Joy of Music', in
1959 [Edition 2004
by Hal Leonard;
review
(subscription)]. Bernstein also took
the New York Philharmonic on a tour of Europe and the Soviet Union in 1959.
In 1968 Bernstein conducted at the funeral of Robert Kennedy assassinated in
June. Thought to have begun work on 'Race to Urga' in 1968, that was a setting to
Bertolt Brecht's socialist 'The Exception and the Rule' which got retitled
to 'A Pray by Blecht'. That project, however, came not to fruition and has
never been commercially performed. Though
he vacated his position as music director of the New York Philharmonic in
1969, he continued conducting the orchestra on international tours. Among
the consequences of being a classical musician educated at Harvard, perhaps
the top institution in the Ivy League,
not to mention financial earnings that would leave him a millionaire five
times over at the time of his death, was belonging to an elite social class.
That in itself stirred some trouble when he stepped into politics in the
interest of civil liberties and made the anti-racist gesture of a fund
raising event for members of the socialist Black Panther Party on 14 January
1970 [1,
2,
3]. "Really?" asked author, Tom Wolfe, in so many words in an essay titled
'Radical Chic' [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Jamie Bernstein] in which he noted the disparities between Bernstein's
capitalistically generated wealth and poor black folk wanting a different
government. The
Panther 21 were on trial
at the time for bombings and
shootings in New York City (acquittal of 186 charges on 12 May 1971 after an
eight-month trial, thought the longest in the history of the state of New
York [Wikipedia]). In the meantime New American Library had published
Bernstein's 'The Infinite Variety of Music' in 1970
[Edition 2007
by Hal Leonard]. Bernstein's 'Mass' arrived to the grand opening of the John F. Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts [1,
2] in Washington DC on 8 September 1971, that a
theatrical rendering of the Tridentine Mass w choreography by
Alvin Ailey and
commissioned by
Jackie Kennedy
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
documentary;
Kennedy Center 10th Anniversary w direction by Tom O’Horgan
w conducting by John Mauceri]. Bernstein
became a professor of poetry at Harvard in 1973 which led to his televised
series of six lectures, 'The Unanswered Question'
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
Lecture 1,
Lecture 2,
Lecture 3,
Lecture 4,
Lecture 5,
Lecture 6;
Edition 1981].
'1600 Pennsylvania Avenue' (U.S. White House) opened on Broadway at the Mark
Hellinger Theatre on 4 May 1976 to small fanfare
[1,
2]. Romanov76110 has the
original 'Prelude' replaced by its 'Overture'
shortly later. 'Songfest' was a cycle of 12 poems by various for 6 singers
and orchestra w Bernstein conducting the National Symphony Orchestra at
Kennedy Center on 11 Oct 1977 [1,
2,
3,
4;
Song IV: 'To What You Said' w text by Walt Whitman: original recording of
1978;
interpretation by Thomas Hampson (baritone) w Wolfram Rieger (piano);
Bernstein
conducting the Orchestre National de France on 21 September 1979 (all 12
songs)]. As Bernstein was homosexual he didn't remarry after the death of
Felicia by lung cancer in 1978. His 'A Quiet Place' w libretto by Stephen Wadsworth and
himself was a sequel to his earlier 'Trouble in Tahiti' of 1952. It
premiered in its one-act form during the intermission of a performance of 'Trouble in Tahiti'
in Houston on 17 June 1983 w conducting by John DeMain. It's two-act form
was performed two days later on the 19th in Milan under direction by Stephen
Wadsworth w John Mauceri conducting [1,
2,
3,
4,
Bernstein
conducting the ORF Symphony Orchestra in a 1986 recording of 'You're Late' from Act I
w vocal by Chester Ludgin]. Bernstein's last composition was 'Dance Suite'
consisting of five pieces for brass quintet premiering in New York City by
Empire Brass on 14 Jan 1990 [1,
2,
3;
live performance by Spanish Brass 2014]. In 1990 Bernstein
received the Praemium Imperiale from the Japan Arts Association, which
$100,000 prize he used toward the founding of Bernstein Education Through the Arts (BETA)
by his children, less legally known as Artful Learning
[1,
2,
3].
1990 was also the year of his last performance as a conductor, that at Tanglewood,
Massachusetts, with the Boston S O on 15 August. He died two months later of
heart attack in Manhattan on 14 October. Even if Bernstein hadn't composed he'd have to be included this history
only as
conductor for all the interpreting he did. He often conducted at piano for
performances requiring his abilities thereat.
As both a reactionary postmodernist (champion of
Mahler, et al) and major contributor to the shift from
classical to popular via Broadway,
Bernstein somewhat demarcates old modern from new modern in classical music a little the way old folk and new folk are distinguished at Bob Dylan.
Indeed, Bernstein missing from 20th century classical would be a little like
Dylan missing from folk for its impact.
Both urbanized music, Dylan from out of country toward rock which burst had
been African American (R&B), Bernstein from out of the rarified atmospheres
of classical toward the average Joe including African Americans (jazz).
References: Wikipedia.
Timelines: 1,
2.
Compositions:
alphabetical;
alphabetical by genre at Leonard Bernstein
Office:
ballet,
chamber,
choral,
choral w orchestra,
concerti,
film,
instrumental,
orchestral,
piano,
solo instrument w orchestra,
stage,
voice,
voice w orchestra;
chronological;
by genre: Musicalics,
Pytheas,
RYM,
Wikipedia.
Authorship unmentioned:
on Glenn Gould;
'Jazz in Serious Music';
on the death of
John Kennedy (1963);
'The Leonard Bernstein Letters' ed. by
Nigel Simeone;
'Mahler: His Time Has Come' ('High Fidelity Magazine' 1967):
1,
2,
3,
4;
on the nuclear age (1985);
speeches;
on Stravinsky;
on the future of the symphony orchestra (1980);
television;
'Who Is Mahler?' (1960).
Broadway on & off: 1,
2.
Song texts: 1,
2.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
Top Five,
Top Ten,
YouTube;
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7;
archived: 1,
2;
select: 'West Side Story' conducted by Bernstein for Deutsche Grammophon 1985.
Videography.
IMDb (film).
Interviews w Leonard: by the BBC at the Edinburgh Festival Concert 1975; by Jim Bernhard for KUHT TV Houston
1983;
see also 'Dinner with Lenny' by Cott below.
Interviews w Jamie (daughter): 2002,
2018.
Further reading by source: Alexander Bernstein (son),
Jeffrey Dane,
David Denby,
FBI,
The Guardian,
Peter Gutmann,
Stuart Isacoff,
Jeremy McCarter,
Jesse Monteagudo,
Carol Oja,
Maria Popova,
Alex Ross,
Ed Siegel.
Further reading by topic: Artful Learning,
awards,
Bernstein as composer,
as conductor,
as
educator,
family,
as humanitarian,
Mahler and,
New York City and,
'Omnibus',
operas,
'The Unanswered Question',
Young People's Concerts.
Bibliography: 'Leonard Bernstein and the Language of Jazz' by Katherine Baber (U of Illinois Press 2019):
1,
2,
3;
'Dinner with Lenny: The Last Long Interview with Leonard Bernstein' by Jonathan Cott (Oxford U Press 2012):
1,
2,
3,
4,
Edition 2013;
'Leonard Bernstein: A Guide to Research' by
Paul Laird (Psychology Press 2002);
'Leonard Bernstein: In Love with Music' by Caroline Lazo (Twenty-First Century Books 2002).
Authority research: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Collections: LOC.
Book stores: Canada;
Europe; USA:
1,
2,
3.
Other profiles: Deutsch: 1,
2;
English: archived: 1,
2;
encyclopedic: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
exhibition;
history;
musical: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
radio: NPR,
WNYC;
university;
French: 1,
2;
Italian;
Russian: 1,
2;
Spanish.
Bernstein conducts a number of his own pieces below. He also plays piano. Leonard Bernstein 1965 For boy soprano Poznan Philharmonic Choir Conductor: Leonard Bernstein 1989 Last composition Staatsopernballett Wien 1944 Ballet RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Leonard Bernstein Recorded 1945 Composer: Maurice Ravel 1931 Orchestre National de France Piano: Leonard Bernstein Performance: 1975 Composer: Beethoven 1796 Vienna Philharmonic Piano: Leonard Bernstein Performance: 1970 Piano Concerto 17 in G major 1 AllegroComposer: Mozart 1784 K 453 Piano: Leonard Bernstein Wiener Philharmoniker Piano Concerto 17 in G major 2 AndanteComposer: Mozart 1784 K 453 Piano: Leonard Bernstein Wiener Philharmoniker Piano Concerto 17 in G major 3 Allegrretto - Finale - PrestoComposer: Mozart 1784 K 453 Piano: Leonard Bernstei Wiener Philharmoniker 1937 The Australian Piano Trio Composer: George Gershwin 1924 New York Philharmonic Piano: Leonard Bernstein Performance: 1976 Composer: George Gershwin 1924 New York Philharmonic Piano: Leonard Bernstein Performance: 1976 'The Age of Anxiety' 1949 Revised in 1965 London Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Leonard Bernstein Performance: 1986 1977 Cello: Daniel Gaisford |
|
|
Born on 16 May 1919 in West Allis, Wisconsin,
Władziu Valentino Liberace
was neither a composer nor a virtuoso pianist, but he is of the period and
should be mentioned for one reason: stage. Liberace was himself a whole
opera, the performer in essence who happened, by the way, to play
piano. Albeit he used classical piano more to promote showmanship than
showmanship to promote classical piano, Liberace popularized classical music
to the degree that his name became a household word: no one has not
heard of Liberace, making him something requisite to this history. He began
playing piano at age four. By 1934 he was playing popular music in cabarets
and theatres. As Liberace was more an entertainer than a musician, composing
only one song so far as I know, although he wrote his own arrangements, it is neglected that he
wasn't entirely without talent at a keyboard. Wikipedia has him playing
Liszt at age twenty backed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra led by Hans
Lange on 15 January 1940 at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee. But he preferred
the response he received for popular music with which he spent the forties
building his career, adding classical pieces to his greater repertoire. He
began perfecting his act as an entertainer in 1944 in Las Vegas, adopted
'Liberace' as his stage name in 1945, also adding his trademark candelabrum.
Hit History has Liberace recording four titles as early as 1945 (unconfirmed): 'Tico Tico'/'I Don't Care' per Signature 15233 w 'I
Don't Care' composed by Liberace. 'Temptation/Traumerei' was issued in 1946
on Signature 15238
per Discogs,
MusikTitelDB and
RYM.
Robert Schumann's 'Tramerei' is misspelled 'Tramerel'
in places. By 1950 he had played in major cities throughout the States, and
performed for President Truman that year.
Music VF has his 'September Song' issued w 'I Want My Mama' on
Columbia 39709
arriving to the US Billboard chart at #27 in May 1952, not exactly Leroy
Anderson's 'Blue Tango' that reached #1 that year among others, but making a
presence. His 'Ave Maria' w
'Christmas Medley' issued on Columbia 48001 in 1953 sold
300,000 copies w his brother, George, conducting.
Liberace, however, never did well on the charts, despite issuing six gold
albums during his career. He otherwise broke the record in 1954
for the highest paid single classical performance, earning $138,000 at
Madison Square Garden. The next year saw him earning $50,000 a week at the
Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. He would earn a million a year on
stage performances alone. Television appearances would make
him a multi-millionaire. 'The Liberace Show' premiered in 1952
[Episode 1].
He released 'I Don't Care' again in 1952 on Columbia 39895 w 'I Miss You
So', George again conducting. 'Michael Robinson has 'The Liberace Show'
influencing young jazz pianist,
Bill Evans, who was about 23 years of
age while in the Army in 1952. Liberace became the first glitter rock star,
so to speak, reasoning that it wasn't so much for music as the show
that stages and television studios were built. As it was recognized that he took to
the stage to example classical piano pieces rather than perform masterpieces
of virtuosity, it was
largely irrelevant to address his performances as a music critic. More
germane criticism would have pertained to his exhibitions of the lavish, to
which classical music was rather more his coattail in the breeze. Something
like that occurred in 1956 when the 'Daily Mirror' (UK) published an article
by William Connor comparing Liberace to "fruit-flavored ... vomit". Thus he
came to coining the term “I cried all the way to the bank” when in June of
'59 he won his libel suit against the 'Daily Mail' worth £8,000 or about
$10,000. During that trial he stated that he was against practicing
homosexuality because it offended convention and society. Such obfuscations
of his homosexuality, however, would eventually be unsuccessful. A Roman
Catholic, Liberace obtained audience with another glamorous figure, Pope
Pius XII, in 1960. The "one-man Disneyland," as Liberace called himself,
also owned antique stores, a restaurant and published cookbooks. Though his
appearance in films had been limited, he was a money
magnet on stage, his shows in Las Vegas to earn him $300,000 a week. It was
1976 when he met Scott Thorsen [1,
2,
3] who upon turning eighteen the next year
became Liberace's companion. In 1982 Liberace ended their relationship, Thorsen to bring forth a palimony suit worth $113 million that was settled
out of court in '86 for about $95,000 in cash and assets. Liberace denied
being homosexual in that trial as well. He died soon
later of pneumonia complicated with AIDS on 4 Feb 1987, he at his home in
Palm Springs, California [obit]. The next year in '88 Dutton published Thorsen's book about his life w Liberace
titled
'Behind the Candelabra'.
That was reissued in 2013 after the 2012 release of the documentary film by
the same name w screenplay by Richard LaGravenese and direction by Steven
Soderbergh [1,
2]. References: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Audio: 1,
2.
Recordings of: Discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
select: 'Greatest Songs'.
Autobiographies: 'Liberace: An Autobiography' (Putnam 1973);
'The Things I Love' w Tony Palmer (Grosset & Dunlap 1976);
'The Wonderful Private World of Liberace' w Michael Segell (Harper and Row 1986):
Turner Publishing 2003.
Interviews: 'Good Afternoon' 1974.
Further reading by source: K.J. Evanslas,
FBI,
Google Groups,
Joan Kron,
Julia Molony.
Further reading by topic: financial;
gay rights and;
trivia: 1,
2;
Scott Thorson and.
Iconography.
Collections: Liberace Museum;
Yale.
Authority research: VIAF,
Worldcat.
Book stores: Canada;
USA: 1,
2,
3.
Other profiles: English: 1,
2;
Deutsch.
Liberace plays a typically abbreviated
version of a classical work in the first movement of 'Concerto 1' below,
which is actually 18 minutes long. Valentino Liberace 1952 'The Liberace Show' Movement 1 Allegro Composer: Tchaikovsky 1874-75 'The Liberace Show' 1983 1968 1982 1954 'The Liberace Show' With Nick Lucas Composer: Addinsell 1941 Released 1954 |
 Valentino Liberace Source: Obits In Orbit |
|
|
Born on 7 April 1920 in Varanasi, India, sitar player
Ravi Shankar began his music career in his youth as a dancer,
touring both Europe and India. He is not to be confused w Ravi Shankar, the
spiritual leader born in 1956. Shankar was a classical Indian musician who
became known in Europe and the United States through peripheral association with jazz and rock.
As a composer he was interested to combine both Eastern and Western methods.
Being from the other side of the globe got him placed into a new genre
called world music [1,
2].
Indian classical music [1,
2,
3] is naturally different from, though not altogether alien to, the
system developed in the West from out of Roman Catholic chant followed by
troubadours. Classical Indian music is far older whilst wrapped up in the Hindu
religion [1,
2,
3] that is several thousand years
ancient. It is classified into two systems being the northern Hindustani
[1,
2]
and southern Carnatic.
See also the musical forms, raga
[1,
2,
3,
4]
and tala [1,
2,
3,
4]. The Western guitar is not altogether unlike Shankar's
characteristic sitar [1,
2,
3;
instrument built for Shankar by Nodu Mullick
in 1961]. It was 1938 when Shankar gave up
dancing to study sitar, giving his first public performances the next year.
He began composing for the
[Indian People's Theatre Association: 1,
2] in 1945.
Shankar was music director for All India Radio
[1,
2] in New Delhi from
February 1949 to
January 1956. He has first recorded in 1949 for HMV Records in India, but
evidence is obscure. He
toured the Soviet Union in 1954, after which he began playing concerts in
Europe and the United States in 1956, the year he released his first long
play album,
'Music of India', consisting of 'Ahir-Bhairav', 'Simhendra-Madhyamam' and 'Jog'
[recording].
In 1962 he partnered Eastern musicians Kanai Dutta (tabla), Nodu Mullick (tambura)
and Harihar Rao (dholak) with jazz musicians
Bud Shank (flute), Dennis Budimir (guitar),
Gary Peacock (bass) and
Louis Hayes (drums) on 'Improvisations'
[1,
2], that including
'Improvisation on the Theme Music from Pather Panchali'
[recording]. In 1963 he issued 'Ravi Shankar' consisting of the ragas 'Hema-Bihag',
'Malaya-Marutam' and 'Mishra-Mand'. There has been a replication of that
issued as 'First LP Record | Pandit Ravi Shankar' although, per above, it
wasn't his first LP [1,
2]. Shankar became associated with Beatles member,
George Harrison,
in London in 1966, thereby arriving to fame in the Western hemisphere.
'West
Meets East' arrived in 1967 in collaboration w violinist, Yehudi Menuhin
(1916-99) ['Swara Kakali'].
They followed that the next year with 'West Meets East
Volume 2' on which
they perform a rearrangement of
Bartók's 'Sonata No. 1' for
violin and piano (pub 1799). Simon & Schuster published Shankar's autobiography, 'My Music, My Life', in 1968
prior to his performance at Woodstock in 1969. But with the exception
of
Harrison,
Shankar distanced himself from rock, disliking the venue which didn't mix
well w his
classical orientation (or figure Shankar just jumping w David Lee Roth).
'Concerto for Sitar & Orchestra' was commissioned by the London Symphony
Orchestra with which its premiere was recorded at London's Royal Festival Hall on 28
January 1971 w
André Previn directing
[*; 'Raga Khamaj' (Movement 1 of 4)]. Onomatopoeia published his 'Learning Indian Music: A Systematic
Approach' in 1979. The next year he issued 'Jazzmine'
[recording]. Between 1986 and 1992 Shankar served in the upper chamber
of the Parliament of India (Rajya Sabha). In 1990 he released an album with
minimalist,
Philip Glass, called
'Passages' [1,
2;
scores;
'Offering' (comp Shankar),
'Preshanti' (comp Shankar),
'Ragas in Minor Scale' (comp Glass)]. Shankar published his second memoir, 'Raga Mala'
[1,
2], with
Harrison as
editor, in 1997. The title reflects his 'Sitar Concerto No.2' called "Raga
Mala' which had been premiered back in April 1981 by the the New York
Philharmonic led by Zubin Mehta [Hollywood Bowl].
Discogs has Shankar w Mehta leading the London S O on HMV ASD 4314 issued in
1982. Shankar's last tour dates in Europe were in the United Kingdom in
2011. He gave his last concert at Terrace Theater in Long Beach, California,
in November of 2012, dying the next month in San Diego on 11 Dec
[obits: 1,
2,
3]. Having
released above sixty albums, Shankar was characteristically both Hindu and
vegetarian.
References: 1,
2,
3.
Compositions by genre.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
essential,
primer.
Discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
IMDb (film).
Documentaries: 'Between Two Worlds' 2001.
Interviews: 1968 ('Rolling Stone'),
1985,
1998,
2005 (on Indian classical music).
Further reading: Pandit Ravi Shankar Music Foundation:
1,
2;
love life of;
Grammy Museum;
Lily Rothman;
Shankar
on Indian classical music.
Iconography.
Other profiles: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
NPR Radio;
Wikipedia international:
Czech;
Deutsch;
Finnish;
French.
Per below, Shankar is the single composer on this page listed
chronologically per release date rather than alphabetically by title. Ravi Shankar 1956 Ravi Shankar 1960 Vocal: Lata Mangeshkar Anuradha Ravi Shankar 1964 Ravi Shankar 1969 Filmed live at Woodstock Ravi Shankar 1972 Album with Ali Akbar Khan Ravi Shankar 1977 Filmed live with John Mclaughlin Ravi Shankar 1979 Album Ravi Shankar 1980 Album Ravi Shankar 1990 Album with Philip Glass Ravi Shankar 1997 Album
|
Ravi Shankar Source: Vintage Guitar |
|
 Bruno Moderna Source: The Guardian |
Born on 21 April 1920 in Venice,
Bruno Maderna
was a modernistic composer heavy on exploration of electronics. Orphaned at
age four, he was raised by fashion designer, Irma Manfredi. He played violin
among other instruments as a child. As a prodigy he was conducting at age
twelve. He studied formally in Venice (1935-37 w Arrigo Pedrollo, 1940-42 w
Gian Francesco Malipiero, twelve-tone in 1948 under Hermann Scherchen), at
the Rome Conservatory (1937-40 under Alessandro Bustini) and Siena
(conducting in 1941 under Antonio Guarnieri at the Accademia Chigiana). His
young career had been interrupted for an undetermined period of time in 1935
when he'd been drafted into the fascist Italian Army to serve on tour
probably as a conductor. Going by the
B.R.A.H.M.S. database at IRCAM (see
BRAHMS below), it was while Maderna was at the Rome Conservatory from '37 to '40
that he finished 'Alba' in 1939, that a setting for voice and strings to a
text by Vincenzo Cardarelli. 'La Sera Fiesolana' ('Evening in Fiesole') was
also finished in '39, that for tenor and orchestra to a text by Gabriele
D'Annunzio. It was while studying under Malipiero in Venice from '40 to '42
that he completed 'Piccolo Concerto' in 1941. He finished 'Concerto per
pianoforte e orchestra' in '42 [*;
piano by Aldo Orvieto].
'Introduzione e Passacaglia: 'Lauda Sion Salvatorem'' for orchestra also
arrived in '42, not to premiere until after World War II in Florence on 3
April 1947. In 1945 Moderna joined the
antifascist Partisan Resistance only to be captured and sent to a
concentration camp for the remainder of World War II. BRAHMS doesn't have him finishing any
compositions in '43 or '44, but of the four listed in '46 one was his highly
regarded 'Requiem'
[interpretation by the Robert Schumann Philharmonie led by Frank Beermann:
1,
2].
Maderna became a professor at the Venice Conservatory from 1948 to '52. His first electronic foray per BRAHMS was 'Il mio cuore è nel sud' in
1949 in which he applied serial technique to jazz for a radio play written
by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi [1,
2].
The magnetic tape for that is since lost. The major portion of his oeuvre to
come consisted of electronic works, such as 'Dimensioni II ('Invenzione su
una voce')' in 1960 [analysis by Antonio Rodà 1,
2,
3;
voice by Cathy Berberian].
Writing several versions of 'Dimensioni', his first had arrived in 1952
per 'Musica su due dimensioni' for flute and percussion w a second version
of that for flute in 1958. Moderna's first of numerous versions of 'Hyperion' arrived in 1964, an
electronic rendering of poetry by Holderlin w phonemes by HG Helms
[1,
2;
voice by Dorothy Dorow w flute by Severino Gazzelloni].
Having taught in various
capacities during the sixties, Maderna also made multiple trips to the
United States for that among other reasons. One such trip in 1971 resulted
in his electronic 'Juilliard Serenade' for interpretation by the Juilliard
Ensemble as commissioned Juilliard School in New York
[Divertimento Ensemble directed by Sandro Gorli;
Kammerorchester des Saarländischen Rundfunks directed by Lucas Vis]. Maderna also served as
director of new music at Tanglewood in Massachusetts in 1972–73. Come the
electronic opera in one act, 'Satyricon', to the Holland Festival in
Netherlands on 16 March 1973
[Orchestra della Radio di Hilversum directed by Bruno Maderna 1973: 1/5,
2/5,
3/5,
4/5,
5/5;
Divertimento Ensemble led by
Sandro Gorli 1991].
Maderna's final work was non-electronic, the 'Concerto No.3' for oboe and
orchestra that premiered on 6 July 1973 at the Holland Fest in Netherlands
performed by the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra w Maderna conducting
[Heinz Holliger at oboe].
Maderna's first concerto for oboe had arrived in '63, his second in 1967.
He'd also written concertos for piano and violin. Maderna died in Darmstadt on 13 Nov 1973.
References: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Compositions: 1,
2;
alphabetical;
Chronological: French (BRAHMS),
Russian (Wikipedia),
Spanish (Wikipedia);
by genre: BRAHMS (electronic et al),
Musicalics,
RYM;
film,
jazz,
radio,
sceneries,
songs & marches,
television,
transcriptions.
Audio: 1969-1973 by various;
Classical Archives,
Naxos.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
select: 'Musica Elettronica' (magnetic tape 1956 to 1962);
'Oboe Concertos' w oboe by Fabian Menzel;
"Requiem' by the Robert Schumann Philharmonie w Frank Beermann.
IMDb (film).
Further reading: poetry and by Adelio Fusé; serialism and by Veniero Rizzardi:
1,
2.
See also Omaggio (Tribute) a Bruno Maderna.
Collections: Study Center on Bruno Maderna: 1,
2.
Bibliography (French).
Authority research: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Book stores: Canada,
Europe,
USA.
Other profiles:
English: 1,
2,
3,
4;
Espanol;
French;
Italian: 1,
2,
3,
4;
Russian.
Bruno Maderna 1972 NDR Symphonieorchester Hamburg Bruno Maderna Recorded live in Hamburg 1973 1948-49 Frankfurt Radio SO w Arturo Tamayo 1950 Frankfurt Radio SO w Arturo Tamayo 1958 Tape music 1962-63 Frankfurt Radio SO w Arturo Tamayo 1970 Sinfonieorchester des Südwestfunks Bernhard Klee 1964 C & O della RAI di Roma Bruno Maderna Recorded live in Rome 1966 1946 C & O del Teatro La Fenice di Venezia Andrea Molino 1954 Revised 1956 English Chamber Orchestra Bruno Maderna 1969 Ex Novo Ensemble Carlo Ambrosio |
|
|
Born on 21 July 1920 in
Isaac Stern
wasn't a composer, but as a violin virtuoso there is no avoiding him in a
history of modern classical music. Though born in Soviet Ukraine his parents
took him to San Francisco at fourteen months old [Wikipedia]. He enrolled at the San
Francisco Conservatory of Music [1,
2] in 1928. His public debut as a violinist was
in 1936 with the San Francisco Symphony [1,
2]. He met pianist,
Alexander Zakin, in
1940, with whom he would collaborate until 1977
[live performances 12 Feb 1967:
Brahms:
FAE Sonata: Scherzo
(Sonatensatz);
Mozart: Adagio K261,
Rondo K373]. Stern first performed in
Israel in 1949. His first tour of the Soviet Union arrived in 1951. In 1979
he visited China with pianist, David Golub. His autobiography, 'My First 79
Years', was published in 1999, written with Chaim Potok. Having also
conducted, Stern died on 22
Sep 2001 [obits: 1,
2,
3,
4, 5,
6;
estate].
His favorite violin had been the Ysaÿe Guarnerius made by the luthier,
Giuseppe Guarneri.
References: 1,
2.
Timeline.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
YouTube.
Discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Film: IMDb;
'From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China' (1979): 1,
2.
Speeches: C-SPAN 1992/1999;
Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv
1997
(on the creation of the state of Israel). Videography.
Bruce Duffie interview 1991.
Further reading by source: New York Times;
Terry Teachout.
Further reading by topic:
Leonard Bernstein and;
China and (David Stern [son]);
Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition 1,
2;
Mordecai Shehori and: 1,
2.
Iconography: 1,
2.
Book stores: Canada; USA:
1,
2,
3.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Other profiles: English: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
archived: 1,
2;
NPR Radio;
French: 1,
2;
Russian: 1,
2;
Spanish.
Stern plays with famed, though
much later, cellist, Yo-Yo Ma, in a couple pieces below. Isaac Stern Composer: Brahms 1887 Op 102 NHK Symphony Orchestra Kazuyoshi Akiyama Cello: Yo-Yo Ma Performance date: 1986 Composer: Schubert 1828 Op 163 D 956 With Pau Casals Performance: 1952 Composer: Lalo 1875 Op 21 5 movements Philadelphia Orchestra Eugene Ormandy Performance: 1956 Composer: Beethoven 1804 Op 56 London Symphony Orchestra Michael Stern Cello: Yo-Yo Ma Piano: Emanuel Ax Performance: 1992 Composer: Mendelssohn Op 64 1838 Revised 1844 1845 3 movement Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra Gary Bertini Performance: 1986 Composer: Sibelius Op 47 1903-04 Revised 1905 Philadelphia Orchestra Eugene Ormandy Performance: 1969 Composer: Bach 1720 BWV 1004 Solo 5 movements |
 Isaac Stern Source: Lois Siegel |
|
|
Elmer Bernstein
See
Elmer Bernstein. |
||
|
György Ligeti
was an Hungarian Jew born in Transylvania on 26 May 1923 in what is now Târnăveni, Romania,
to become a major avant-garde composer. Robert Cummings at AllMusic [Ref 2
below] has him beginning piano lessons rather late at age fourteen. Citing
Bauer & Kerékfy
w Hungarian Wikipedia [Comps below], Ligeti wrote an unfinished 'Sonatina' in E
minor for string quartet as early as 1938-39 at latest w a fair copy dated
20 March 1940. Such as an unfinished symphony of 1939-40, and a string
quartet in 1940 were followed by 'Four Early Piano Pieces' of 1941
[piano by Fredrik Ullén].
Ligeti's first published work arrived in 1942 per
'Kineret' for voice and piano set to text by Rachel Blovstein
[interpretation by
Júlia Fuzfa (mezzo-soprano w Csaba Király (piano)]. A regular Einstein doppelganger without a mustache,
Ligeti had begun formal studies
in music in Cluj in 1941, private instruction from Pál Kadosa in Budapest to
come in 1944. Upon Hungary becoming an Axis Power his
education was interrupted to spend World War II in a labor brigade for the
Horthy regime. Returning to his studies after the War, he graduated in 1949
from the Franz Liszt Academy of Music. Researching folk music in
Transylvania for a year, he then returned to the Academy as a teacher. Two
months after the Soviet suppression of the Hungarian Revolution in 1956 Ligeti fled to Vienna, then Germany where he worked with the Cologne
Electronic Music Studio. It was 1959 when 'Apparitions' arrived w its second
of two movements, 'Lento' and 'Agitato', containing Ligeti's first foray
into micropolyphony [1,
2;
interpretation
by the Berlin P O led by Jonathan Nott]. Micropolyphony
[1,
2,
3] was a texturally dense technique that
Ligeti pursued in his most famous works, notably his next to follow
'Apparitions' titled 'Atmospheres' premiering at the Donaueschingen Festival
by the SWF Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hans Rosbaud on 22 Oct 1961
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7;
interpretation
by the Sinfonieorchester Des Südwestfunks Baden-Baden led by Ernest Bour;
live performance by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France w
Alan Gilbert or
the Orquesta Filarmónica de Berlín w
Simon Rattle].
'Requiem' in four movements premiered in Stockholm by the Choir and
Orchestra of Swedish Radio led by Michael Gielen on 14 March 1965
[1,
2,
3;
live performance
by the Ensemble Intercontemporain led by Matthias Pintscher]. 'Lux Aeterna'
for mixed choir arrived in 1966 [1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
interpretation
by the A Cappella Amsterdam; live performance led by
Zoltan Pad,
Mathieu Romano
or
Nigel Short].
'Atmosphères', 'Requiem' and 'Lux Aeterna' are each highly regarded works in
themselves. But when Stanley Kubrick used them in the film, 'A Space
Odyssey', in 1968, thereat shifting Ligetti from the classical into the popular genre
as well, Ligeti's legacy was secured [1,
2,
3,
4 (scroll),
5,
6,
7,
8;
audio
(alt)]. Though Kubrick used original recordings
without Ligeti's permission, for which he was sued, he would draw upon
Ligeti for future films such as the psycho thriller, 'The Shining'
[1,
2,
3,
4], of 1980 in which Ligeti's 'Lontono'
of 1967 was employed [1,
2;
micropolyphony of;
interpretation by the Wiener Philharmoniker w
Claudio Abbado
or the SWF Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden w
Ernest Bour;
live performance by the Azerbaijan State Symphonic Orchestra
w
Rauf Abdullayev].
Ligeti never wrote a film score per se, his works only transferred to film. Ligeti became an Austrian citizen in 1968, the year
of his 'Continuum' dedicated to harpsichordist, Antoinette Vischer
[1,
2;
John McKean (live),
Justin Taylor (film),
Antoinette Vischer
(w score)]. Ligeti hardly required Kubrick or the film industry to make his
name as one of the more important composers of the period. Among his
numerous works sharing high review was 'Chamber Concerto' for thirteen
instrumentalists which saw its premiere complete in Berlin on 1 October 1970,
an earlier performance on 11 May in Vienna only in part
[1,
2,
3,
4;
interpretation
w score by the Schönberg Ensemble Reinbert de Leeuw;
live performance
by the Psaapha Ensemble w Nicholas Kok]. In 1973
Ligeti began teaching composition at the Hamburg Hochschule für Musik und
Theater [1,
2],
retiring in 1989. In the meantime his solitary opera,
'Le Grand Macabre',
premiered at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm on 12 April 1978 w
libretto by Michael Meschke and himself from Michel de Ghelderode's 'La
Balade du Grand Macabre' of 1934
[live performance
by the Symphony and Chorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu w Michael Boder et
al]. Ligeti completed Book 1
[1,
2] of
'Etudes' for piano
in 1986, his compositions for that instrument part reason for the high
stature that he occupies in classical music. "Etudes' consist of Books 1-3
loaded w Nos. 1-18. Book 1 is a cycle of six, the
first of which is No.1 'Désordre' ('Disorder') [1,
2;
Gestalt principles in;
interpretation w score by Idil Biret or
Giuseppe Andaloro;
live performance by Giuseppe Andaloro
or
Jenny Lin].
No.6 of Book 1 is
'Automne a Varsovie' ('Autumn in Warsaw')
[Idil Biret;
live performances by Alexey Chernov or
Jeremy Denk].
Ligeti's Book 2 of 'Etudes' was written from 1988 to '94, a cycle of 8
pieces being Nos. 7-14. No.8 is 'Fem' ('Metal') [piano by Pierre-Laurent Aimard (w score);
Christina McMaster (live);
score].
No.13 from Book 2 is 'L'Escalier du Diable' ('The Devil’s Staircase')
[1,
2;
live performances:
Pierre-Laurent Aimard,
Greg Anderson,
Sean Chen].
During that period Ligeti's 'Foreword' to Simha Arom’s treatise, 'African
Polyphony and Polyrhythm', saw publishing in 1991. Ligeti's Book 3 of 'Etudes' consisting of Nos. 15-18 arrived in 1995.
Among Ligeti's final works was 'Síppal, Dobbal, Nádihegedüvel' ('With Pipes,
Drums, Fiddles') in 2000 consisting of seven pieces addressing the poetry of
Sándor Weöres [1,
2;
performances by the Amadinda Percussion Group w Katalin Károlyi (soprano):
2000 w score,
2006 live;
text].
Having also composed chamber works, particularly for strings, Ligeti died in
Vienna on 12 June 2006 [obits: 1,
2,
3,
4].
References. 1,
2,
3.
Chronologies: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Compositions:
alphabetical;
chronological: 1,
2,
3 (abbr),
Hungarian;
by genre: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
French,
Spanish;
solo piano.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
essential,
'Musica Ricercata'
(comp 1951-53 w premiere 18 Nov 1969 Sundsvall, Sweden).
Discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
Hungarian.
Film: 1,
2,
3,
Espanol.
Interviews: Monk Mink Pink Punk 1972-1997,
various 1972-2006,
Hans-Christian von Dadelsen March 1998,
John Tusa for BBC 1999,
various.
Further reading by source: Pierre-Laurent Aimard: 1,
2;
Arnowitt Website;
George Benjamin;
Zoltán Komor:
1,
2,
3;
GL Symposium;
Ádám Péterváry;
Polar Music Prize;
Searby Website;
Tom Service;
Gavin Thomas.
Further reading by topic:
piano etudes
by Tsong;
Manfred Stahnke (student) and: 1,
2.
Iconography.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Bibliography: 'György Ligeti's Cultural Identities' by Amy Bauer & Márton Kerékfy (Routledge 2017)
*;
analyses: 'Automne a Varsovie':
Townsend;
Tsong;
'Désordre': Haapamaki;
Kinzler.
Books/ documents/ scores: Gallica.
Collections: Paul Sacher Foundation.
Sheet music.
Book stores: Canada;
Europe;
USA: 1,
2,
3.
Other profiles: Czech;
Deutsch: 1,
2;
English: archived: 1,
2;
didactic: 1,
2;
encyclopedic: 1,
2;
musical;
Espanol;
Finnish;
French: 1,
2,
3;
Hungarian (Transylvanian): 1,
2;
Japanese;
Russian: 1,
2.
Gyorgy Ligeti East Carolina University Orchestra Virginia Governor's School Stephen Coxe 1966 Ensemble C Barré Sébastien Boin Cello: Alexis Descharmes 1995–2001 4 etudes Piano: Simon Smith 1974–77 Revised 1996 Opera Gran Teatre del Liceu English National Opera Opera di Roma Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie 1967 Stony Brook SO Eduardo Leandro 1966 A Cappella Amsterdam 1963–65 C & O of Sveriges Radio Michael Gielen 1989–93 New England Conservatory Contemporary Ensemble Director: John Heiss Conducting: Eric Hewitt Violin: Gabriela Diaz |
 Gyorgy Ligeti Source: BBC |
|
|
Born in 1924 in Venice,
Luigi Nono
was an avant-garde composer who
began taking piano lessons at age twelve. He commenced his musical education at the Venice Conservatory in 1941. He later
graduated from Padua University with a degree in law in 1947. Going by
the LN Foundation, he composed 'Due Liriche Greche' ('Two Greek Lyrics') for
mixed chorus and instrumental ensemble as early as 1948
[1,
2].
It was the career-advancing date of 27 August 1950 when Hermann Scherchen
conducted Nono's
twelve-tone 'Canonical Variations on the Series of Op. 41 by Arnold
Schoenberg' in Darmstadt [*;
interpretation
by the Sinfonieorchester des Südwestfunks w Michael Gielen]. Nono wrote
several titles in 1951, one of which was 'Epitaffio per Federico García
Lorca No.1'. That came in three parts titled 'España en el corazón' for
voice, 'Y su sangre ya comes cantando' for instruments and 'Romance de la
Guardia Civil española' divided into three parts titled 'Tarde', 'La guerra'
and 'Casida de la rosa' [*;
'Casida de la rosa'
from 'Espana en el corazon' (Part 3 of Part 3) by the Leipzig Radio C & SO
led by Horst Neumann]. His serial 'Composizione per orchestra' N. 1 also arrived in '51
[1,
2;
interpretation by
the Deutsches S O Berlin w Peter Hirsch]. Nono was an especially political composer, not a few
of his works specifically anti-fascist in message. Thus his early sympathetic
interest in the Spanish poet, Lorca, who had been assassinated
just after the beginning of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). The year that Nono became a member of the Italian Communist Party he composed 'Epitaffio per Federico García Lorca No.2'
toward premiere in Baden-Baden on 17 December 1952. Its three parts are
titled the same as 'Epitaffio No.1' above, again: 'España en el corazón', 'Y
su sangre ya comes cantando' and 'Romance de la Guardia Civil española'
[*;
audio].
Come 'Epitaffio per Federico García Lorca No.3' to Hamburg on 16 Feb 1953
[*;
Part 3 by the Leipzig Radio C & SO
led by Horst Neumann]. Though Nono found much in common with the
originator of twelve-tone composition (serialism),
Arnold
Schoenberg, he distanced himself from the aleatoric methods
(composition by chance) of John Cage.
He had even more in common w
Schoenberg
when he met the latter's daughter, Nuria, in Hamburg in March 1954 toward
their wedding in 1955 to settle in Venice and have two daughters. Schoenberg had already died by that time
in '51. Meeting Nuria had resulted in 'Liebeslied' to whom it was dedicated
in 1954 [1,
2,
3;
Wiener Jeunesse-Chor led by Günther Theuring w the Wiener Philharmoniker
led by
Claudio Abbado
* or the
Ensemble: SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart Percussions de Strasbourg w Marcus Creed
*].
'Il Canto Sospeso' ('The Suspended Song') arrived in 1956
[1,
2,
3,
4;
interpretation
by the Berliner Philharmoniker w
Claudio Abbado]. 'Composizione per
Orchestra' N. 2: 'Diario Polacco ’58' ('Polish Diary '58') arrived of
attending the International Festival of Contemporary Music in Warsaw that
year, now called Warsaw Autumn. During the sixties Nono addressed topics
like the dangers of both the nuclear age and capitalism, Nazi criminality
and the Vietnam War. The seventies brought his historical examination of
Communism in the opera, 'Al gran sole carico d'amore' ('In the great sun full of love'),
which premiered at the Teatro Lirico in Milan in April of '75 conducted by
Claudio Abbado. Also incorporating electronic tape, the libretto by
Yuri Lyubimov and himself refers to texts by Bertolt Brecht, Fidel Castro,
Che Guevara, Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin [1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
live performance
conducted by Claudio Abbado].
'Io, Fragment from Prometheus' w libretto by Massimo Cacciari arrived to
Venice on 24 September 1981, another electronic opera incorporating magnetic
tape [1,
2;
Prometheus].
'Quando Stanno Morendo: Diario Polacco N. 2' ('When They Are Dying: Polish
Diary N. 2') premiered in Venice on 3 Oct 1982
[1,
2,
3;
audio].
Come his electronic 'Prometheus: Tragedy of Listening' to the Church of San
Lorenzo in Venice in Sep 1984 [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
10,
11,
12,
13].
Nono's last composition was 'Hay que caminar': 'Soñando' ('You Have to Walk': 'Dreaming') for two
violins arriving to Milan on 14 Oct 1989 w Irvine Arditti and David
Albermann at violins [1,
2;
interpretation
by Désirée Pousaz & Andreas Kunz]. Nono passed away the next year on 8 May 1990
[obits: 1,
2].
References: 1,
2,
3.
Chronology.
Compositions: chronological: 1,
2;
by genre: 1,
2.
Song texts.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
YouTube.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
select: 'Luigi Nono'
(w 'Quando Stanno Morendo');
'Prometeo'.
IMDb (film).
Further reading by source: interviews w Nuria Nono (wife):
1999,
2014,
2015,
2016;
John Warnaby.
Further reading by topic: Luigi Nono Memorial Composition Competition;
musical space by Hyun Höchsmann.
Bibliography:
'Utopian Listening'.
Books/ documents/ scores: Deutsche National Bibliothek.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Book stores: Canada,
Europe,
USA.
Other profiles: Czech;
Deutsch: 1,
2.
English: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
French: 1,
2,
3.
Japanese.
Luigi Nono 1951 Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin Peter Hirsch 1983 Ensemble Diagonal 1960 Opera 1 act 2 parts Chor der Staatsoper Stuttgart Staatsorchester Stuttgart Risonanze erranti a Massimo Cacciaris 1986-87 Ensemble Experimental 1976 Tape collage with pianoMaurizio Pollini |
 Luigi Nono Photo: Grazia Lissi Source: Luigi Nono Archive |
|
|
Born on 26 March 1925 in Montbrison, France,
Pierre
Boulez
played piano as a child and studied at the Paris Conservatoire beginning in
1945 under
Messiaen. Boulez began examining twelve-tone
serialism about the same time
beneath
Schoenberg recruit,
René Leibowitz.
His catalogue begins, however, in 1945 w 'Douze Notations' ('Twelve
Notations') pour piano examined as an
approach to
Stravinsky's "realm of restriction" at Explore the Score
[1,
2,
3;
Boulez on: 1,
2;
interpretation by Pi-Hsien Chen
or
Antoine Ouvrard;
live performance by Gun Chaikittiwatana
or
Ran Dank].
'Trois Psalmodies' pour piano arrived in early 1945 as well. Peter
Nelson-King notes their similarity to
Messiaen
[piano by Yvette Grimaud].
'Variations' pour piano main gauche (left hand) was also of '45. Boulez'
first twelve-tone composition was 'Piano Sonata No.1' of 1946 which ended his
association w Leibowitz
upon the latter finding overmuch fault with his works [1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
piano by Idil Biret;
live performance by Matt Bengtson].
His twelve-tone 'Sonatine' for flute and piano was written around the same
time, later revised in '49 [1,
2;
Sophie Cherrier (flute) & Pierre-Laurent Aimard (piano) w
score;
live performances:
Jonathan Henderson (flute) & Carlos Sanchis Aguirre (piano)
*,
Jiro Yoshioka (flute) & Hiroshi Nagao (piano)
*].
Boulez' 'Piano Sonata No.2' was an iconoclastic approach to
Beethoven in which
he applied serial technique to multiple elements beyond pitch (such as
rhythm) [1,
2,
3;
piano by Maurizio Pollini].
Twelve-tone composers weren't the most popular on the globe, Boulez' serial
'Polyphonie X' for 18 instruments received w contempt at its premiere at the
Donaueschingen Festival in Oct of 1951. The work was nevertheless premiered
across the water in Los Angeles by Robert Craft in the autumn of '52 and had
been recorded a couple of times before Boulez withdrew
it from his catalogue [1,
2;
SWR Symphony Orchestra w Hans Rosbaud 1951,
Orchestra Alessandro Scarlatti w Bruno Maderna 1953].
It was about the time of Boulez' involvement w 'Polyphonie X' that he met
another of the major figures of his early career, that
John Cage
who was in Europe at the time. Boulez followed Cage back to New York City in
latter '51 but their approaches to aleatoric music (use of chance in the
composing and/or performing of) would elementally differ, Cage interested to
remove the composer altogether from compositions, Boulez preferring that a
composer be more evident in chance music. Upon returning to Europe, Boulez
finished his first electronic work using magnetic tape that was 'Deux
Etudes' written from '51 to '52 for Pierre Schaeffer's Groupe Recherche de
la Radiodiffusion Française. 'L'Orestie' for voice and ensemble was
incidental music to Jean-Louis Barrault's 1955 stage production of Aeschylus' 5th
century BC trilogy titled 'Oresteia'. Boulez performed his serial 'Piano
Sonata No.3' for the first time at the Darmstädter Ferienkurse in Cologne in
1958. Consisting of five movements (called formants by Boulez), 'No.3' was
an examination of open form in "perpetual expansion"
[1,
2,
3;
piano by Idil Biret: Formants I-IV,
Formant V;
Christina Petrowska;
live performance by James Iman]. Open form refers to
the freedom that performers are given to interpret a work
[1,
2,
3].
Resonance [1,
2,
3] was of central concern to 'Eclat' of 1965
[1,
2,
3;
Ensemble InterContemporain conducted by Boulez
w IRCAM at the Festival D'Automne December 1981 (recording);
Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Simon Rattle
at Royal Albert Hall, London, Proms 2016 (live)]. Boulez had made his conducting debut in the United States in 1965 leading the
Cleveland Orchestra, remaining principal guest conductor until February
1971. He succeeded Colin Davis as principal conductor of the BBC Symphony
Orchestra in '71 to 1976 when Rudolf Kempe took the helm. He also served as
artistic director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra from '71 to 1978.
He began teaching at the College de France in 1976 where he instructed to as
late as 1995. He also founded the Ensemble Intercontemporain [1,
2]
in '76 which he led until '78 when Peter Eötvös took over. During that period
he opened IRCAM [Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique-Musique:
1,
2;
BRAHMS] in 1977, having been assigned the project of building an
institute for the scientific study of music, sound and electro-acoustical
art by President Georges Pompidou back in 1970 [1,
2]. IRCAM
would simplify the laborious taping process in electronic music through
computerization as well as assist in concert performances. 'Répons' ('Dialogue') was Boulez's first composition using IRCAM, that premiering at the Donaueschingen Festival on 18 Oct 1981. The
theme of response in the work occurs largely between acoustic and electronic
sound via speakers placed in strategic locations in the concert hall
[1,
2,
3;
performances by the Ensemble Intercomporain w Boulez:
Salzburg Festival live 1992,
Tokyo Bay live 1995,
Paris recording 1996;
Ensemble Intercomporain w
Matthias Pintscher live 2015;
score].
Like 'Eclat" twenty years earlier, Philippe Albèra
describes resonance to again be the primary concern of Boulez' 'Dérive 1' ('Deviation 1') for six instruments first performed in London on 30 Jan 1985
[1,
2;
recording
by the Ensemble Intercontemporain w Pierre Boulez 1984; live performances by
the Ensemble Intercontemporain w Pierre Boulez,
the Stony Brook Contemporary Chamber Players w Eduardo Leandro,
the Ensemble Offspring w Roland Peelman;
score].
'Dérive 2' for eleven instruments arrived in 1988 toward revisions in 2002
and 2006 [1,
2;
live performance by the Ensemble Intercontemporain w
Pierre Boulez or
the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra w
Daniel Barenboim;
score].
Forwarding the calendar into the nineties, Boulez' 'Anthèmes' for violin
arrived in 1991 toward revision in '94
[violin by Eric Rynes;
live performance by Elissa Cassini].
'Anthèmes II' for violin and live electronics followed in 1997
[1,
2;
live performance by Michael Barenboim w live electronics by IRCAM].
Boulez' 'Incises' ('Interpolations') for solo piano had first been performed
at the Umberto Micheli Piano Competition for which it was written on 21
October 1994. Like 'Répons' and 'Dérive 1', Boulez employed the Sacher
hexachord to compose the pitch of 'Incises' which he revised in 2001
[Version 2001 w David Ezra Okonsar at piano].
'Sur Incises' followed at Usher Hall in Edinburgh on 30 August 1998 by the
Ensemble InterContemporain conducted by David Robertson
[Ensemble InterContemporain with:
Pierre Boulez (recording 1999);
Matthias Pintscher (live 2017):
score].
Boulez' final composition was 'Une Page d’Éphéméride' for piano in 2005. "Éphéméride" refers to (events of) a section of astronomical time alike a
page selected or removed from a calendar
[piano by Hidéki Nagano;
live performance by Hayk Melikyan]. Boulez
died at home in Baden-Baden on 5 January 2016 [obits: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8].
References: 1,
2,
3.
Compositions: chronological: Akademie der Künste,
BRAHMS,
CUNY,
France Musique,
Universal Edition,
Wikipedia:
French,
Japanese;
by genre: BRAHMS (electronic et al),
Musicalics,
RYM.
Authorship.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4;
select: 'Œuvres Complètes | Complete Works' by various (Boulez, Ensemble InterContemporain, et al) on Deutsche Grammophon 2013:
review;
'Repons' by the Ensemble InterContemporain w Boulez on Deutsche Grammophon 1998.
Videography (YouTube) .
IMDb (film).
IBDB (Broadway).
Documentaries: 'Tribute' by the Cleveland Orchestra 1995;
'Eclat | Sur Incises' 2000: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Iconography:
1971.
Interviews w Boulez: KPFA-FM San Francisco 16 February 1986
*;
Bruce Duffie 20 February 1986 & 26 October 1987
*;
Jorge Lima Barreto 1987
*; Andy Carvin for WNUR-FM Chicago 14 November 1993
*
(alt);
Wolfgang Schaufler for Explore the Score May 2012
*.
Interviews w various: George Benjamin 2015,
Gerard McBurney 2016.
Further reading by source: Jean-Louis Barrault;
PB Project; DW World: 1,
2;
Laurent Bayle presented by Marie-Aude Roux;
Tom Service.
Further reading by topic: the 'Anthèmes';
the 'Incises';
numbered piano sonatas;
reviews;
as a student of Messiaen and Leibowitz.
Bibliography: 'Open Form and Two Combinatorial Musical Models' by Sluchin & Malt;
'Pierre Boulez and the Foundation of IRCAM' by
Peter O’Hagan.
Collections.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Book stores: Canada;
Europe; USA:
Amazon,
Biblio,
Good Reads.
Other profiles: Deutsch;
English: cultural (French);
encyclopedic: 1,
2,
3;
musical: 1,
2,
3,
4;
radio: BBC,
NPR;
French: 1,
2;
Japanese;
Portuguese;
Russian;
Spanish.
Pierre Boulez 1970 Unfinished Ensemble Intercontemporain 1945 Piano: Pierre Laurent-Aimard 1953–55 Revised 1957 Ensemble intercontemporain 1976 For 7 cellos D'Addario Orchestral 1980 Revised: '82 '84 Ensemble Intercontemporain 1948 Revised: '50 '58 '65 BBC Symphony Orchestra Pierre Boulez Sopran: Elizabeth Atherton I: 1951–52 II: 1961 Both for 2 pianos Pianos: Alfons & Aloys Kontarsky |
 Pierre Boulez Source: AFO |
|
 Luciano Berio Source: Bach Cantatas |
Born on 24 Oct 1925 in Oneglia, Italy, experimental composer
Luciano
Berio
was taught piano by his father who was an organist. He was conscripted into
the Italian Army during World War II, then entered Milan Conservatory in
1945. War injuries to his hand prevented him from becoming a pianist so he focused on
composition. Following the Centro Studo Luciano Berio
website,
Berio is traced to as early as 1947 per 'Quattro Canzoni Popolari' for
female voice and piano, not premiering until 1952 by himself w
mezzo-soprano, Cathy Berberian, for whom he wrote it [1,
2;
interpretation
by Maria Eleonora Caminada (soprano) & Yuko Ito (pianoforte)].
'Petite Suite'
for piano was also written in 1947 to premiere in 1948 [piano by Andrea Bacchetti]. It was upon his visit to the United States in 1952 that he
became interested in serialism. It was in 1955 Milan that Berio helped found the electronic
music studio, Studio di Fonologia [1,
2,
3,
4,
video], also publishing the
annual electronic
music periodical, 'Incontri Musicali',
from 1956 to 1960. In the meantime his first of fourteen Sequenzas
[1,
2] arrived
to Darmstadt in 1958 titled 'Sequenza I' for flute performed by Severino
Gazzelloni [flute by Nora Shulman'].
'Sequenza III' for female voice was written in 1965 for Berberian (above)
[1,
2,
3,
4,
note by Berio;
interpretation by Tony Arnold or
Barbara Hannigan;
live performance by Laura Catrani or
Sarah Maria Sun]. 'Sequenza
XIV' arrived 44 years later in 2002 for violoncello
[live performances by Darrett Adkins,
Éric-Maria Couturier,
Zlatomir Fung]. 'XIVb' is an
arrangement for double bass written by Stefano Scodanibbio toward a
collaborative comp for cello and double bass which realization was preempted
by Berio's death [1,
2;
double bass by Scodanibbio]. Backing up to 1960, Berio
became composer in residence at Tanglewood (summer home of the Boston
Symphony Orchestra since 1937) in Massachusetts, also teaching at the
Dartington International Summer School. He began instructing at Mills
College in Oakland, California, in 1962. 'Folk Songs' of various countries
arrived in 1964 again with Berberian (above) in mind with whom he premiered
them in Oakland that year [1,
2,
3,
4,
note by Berio;
audio with vocals by Cathy Berberian (Berio directing) or
Stella Doufexis (Gourzi conducting);
live performance by Andreas Schmidt (Gourzi conducting) or
Sage DeAgro-Ruopp
(Kim conducting)]. Berio became a professor at
Juilliard in 1965, where he founded the Juilliard Ensemble to address
contemporary music. Sometimes symphonies are a revealing way to follow a
composer's career. With Berio one hasn't that option since among numerous
orchestral works he conceived only one called 'Sinfonia' commissioned
for the 125th anniversary of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra which premiered it
w the Swingle Singers in NYC on
10 Oct 1968 w Berio conducting [1,
2,
3,
4;
audio w score of Berio conducting Movements I-IV and
Ludovic Morlot conducting Movement V;
live performance
by the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra led by Christian Baldini]. From 1974 to 1980 Berio directed the electro-acoustic
division of IRCAM in Paris [1,
2]. In the meantime he
premiered his 'Coro' for forty voices and forty instruments on 24 Oct 1976
conducting the WDR Rundfunkorchester Köln w the WDR Rundfunkchor Köln
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
note by
Berio;
Berio conducting the Radio Symphony Orchestra Cologne w Herbert Schernus directing the Radio Chorus Cologne
Oct 1979:
I-VIII,
IX-XX,
XXI-XXVII,
XXVIII-XXIX,
XXX-XXXI].
Berio established Tempo Reale in 1987 in Florence
to research electronic music [1,
2,
3,
4].
'Continuo'
for orchestra premiered on 30 Nov 1989. His
'Rendering' that premiered in Amsterdam in April 1990 was a symphonic work
based on
Schubert's
unfinished 'Symphony No.10' in D major
[1,
2,
3,
4,
note by Berio;
interpretations by the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi w Riccardo Chailly or the Orchestre de Paris w
Christoph Eschenbach;
live performances by the Stagione Sunfonica w
Luciano Berio or
the Orquesta Sinfónica de Radiotelevisión Española w Aldo Ceccato]. Becoming Composer in Residence at Harvard in
1994, his 'Continuo II' for orchestra titled 'Ekphrasis' arrived in 1996
[Berio directing the Radio Sinfonie Orchester
Frankfurt 1997;
Peter Eötvös
directing the Göteborgs Symfoniker]. Berio became President of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa
Cecilia [1,
2] in 2000. A prolific composer
whilst thought to be an atheist, Berio died on 27 May 2003
while hospitalized in Rome
[obit].
His publisher had been Universal Edition
[1,
2].
References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Chronologies: 1,
2.
Compositions:
alphabetical;
chronological: 1,
2,
3;
by genre 1,
2;
see also international sites below.
Authorship.
Song texts.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8, Internet Archive:
1,
2.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4;
select: 'The Complete Sequenzas & Works for Solo Instruments' by
various;
'The Complete Works for Solo Piano' by David Arden;
'Coro' by the Norwegian Soloists’ Choir & Radio Orchestra w Grete Pedersen;
'Sinfonia' | 'Ekphrasis'' by the London Voices w the Göteborgs Symfoniker conducted by Peter Eötvös.
IMDb (film).
Documentaries:
'Folklore Privé' directed by Edna Politi 1984.
Videography.
Iconography: 1,
2.
Further reading by source: interviews:
Bruce Duffie 1993;
nmz;
Tom Service;
John Whiting.
Further reading by topic:
students of;
television ('C'è musica & musica').
Books/ documents/ scores:
1,
2,
3,
4.
Bibliography.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Other profiles: Czech;
Deutsch;
English: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Francais: 1,
2,
3.
Italian: 1,
2;
Japanese;
Spanish.
Luciano Berio 1960 For voice, harp and 2 percussion Ensemble Itinéraire 1959 Juilliard Ensemble 1961 Revised 1965 For voice & orchestra Orchestra della RAI di Roma Luciano Berio Voice: Cathy Berberian 1961 Tape music w voice Voice: Cathy Berberian 1958 For flute Flute: Sophie Cherrier 1963 For harp Harp: Yinuo Mu 1965 For voice Voice: Cathy Berberian 1966 For piano Piano: Florent Boffard 1966 For trombone Trombone: Dave Day 1967 For viola Viola: Christophe Desjardins 1969 For oboe Oboe: Heinz Holliger 1977 For violin Violin: Jeanne-Marie Conquer 1980 For clarinet Clarinet: Gleb Kanasevich 1984 For trumpet & piano resonance Trumpet: Håkan Hardenberger 1988 For guitar Guitar: Andrea Monarda 1995 For fagotto (bassoon) Fagotto: Pascal Gallois 1995 For accordian Accordian: Domenico Sciajno 2002 For cello Cello: Benjamin Glorieux 1968 Recorded live 1997 Swingle Singers Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Direction: Luciano Berio 2003 Baritone: Dietrich Henschel Orchestre de Parisdiretta Christoph Eschenbach 1: Notturno 1993 2: Sincronie 1964 3: Glosse 1997 4: Quatuor No 1 Arditti String Quartet Recorded February 2002 |
|
|
Born on 22 Nov 1925 in New York City,
Gunther Alexander Schuller
had studied at the St. Thomas Choir School, first picking up flugelhorn and
flute. At fifteen ('43) he was playing professionally with the American
Ballet Theatre, followed by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra from '43 to
'45. He had composed 'Concerto No. 1 for Horn and Orchestra' in '43 to
premiere in 1945 in Cincinatti with that orchestra. Schuller next joined the Metropolitan Opera
Orchestra with which he kept until 1959. While with that organization
Gunther married pianist, Marjorie Black, in 1948 with whom he remained
through two children until her death in 1992. Gunther made his first
recordings with Miles
Davis in March 1950, appearing on 'The Birth of the Cool' in 1957
('Rocker', 'Deception', 'Darn That Dream', 'Moon Dreams'). In 1955 Schuller
formed the ensemble, the Modern Jazz Society, with pianist,
John Lewis,
releasing 'The Modern Jazz Society Presents a Concert of Contemporary Music'
the next year. Addressing the fusion of classical music with jazz, Schuller
coined the term "Third Stream"
[1,
2,
3] in 1957
during a lecture at Brandeis University in Massachusetts. Works which
example what Schuller meant by Third Stream are such as 'Transformation'
('57), 'Concertino' ('59), 'Abstraction' ('59) and 'Variants on a Theme of
Thelonious Monk' ('60). It was 1959 when Schuller ceased performing to focus
on composition, teaching and writing, albeit he continued conducting. During
the sixties Schuller became president of the New England Conservatory. He
began serving as a director for the Tanglewood Music Center in 1965 (summer
home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Lenox, Massachusetts). 1968 saw the
publication of his tome, 'Early Jazz'. He was Artistic Director
for the Tanglewood Music Center from 1970 to
1984, creating the Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music. An
orchestration of
Scott Joplin's
opera, 'Treemonisha', premiered in 1975 in Houston [*].
The next year he acquired a Laurel Leaf Certificate of Appreciation from the
ACA (American Composers Alliance). In 1989 he recorded his
highly regarded 'Phantasmata' [1,
2,
3] performed by the duo,
Marmolin, that issued in
'97 w Nancy Zeltsman at marimba and Sharan Leventhal on violin. In 1991 Schuller
published his book, 'The Swing Era'. He was also recipient of a MacArthur
Foundation genius award (grant) that year, making him a MacArthur Foundation
Fellow. In 1993 he became Artistic Director for the Northwest Bach Festival
in Spokane Washington, holding that position until his death. In 1994 he
drew a Pulitzer Prize for 'Of Reminiscences and Reflections' premiering 2
Dec of 1993 in Louisville, Kentucky, w the Louisville Orchestra. The NEA
(National Endowment for the Arts) named Schuuler a Jazz Master in 2008. The Boston
Symphony premiered his 'Where the Word Ends' in 2009. His memoir, 'A Life in
Pursuit of Music and Beauty', got inked in 2011 by U of Rochester Press
[1,
2]. Schuller died on 22
November 2015 in
Boston of leukemia [obits: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8].
References encyclopedic: 1,
2,
3;
musical: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Compositions: GSS (182 classical-relevant).
Sessions:
Lord (81 jazz-relevant).
Catalogs: 45Cat,
AllMusic,
Discogs,
RYM,
Wikipedia.
Schuller in visual media.
Reviews.
Criticism: Ethan Iverson.
Major institutional affiliations.
Interviews: Bruce Duffie 1981/88;
NEA 2008;
Steve Schwartz 2008
(pdf);
Frank Oteri 2009;
NPR 'Weekend Edition Sunday' 2009;
Marc Myers 2010: 1,
2,
3,
4; Ethan Iverson 2010: 1,
2; NAMM 2011.
Books authored by Schuller: 1,
2.
Further reading: Anthony Cheung;
IHS;
WBUR: 1,
2;
Logan Young.
In 'Variants on a Theme by Thelonious Monk' below,
Schuller references
Monk's 'Criss Cross', thought to have been first recorded in
1951. Gunther Schuller Composed 1959 This release 1961 Album: 'Jazz Abstractions' Alto sax: Ornette Coleman Composed 1996 This release 1998 Radio Philharmonic of Hannover Director: Gunther Schuller Concerto No 1 for Horn & Orchestra AndanteComposed 1945 This release 1994 Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra Director: Richard Todd Recorded 1950 Released 1957 Album: 'Birth of the Cool' Miles Davis Nonet Schuller: French horn Vocal: Kenny Hagood Composition: Jimmy Van Heusen Lyrics: Eddie DeLange Arrangement: Gerry Mulligan Recorded 1955 Released 1956 Album: 'The Modern Jazz Society Presents' Schuller: Arrangement/French horn Composition/Piano: John Lewis Recorded 1955 Released 1956 Album: 'The Modern Jazz Society Presents' Schuller: French horn Composition/Piano: John Lewis Recorded 1950 Released 1957 Album: 'Birth of the Cool' Miles Davis Nonet Schuller: French horn Composition: MacGregor/Mercer Arrangement: Gil Evans Symphony for Brass & Percussion Op 16 Composed 1950Summit Brass Conducting: Gunther Schuller Composed 1957: Russell/Schuller Piano: George Russell Conducting: Gunther Schuller Variants I & II Composed 1960 With Ornette Coleman & Eric Dolphy 1961 album: 'Jazz Abstractions' Variants III & IV Composed 1960 With Ornette Coleman & Eric Dolphy 1961 album: 'Jazz Abstractions' Variants III & IV Composed 2007 WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne Conductor: Semyon Bychkov |
 Gunther Schuller Photo: Murdo MacLeod Source: Jazz Wax |
|
 David Tudor Photo: NEW WORLD RECORDS Source: Chicago Reader |
Born on 20 Jan 1926 in Philadelphia,
David Eugene Tudor
was an avant-garde composer who began to study piano w Irma Wolpe and
composition with
Stefan Wolpe in 1944. Though a pianist,
Tudor's first professional employment was as an organist. After piano, the
second thing to know about Tudor is electronics which were his musical
realm. The third thing to know about Tudor is Indeterminate composer,
John Cage, with whom he began to work as a pianist at Black Mountain College
[1,
2] in North Carolina in 1951. Tudor was a
major interpreter of Cage with whom he collaborated on multiple works. Going
by the David Tudor Pages and Pytheas (below),
his first composition of 1952 at Black Mountain goes without title. 'The
Whole World - The Run: The Juggleress' was performed at Black Mountain on 24
August 1953. By its description as "19th century piano music selected by
David Tudor" it sounds like an arrangement. Tudor made his first journey to
Europe in 1954. He taught at the Darmstädter Ferienkurse from 1956 to 1961.
In the meantime, his first composition arrived as his realization of Cage's chance work, 'Solo for Piano for Indeterminacy'
performed at the International World's Fair in Brussels on 9 Oct 1958. It
was 1960 when he met future collaborator, George Mumma
[1,
2,
3,
4], while performing w Cage
in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Mumma contributed to 'Reunion' in '68, 'First Week
of June' in '70 and '52/3' in 1972. Tudor collaborated w
Lowell Cross [1,
2] on numerous works beginning w 'Bandoneon!'
('A Combine') premiering in NYC for '9 Evenings' [1,
2,
3] in October 1966 w Cross
projecting video images [audio].
Tudor initially worked w
dancer, Merce Cunningham [1,
2],
on
the electronic work,
'Rainforest', their first to merge music w choreography debuting in Buffalo,
New York, on 9 March 1968 [1,
2;
audio].
Driscoll & Rogalsky examine 'Rainforest' in
terms of resonance [1,
2,
3]. In 1969
Tudor designed the electronic music
studio at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, India
[*].
In 1970 Tudor joined Cross (above) and Carson Jeffries in the creation of
the exhibit, 'Video Laser II'. Come 'Rainforest II' to Radio Bremen on 5 May 1972. 'Untitled'
was another work for live electronics that followed on 8
May for Radio Bremen, later revised in 1982 [audio].
Come Rainforest III' in 1973. Tudor was a founding member of Composers Inside Electronics (CIE)
as of
1973 [1,
2,
3] w
which he collaborated on 'Rainforest iV' in 1976 [1,
2;
audio]. CIE interpreted Tudor for decades
to come until a self-performing sound installation was created by Arte
Alameda in Mexico City in 2009 called 'Rainforest V' ('Variation 1')
[1,
2,
3].
Backing up a little, Tudor's electronic 'Pulsers' arrived to the Festival
d'Automne in Paris in 1976 [recording].
'Video Pulsers' arrived to the Fort Worth Art Museum for television broadcast by KERA (Dallas) in 1977, shown w 'Brazos River'
composed by Tudor w choreographer, Viola Farber, and painter,
Robert Rauschenberg.
Tudor's 'Pulsers II' arrived to NYU in New York City in 1978. His last collaborations with Cross (above) were 'Laser Concert' of '79
and '80. 'Phonemes' was another collaboration between Cunningham at
choreography and
Tudor at live electronics first performed at the City Center Theater in NYC
on 24 March 1981 [recording].
The electronic sources for 'Dialects' are alpha waves and the beating of
insects' wings as the performer plucks a table sculpture of wire flowers
created by Jackie Mattise, first performed at Mills College in Oakland on 5
Oct 1985 [realization by Mark Trayle
2001]. 'Coeffcient:
Frictional Percussion and Electronics' was written for percussionist,
Michael Pugliese, w a feedback system that distinguishes between percussive
friction and percussive impact first performed at the Paula Cooper Gallery
in NYC on 26 Feb 1991. Upon the death of Cage in 1992
Tudor assumed his role as music director
for Cunningham's Dance Company. Their last work together was 'Soundings: Ocean Diary' performed in Bruxelles
on 17 May 1994 w Cunningham adding choreography to the electronic work that
Tudor had already premiered in January
[film by
Molly Davies of the Mercer Cunningham Dance Company w Tudor at his table].
'Toneburst: Maps and Fragments' is the last work to show up in Tudor's
catalogue, that a collaboration w visual artist, Sophia Ogielska, getting
performed posthumously in September 1996 at Wesleyan University in Connecticut
[1,
2,
3,
4;
discussion moderated by John Driscoll (CIE);
realization by John Adams]. Tudor
had died in Tomkins Cove, New York, on 13 August 1996 [obit].
References: 1,
2.
Compositions: chronological: DT Pages,
OAC,
Pytheas;
by genre.
Audio: 1,
2,
3.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4;
DT Pages: as composer,
as pianist;
select: 'The Art of David Tudor 1963 - 1992':
1,
2;
'From The Kitchen Archives No. 4' recorded '77/'78/'07 on Orange Mountain Music OMM-0046
*;
'Music for Piano';
'Neural Synthesis Nos. 6-9'
*;
'Three Works for Live Electronics':
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
liner notes;
'David Tudor' ('Rainforest');
'David Tudor | John Cage' ('Rainforest II' & 'Mureau')
*.
IMDb (film).
Sheet music.
Further reading by source: interviews:
Bruce Duffie 1986,
Matamoros & Frehling 1995;
Lovely (Tudor's label);
Michael Rosenstein.
Further reading by topic: collaborators: 1,
2:
John Cage:
at Black Mountain,
'Solo for Piano',
'Variations II';
CIE;
Gordon Mumma;
electronics: 1,
2:
neural network synthesizer;
Tudor's table for live electronics: 1,
2;
Tudor as pianist.
Bibliography: 'David Tudor's Apprenticeship: The Years with Irma and Stefan Wolpe' by
Austin Clarkson;
'Introduction: Composers inside Electronics: Music after David Tudor' by
Nicolas Collins ('Leonardo Music Journal' 2004).
Authorities research: VIAF,
Worldcat.
Collections: Getty: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
Daniel Langlois Foundation: 1,
2;
OAC.
Other profiles:
Catalan;
English: 1,
2,
3,
4.
David Tudor 1954-55 For piano Piano: David Tudor Recorded 1960 Versions 1-4: 1968-73 Electronic 1973 Electronic piece First recorded 1973 This release 1978 Neural Syntheses 1-9: 1992-1994 For neural network synthesizer Recorded 1993 1970 Electronic Recorded 1976 |
|
 Hans Henze Source: Arts Journal |
Born in Gütersloh, Westphalia, on 1 July 1826,
Hans
Werner Henze
had been enrolled in the Hitler Youth as a child. He began formal training
in music in 1941 in Braunschweig. His father, a World War I vet, died at the
Eastern Front in World War II before Henze was himself conscripted in 1944,
only to be captured by the British. Deutsch, English and Spanish Wikipedia
have Henze composing several titles as early as 1945 either lost or
withdrawn, the latter being 'Kleines Quartet' for oboe, violin, viola and
cello, and 'Sechs Lieder'. In 1946 he enrolled into Heidelburg
Univerisity, the year BRAHMS (below) picks him up with his first works
published by Schott, 'Kammerkonzert' pour piano, flûte et cordes, and
'Sonatine' for violin and piano ['Sonatine'
by Ginevra Petrucci (flute) & Bruno Canino (piano)]. Henze composed ten
numbered symphonies from 1947 to 2000.
Due to a surprising problem with illegible scores the premiere of 'Sinfonia No.1'
in 1947 was a helter-skelter affair in which only one movement saw
performance. The work not performed completely until the next year, it is
thought Henze's first composition in which twelve-tone serial method
[1,
2]
was
employed
[1,
2;
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken directed by Henze 1976:
Movements 1 & 2,
Movement 3].
'Sinfonia No.2'
is a twelve-tone work that saw its first performance on 1 December 1949 in Stuttgart by
the South German Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hans Müller-Kray
[audio].
Henze started conducting for ballet in 1950 at the Hessisches Staatstheater
in Westbaden. His 'Sinfonia No.3' was premiered at the Donaueschingen Festival on 7
October 1951 by the South German Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hans
Rosbaud [1,
2;
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin led by Marek Janowski 2010].
Henze works were largely atonal until leaving Germany for Italy in 1953
where he lived on the island of Ischia until Jan of 1956 when he headed for
Naples to absorb a Neapolitan way of doing things. Come 'Sinfonia No.4' ('Stag Party') in 1955 though it wasn't premiered until
9 Oct 1961 at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin by the Berlin Philharmonic
Orchestra conducted by Henze [1,
2]. In 1958
Henze completed 'Kammermusik' in Greece, a setting to Friedrich Hölderlin's
'In Lieblicher Bläue' of 1808 which premiere was recorded minus its final
'Adagio' on 26 Nov 1958 in Hamburg
[recording]. Its 'Adagio' wasn't performed until
December of 1963. Henze taught composition at the Mozarteum in Salzburg from
'62 to '67. In the meantime the premiere of 'Sinfonia No.5' was recorded at Avery
Fisher Hall Lincoln
Center for the Performing Arts on either 16 [BRAHMS] or 18 May 1963 by the New York
Philharmonic Orchestra, by which it had been commissioned, led by
Leonard Bernstein
[1,
2,
3;
recorded premiere].
Henze began
teaching in the U.S. in 1967 at Dartmouth University in New Hampshire. As a
Marxist member of the Italian Communist Party, Henze wrote music to
political themes such as 'Das Floß der Medusa' ('The Raft of Medusa') dedicated to Che Guevara which
intended premiere on 9 Dec 1968 at the Planten un Blomen Hall in Hamburg was
preempted by riot between Communists and anarchists that police were called
in to quell. Aborted before the music got started, it was finally performed
at the Musikverein in Vienna on 29 January 1971
[1,
2,
3]. Be as may, prior to the
cancelled premiere Henze had conducted the Sinfonieorchester des
NordDeutschen Rundfunks in a recorded dress rehearsal
(1968). Henze conducted the premiere of
'Sinfonia No.6' for two chamber
orchestras at the University of Havana on 26 November 1969 w 3 Parts of
several movements each. He recorded it w the London Symphony Orchestra 1972
[Part 1 No.3 of 5 'Meno Mosso',
Part 2 No.3 of 6 'Largo',
Part 3 No.1 of 4 'Piu Messo'].
It was 1971 when Henze finished his first three electronic works, one of
which was incidental music for 'Der langwierige Weg in die Wohnung der
Natascha Ungeheuer' ('The Tedious Way to Natascha Ungeheuer's Place')
premiering w the
Gunter Hampel Free Jazz Group among others on 17 May 1971
at the Teatro Olimpico in Rome. 'The Tedious Way' is a work incorporating
jazz w libretto by Chilean poet, Gaston Salvatore, cautioning against
bourgeois socialist propaganda [1,
2;
No.9 of 11 'Geodesy'
(premiere)]. Henze
founded the Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte in Montepulciano in 1976, a summer school for actors, artists, musicians and the like
[1,
2]. He taught
composition at the Cologne Music School from 1980 to 1991, also establishing
workshops and festivals in Austria during the eighties. His first trip to
the United States was made in 1983, meeting Cop, the same year he met Fausto
Moroni in Rome, his queer partner for the next twenty-four years. Henze's
'Requiem' that was a set of nine Sacred Concertos had been begun in 1991
toward their premiere on 24 Feb 1993
[interpretation
by the Ensemble Intercontemporain w Matthias Pintscher]. His
'Sinfonia No.7'
saw its recorded premiere by the Berliner Philharmoniker under Gianluigi
Gelmetti on 1 Dec 1984 [Berliner Philharmoniker led by
Gianluigi Gelmetti 1984;
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra led by
Simon Rattle].
Henze's 'Sinfonía No.8' was premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra,
which had commissioned it, on 1 October 1993, that led by Seiji Ozawa
[1,
2;
interpretation by the Gurzenich Orcherster Koln w
Markus Stenz].
Henze's 'Sinfonía No.9' in nine movements was for chorus and orchestra w a text by Hans-Ulrich Treichel based on Anna Seghers' 1942 'Das Siebte Kreuz' ('The Seventh
Cross') concerning an attempted escape from the Westhofen concentration camp
through which only six of seven lived. That premiered in Berlin on 11
September 1997 by the Berlin Radio Choir and Berliner Philharmoniker
conducted by Ingo Metzmacher in a performance recorded by EMI
[1,
2;
interpretations by the New York Philharmonic led by Kurt Masur 2001:
Movement 2 'Bei den Toten' ('Among the Dead'),
Movement 4 'Der Platane Spricht' ('The Plane Tree Speaks')].
Henze's final 'Sinfonia No.10' had been commissioned by Paul Sacher and
Simon Rattle. Henze dedicated the work to Sacher who died in 1999, Rattle to
premiere the first movement only with the City of Birmingham Symphony
Orchestra in March 2000. Rattle premiered the full work in Lucerne on 17
August 2002 [interpretation
by the Orchestre National de Montpellier con Friedemann Layer]. Deeper into
the new millennium Henze tuned in to opera again via his two-act
'Phaedre' premiering at the Berlin State Opera on 6 September 2007 w a
libretto by Christian Lehnert in reference to the Greek myth
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
audio w the Ensemble Modern directed by Michael Boder:
Act 1,
Act 2].
'Elogium Musicum'
of 2008 is a work for chorus and orchestra w a text by Franco Serpa which
Henze dedicated to his partner, Moroni,
who died of cancer the previous year [interpretation
of Movements 3 & 4 of 4 by the Concertgebouw Orchestra w Riccardo Chailly;
score].
'Gisela!: The Strange and Memorable Ways of Happiness' was an electronically
assisted work for stage w libretto by Henze, Christian Lehnert and Michael
Kerstan that was first performed on 25 September 2010 w conducting by Steven
Sloane. 'Gisela!' is the last composition listed in the Henze catalogue in
IRCAM's BRAHMS. Henze died a couple years later on 27 October 2012 in Dresden
[obits: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5].
References: 1,
2.
Chronologies: 1,
2,
3.
Compositions: alphabetical;
chronological;
by genre: BRAHMS,
Musicalics,
RYM,
Wikipedia,
symphonies;
Henze Stiftung
(Deutsch,
Italiano):
chamber;
concerti;
film;
incidental;
works lost;
orchestral;
radio plays;
theatrical:
ballets;
operas:
for radio;
for television;
for youth;
vocal works;
works withdrawn.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4;
select: 'Das Floß der Medusa' by the SWR Symphonieorchester w Peter Eötvös et al 2017:
1,
2;
'Das Floß der Medusa' by the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra w Ingo Metzmacher et al 2018; 'Hans Werner Henze' by the Scharoun Ensemble Berlin w Daniel Harding ('Kammermusik 1958' et al):
1,
2;
'Hans Werner Henze' by the Gürzenich-Orchester Köln w Markus Stenz ('Symphony No.8' et al);
'Henze' by the Orchestre National de Montpellier w Friedemann Layer ('Symphony No.10' et al):
1,
2;
'Der Langwierige Weg in die Wohnung der Natascha Ungeheuer':
1,
2;
'Violin and Viola Works' by Peter Sheppard Skaerved (strings) w Roderick Chadwick (piano).
IMDb (film).
Documentaries: 'Memories of an Outsider' directed by Barrie Gavin 2001.
Iconography.
Interviews: Bruce Duffie in Chicago November 1981.
Further reading: Eleonore Büning,
Martin Kaltenecker (BRAHMS),
Peter Petersen,
Tom Service (Guardian),
Imogen Tilden (Guardian).
Books/ documents/ scores: Gallica.
Bibliography.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Book stores: Canada;
Europe; USA:
1,
2,
3,
4.
Other profiles: English: 1,
2,
3,
4;
Wikipedia international:
Deutsch;
Italian;
Russian;
Spanish.
Hans Werner Henze 1947 Revised 1963 1991 2005 Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken Conductor: Hans Werner Henz Recorded live 1976 1947 Revised 1963 1991 2005 Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken Conductor: Hans Werner Henze Recorded live 1976 1955 Recorded 1966 Berlin Philharmonic Hans Werner Henze 1983-84 Berliner Philharmoniker Gianluigi Gelmetti 1997–2000 Orchestre National de Montpellier Friedemann Layer 1948 Op 13 Piano: Jan Philip Schulze 1971 Revised 1991 Recorded 1971 London Sinfonietta Hans Werner Henze |
|
 Notation Folio: December 1952 1954 Source: Marina Buj  Notation Folio II 1982 Source: Canisius College |
Born on 26 Dec 1926 in Lunenburg, Massachusetts,
Earle Brown
had initially been inclined to jazz. He studied engineering and mathematics
at Northeastern University before enlisting in the Air Force to be a pilot
in 1945. The war ended, however, while Brown was in basic, making a
trumpeter of him in the Army Air Force Band instead. He served in that
capacity alongside saxophonist Stan Getz.
From 1946 to '50 Brown studied at what is now the Berklee College of Music
in Boston. The Earle Brown Music Foundation lists his first composition
during that period as 'Home
Burial' of 1949, that a setting to a poem by Robert Frost for choreography
by Carolyn Brown commissioned by Carolyn Rice
[piano by Adam Tendler]. Upon graduating from
college in 1950 Brown moved to Denver for a short time before heading to New
York City in 1951 to assist
John Cage
with tape music, there to become a member of the loose affiliation of
artists, authors, dancers and musicians known as the New York School.
Brown's major claim to fame was his scoring of "sonic events" via graphic notation, be
they abstract w meaning conveyed via such as horizontal and vertical bars of
varying width, or calligraphic. His early graphic notation
for his initial open form composition (referring to performer choices), 'Twenty-Five Pages'
of 1953, is a structure for multiple elements such as mobility, page
sequence, time, et al [piano by
Sabine Liebner].
Scores would become more abstract by such as erasing stems. Come 'Folio' of 1954
[interpretations by various: 1,
2,
3]. His best-known piece
included in that is likely 'December 1952'
which graphic notation is top left [interpretations by various: 1,
2,
3].
'Four Systems' also arrived in 1954. Its graphic notation to the far is what
Brown called a "graphic situation" again defining such as mobility (possible
combinations) et al [interpretation by
Eberhard Blum (flute) w Steffen Schleiermacher (piano]. Brown worked as an editor and recording engineer for
Columbia from '55 to '60, then as a producer for Mainstream-Time Records
from 1960 to '73. His open form 'String Quartet' had been premiered on 16 October 1965
by the LaSalle String Quartet for which it had been written
[1,
2;
live performance by the
Callithumpian Consort or the
FLUX Quartet.
'Cross Sections and Color Fields' for orchestra arrived a decade later in 1975
[graphic notation].
'Folio II'
arrived w calligraphic graphic notation
in 1982,
one sample of which is to the bottom near. Catalogues list 'Special Events' for cello and
piano of 1999 as Brown's last composition [score]. He died of cancer in
Rye, New York, on 2 July 2002.
References for Brown: 1,
2.
Chronology.
Compositions: chronological: 1,
2;
by genre: 1,
2,
3.
Authorship.
Audio: 1,
2,
3, 4.
5.
Recordings of: discographies: 1,
2,
3, 4;
select: Contemporary Sound Series: 'A Life in Music'.
Further reading by source: Christopher Cox;
interview w Bruce Duffie 2002.
Further reading by topic: graphic notation: 1,
2,
3;
scoring graphic situations of mobility within continua
(alt);
indeterminacy and.
Bibliography:
'Beyond Notation: The Music of Earle Brown' ed. by Rebecca Kim (U of Michigan Press 2017):
review;
'Performer Choice and Earle Brown's 'String Quartet' (1965): The Formal and Aural Implications of Open Form' by
Bradley Green ('Indiana Theory Review' 2018).
Authority research: BNF,
Worldcat.
Other profiles: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
See also graphic notation:
The Guardian,
New Music Box,
See This Sound,
The Smithsonian,
Tumblr,
WFMU Radio,
Wikipedia. Earle Brown 1954 Flute: Eberhard Blum Piano: Steffen Schleiermacher 1953 For 1-25 pianos Interpreted for 4 pianos Steffen Schleiermacher 1961 Callithumpian Consort 1952 Cello: Frances-Marie Uitti Flute: Eberhard Blum Piano: Nils Vigeland 1952 Director: Earle Brown 1965 Callithumpian Consort 1970 Ensemble Proton Bern Matthias Kuhn 1963 Callithumpian Consort |
 Earle Brown Source: Sequenza 21  Notation 4 Systems 1954 Source: Graphic Notation |
|
Born on 22 August 1928 at the castle of the village of Mödrath near Cologne, Germany,
Karlheinz Stockhausen
was the son of wealthy farmer. His first formal piano lessons at the
cathedral in Altenberg would lead to a composing career that emphasized
avant-garde twelve-tone serialism,
aleatoric music
(chance music) and
electronics. After
Stockhausen's mother was gassed as a "useless eater" in 1941 he was drafted into the German Army as a stretcher bearer
in 1944. By the end of World War II his father had come up missing in action. After the War
Stockhausen studied at the Hochschule für Musik in Köln until 1951, during
which period his first compositions arrived in 1950. Referring to BRAHMS,
Pytheas, the KS Pages and Sounds in Space listed below,
'Chöre für Doris' ('Choruses for
Doris'), were settings to poems by Verlaine which Stockhausen wrote for his
bride to be, Doris Andreae, whom he married on 29 Dec 1951. Having four
children by Doris, they would divorce in '65 whence he married one Mary
Bauermeister in '67 toward two children and divorce in 1972. 'Chöre für
Doris' is No.1/11 in Stockhausen's numbering system, written as a fraction
since he regarded it as an early work of small significance [soprano by Irmgard Jacobeit;
scores;
'Die Nachtigal';
soprano by Antonia Marikhina].
'Drei Lieder' of 1950 is No.1/10 [1,
2].
'Choral' of 1950 is No.1/9 [1,
2].
Stockhausen's 'Kreuzspiel' No.1/7 is a serial work w a system
departing from
Schoenberg's called
"permutational"
written for oboe, bass clarinet, piano and four percussionists in 1951
[score]. Fractions
in the numbering of Stockhausen's early substandard works become
larger until 'Punkte' No.1/2 of 1952 which Stock withdrew, though he later
revised it for premiere on 20 October 1963 at the Donaueschingen Music
Festival by the Orchestra of the SWF conducted by
Pierre Boulez
[1,
2;
Version 1966 by the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra w Stockhausen:
Movements I-VI,
Movements VII-XII;
see 'Stockhausen' Deutsche Grammophon 2530 641 of 1976].
Stockhausen assigned his first mature work as 'No.1' (not fractioned) to
'Kontra-Punkte' ('Counter-Points') for ten instruments first performed on 26
May 1953 [1,
2,
3;
Solistes du Domaine Musical w
Pierre Boulez
1956;
score: 1,
2].
Stockhausen had begun to study under
Olivier Messiaen in Paris in 1952,
the same year of 'Étude' No.3, his initial electronic work (magnetic tape
for sound projection) first realized in '52 by Pierre Schaeffer at the
latter's studio [1,
2,
3;
realization by Pierre Schaeffer 1952].
In March of 1953 Stockhausen acquired employment at the electronic music
studio of the NordwestDeutscher Rundfunk (a German public broadcasting
system) as an assistant to Herbert Eimert. It was also '53 when he began to
lecture at the Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik in Darmstadt.
Lecturing and giving concerts were his main focus throughout his career.
From 1954 to '56 Stockhausen studied phonetics, acoustics and information
theory with Werner Meyer-Eppler at the University of Bonn. Along with Eimert,
he edited the music journal,
'Die Reihe', from '55 to '62 [1,
2,
3].
During that period his electronic 'Gesang der Jünglinge' ('Song of the
Adolescents') No.8 arrived to Radio Cologne on 30 May 1956
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7;
Stockhausen
performing at a considerably advanced table for the Polar Music Prize
Ceremony 2001]. Stockhausen founded Cologne Courses for New Music
in 1963. He taught at the University of Pennsylvania in 1965, then
at the University of California, Davis, in 1966-67. 'Stimmung' for six
vocalists and six microphones saw its first performance in part by the
Collegium Vocale in Cologne on 9 December 1968
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5]. Stockhausen directed a
recording of
the Paris version of 'Stimmung' in Cologne on 30 and 31 October of 1969
[discogs].
Paul Hiller conducted a recording of the Copenhagen version in 2003. Among the highlights of
Stockhausen's life was his participation for West Germany at the 1970 World's Fair in
Osaka which Pavilion he helped to design
w its spherical auditorium. Stockhausen began to replace his serial
technique with formula composing in 1970.
Though the method had been conceived back in 1951 per 'Studie für Orchester'
its first full expression didn't premiere until 18 Oct 1970 per his
electronic 'Mantra' for two pianists and Morse code
[1,
2,
3,
4;
recordings: Alfons & Aloys Kontarsky 1971,
Xenia Pestova & Pascal Meyer 2010].
Upon revising his earlier 'Studie für Orchester' in 1971, it got retitled to
'Formel' though remained catalogued as No.1/6 to indicate his earlier
invention of the formula method [Stockhausen
directing the Southwest German Radio S O date unknown;
score]. Stockhausen
had joined the
faculty at the Hochschule für Musik in Köln in 1971. Among Stockhausen's
most famous works is 'Licht: The Seven Days of the Week' consisting of a
cycle of seven operas [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
super formula]. Each opera is named after a day of the week
composed in the following order: 'Tuesday' 1977–1991
[1,
2],
'Thursday' 1978–1980 [1,
2],
'Saturday' 1981–1983 [1,
2],
'Monday' 1984–1988 [1,
2],
'Friday' 1991–1994 [1,
2],
'Wednesday' 1992–1998 [1,
2],
'Sunday' 1998–2003 [1,
2].
Lucifer was the theme of multiple works by Stockhausen, the first arriving w
multiple versions in 1981, one particularly for the opening scene of 'Saturday' titled 'Lucifer's Traum'
('Lucifer's Dream') also called 'Klavierstück XIII'
[1,
2,
3;
piano by Bernhard Wambach date
unknown; live performance by Nino Jvania 2010].
'Traum-Formel' for basset horn saw premiere by Suzan Stephens in Cologne at
the WDR Radio Grand Auditorium on 29 January 1983
[1,
2,
3;
basset horn by Suzanne Stephens or
Michele Marelli].
Another of Stockhausen's better known works is
'Helicopter String Quartet'
for four helicopters and string quartet first performed in 1995
[live performance by the Elysian Quartet 2012]. He
began 'Klang' ('Sound: The 24 Hours of the Day') in 2004, but lived long enough to complete
only 21 of 24 intended Hours [1,
2,
3;
'Ninth Hour' ('Hope'),
'Twenty-first Hour' ('Paradies': 'Paradise'),
excerpts from The Met 2006].
Stockhausen died of heart failure on 5 Dec 2007 at his home in Kürten,
Germany, this column but some foam from the numerous major events of his
career [obits: 1,
2,
3].
References: Wikipedia.
Chronologies: 1,
2.
Compositions: alphabetical: All Music;
Sounds in Space;
chronological: BRAHMS (IRCAM);
KS Foundation: 1,
2;
Pytheas;
soClassiQ;
Sounds in Space;
by genre: BRAHMS (electronic et al);
Musicalics;
RYM;
KS Foundation: choral,
ensemble,
individual instruments,
orchestral: 1,
2.
Song texts.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
Top Six.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
La Folia: 1,
2;
select: 'Complete Edition';
'Stimmung' by Singcircle w Gregory Rose 1983:
1,
2.
IMDb (film).
Documentaries: 'Music for a New World'
written and directed by Norbert Busè & Thomas von Steinaecker 2009.
Iconography.
Interviews: Maryvonne Kendergi 1958,
Special Radio 2005,
Réjean Beaucage Dec 2005,
Björk Gudmundsdottir unknown.
Further reading by source: Richard Barrett,
Holger Czukay,
Ralf Dombrowski,
Ivan Hewett,
Gillian Moore,
Tom Service.
Further reading by topic: 9/11 and: 1,
2,
3;
choral works;
films;
instrumentation: Heaven's Door;
lectures:
'Four Criteria of Electronic Music' 1972;
'Licht' opera cycle: 1,
2;
megalomania of;
extensive reviews (Menu: Recordings);
students of.
See also the Stockhausen Society.
Books/ documents/ scores: Gallica.
Sheet music.
Bibliography:
'Klang Bilder' pub by Verlag Kettler;
'Lucifer and Morality in Stockhausen's Opera Cycle 'Licht'' by Thomas Ulrich ('Perspectives of New Music' 2012);
'Stockhausen: Life and Work' by Richard Wolfson w trans. by Bill Hopkins (U of California Press 1973).
Authority research: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Book stores: Canada,
Europe,
USA.
Other profiles: Deutsch;
English: 1,
2,
3,
4,
NPR Radio;
French: 1,
2;
Italian;
Japanese;
Russian: 1,
2,
3;
Spanish;
Swedish.
'Donnerstag aus Licht', below, is an opera composed between
1977 and 1980. It was recorded in 1982 with the WDR Rundfunkchor Köln and
sopran, Annette Merriweather with Stockhausen conducting. Karlheinz Stockhausen 1955-56 Electronic music Live performance by Stockhausen 2001 'Klang': 2004-07 Hour 9: 2007 London Contemporary Orchestra 1958–60 Electronics: Gottfried Michael Koenig Karlheinz Stockhausen Percussion: Christoph Caskel Percussion & piano: David Tudor Released 1992 Licht: Luzifer's Tanz (Lucifer's Dance) 1981-83 Scene 3 of SaturdayOpera Recording unknown Licht: Luzifer's Traum (Lucifer's Dream) 1981-83 Scene 1 of SaturdayOpera Recording unknown 1964 Film by Francois Béranger 1966 1975–77 Opera Soprano: Annette Meriweather 2002 Electronic music Vibraphone: László Hudacsek 1979 Electronic music/opera Chor des Westdeuschen Rundfunks Karlheinz Stockhausen |
 Karlheinz Stockhausen Source: Logos Foundation |
|
 Henri Pousseur Source: David Byers |
Born 1929 in Malmedy,
Belgium,
Henri Pousseur
received training at academies in Liege and Brussels where he studied
twelve-tone method between 1947 and '52 [Wikipedia,
Le Monde].
'Sonatine' of 1949 pour piano which begins his catalogue at BRAHMS [Comps below] and
the HP Website was performed in Liege
by Marcel Druart in '50, apparently to the disfavor of
the Royal Conservatory. Pousseur is known to have attended a
Webern concert in
Brussels in 1950, prior to meeting
Pierre Boulez in Royaumont
in 1952 who thought
his 'Missa Brevis' of 1950 too like
Stravinsky
['Kyrie'].
Pousseur graduated from
the Brussels Conservatory in 1953 [Great Russian],
the year before his first of numerous electronic works [BRAHMS] titled 'Seismograms'
which composition Pousseur explains as an emphatic departure, in alliance w
Stockhausen,
from Paul Gredinger ['die Reihe' 1955 below]. His electronic 'Scambi' first
performed in Milan in May 1957 was written open form in sixteen paired
segments ("layers") for arrangement in any manner so long as the ending
characteristics of the last match the beginning characteristics of the next
[realizations: 1,
2].
Pousseur addressed the theme of Faust in eight works, the first titled'
Miroir de Votre Faust' performed in Berlin by Frederic Rzewski (piano) et
Joan Carroll (soprano) in 1965. 'Echo I de Votre Faust' for violoncello also
arrived in 1965. 'Jeux de Miroirs de Votre Faust' for piano and soprano
arrived in
1967 [recording
by Marcelle Mercenier (pianoforte) w Basia Retchitska (soprano); see also
1,
2].
His first work for orchestra, 'Couleurs Croisées' ('Cross Colors'), was written the same year for premiere in
Brussels by the RTB Orchestra in '68 conducted by Boulez. 'Votre
Faust' is a two-act fantasie opera that arrived to Milan on 15 January 1969
w a variable structure permitting the audience to democratically choose Act II from among
five possibilities
[1,
2,
3].
Come 'Écho de Votre Faust' pour voix de femme, flûte, violoncello et piano
arrived to Brussels in 1969. 'Les Voyages de Votre Faust' of 1970 was
electronic music w an aleatory
(chance) structure for theatre and film directed by Jean Antoine. 'Parade de Votre Faust'
was written for orchestra in 1974 [score].
'Tales and Songs from the Bible of Hell' saw its first performance in June
1980 by the ensemble, Electric Phoenix, by which it had been commissioned
together with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
[*;
Electric Phoenix;
text]. Pousseur directed the premiere of 'La Rose des Voix' in Namur on 6 August 1982, that a reworking of 'Couleurs Croisées' for
four speakers, four vocal quartets, four choirs and eight improvisational
instruments [recording
by Pousseur in collaboration w Michel Butor 1982; see also
Igloo IGL 028].
Pousseur began his four volumes of
'Méthodicare' in 1988, works of a
didactic nature for beginners through professionals on which he worked as
late as 2008 subtitled 'Studies of understanding, interpretation and
invention of contemporary music' [Tome I,
Tome II,
Tome III].
'Il sogno di Leporello' ('Leporellos Dream' or 'Leporello's Traum') is
'Parade 2 de Votre Faust' for orchestra premiering on 26 January 2006 in
Freiburg. In addition to above 100 compositions, Pousseur had taught at Cologne, Basel, SUNY Buffalo and in
Belgium, also publishing ten books on music theory before his death on 6
March 2009. He had left 'Stele in Memory of Pierre Froidebise' for clarinet
unfinished, that task left to Jean-Pierre Peuvion
[interpretation by Stephan Vermeersch 2020].
References for Poussier: 1,
2.
Compositions:
chronological;
by genre: BRAHMS,
Musicalics,
RYM; see also international websites below.
Authorship: 'Ecrits Théoriques' (aleatory composition) 1954-1967
Editions Mardaga 2004;
'Formal Elements in a New Compositional Material' 'die Reihe' 1955 (scroll);
'Méthodicare' (Tome I: Clavier);
'Série et Harmonie Généralisées' (composition) 1968-1998 Editions Mardaga 2009.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4;
Discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
IMDb (film).
Iconography.
Further reading: Pierre Bartholomée;
Pierre Boulez;
Grande Encyclopédie Larousse: 1,
2;
Helmut Lachenmann;
John Whiting: 1,
2;
Hans Zender.
Bibliography: 1,
2;
'Dynamic Programming Algorithms Applied to Musical Counterpoint in Process Composition' by
Cochrane & Gatherer.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Book stores: Canada,
USA.
Other profiles: Deutsch: 1,
2;
Francais: 1,
2;
Russian;
Spanish.
Henri Pousseur 1961 Piano: Steffen Schleiermacher 1960 Electro-acoustic tape music Piano: Marcelle Mercenier Sopran: Basia Retchitska 2005 Cello: Yvonne Timoianu Piano: Alexander Preda Quintette à la memoire d'Anton Webern 1955 Direction: Hans RosbaudRhymes for Different Sound Sources 1958 Electro-acoustic tape musicRome Symphony Orchestra Bruno Maderna Performed 1967 2000 Tape music 1961 Tape music |
|
| Born on 24 Oct 1929 in
Charleston, West Virginia, avant-garde composer,
George Crumb, wrote
his first composition as an adolescent in 1944 titled 'Two Duos' for flute
and clarinet [BRAHMS, Pytheas]. 'Piano Sonata' and 'Four Pieces' for violin
and piano followed in 1945. He began
to study at the Interlochen Arts Camp
[1,
2] in Michigan in 1947.
'Gethsemane', a work for small orchestra, emerged that year along w
'Three Early Songs' for voice and piano consisting of 'Night', 'Let It Be
Forgotten' and 'Wind Elegy' [live performances by:
Kennedy & Carter,
Newman & Rohlfing,
Niederloh & Ho,
Zaniboni & Ito;
text]. Crumb received his bachelor's in 1950 from the Mason College of Music in
Charleston. His master's followed in 1952 from the University of Illinois.
Crumb studied a little in Berlin and taught a bit in Virginia before moving
to Boulder to teach piano and composition at the University of Colorado in
1958. He earned his
Doctor of Musical Arts in 1959 from the University of Michigan. By that time
he'd written a couple of sonatas ('53/'55), a string quartet ('54) and an
unpublished 'Diptych' for orchestra in 1955. In 1959 he composed 'Variazioni'
for large orchestra which eventually premiered in Cincinnati on 8 May 1965.
BRAHMS [Comps below] identifies Crumb's initial electronic work as 'Five Pieces' for piano
w an amplification device, that premiering in Boulder on 12 February 1963 by
David Burge [live performance by Younkyung Rhea Kim].
Crumb began teaching composition at the University of Pennsylvania in 1965
where he would remain for decades, becoming Professor of Humanities in 1983
until his retirement in '97. Among his major works were his settings to
poetry by Federico García Lorca titled 'Madrigals'. Book I of 'Madrigals'
for soprano, double bass and vibraphone had been composed in '65 in Parts
I-III toward
premiere at the LOC (Library of Congress) in Washington DC on 11 March 1966
[live performance 2009].
Book II arrived in '65 in Parts I-III for performing w Book I in Washington DC
[interpretation of
Part I &
Part II by
Jan DeGaetani (mezzo-soprano) est. 1986]. Book III Parts I-III was
premiered on the other coast at the University of Washington in Seattle by
soprano, Elizabeth Suderburg, on 6 March 1970
[live performance by Tony Arnold].
Book IV Parts I-III arrived to Seattle w Book III [interpretation of
Part I by
Jan DeGaetani (mezzo-soprano) 1986?]. We need back up to '65 for 'Eleven
Echoes of Autumn' ('Echoes I') for alto flute, clarinet, piano and violin
[1,
2,
3,
4;
interpretation by the Ensemble für Neue Musik Zurich;
live performances by the Playground Ensemble 2009 &
the Schallfeld Ensemble 2013]. 'Echoes
of Time and the River' ('Echoes II')
was first performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Irwin
Hoffman at the University of Chicago on 26 May 1967
[interpretation by the Louisville Orchestra w Jorge Mester;
score].
'Echoes II' brought Crumb a Pulitzer in 1968. Among numerous electronic
works, 'Black Angels' for electrified string quartet saw performance by the
Stanley Quartet in Ann Arbor on 23 Oct 1970. 'Black Angels' comes in three
parts of several movements each titled 'Departure', 'Absence' and 'Return'
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
recording by the Miro Quartet 2003;
live performance by the Ensemble intercontemporain 2011].
'Ancient Voices of Children' Parts I-V w more poetry by Lorca arrived a week
later to the LOC on 31 Oct 1970 [1,
2,
3,
4;
'Todas las tardes' (Part 4 of 5].
Another electronic work, its premiere was
performed by the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble featuring Gilbert Kalish
(piano) w Jan DeGaetani (mezzo-soprano) and Michael Dash (boy soprano) who
recorded it in January of 1970 for Nonesuch Records [Side 1,
Side 2]. That's one of the best selling records in
20th century classical music at above 70,000 copies. See also live
performances w soprano by Justine Aronson,
Keren Motseri
or
Adrianne Pieczonka.
'Makrokosmos' was written in four volumes from 1972 to '79.
'Volume I' is a
cycle of Parts 1-3 each containing four signs of the Zodiac written for
amplified piano which premiered on 8 February 1973 in Colorado Springs
[piano by Laurie Hudicek 2002;
live performance by Alfonso Gómez 2009].
'Makrokosmos II' is also a cycle of Parts 1-3 for amplified piano addressing the twelve signs of
the Zodiac. That saw premiere at Alice Tully Hall in NYC on 12 November 1974
[piano by Laurie Hudicek 2002].
'Makrokosmos III' for two amplified pianos and two percussionists consists
of five movements dispensing with the Zodiac, titled rather 'Music for a
Summer Evening'. Its premiere preceded that of 'II' above, being held on 30
March 1974 at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania
[live performances at Pomona College 2011 &
Purchase College (Yarn/Wire Quartet) 2018].
'Makrokosmos IV' was written in four movements for amplified piano
four-hands w the title 'Celestial Mechanics' and was first performed by
Gilbert Kalish et Paul Jacobs on 18 Nov 1979 at Alice Tully Hall in New York
City [live performances with piano by Silvia Dabul & Lucas Urdampilleta
Sep 29 2011 or
Sarah Gibson & Thomas Kotcheff
23 May 2017].
'Star-Child' [1,
2] consisting of seven movements for soprano, antiphonal
(interacting) children's choir, spoken male choir with bells and large
orchestra had been commissioned by the Ford Foundation, the work requiring
four conductors for its premiere by the New York Philharmonic on 6 May 1977.
Revised in '79, 'Star-Child' won a Grammy twenty years later in 2001
for Best Contemporary Composition
[interpretation by Susan Narucki (soprano) w the Warsaw
Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Thomas Conlin for Bridge Records 1999:
Crumb at bells w Paul Cesarczyk]. Crumb had also written a few works for
guitar, his first titled 'Quest' in 1990 for performance w an ensemble of
soprano saxophone, harp, double bass and two percussionists. 'Quest' brought
Crumb a Cannes Classical Award in 1998 for the Best CD of a Living Composer
[1,
2;
guitar by David Starobin w Speculum Musicae 1996 for Bridge Records issued 1997; live performances w guitar by
Jordan Dodson 21 Nov 2014 &
Jacob Kellermann 13 May 2017].
Into the new millennium Crumb worked on his 'American Songbook' in Volumes
I-VII from 2003 to 2011. 'Volume I'
is titled 'The River of Life' consisting of
nine songs for soprano,
piano and percussion quartet of which 'Shall We Gather at the River?' is the first
[soprano by Ann Crumb (daughter) for Bridge Records 2003;
live performance by Lena Seikaly].
'American Songbook II' is called 'A Journey Beyond Time' consisting of
nine
songs for soprano, piano and percussion quartet premiered by Ann Crumb w
Marcantonio Barone at piano on 15 November 2003 at Trinity Center in
Philadelphia [baritone by Randall Scarlata 13 January 2015;
live performance conducted by Kyle Brightwell 2016].
'American Songbook III' ('Unto the Hills') consisting of
nine songs (shown
as eight at BRAHMS) had been
written before the first ('I'), also premiering first on 5 Oct 2002 by Ann
Crumb w the same configuration as above
[Ann Crumb for Bridge Records 2003:
No.3 'Ten Thousand Miles',
No.8 'The Riddle'].
'American Songbook IV' ('Winds of Destiny') arrived in 2004 w
nine songs for
the same configuration of soprano, piano and percussion. 'American Songbook
V' ('Voices from a Forgotten World') contains ten songs composed in 2006 for
voice, amplified piano and percussion quartet. 'American Songbook VI'
('Voices from the Morning of the Earth') also arrived w ten songs in 2006
for the same configuration w No.1 as 'My Lord, What a Beautiful Morning!'
[soprano by Ann Crumb Dec 2013
issued on Bridge 9445]. 'American Songbook VII' ('Voices from the
Heartland') w eight titles saw premiere on 28 Jan 2012 at Trinity Center in Philadelphia.
Crumb had also composed 'Spanish Songbooks I-III' from 2008 to 2012, those
titled 'The Ghosts of Alhambra' ('08), 'Sun and Shadow' ('09) and 'The Yellow Moon of
Andalusia' ('12) ['Farewell'
(5 of 5) from 'Spanish Songbook II' by Ann Crumb w Marcantonio Barone
(piano)
recorded July 27-28 2013].
Book I of 'Metamorphoses' for amplified piano was first performed and
recorded on 5
May 2017 by Margaret Leng Tan, that consisting of settings to
ten modern paintings
[recording
by Tan 21 October 2017 Germany; live performances by Gabi Sultana April 2020:
No.1 'Black Prince' (Paul Klee),
No.4 'The Fiddler' (Marc Chagall)].
Book II of 'Metamorphoses' was finished in 2019 w settings to ten more
paintings, but Covid-19 has delayed production as this is written. Crumb had
married one Elizabeth in 1949. Their daughter, soprano
Ann Crumb,
who was born in 1950, died on 31 Oct
2019. The Crumbs also parented
composer, David Crumb, born in 1962 [1,
2] and
Peter Crumb who works in media. Crumb
himself is the oldest composer in this history yet active, presently
residing in Pennsylvania w Elizabeth.
References: 1,
2.
Compositions: GC Website,
Edition Peters 2014;
alphabetical;
chronological: BRAHMS,
Pytheas;
by genre: BRAHMS,
Musicalics,
Pytheas.
Authorship.
Song texts.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
select: 'Ancient Voices of Children' by Jan DeGaetani (mezzo-soprano) w the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble conducted by Arthur Weisberg
*;
'The Complete Crumb Edition' 'Volumes I-XVIII' (Volume 19 delayed); 'George Crumb' ('Variazioni' |
'Echoes of Time and the River'):
1,
2,
notes;
'Madrigals';
'Madrigals' by Jan DeGaetani (mezzo-soprano) & Zizi Mueller (flute) w the University of Pennsylvania Chamber Players directed by Richard Wernick:
liner notes;
'Makrokosmos I & II' w piano by Yoshiko Shimizu;
'Makrokosmos I & II' w piano by Margaret Leng Tan:
1,
2,
3,
notes;
'Metamorphoses' (Book I) by Margaret Leng Tan.
IMDb (film).
Videography.
Iconography.
Further reading by source: interviews: Bruce Duffie 1988,
Marc Medwin 2009,
David Starobin for the LOC April 2011 (video);
Tom Purdom;
Tom Service.
Further reading by topic: augenmusik
(music for the eyes: graphic notation);
Library of Congress;
'Madrigals': 1,
2;
'Macrokosmos I & II' [Matthews];
performance history w the Boston Symphony.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Book stores: Canada;
Europe;
USA: 1,
2.
Other profiles: Deutsch;
English: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
NPR Radio;
Wikipedia international:
French;
Japanese;
Russian;
Spanish.
George Crumb 2001 'Unto the Hills' Director: Paolo Bortolameolli 1970 Filmed with Abraxas Quartet 'Echoes of Time and the River' Louisville Orchestra Director: Jorge Mester 1962 With score 1984 For orchestra Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra 1971 Penn Contemporary Players Mezzosoprano: Jan DeGaetani 1965 Flute: Chloe Schnell Percussion: Dori Raphael Soprano: Xing Xing 1972 Piano: Alfonso Gómez Filmed performance 1974 Director: Pablo Izquierdo 1955 Cello: Ketevan Roinishvili 1977 Revised '79 Warsaw Philharmonic C & O Conducting: Thomas Conlin Soprano: Susan Narucki 1947 This filmed performance: 2015 Seully Hall Boston Conservatory Piano: Michael Strauss Soprano: Samantha Schmid 'Voice of the Whale' 1971 This filmed performance: 2012 Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern Atlanta Chamber Players: Cello: Brad Ritchie Flute: Christina Smith Piano: Paula Peace |
 George Crumb Source: Michigan Live |
|
 Theo Loevendie Photo: Teo Krijgsman Source: Bimhuis |
Theo Loevendie
began his career as a jazz musician touring European jazz festivals. Among the more obscure musicians and composers on this page,
he began
his classical career in the latter fifties, about the time classical music
proper
began its decline as tastes moved to film, television, popular music and rock
n roll. Modern classical music sold a minor fraction as well. Another reason for his relative obscurity was his
professorship at various conservatories, education the major portion of his
career. Yet another cause that he isn't well-known in the United States was
his birth across the Atlantic on 17 Sep 1930 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Lovendie studied composition at
the Amsterdam Conservatory, but would also play clarinet and saxophone
(alto and soprano) as a jazz musician. As a classical composer Loevendie emphasized chamber and orchestra.
BRAHMS
at IRCAM begins Loevendie's classical catalogue with 'Twee Liederen op
Franse Tekst' ('Two Songs on French Text') in 1957. In 1958 he entered the studio to perform
alto sax with the Jacobs Brothers on 'Four' and 'You'd Be So Nice To Come
Home To', those appearing on the album, 'In Jazz', that year. In 1959 he is
found leading his orchestra behind vocalist,
Rita Reys ['The Nearness of You'
(Carmichael & Washington 1938)]. Come 'String Quartet' in
1961 followed in '64 by 'Three Pieces' for youth ensemble. 1966 found him
composing 'Confluxus' for both jazz and symphony orchestra. Loevendie is likely the best known for his jazz album, 'Stairs!', in 1967
with the Loevendie Three consisting of
Maarten Altena
(bass) and John Engels Jr (drums). He began teaching composition at the
Rotterdam Conservatory in 1970. The next decade would see the issue of
further jazz LPs with small formations: 'Mandela' recorded Dec '69,
'Chess!' recorded June '72 [1,
2],
'Theo Loevendie 4tet' recorded April '74 and 'Orlando' recorded Oct '77. He meanwhile published
classical works such as the fairy tale, 'The Nightingale', for narration w
seven instruments in 1974. His opera, 'Naima', surfaced in '85
from which he also pulled its 'Suite'
[interpretation by the Netherlands Ballet Orchestra w David Porcelijn].
The jazz LP,
'Theo Loevendie Quintet',
was recorded in December of '85. Loevendie exchanged the Rotterdam Conservatory
for the Royal Conservatory of Music in The Hague in 1988. He began teaching at the
Sweelinck Conservatory of Music in Amsterdam in 1995. Among titles composed
in '96 was 'Concerto' for piano and orchestra in 1996
[piano by Ronald Brautigam
w the Royal Concertgebouw directed by Riccardo Chailly]. Titles in '97
included such as 'Dome' for piano and 'Shuffle' for violin and piano.
'Violin Concerto' ('Vanishing Dances') arrived among other titles in '98. Among Loevendie's
most recent works was the opera, 'Rise of Spinoza', premiering on 11 Oct 2014 in
Amsterdam w libretto by himself
[1,
2; interpretation w Katrien Baerts at soprano]. Having toured both Europe and the United
States, Loevendie is among the oldest classical composers in this history
yet active at ninety years of age as this is written (Oct 2020).
References: Wikipedia.
Classical compositions: chronological;
by genre: BRAHMS,
RYM;
instrumentation.
Audio: Deezer,
Muziekweb,
Presto.
Recordings of: discographies: Discogs,
Loevendie Website;
select: 'Bayram' w the Kristina Fuchs Sonic Unit; 'Erik Bosgraaf AND Theo Loevendie' on Brilliant Classics 95906.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3.
Wkipedia international: Dutch,
Francais,
Italiano,
Spanish.
Theo Loevendie 1997 1972 LP: 'Chess' 1998 Opera 1979 Hague Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Peter Eötvös1967 LP: 'Stairs!' Music for Bass Clarinet and Piano 1971 1986 1986 Orchestral suite 1959 With Rita Reys 1996 2014 Opera 1974 For percussion
|
|
| These histories little
address composers whose chief occupation was creating music for film or
television, that a genre all to itself. Though popular music for the screen
has its origins in classical music, they weren't classical composers in
especial who created for that new medium.
Henry Mancini, for instance, was
of a jazz background.
John Towner
Williams
(not to be confused with the classical guitarist born 1941) was
among exceptions, having
also produced a strong number of concertos and works for chamber as well as
orchestra. He also composed jazz, but they are his film scores for which he
is famous. He would be at home for that reason in the
Popular genre, but to include him here while
treating his film scores as a branch of classical is equally proper. Born on 8 Feb 1932 in Floral Park, New York, he began to study
piano at age eight before moving with his family to Los Angeles. Williams studied at the
University of California, Los Angeles, as well as privately with
Castelnuovo-Tedesco. BRAHMS begins Williams' classical catalogue w
'Piano Sonata' of 1951, not identified just when and never performed. He was drafted into the Air Force in 1951,
arranging and conducting the Air Force Band until discharged in 1954
[*]. He composed his first film
score during that period for the tourist information office of Newfoundland,
'You Are Welcome', to be recorded for the film by the Northeast Air Command
Band in 1952 [1,
2,
3,
4;
film].
Pytheas [below] appears to have him writing for television as well during
that period, citing 'Today' in '52 and
'General Electric Theater' [1,
2] in
'53. Entering Juilliard in 1955, he
studied piano while working as a jazz pianist in New York clubs. He also
first worked with
Henry Mancini
during that period. Williams attended the Eastman School of Music before
returning to Los Angeles where he began working for film studios as a
pianist. His first feature film score for the silver screen followed in 1958
with 'Daddy-O' [1,
2]. He
rolled out the sixties with scores for 'I Passed for White'
[1,
2] along
with 'Because They're Young' [1,
2]. Williams' 'Prelude and Fugue' incorporating
jazz arrived in 1965 [recording
by the Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra led by Stan Kenton 1965; see also
Capitol MAS 2424].
'Essay for Strings' also emerged in '65
[audio'].
Williams' first Academy Award
nomination was for 'Valley of the Dolls' directed by Mark Robson in 1967 in collaboration w
André
and Dory Previn [1,
2,
3;
'Theme'].
Williams' first Academy Award of
five was for 'Fiddler on the Roof' w
direction by
Norman Jewison in 1971,
Williams' adaptations from the musical of 1964 w music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by
Sheldon Harnick and book by Joseph Stein
[1,
2,
3;
'4'].
'Flute Concerto' of 1969 was William's initial of numerous concerti for
various instruments, that not premiering until 1981 by the Saint Louis
Symphony led by Leonard Slatkin. William's first score for
director, Steven Spielberg,
was in 1974, 'The Sugarland Express', that Spielberg's directorial debut
[1,
2]. He
acquired his second Academy Award for Spielberg's 'Jaws' released on 20 June
1975 ['Shark Theme': live performance by the Film Symphony Orchestra conducted by Constantino Martinez
or
the Boston Pops conducted by Williams;
soundtrack]. Williams has scored
all but four of Spielberg's films,
including 'E.T.' of 1982 for which he received
his fourth Academy Award
['Flying' from the soundtrack]. His first score
for George Lucas
had been 'Star Wars' in 1977
which brought him his third Academy Award
[Wagner and].
Williams has directed nine 'Star Wars' films since then to as late as
Episode IX, 'The Rise of Skywalker', in 2019 [Episodes (Wikipedia):
I '77,
II '80,
III '83,
IV '99,
V '02,
VI '05,
VII '15,
VIII '17,
IX
'19]. Along the way he composed such as the score to
Richard Donner's 1978 'Superman' [1,
2;
'Superman March'
(original soundtrack theme performed by the London S O conducted by Williams)]. In 1980 Williams succeeded
Arthur Fiedler as principal conductor of the Boston Pops, which
capacity he held until 1993 [1,
2,
3]. He has since conducted on occasion as Laureate Conductor.
Wiliams scored all four of the 'Indiana Jones' films directed by Spielberg w
the fifth episode directed by Kasdan and Fogelman currently in delayed production
as this is written (Oct 2020)
[Episodes (Wikipedia):
I '81,
II '84,
III '89,
IV '08;
'Raiders March' (main theme by the Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Sir Simon Rattle 28 June 2015)].
Williams arrived to his fifth and thus far last Academy Award for 'Schindler's List'
in 1993 again directed by Spielberg and featuring violinist, Itzhak Perlman
[live performance of 'Theme' by Simone Lamsma;
by Perlman: w Gustavo Dudamel 2014,
w Williams
(date unknown)]. Among numerous classical fanfares, 'Variations on Happy Birthday' surfaced
at Tanglewood in Massachusetts by the Boston Symphony conducted by Williams
on 23 July 1995 [Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles directed by Williams Dec 1999; Boston Symphony directed by
Williams at Tanglewood 2012].
'Happy Birthday to You'
is disputably credited to Patty and Mildred Hill as of 1893. After the
turn of the century William's scores appeared in films directed by Bryon
Singer titled 'X-Men' in 2000 [1,
2]
and 'X2' in 2003 [1,
2]. Williams
also scored the first three of eight
'Harry Potter' films in
2001,
2002 and
2004.
'Music for Brass' pour ensemble de cuivres
(brass band) et percussion arrived on 12 June 2014 by the National Brass
Ensemble for which it was written [live performance
by the US Marine President's Own conducted by Lt. Col. Jason Fettig on 14
Dec 2016]. 'Scherzo' pour piano et orchestre saw performance in Peking,
China, by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Chine w conducting by Long You and
Lang Lang at piano on 1 July 2014 [1,
2;
premiere recording].
Having scored above 100 cinematic works and more than 200 for television, Williams is yet active as of this writing (Oct
2020) as the recipient of
innumerable film and television awards both in Great Britain and the United
States [1,
2;
3].
References: 1,
2.
Compositions: film,
by genre,
television;
IRCAM B.R.A.H.M.S.: chronological,
by genre;
Pytheas: chronological,
concerti,
film & tele,
by
genre;
Wikipedia: concerti,
film,
Olympic games,
et al;
JW Website: classical by genre,
film,
tele.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Recordings of: Billboard ranking;
discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
45Cat:
w the London S O;
45Worlds: w the Boston Pops;
CDs;
cinema;
w the London S O: CDs,
vinyl;
vinyl;
select: 'Fiddler on the Roof' (original soundtrack):
1,
2;
'A Tribute to John Williams: An 60th Birthday Celebration' *.
IMDb
(film).
Interviews: Alex Ross 2010,
Bruce Handy 2015,
Juliet Simon 2015,
Col. Larry Lang 2016 (video).
Further reading by source: The Conversation,
JW Fan Network.
Further reading by topic:
'The Adventures of Tintin';
family;
piano works;
'Star Wars' themes.
Sheet music.
Bibliography:
'John Williams's Film Music' by Emilio Audissino (U of Wisconsin Press 2014); 'A Musical Biography of John Williams' by
Tom Barton (Mall Productions 2013).
Other profiles: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
John Williams 1993 'The Five Sacred Trees' London Symphony Orchestra Bassoon: Judith LeClair 1969 London Symphony Orchestra Flute: Peter Lloyd 2009 'On Willows and Birches' Boston Symphony Orchestra Shi-Yeon Sung Harp: Ann Hobson-Pilot 1996 London Symphony Orchestra Ronald Feldman Trumpet: Arturo Sandoval 1975 Main theme to the film 'Jaws' Boston Pops Orchestra 1993 Soundtrack 2012 Soundtrack Chicago S O & C 1981 From the film 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' 1993 Main theme New World Philharmonic Iain Sutherland Violin: Tasmin Littl 1977 Soundtrack theme Boston Pops Conducting: John Williams 1987 1: Ballroom Scene 2: Devil's Dance Piano: Jonathan Feldman Violin : Gil Shaham |
 John Williams Source: WMAC |
|
 Claudio Abbado Source: Flo'n the Go |
Claudio
Abbado
was a conductor rather than composer. But among the major figures of the
modern period his presence was too significant to here neglect. Born
in Milan on 26 June 1933, Abbado's father was a violinist who taught at the Giuseppe
Verdi Conservatory. He thus learned piano as a child at home, his mother a
pianist. His father's position at the Conservatory early lubricated his
Abbado's entry into the musical culture of Milan. He attended performances
at La Scala and orchestral rehearsals, meeting
Leonard Bernstein at age fifteen. Abaddo studied piano,
composition and conducting at the Milan Conservatory, graduating in 1955 in
piano. He spent time at a couple other academies in Vienna and Siena before
his conducting debut in 1958 in Trieste. He first conducted at La Scala in
1960. His first visit to America was as an assistant to
Leonard Bernstein, his American debut occurring in April 1963
conducting the New York Philharmonic. His first performance with the London
Symphony Orchestra followed in 1966, the same year he made his debut with
the Berlin Philharmonic. He debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 1968 with a
performance of
Giuseppe
Verdi's 'Don Carlo' [Abbado
conducts the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala in Milan w Bruno Prevedi as Don Carlo
7 Dicembre 1968]. Abaddo became principal conductor at La
Scala in 1969, its director in 1972. He became musical director for the
city of Vienna, as well as the Vienna State Opera, in 1986, then founded the
Wien Modern Music Festival in 1988. Abbado took the Gustav Mahler
Jugendorchester to South America in 1999, the same year of the release of
'Verdi | Abbado' on Deutsche Grammophon 4196222
[1,
2].
Abbado had first recorded with pianist, Martha Argerich, back in 1967
w concerti by Prokofiev
and
Ravel
[*].
Their release of 'Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3' on
Deutsche
Grammophon in 2004 won a Grammy in 2005. Abbado died on 20 January of 2014 in Bologna
and was buried in Switzerland
[obits: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
NPR Radio].
Like
Bernstein, Abbado had been a champion of Beethoven and
Mahler as an interpreter of largely
romantic works.
References: 1,
2,
3.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4
5.
Recordings: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8;
select: 'Complete Concerto Recordings' w Martha Argerich on Deutsche Grammophon 479 4149 (compilation 1967-2013):
1,
2;
'Mahler - Symphony No.4' for Deutsche Grammophon 1978;
'Mozart - Mass K.139' for Deutsche Grammophon 1976.
IMDB (film).
Documentaries: 'Hearing the Silence' directed by Paul Smaczny
2005: Deutsch w
Spanish subtitles,
English subtitles.
Iconography: 1,
2.
Further reading: Berliner Philharmoniker;
Claudio Abbado Composition Prize: 1,
2;
interview w Bruce Duffie 1965;
James Jolly;
Tom Service: 1,
2;
Julia Spinola: 1,
2;
Wiener Staatsoper.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3.
Other profiles:
English: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
Italiano: 1,
2;
Wikipedia international: Czech,
Deutsch,
Francais,
Japanese,
Russian.
Claudio Abbado Rossini: premiere 1818 Opera buffa 2 acts La Scala Orchestra and Chorus Direction: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle Rossini: premiere 1817 Opera 2 acts Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin 1: Beethoven: Overture to 'Prometheus' 1800-01 Op 43 2: Beethoven: 'Concerto 4' 1805-06 Op 58 3: Schoenberg: 'A Survivor from Warsaw' 1947 4: Stravinsky: Suite from 'The Firebird' 1910 Ballet London Symphony Orchestra Piano: Maurizio Pollini Live in Rome 1978 'Sketches for a Portrait' Film by Paul Smaczny 2005 Debussy: 1911 Incidental music Schweizer Kammerchor/Fritz Näf Lucerne Festival Orchestra Recorded live 2003 Debussy: 1903-05 Revised 1908 L 109 Lucerne Festival Orchestra Recorded live 2003 Brahms: 1854–59 3 movements London Symphony Orchestra Live performance 1986 Mozart: 1791 K 626 Unfinished Berliner Philharmoniker Live performance 1: Tchaikovsky: 'The Tempest' 1873 Op 18 Symphonic poem 2: Rachmaninoff: 'Piano Concerto 2 in C minor' 1900-01 Op 18 3: Stravinsky: 'L'Oiseau de feu' ('The Firebird') 1910 Ballet Lucerne Festival Orchestra Piano: Hélène Grimaud Recorded 2008 Bruckner: 1874 Final revision 1888 Wiener Philharmoniker Bruckner: 1883 Revised 1885 WAB 107 Lucerne Festival Orchestra Schubert: 1822 'Unfinished Symphony' D 759 Chamber Orchestra of Europe |
|
| Born in Shreveport,
Louisiana on 12 July 1934,
Harvey Lavan Van Cliburn Jr.
was neither a composer nor a modernist. But he was of the period and a
pianist of major renown during the Cold War, serving as a cultural envoy to
the Soviet Union as an American musician. Playing piano at age three,
Cliburn's father was in the oil industry, taking Van at age six with his family to Kilgore, Texas. Making his piano debut in 1946 with the Houston
Symphony Orchestra, Cliburn entered Juilliard at age seventeen where studied
the romantics toward graduation four years later in '55. He was
twenty when he won the international Leventritt Competition
in 1954, followed by his debut at Carnegie Hall later that year where he
performed
Tchaikovsky's 'Piano Concerto No.1' w the New York Philharmonic
led by Dmitri Mitropoulos [*]. Cliburn's
star began rising high with his trip to Moscow in 1958
where he won the first international
Tchaikovsky Competition [1,
2] on 11 April w the Moscow Philharmonic led by Kirill Kondrashin
[1,
2,
3], again performing Tchaikovsky's 'Piano Concerto No.1
w Rachmaninoff's
Piano Concerto No. 3 [1,
2].
That prize is held in cello, piano, violin and voice, 1st place worth 20,000
euros now, or nearly $22,000. Cliburn's
return to the States was to another performance at Carnegie Hall on 19 May
1958, now with the Symphony of the Air w Kirill Kondrashin conducting again,
the latter permitted to leave Russia to work w Cliburn. Their performance
of Rachmaninoffs 'Piano Concerto No.3' was broadcast live by Radio WQXR and
recorded for issue in 1959 on
RCA Victor 2355
[audio: 1,
2].
He appeared on the NBC 'Steve Allen Show' on 25 May of '58 followed by
another major date five days later on 30 May when he recorded Tchaikovsky's
'Piano Concerto No.1' w the RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, again conducted
by Kondrashin. That was Cliburn's first record release preceding the issue
of his 19 May recording above in '59. It also won a Grammy, went
gold in 1961, and was the first in the classical genre to go platinum in
1989 (1,000,000 sales) [1,
2,
3,
4].
That's in high contrast to the modernistic recordings of diehard composers
of serial, aleatory or electronic music which were considered best-sellers
if they reached 70,000 copies like
George Crumb's electronic
'Ancient Voices of Children' of 1970. Classical didn't sell as well as rock
n roll, et al, in general, but Cliburn put it on the the charts like
Elvis Presley. Cliburn had also been received by President Eisenhower in 1958. The
first Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was held in 1962
[1,
2,
3,
4]. Cliburn returned to the Soviet Union several times before he performed for
President Reagan and General Secretary, Mikhail Gorbachev, in 1987. He
played the hundredth anniversary of Carnegie Hall before his 1994 tour of
the States. Like many musicians, Cliburn preferred the
graveyard shift, his general routine to work until four or five in the
morning, the next day not beginning until after noon. As a champion of
largely romantic composers, he died on 27 February
2013 in Ft. Worth, TX [obits: 1,
2,
3,
NPR Radio].
References: Wikipedia.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
IMDb (film).
Iconography.
Interviews: Bruce Duffie 16 June 1994,
Christie's 17 May 2012 (video).
Further reading: New York Times.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3.
Other profiles: 1,
2;
Wikipedia international: Dutch,
Francais,
Japanese.
Van Cliburn Composer: Chopin 1841 Op 49 Live performance in Moscow 1962 Piano Concerto 1 in B flat minor Composer: Tchaikovsky 1874-75Op 23 Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra Kiril Kondrashin Live performance in Moscow 1962 Composer: Chopin 1830 Op 11 Budapest Symphony Orchestra Istvan Szekely Released 1988 Piano Concerto No 2 in C minor Composer: Rachmaninoff 1900-01Op 18 Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra Kirill Kondrashin Live performance in Moscow 1972 Composer: Rachmaninoff 1909 Op 30 Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra Kirill Kondrashin Live performance in Moscow 1958 Piano Concerto 5 in E flat major Composer: Beethoven 1809-10Op 73 Moscow Philarmonic Orchestra Kiril Kondrashin Live performance in Moscow 1962 Composer: Franz Liszt 1852-53 S 178 Live performance in Moscow 1960 |
 Van Cliburn Photo: CSU Archives/Everett/REX Source: Classical Review |
|
 Alfred Schnittke Source: Radio Me la Sudas |
Born a Jew on 24 Nov 1934 in Engels, Russia, postmodern (polystylistic) composer, Alfred
Schnittke
began his musical training in Vienna in 1946, taken there on a trip with his
father, a journalist and German translator. Expergo [Comps below] has him
writing his first composition in '46, an unpublished piano piece in A major
later used in a cartoon piece. His family moving to Moscow in
1948, he there wrote a lost concerto for accordion in 1949. Attending the Moscow Conservatory in 1953,
he that year wrote his first work for orchestra, 'Poeme' for piano, a
setting to a poem by Pushkin called 'The Passing Line of Clouds Grows
Thinner', and 'Fugue' for violin
[interpretation by Vadim Gluzman,
Feliks Harutyunyan
ou
Mark Lubotsky; live
performance by
Pablo Díaz Sánchez].
Following Schnittke's symphonies, his disowned
'Symphony No.0' saw
performance by the Moscow Conservatory Symphony Orchestra conducted by Algis
Zhiuratis in 1957 [recording by the Cape Philharmonic w Owain Arwel Hughes
2006: *;
audio: 1,
2,
3,
4]. Graduating from the Conservatory in 1961, Schnittke
started teaching there the next year. Schnittke's initial film score was for
'Вступление' ('Vstuplenie' or 'Introduction') released in 1963. Among those things with which Schnittke had to deal
as a Russian composer was the Soviet Composer's
Union [1,
2,
3] which banned his 'Symphony No.1' begun in 1969 toward premiere on 9
February 1974, that a polystylistic work including
aleatoric
(chance) method
[1,
2;
interpretations by the USSR Ministry of Culture S O w
Gennady Rozhdestvensky or
the Royal Stockholm P O w
Leif Segerstam].
Schnittke's choral 'Symphony No.2' ('St. Florian' or 'Invisible Mass')
arrived in six movements in 1979 [1,
2;
interpretation by the Russian State Symphony Orchestra led by
Valeri Polyansky or
Gennady Rozhdestvensky].
'Symphony No.3' premiered in Leipzig on 5 November 1981 with Kurt Masur
leading the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester
[interpretation by Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin w
Vladimir Jurowski or
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra w Eri Klas: 1,
2].
Come 'Symphony No.4' to Moscow on 12 April 1984, that in one movement
rolling w 22 variations [interpretation by the Stockholm Sinfonietta led by
Okko Kamu or
the Russian State S O w
Valéry Polyansky 1996;
score].
'Symphony No.5' surfaced in 1988, that identical to 'Concerto Grosso No.4',
beginning as a concerto grosso that assumes symphonic form
[1,
2;
interpretation by the Gothenburg Symphony w Neeme Järvi:
1,
2]. Schnittke was
permitted to leave Russia for Hamburg in 1990 where he remained the rest of
his life. His 'Symphony No.6' was in the meantime commissioned by Mstislav
Rostropovich and the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington who first
performed it in Moscow on 25 September 1993
[1,
2,
3;
interpretation by the Russian State S O w
Valeri Polyansky 2001].
Schnittke dedicated 'Symphony No.7' to Kurt Masur who conducted its premiere
with the New York P O on 10 February 1994
[1,
2,
3; interpretation by
the Russian State S O w
Valeri Polyansky 1999 or
the NDR Sinfonieorchester led by
Gennady Rozhdestvensky 1999].
'Symphony No.8' was dedicated Gennady Rozhdestvensky who conducted the Royal
Stockholm P O at its premiere in Stockholm on 10 Nov 1994
[interpretation by the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra directed by
Lü Jia or
the Russian State Symphony Orchestra w Valeri Polyansky:
1,
2].
Schnittke died in Hamburg on 3 August 1998 leaving 'Symphony No.9'
unfinished, to which task Irina Schnittke (widow) put Alexander Raskatov.
That had been sketched with considerable difficulty, left-handed, after
another of multiple strokes left Schnittke partially paralyzed
[1,
2;
interpretation by the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by
Dennis Russell Davies 2008]. Along
with orchestral works like
his symphonies traced above, Schnittke wrote
for
stage
(ballets, operas),
chamber,
choral works,
concerti,
solo instrumentals and
soundtracks [1,
2,
3,
4,
5].
References: Wikipedia.
Chronologies: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Compositions: 1,
2;
alphabetical;
chronological: Expergo,
Pytheas;
by genre: Musicalics,
Pytheas,
RYM,
AS Organization,
Wikipedia.
Authorship: 'A Schnittke Reader'
(essay compilation pub by Indiana U Press 2002).
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
select: 'Symphony No.2' by the Royal Stockholm P O w Mikaeli Kammarkör:
1,
2;
'Symphony No.3' by the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin w Vladimir Jurowski:
1,
2;
''Symphony No.4' | 'Requiem'': 1,
2;
'Symphony No.8' by the Royal Stockholm P O w Gennady Rozhdestvensky recorded 14-17 November 1994 (4 days after premiere on 10 Nov
by the same): 1,
2;
'Symphony No 9': 1,
2;
'Violin Concertos No.3 & No.4' by Oleh Krysa (violin) backed by the Malmo S
O led by Eri Klas.
Video: Vimeo,
YouTube.
Documentaries: 'The Unreal World of Alfred Schnittke' by BBC 1990:
1/3,
2/3,
3/3.
Iconography: 1,
2.
Further reading: Laurie Grove;
I.V. Kondakov (polystylism Russian);
Roman Mints;
interview w Irina Schnittke 2006;
Adrian Searle;
Tom Service;
Vasily Shumov;
Yellow Barn.
Further reading exhaustive: Conversations
(Russian);
Sikorski.
See also the Alfred Schnittke Akademie International: 1,
2,
3.
Bibliography: 1,
2,
Kirsten Peterson
(polystylistics University of Connecticut 2000).
Authority research: 1,
2.
Sheet music.
Book stores: Canada;
Europe;
Russia; USA:
1,
2,
3.
Other profiles: Czech;
English: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8;
exhibition ('Instances' of Schnitkke);
Italiano;
Polish;
Russian: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Alfred Schnittke 1976 Soundtrack Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin Frank Strobel 1976-1977 Chamber Orchestra of Europe Heinrich Schiff 1971 Ballet Bolshoi Orchestra Alexander Lazarev Plastic Drama Theatre Moscow 1958 Oratorio London SO & C/Valery Gergiev 1981 Kronos Quartet 1977 Soundtrack 1969-72 4 movements State S & O USSR Ministry of Culture Conductor: Gennady Rozhdestvensky 1981 Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra Eri Klas 1984 Russian State Symphony Orchestra Valéry Polyansky 1997 3 movements Dresden Philharmonic Conductor: Dennis Russell Davies |
|
 Terry Riley Source: Vinyl World |
Born on 24 June 1935 in Colfax, California,
Terrence Mitchell Riley
studied at San Francisco State College from 1955-57. He attended the
University of California at Berkeley in 1960-61. In the meantime he
performed jazz at night clubs while writing his first compositions. His
early interest in jazz would later develop into improvisatory performances
lasting hours long. BRAHMS
and Pytheas [Comps below] begin Riley's catalogue with 'Trio' for violin,
clarinet et piano in 1957. Come 'Two Pieces' for piano in 1959 along with
'Spectra' for three woodwinds and three strings. 'String Quartet' surfaced
in 1960, 'String Trio' in '61
[interpretation by the Calder Quartet;
score].
Riley worked at the San Francisco Tape Music
Center in 1961, the year he composed his initial electronic work for two
pianos and four tape recorders called 'Concert'. Riley fairly defines minimalist composing
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5] at once wedded with heavy exploration of electronic music.
Riley was in Paris in 1963 when he recorded each member of the Chet Baker
Quartet performing Miles
Davis' 'So What?' for tape manipulation ending up as 'Music for the
Gift'. Per
Discogs that wasn't
released until 2000 by the Cortical Foundation
which is not a reissue [*], as other discos seem to support. Riley came to prominent note in 1964 with his
electronic composition, 'In C', in which he employed his method of
repetition that he examined throughout his career as essential to his brand
of minimalism. 'In C' consists of 53 fragments to be played in any order at
any tempo by any combination of any number of performers
[1,
2,
3;
live performance
by Third Coast Percussion 25 June 2018]. Riley's recording
of 'In C' in NYC in 1968 was his second album release. His debut LP had been the
electronic 'Reed Streams' recorded on 4 and 5 of November 1966 toward issue
on Mass Art M-131 in a limited edition of 1000 copies
[1,
2,
3,
4;
recording].
He plays soprano sax on 'Poppy Nogoods All Night Flight' recorded at the Philadelphia
College of Art on 17 November 1967 toward issue on reel tape to 25 copies.
'All Night Flight' saw recording again at SUNY Buffalo on 22 March 1968
credited as Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band, the latter being his
echo-inducing time-lag accumulator [recording].
The electronic 'Rainbow in Curved Air' was Riley's third LP released in 1969
[1,
2,
3]
including 'Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band' [recording
(alt)].
The next year brought the electronic 'Keyboard Study 2' and 'Initiative 1'
on the LP, 'Germ', issued on BYG
529.327 in 1970. Among the more important events in Riley's life was his initial trip to India to
study with pandit and singer, Pran Nath
[1,
2,
3,
4], in 1970. He then taught Indian
classical music at Mills College in Oakland in 1971 while beginning to
sing raga at piano
or organ. Jazz influence would develop into improvisational performances of indefinite
length. Another of Riley's most important associations was the Kronos
Quartet [1,
2,
3]
which members he met in 1978 when they were artists in residence at Mills.
Riley's first commission
for a string quartet from the Kronos Quartet was 'G-Song' in 1980
[score], that
based on an earlier composition of '73. The initial Kronos Quartet album of Riley compositions
was 'Cadenza on the Night Plain' recorded 23-24 October 1984 toward issue in
'85 [1,
2,
3;
audio of 'G Song',
'Mythic Birds Waltz'
and
'Sunrise of the Planetary Cole'].
Numerous quartets for Kronos followed to the notable 'Sun Rings'
commissioned by NASA in 2000 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the
launching of the Voyager 1 space probe. That premiered in 2002 incorporating
sounds from space prerecorded by NASA plasma wave receivers
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
'Beebopterismo']. Riley
had begun composing for orchestra in 1990 with 'Jade
Palace' written for synthesizers [see BRAHMS below; recording].
Into the 21st century the Kronos Quartet recorded 'The Cusp of Magic' with
pipa player, Wu Man, on 4 Feb 2008
[1,
2,
3,
4;
'Buddha's Bedroom',
'The Cusp of Magic',
'Emily and Alice']. Riley composed 'Transylvanian Horn Courtship' toward
premiere by the Kronos Quartet on 28 March 2009 at the University of Notre
Dame. Also notable is 'Live' released in 2011 with guitarist
and son, Gyan Riley [Gyan: 1,
2;
live performance of 'G Song' by Terry and Gyan on 10
Oct 2011]. Among titles written in 2015 was 'Bell Station III' for choir and
orchestra. Riley is yet active as of this writing (Oct 2020) upon a career of
composing for chamber, orchestra, string ensemble, theatre, song, saxophone,
organ and piano. References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Compositions: chronological: BRAHMS,
Pytheas;
by genre: BRAHMS (electronic et al),
Musicalics,
Pytheas,
RYM,
TR Domain;
orchestral.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5; Muziekweb:
albums,
songs;
YouTube.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4;
TR Domain: 1,
2;
essential;
select: 'The Cusp of Magic'by the Kronos Quartet 2004:
1,
2;
'Music for the Gift' for two pianists and five tape recorders
w Chet Baker.
Film.
Interviews: pub at mu:zines 1989,
Rhythmos Magazine 1992,
Howard Hersh 1993,
pub at mu:zines 1993,
Frank Oteri 2001,
Dan Collins 2009,
Anil Prasad 2014,
Joseph Ghosn 2018 Paris: text,
video;
Bluefat date unknown: 1,
2.
Further reading: Gloria Cheng;
iconography: 1,
2;
TR Domain;
Tom Service.
Sheet music.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3.
Other profiles: English: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
NPR Radio;
Russian: 1,
2;
Wikipedia international: Catalan,
Czech,
Dutch,
Japanese.
Terry Riley 1983 Recorded 1984 Kronos String Quartet Cusp of Magic [Part 1] Released 2008 'The Cusp of Magic' Released 2008 'Buddha's Bedroom' Released 2008 'The Nursery' Released 2008 'Royal Wedding' Released 2008 'Emily and Alice' Released 2008 'Prayer Circle' Released 1986 The New Albion Chorale 1983 Album: 'Songs for the Ten Voices' 1973 saxophone melody Transcribed for viola 1980 Kronos String Quartet 1942–47 Robert-Schumann-Kammerorchester Performed 1971/72 Album Rainbow in Curved Air/Poppy Nogood 2003 AlbumPhantom Band La Repubblica 1978 Album |
|
|
Born on 14 October 1935 in Bern, Idaho,
La Monte Thornton Young
was raised a Mormon toward becoming a major name in minimalist composing [1,
2,
3,
4,
5].
Upon graduating from high school he studied twelve-tone composition under
Leonard Stein at Los Angeles City College while playing
piano in jazz clubs. Stein had been an assistant to Arnold Schoenberg. Moving over to UCLA (University of California Los
Angeles), Young acquired his BA in '58, then attended UC Berkeley until 1960,
during which period he also studied in Darmstadt, Germany, in '59. Young's
catalogue at BRAHMS [Comps below] begins with a 'Scherzo' in A minor and
'Rondo' in D minor circa 1953 about age eighteen. Such as 'Wind Quartet'
followed in '54. In 1960 Young moved to New York City where his experimental 'Compositions 1960'
was written as a set of 14 pieces
with instructions for performers such as to build a fire or release a
butterfly while interpreting the piece. No.2.6 (#7) consists of only two
notes, B3 and F#4, coming with instruction to hold them a long time
[1,
2,
3;
live performance VENI Academy].
That piece lends early witness of what would become known as Young's drone
music [1,
2], having been inspired by sounds with long sustained tones such as
the wind or buzzing telephone lines. Wikipedia has Young writing his first
specifically droning piece in 1957 per the middle section of 'For Brass'
(octet). Come 'Trio for Strings' for violin, viola and cello in 1958, his
first complete work composed for continuous tones
[interpretation
by the La Monte Young Trio for Strings 2013]. 'Four Dreams of China' was a
droning work arriving in 1962 for instruments of the same timbre in
multiples of four which could sustain sound. Young wrote subsequent 'Dreams
of China' to as late as 1993 including, per BRAHMS, three melodic versions
in 1984 [interpretation
of 'The Second Dream of the High-Tension Line Stepdown Transformer' issued
in 1991 by Gramavision (Discogs, Musicbrainz)]. Young formed the group, Theatre of Eternal Music,
in 1962 [1,
2],
the year before he married musician and visual artist, Marian Zazeela [1,
2,
3,
4,
5] who would be instrumental in
the creation and presentation of their 'Dream House' installation, in which
they also lived, for
decades to come. Prior to that, however, Young's 'The Well-Tuned Piano' of
1964 became the longest piano piece in history, requiring several hours to
play. It's also one of the longest compositions written insofar as it isn't
finished yet. Young didn't premiere the work until 1974 in Rome
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5].
He recorded 'The Well-Tuned Piano 81 X 25 6:17:50 - 11:18:59 PM NYC' on 25
October 1981 in NYC as indicated in the title [1,
2].
Young's first recording is thought to have arrived in the summer of 1961, a
duet called 'Blues in B-Flat' with Terry Jennings
[1,
2] on saxophone and himself
at piano recorded by himself [*]. Jennings' 'Tune in E' surfaced at the same
session. Young's composition, 'Studies in the Bowed Disc' for gong, is dated
1 Sep 1963, the sustained tone of bells or gongs technically referred to as
tintinnabulation. On 29 September 1963 Young recorded unidentified titles
with
John Cale at viola [*]. Cale later brought
Young's droning concept to
Velvet Underground
resulting in the 1966 album, 'Loop'. Back in 1960 Young had written two
versions of 'Dorian Blues', one in B flat and one in G
[1,
2, BRAHMS]. The former saw
recording on 19 October 1963 by the Theater of Eternal Music
[*;
recording
(alt)].
Young later recorded
'Dorian Blues in G' on 14 January 1993 w his Forever Bad Blues Band issued
on 'Just Stompin'' [recording].
'The Tortoise, His Dreams and Journeys' in 9 parts for voice, instruments and
sine wave generators took its time arriving in 1964, another of a continuous nature taking
a long time to compose since it isn't finished yet w the title indicating
altering iterations with each performance [1,
2,
3, BRAHMS;
interpretation
by the Minimalist Dreamhouse 2019]. On 23 August 1964 Young and Zazeela
recorded the second track of what is called the 'Black Album' or 'Black
Record', the first track going down on 31 July of 1969 in Munich toward issue in 1969
on Edition X 1079
[1,
2;
recording
(alt)].
It was 1966 when Young and Zazeela built the prototype of their electronic
'Dream House' in their loft on Church Street in New York City, that a sound
and light environment of continuous sine waves w floating sculptures
[1,
2]. The
initial 'Dream House' saw installation at the Friedrich gallery in Munich in
July of 1969. It traveled to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 71 and has
since seen installation throughout the decades in various locations in Europe
and the U.S.. While working on the prototype to 'Dream House' Young composed
'Drift Studies' for sine waves in 1967, another composition unfinished with the
title indicating altering iterations with each performance. Young recorded
an excerpt from
that on synthesizer on 5 August 1968 for a limited edition of reel tapes to SMS
['Shit Must Stop': 1,
2,
3] subscribers
[Pouncey].
That has seen issue on cassette in 1988 and LP in 2005.
Young recorded from 'Drift Studies' again on 31 January 1969 for release with 'Aspen' Issue 8
['Aspen': 1,
2,
3,
4;
recording]. 'Dream House 78' 17"'
arrived in 1974 by Young, Zazeela and the Theatre of Eternal Music
recorded in Jan and July of '73 [1,
2,
recording].
Among Young's various interests since his college and jazz club years (: Gregorian chant,
Japanese gagaku, Indonesian gamelan) were cannabis and psychedelics.
Considering such an important element in composition, Young and the Theatre
of Eternal Music made it a point to perform high on marijuana as well. Also
of strong significance to Young was Indian classical music with which
he'd begun to acquaint himself back in 1957 at UCLA. In 2002 he, Zazeela and Jung Hee Choi
[1,
2,
3] formed the Just Alap Raga Ensemble,
performing to as recently as 2017 as documented at Wikipedia [1,
2].
In 2002-03 Young wrote 'Just Charles & Cello in The Romantic Chord' for
cello, pre-recorded cello drones and light projection for use in
collaboration with Zazeela's 'Abstract No.1' from 'Quadrilateral Phase Angle
Traversals' [*;
recording;
'Abstract No.1': 1,
2].
Young is yet active as of this writing (Oct 2020).
References: Wikipedia.
Compositions: chronological: BRAHMS,
MELA Foundation;
by genre: BRAHMS,
Musicalics.
Authorship: 1,
2.
Audio: 1,
2,
3.
Discographies: 1,
2,
3.
Interviews:
David Doty 1989,
Seth Colter Walls 2015, Rob Tannenbaum
2018.
Further reading by source: Kyle Gann;
interview w
Jeremy Grimshaw
2012;
MELA Foundation (exhaustive);
M.H. Miller;
Graham Reid;
Tom Service,
Tim Summer,
UbuWeb.
Further reading by topic: awards;
commissions;
'Dream House': 1,
2,
3;
Marian Zazeela and: 1,
2;
education;
film;
installations;
recordings.
Bibliography:
'Draw a Straight Line and Follow It' by Jeremy Grimshaw pub by Oxford U
Press 2011 (This biography has seen bad reviews by Young and others. I list
it with reviews for information it holds apart from areas contested.
Grimshaw also writes for the AllMusic website.): 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
'...the Just Alap Raga Ensemble' by
Jeremy Grimshaw ('American Music' 2009).
Authority research: 1,
2,
3.
Collections: 1,
2.
Other profiles: English:
encyclopedic: 1,
2,
3,
4;
musical:
1,
2,
3,
4;
French: 1,
2;
Italian: 1,
2;
Wikipedia international: Czech;
Espanol;
Japanese;
Russian.
La Monte Young Issued 1969 With Marian Zazeela 1960 Any instrument Ensemble for Experimental Music & Theater Dorian Blues in B flat 19 X 63 1960/61? Recorded 1963Theatre of Eternal Music 1974 Theatre of Eternal Music Album: 'Dream House 78' 17"' 1962 From 'The Four Dreams of China' 1964> |
 La Monte Young Source: Onda Rock |
|
|
Born on 11 Dec 1935 in Paide, Estonia,
Arvo Pärt
is an avant-garde composer who began his formal classical music education at the Rakvere Music School in 1945,
followed by Rakvere Secondary School from 1950 to '54 where he studied
flute, oboe and piano. Studies at the Tallinn Music Middle School
were interrupted by a period in the military from '54 to '56 during
which he played oboe and percussion in the Army band. Resuming his studies
at Tallinn, in '57 he acquired work as a sound producer for Estonian radio. He there remained for
eleven
years, meanwhile studying at the Tallinn Conservatory from 1958 to 1963
Going by the Arvo Part Centre, January 1958 had brought
'Sonatina No.1'
Op 1 for
piano. 'Sonatina No.2'
followed in '59 [piano by Jeroen van Veen] .
'Partita'
Op 2 had also been written in '58
for piano
[live performance by Irina Zahharenkova Estonia Concert Hall Feb 2018].
'Four Easy Dances'
for children for piano begun in '57 were
finished in '59. Encountering dodecaphonic
[serial: 1,
2,
3] method at the
Conservatory, 'Nekrolog' arrived in 1960 [1,
2;
Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra w Paavo Järvi].
'Symphony No.1' ('Polyphonic'), the first of four, is also a twelve-tone
work that premiered on 7 Feb 1964 [interpretation by the Estonian Radio S O w
Neeme Järvi].
Part's 'Collage sur B.A.C.H.' of '64
for strings, oboe, harpsichord and piano was an important development in
twelve-tone in which Part quotes baroque passages from Bach
[1,
2,
3;
audio
w score]. Come 'Symphony No.2' in 1966 [1,
2] followed by the premiere of
"Symphony No.3' on 21 Sep 1972 by Neeme Jarvi. Jarvi later led the
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra through a Dec 1997 recording of 'No.3' in
Sweden [audio;
interpretation by the Azusa Pacific University Symphony Orchestra w
Christopher Russell
22 April 2018]. Part transitioned from Lutheranism to Russian Orthodox in 1972.
'Für Alina' of Feb '76 for piano, written for his daughter and wife, represents
Part's tintinnabular style in early development,
that a more proper description of his composing than minimalist. See tintinnabulation broad
(lingering sound of a bell) and in reference to
Part: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5
['Für Alina':
1,
2,
3,
4;
piano by
Rea Beaumont w score or
Jürgen Kruse].
'Tabula Rasa' was another tintinnabuli work performed in two parts, 'Ludus'
and 'Silentium', on 30 Sep 1977 by the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra led by Eri
Klas [1,
2].
Its recording in Nov of 1977 by the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra
led by Saulius Sondeckis was Part's debut release on ECM in 1984, the label
he has retained ever since [audio of 'Ludus'
('Game') by the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra]. Part's 'Fratres' ('Brothers') of 1977 is a tintinnabuli work witnessing
derivation from Gregorian chant. Its title may refer to both the
monastic life and the ensemble, Hortus Musicus, for which it was composed.'Fratres' has been used in numerous films well into the 21st century
['Fratres':
1,
2,
3,
4;
Béla Nagy at violin
backed by the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra conducted by Tamás Benedek].
Part wrote another version of 'Fratres' for violin and piano to be performed at the
Strasbourg Festival in 1980 by violinist, Gidon Kremer
[interpretation by Tasmin Little (violin) & Martin Roscoe (piano) w score;
live performance by Giovanni Guzzo (violin) w Anne Lovett (piano)
Cadogan Hall 15 April 2011
or
Anne Akiko Meyers (violin) w Akira Eguchi (piano)
Phillips Collection 23 April 2017].
Also representative of Part's tintinnabular method is
'Spiegel im Spiegel'
('Mirror in the Mirror') of 1978 [1,
2]. BRAHMS [Comps below] at IRCAM identifies as many
as ten versions of that for various pairs of instruments plus one for solo
organ [Jürgen Kruse (piano) w Benjamin Hudson (viola)
*;
violin interpretation by
Guy Braunstein (live) or
Tasmin Little].
Part was allowed
by the Soviet administration to move to Vienna in 1980, where he became an
Austrian citizen before settling in Berlin the next year. 'Miserere' saw its
first performance on 17 June 1989 at St. Georges de Boscherville monastery
in Rouen by Paul Hillier leading the Hilliard Ensemble for whom it had also
been written. 'Miserere' was another tintinnabuli work written for choir, ensemble, organ and solo voices
with text from two liturgical hymns, the 'Miserere' and
'Dies Irae'
[1,
2,
3,
4;
interpretation by the Latvian Radio Choir & Doelen Ensemble w direction by
Kaspars Putnips 12 January 2015].
Another of his sacred works is 'Kanon Pokajanen' for a cappella SATB choir w
liturgical text from the Eastern Orthodox Canon of Repentance. BRAHMS [Comps
below] has that consisting of Odes I-IX followed by 'Prayer after
the Canon'. Written to commemorate the 750th anniversary of the Cologne
Cathedral, it was there premiered on 17 March 1998 by the Estonian
Philharmonic Chamber Choir led by Tõnu Kaljuste to whom it was dedicated
[1,
2,
3,
4;
interpretation by the Chamber Choir Aquarius led by
'Marc Michael De Smet;
Prayer after the Canon' by the Ars Nova Singers;
live performances by the Zbor HRT (Croatian Radio Television Choir) w Tonči Bilić:
'Ode IX',
'Prayer after the Canon']. About the turn of
the millennium Part returned to Estonia, thereafter living alternately between Berlin and Talinin.
His final symphony, 'Symphony No.4', surfaced 37 years after his third,
premiering on 10 Jan 2009 by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen [1,
2,
3,
'Deciso'
Movement III of III by the Los Angeles Philharmonic
w Salonen;
score].
Part's last composition as of this writing is 'Für Jan van Eyck' in
reference to the 1432 painting by Hubert and Jan van Eyck titled 'Adoration of
the Mystic Lamb' [1,
2,
3,
4,
5] also known as the Ghent Altarpiece of St. Bavo’s
Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium, where the work was performed by the Collegium
Vocale Gent led by Philippe Herreweghe on 22 Sep 2020
[1,
2].
Part presently resides in Laulasmaa near Tallinn, a prolific composer of
works for chamber,
orchestra,
solo instruments and orchestra as well as
voice and chorus.
References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Chronologies: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Compositions:
alphabetical;
chronological: BRAHMS,
AP Centre,
Pytheas;
by genre: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
Espanol.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
arrangements of Bach;
select: 'Arvo Part' (compilation by various 2017);
'Arvo Part Live';
'Kanon Pokajanen' by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir w Tõnu Kaljuste; 'Part: Piano Music' by Ralph van Raat.
Further reading: awards;
Arvo Part Centre;
The Conversation;
film;
Grammy nominations;
iconography;
interview sometime 21st century Russian;
Anneli Ivaste;
Bill McGlaughlin;
performances;
periods;
Tom Service,
speeches;
symphonies.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3.
Book stores: Canada;
Europe;
USA: 1,
2,
3.
Other profiles: English: biographic: 1,
2;
didactic;
musical: 1,
2,
3,
4;
NPR Radio;
Estonian: 1,
2;
French;
Spanish. Arvo Pärt Version unknown Piano: Yoko Misumi Violin: Lana Trotovsek 1976 Piano: Haskell Small 1989 Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir 1989 Cantata Mogens Dahl Kammerkor Direction: Mogens Dahl 1977/89 For 3 voices, percussion & organ Hilliard Ensemble 1978 Piano: Sergej Bezrodny Violin: Vladimir Spivakov 1971 Orchestre de la Suisse Romande Neemi Jarvi 1984–85/92 For chorus & string orchestra Akademisk Orkester Nenia Zenana 1992/94 For string orchestra Estonian National S O Paavo Järvi |
 Arvo Part Source: Classic FM |
|
 Steve Reich Photo: Alice Arnold Source: Jewish Journal |
Born on 3 Oct 1936 in New York City,
Steve Reich
is a minimalist composer who
played piano as a youth and studied jazz drumming before graduating in
philosophy in 1957 from Cornell in New York, his thesis on Wittgenstein.
That same year he began studying composition privately with Hall Overton,
then entered Juilliard from 1958 to 1961. French Wikipedia begins his
catalogue in 1961 w a twelve-tone work titled 'Music for String Orchestra'. He earned his master's in composition at Mills
College in Oakland, California in 1963. Of the three works with which BRAHMS
(below) begins his catalogue, his first electronic venture was
'The Plastic
Haircut' for magnetic tape in 1963 for a film by Robert Nelson, one of
several on which they collaborated [audio].
Electronics were Reich's sled and "phasing" his "Mush!" perpetually echoing
disjointedly
along his trail with some assistance from "phase shifting" of which he early
took note. Phase shifting occurs of playing the same tune with two tape
loops of slightly different lengths which gradually go out of phase (sync)
to eventually return to phase if played long enough. Reich has commented on
its relevance to the round also called the perpetual or infinite canon (:
'Row, Row, Row Your Boat'). Reich's electronic 'It's Gonna Rain' of 1965 is
an apt example of his early phase music [1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
Reich on;
recording].
'Come Out' with a civil rights theme saw production at the San Francisco
Tape Center in 1966 [1,
2,
3,
4;
recording].
'Melodica' for melodica
and tape was another phase work of 1966 [recording].
It was also 1966 when Reich formed a trio that would eventually become the
Steve Reich Ensemble
also known as Steve Reich and Musicians. Up to this point Reich had been
composing for magnetic tape. 'Piano Phase' for two pianos or marimbas of 1967 was his
first composition to apply phasing to acoustic performance
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6; piano by Art Murphy w Steve Reich
1967 or
Edmund Niemann w Nurit Tilles
1987].
A version was also written for piano and tape. 'Violin Phase' for four
violins followed the same year along w a version for violin and tape
[1,
2;
recording of tape w violin by
Paul Zukofsky
from 'Live/Electric Music' on Columbia Masterworks MS 7265 issued 1968;
recording by the Jagdish Mistry
ensemble in May 2002
toward issue on 'Eight Lines | City Life' in Dec 2002 on
RCA Red Seal
74321 66459 2]. In 1969 Reich wrote 'Pulse Music' for his sequencer called
the Phase Shifting Pulse Gate,
but was apparently displeased with the work [MinimalEffort]. Reich studied
percussion in Ghana in 1970 followed by his electronic "Drumming' for nine
percussionists, female voices and piccolo in 1971
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
Reich on;
Steve Reich and Musicians
at Town Hall NYC 16 Dec 1971;
Discogs]. 'Clapping
Music' is phase music written for two performers in 1972
[1,
2,
2;
Reich on;
performances by Reich w
Russell Hartenberger in May 1987
toward issue on Nonesuch 79169 or
Kristjan Järvi
live at the Salle Pleyel in Paris 2014]. From 1973 into 1974 Reich studied
gamelan (Indonesian percussion) in Seattle. His 'Music for 18 Musicians' saw
performance on 24 April 1976 at Town Hall in New York City followed by the
album in 1978
[1,
2,
3,
4;
audio: 1,
2].
Reich's orchestral works began to arrive in the eighties with
'Variations' composed in '79 toward premiere on 19 Feb 1980 at Carnegie Hall, first recorded by the San Francisco Symphony led by
Edo de Waart in 1984 [1,
2,
3;
recording]. 'Tehillim' ('Psalms') of 1981 which addressed Reich's
Jewish heritage was composed for both
ensemble and
orchestra
[1,
2,
3,
4].
Reich recorded a version in Ludwigsburg in October 1981 toward release on
ECM 1-1215
in 1982. 'The Desert Music'
arrived for both chamber and
orchestra in 1984
w text by Puerto Rican poet, William Carlos Williams
[liver performances conducted by Reinbert de Leeuw on 28 June 1987 or
Kristjan Järvi in 2014;
text: 1,
2,
3].
Come more tape music in 1988 per 'Different Trains', now with string
quartet premiered by the Kronos Quartet at the First Presbyterian Church in
Miami that year. "Different Trains" refers to trains that Reich took
between New York City and Los Angeles with his governess when his parents
divorced in 1939, that Movement 1 of three titled 'America Before the War'.
Those would have been different trains per Movement 2 tiltled 'Europe During
the War'. Movement 3 wraps it up as 'After the War'. 'Different Trains' won
a Grammy in 1989 for Best Classical Contemporary Composition
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7;
Reich on;
live performance
by the London Contemporary Orchestra at the Boiler Room 2016]. Among Reich's most
distinctive works were his operas. In 1993 he
collaborated with his wife, video artist, Beryl Korot, on the religious
multi-media opera, 'The Cave' [1,
2;
'Genesis XXI' Act I No.10
by the Steve Reich Ensemble conducted by Paul Hillier in 1989 toward release
by Nonesuch in 1995].
Voice by Korot in 'The Cave' makes inquiries such as 'Who Is Abraham?' Act I
No.2 answered by music. In
May 2002 their video opera, 'Three Tales',
premiered at the Vienna Festival addressing the advance of science
in three acts titled 'Hindenburg', 'Bikini' (Atoll) and 'Dolly' (cloned sheep).
That, too, was an electronic work, now using historical prerecorded
interviews concerning each topic. Reich recorded 'Three Tales' the next
month in June [1,
2,
3,
4;
recording of 'Hindenburg'].
Reich received a Polar Music Prize in 2007 along with soprano saxophonist,
Sonny Rollins. It was a Pulitzer in
2009 for
'Double Sextet' which premiered at the University of Richmond on 26
March 2008, commissioned for eighth blackbird [1,
2] which recorded the work
for release in 2010 on Nonesuch 524853-2 et al
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
live performances by
eighth blackbird 2011,
Ensemble Paramirabo 2015,
Ensemble Offspring 2018].
Reich's 'Quartet'
for two vibes and two pianos premiered on 12 Oct 2014 by the Colin Currie Group
[live performance by the Icarus Quartet].
'Pulse' arrived
to its premiere by the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) on 1 Nov 2016, recorded by ICE toward issue on Nonesuch 565676 in 2018
along w 'Quartet' by the Colin Currie Group
[recording of 'Pulse' by ICE;
Nonesuch:
1,
2; reviews:
1,
2,
3]. Among more recent works is 'Music for Ensemble and Orchestra' first
performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Susanna Mälkki at the
Walt Disney Concert Hall on 1 Nov 2018 [1,
2,
3,
Reich on
(alt);
live performance
by the Lithuanian Symphony Orchestra conducted by Karolis Variakojis 2019].
Reich’s latest work for large ensemble as of this writing is 'Reich/Richter'
in 2019 in collaboration with painter, Gerhard Richter,
and filmmaker Corinna Belz
[1,
2,
3,
4;
Reich on;
Ensemble Intercontemporain 2020]. 'Reich/Richter'
is part of a greater project called 'Reich Richter Pärt' (Arvo Pärt) which premiered at The Shed
in NYC on 6 April 2019
[1,
2].
Reich is yet active as of this writing. His son is musician, Ezra Reich.
References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Brief chronology.
Compositions:
alphabetical;
chronological: BRAHMS,
Pytheas,
SR Website;
by genre: BRAHMS,
Musicalics,
Pytheas,
RYM.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
YouTube.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
Japan;
select: 'The Cave' by the Steve Reich Ensemble conducted by Paul Hillier 1995:
1,
2;
'Drumming';
'Music for 18 Musicians' by Erik Hall;
'So Percussion';
'Three Tales' on Nonesuch 79662-2 issued 2003: 1,
2;
'Works: 1965-1995' 10 x CD compilation on Nonesuch ?79451-2.
Film.
Documentaries:
'A New Musical Language' 1987;
'Phase to Face' by Eric Darmon & Franck Mallet 2009: 1,
2,
3,
4;
'Reich on Reich' 2011.
Interviews: Reich would have been at home w two cans and a string as well.
A partial list of interviews numerous at Note 1 below.
Further reading by source: Articles about Reich are extensive, a
partial list by author at Note 2 below.
Further reading by topic: analysis: 'Illusion / Anti-Illusion' by Ross Graham Cole;
process music: 1,
2;
'Music as a Gradual Process' by Reich;
reviews (Top Ten);
systems music: 1,
2.
Iconography.
Social media: Facebook,
Twitter.
Bibliography: 'Searching for Harmony in All the Wrong Places: Steve Reich's Music for String Orchestra (1961)'
by K.W.F. van der Linden (Master Thesis 2010).
Authority research: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Sheet music: Boosey (Reich's publisher): 1,
2.
Book stores: Canada,
Europe,
USA.
Other profiles: English: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7;
Boosey (publisher): 1,
2;
NPR Radio;
Espanol: 1,
2;
French: 1,
2;
Wikipedia international: Catalan,
Czech,
Deutsch,
Dutch,
Finnish,
Italiano,
Japanese,
Russian.
Steve Reich Musica Strasbourg Musica Strasbourg Musica Strasbourg Musica Strasbourg 1971 First recorded 1971 This recording: 1987 1978 Recorded 1978 1995 This performance 2014 Text: Wittgenstein Conductor: Joel Chapman 2002 Performance 2011 Festival INTERRA Novosibirsk 2002 ^ Note 1: interviews with Reich: Bruce Duffie 1985/95; Bruce Duffie in Japanese: 9 Oct 1985, 9 Nov 1995; Richard Kessler July 1998; Robert Davidson 1999; Jason Gross April 2000; Marc Weidenbaum Jan 2004; Richard Kessler 21 June 2004; Christopher Wright 2005; Andrew Clements Oct 2005; Hermann Kretzschmar Oct> 2005; NPR Oct 2006; Joshua Klein Nov 2006; Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker 2008; Emma Warren 2010; Alexis Petridis March 2013; Javier Ansorena June 2014 (Espanol); 'At the Swimming Pool' 2015 (Czech); Library of Congress 4 April 2018; Christopher Abbot unknown (sometime 21st century). ^ Note 2; Further reading on Reich: Javier Blánquez (Espanol), David Grossman, Carter Horsley, Taylor Kaplan, Norman Lebrecht, Diego Manrique (Espanol), MoMA, New York Times, Opera Plus, Steve Reich Website, Tom Service, Tom Strini, Roger Sutherland, Daniel Verdu (Espanol). |
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Born of Jewish immigrants in Baltimore, Maryland, on 31 Jan 1937, Philip
Glass
had a father with a record shop from which he was able to glean his own
collection of classical titles from unsold recordings. His mother was a
librarian who involved herself with assisting Holocaust survivors adapt to
life in the United States (board, language, employment). Glass played flute before entering the
University of Chicago at age fifteen to study math and philosophy. He there
began composing in twelve-tone a la
Anton
Webern before graduating with a bachelor's in 1956. Keyboard became his
preferred instrument at Juilliard which entered in 1957 after working as a
crane operator between schools. A summer break from Juilliard in 1960 he took
him to the summer school of the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado where he received instruction from Darius Milhaud
and wrote 'Violin Concerto' for fellow student, Dorothy Pixley-Rothschild,
who there premiered it. Glass withdrew this work from his catalogue. A later
'Violin Concerto' appeared in 1987
[interpretation
by Karen Gomyo w the Residentie Orkest 8 Feb 2014]. Upon graduating from
Juilliard in '61 (est.), Glass moved
to Pittsburgh where he composed for the public school system in 1962. Glass
began 'Brass Sextet' in '62 toward completion in 1964, another of numerous
early works withdrawn from his catalogue although it was published by
Novello & Co. in England in 1966 and recorded by the London Gabrieli Brass
Ensemble led by Christopher Larkin on July 14/15 1991 toward issue on 'From
the Steeples and the Mountains' (Hyperion CDA66517)
in '92 [audio]. A 1964 Fulbright
Scholarship found Glass in Paris studying with
Nadia Boulanger. Via journey to
India in 1966, Glass returned to the States in 1967, working at performance
art largely in lofts and art galleries in SoHo (lower Manhattan). It was
during that period that he made a period-defining shift to minimalist
composition upon the bare repetitive structure of 'One + One' for amplified tabletop
[live interpretation by Jan van den Boomen
or
Dustin Woodard;
score].
The Philip Glass Ensemble saw forming in 1968, the main interpreting force
of works by Glass to this day
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5]. Glass' first
record label, Chatham Square Productions, was founded in 1970 with partner
and owner of the Bykert Gallery, Klaus Kertess [1,
2]. The label issued
'Music with Changing Parts'
by the Philip Glass Ensemble in 1971 on #1001/2, that
written for ensemble [live interpretation by Cluster Ensemble
2015? or Dedalus
18 March 2016]. 'Music in Eight Parts' premiered at the Guggenheim on 16
January 1970 and was performed a few times before it was lost. Its discovery at Christie's Auction House
in 2017 saw sale for $43,750. It was subsequently recorded separately by
each member of the PG Ensemble, then assembled by Michael Riesman toward
release in 2020 [1,
2,
3;
excerpt].
Come 'Music in Twelve Parts' to its debut in 1974 at Town Hall in New York
City [1,
2,
3;
PG Ensemble
for Radio WNYC 14 Feb 1981]. It was 1975 when Glass began his 'Portrait
Trilogy' consisting of operas that brought and perpetuated his fame:
'Einstein on the Beach', 'Satyagraha' and 'Akhnaten'.
'Einstein on the
Beach' premiered on 25 July 1976 at the Festival d’Avignon with w
direction by Robert Wilson with whom Glass wrote the libretto. With this
work Glass employed a device
called "knee plays" (joints) to open and close each of four acts
[Knee 5
ending Act IV]. Glass wasn't yet able to support himself nor his family on music alone during the
seventies, also working as a mover, plumber and cab driver
[*]. He
finally left the day job behind with a commission from the city of Rotterdam
for the Netherlands Opera for 'Satyagraha', the second of Glass' 'Portrait Trilogy'
which premiered on 5 Sep 1980 in Holland w the assistance of the Utrecht
Symphony Orchestra conducted by Bruce Ferden. With libretto by Glass and
Constance DeJon, the title refers to Gandhi's concept of nonviolent
resistance [1,
2,
3,
4;
Act I premiere 1980].
'Glassworks' was one of a couple titles composed in 1981 for his debut issue
by CBS on FM 37265 in '82
[1,
2,
3,
4;
audio]. The third part
of his 'Portrait Trilogy',
'Akhnaten', premiered on 24 March 1984 by the Stuttgart State Opera Chorus &
Orchestra Chorus conducted by Dennis Russell Davies featuring Paul Esswood
as Akhnaten and Milagro Vargas as Nefertiti [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
audio of premiere].
Glass released 'Songs from Liquid Days' in 1986 w titles by rock musicians
such as Paul Simon
and David Byrne of the Talking Heads [recording
(alt)]. Harper & Row published Glass' first memoir, 'Music by Philip Glass', in
1987. Glass began his 'Cocteau Trilogy' of operas in 1991 after three titles by Jean Cocteau: 'Orphée',
'Les Enfants Terribles' and 'La Belle et la Bête'. 'Orphée' w libretto by
Glass was first performed on 14 May 1993 at the American Repertory
Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts
[Act I Scene 1 'Le Café'
performed live at the Herbst Theatre San Francisco by the Opera Parallèle on 26 Feb 2011;
audio of Act II Scene 8 'Le Retour d'Orphée'].
'Les Enfants Terribles' w libretto in Francais by Glass saw performance on
18 May 1996 at the Theater Casino in Zug, Switzerland
[1,
2,
3;
arrangements for two pianos by Joe Hisaishi
performed live by Maki Namekawa & Dennis Russel Davies at Kioi Hall, Tokyo, 25 Oct 2019 or
Michael Riesman
performed by Katia & Marielle Labèque 2020 (Scene 2 of 20: 'Paul Est Mourant')].
'La Belle et la Bête' premiered in Seville on
4 June 1994 based on Cocteau's
1946 film ['Overture'
arranged by Michael Riesman for the Ensemble SORI performed live 28 Sep 2016
in Seoul]. We step back a little for the first of Glass' 'Bowie Trilogy'
consisting of the symphonies 'Low', 'Heroes' and 'Lodger', each after a
record album by David Bowie. 'Symphony No.1' ('Low') had premiered in Munich
on 10 August 1992 by the Junge Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie conducted by
Dennis Russell Davies, that addressing Bowie's 'Low' issued in Jan 1977. It
saw recording in 1993 by the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra led by Dennis
Russell Davies [1,
2;
recording 1993].
Glass formed his second record label, Point Music, in '93
[1,
2]. 'Symphony
No.4' which is 'Heroes' addressed Bowie's 'Heroes' album released in Oct '77
[1,
2,
3;
interpretation
by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra led by Marin Alsop].
In 1997 Glass supplied new music for 'Streets of Berlin' appearing in the
film adaptation of Martin Sherman's 1978 drama concerning homosexuality in
Nazi Germany, 'Bent' [1,
2,
3],
that performed by Mick Jagger
as Greta [interpretation by Tara Hugo 2012]. It was
2002 when Glass formed his third record label, Orange Mountain Music
[1,
2].
His score for among numerous films, 'The Hours',
which premiered in Dec 2002, saw release
as a soundtrack by Elektra Nonesuch. In 2003 Michael Riesman and Nico Muhly
published an arrangement for piano [live performance by Branka Parlic 2005]. Glass' highly popular 'Songs and Poems' of 2007 was written for cellist, Wendy Sutter
[1,
2], who recorded them in July and August of 2007
[1,
2;
'Song I',
'Song III'].
Glass' second autobiography, 'Words Without Music', was published in 2015
[excerpt; reviews:
1,
2].
The third of Glass's 'Bowie Trilogy' was his 'Symphony No.12' ('Lodger')
which was first performed on 10 Jan 2019 by the Los Angeles Philharmonic at
the Walt Disney Concert Hall, that based on lyrics in Bowie's 'Lodger' of
1979 [1,
2,
3,
4].
'Circus Days and Nights' is an opera w libretto by David Henry Hwang slated
for premiere w direction by Tilde Björfors on 29 May 2021 at the Malmö Opera in Sweden
[1,
2]. Glass
is yet active as of this writing with homes in New York and Nova Scotia. As a
Buddhist he is vegetarian and has long been a supporter of Tibetan independence from China.
References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Compositions:
alphabetical;
chronological: BRAHMS,
Pytheas;
by genre: BRAHMS,
Musicalics,
Pytheas,
RYM; Wikipedia:
Anglais,
Espanol,
Francais;
Wise Music;
concerti; operas:
1,
2;
symphonies.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
YouTube.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
select: 'Complete String Quartets' by the
Smith Quartet;
'Heroes Symphony' 1997;
'Music in Twelve Parts' 1993;
'Songs and Poems for Solo Cello' by Wendy Sutter 2007: 1,
2;
'Tara Hugo Sings Philip Glass' 2012.
Film: 1,
2,
3,
4,
Deutsch,
Japanese,
Russian.
Iconography: 1,
2.
Interviews: Bruce Duffie 1982/87;
ToniMarie Marchioni May-August 2012;
Sep 2012: 1,
2;
Master Class 2014 w Niklas Rydén: English
(video),
Russian (text);
Lola Fadula 20 April 2018;
Studio 360 2019;
various.
Social media: Facebook,
Twitter.
Further reading by source: Elizabeth Bloom,
Christopher Fox,
Patrick Freyne,
Anne Midgette,
John O'Mahony,
Daniel Verdu
(Espanol).
Further reading by topic:
essential compositions,
essential recordings,
recordings 21st century.
Bibliography.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Book stores: Canada,
Europe, USA:
1,
2,
3.
Other profiles (English): encyclopedic: 1,
2,
3;
musical: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
NPR Radio.
Wikipedia international: Czech,
Deutsch,
Dutch,
Espanol,
French,
Japanese,
Russian. Per below,
all tracks for the opera, 'Akhnaten' (1983), are performed by the Stuttgart
State Opera Orchestra. All Knee Plays are taken from the opera, 'Einstein on
the Beach' (1975) and recorded in 1979 by the Philip Glass Ensemble, except
'Knee Play 4' which was performed at Greene Space for New York Public Radio
in 2012. Philip Glass 2006 Soundtrack suite 1982 Soundtrack 1987 Symphony Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Dennis Russell Davies 1971-74 1970 Album 1994 issue 1987 3 movements Hague Residentie Orchestra/Brad Lubman Violin: Karen Gomyo |
 Philip Glass Source: TAIS Awards |
|
 John Harbison Source: Wisconsin Public Radio |
Born in Orange, New Jersey,
on 20 Dec 1938,
John
Harbison
was born to historians, Elmore and Janet Harbison.
Christie Finn has him
playing piano in a jazz band at age eleven. He was composing as a
teenager, winning a BMI Student Composer Award at age sixteen in 1954 for 'Caprichio'
for trumpet and piano. Dutch Wikipedia [Comps below] has him writing
'Confinement' in '54 as well, which
George Crumb
in a paper for the University of Michigan places in 1956.
Harbison is thought to have employed twelve-tone method in 'Confinement'
written for large ensemble. Its title refers to both illness and the
interplay of strict versus free shapes. He apparently returned to the work
in 1965 to finish it for twelve performers toward eventual premiere in 1967
by the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble conducted by Arthur Weisberg [Wikipedia,
Wise Music]. The
recording by the latter saw issue in 1969 on
'Spectrum: New American Music Volume III' per
Nonesuch H-71221
[audio].
That is thought to have been the first composition by Harbison to see record shops.
Another of Harbison's early works was 'In Spiritu' in 1955 for male voices,
tenor, baritone, bass and chorus. Harbison's career to come would be heavy
with song. He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in music in
1960. He later began instructing, to include jazz, at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
in 1969 where he has remained to this day. Harbison's debut orchestral
composition was 'Diotima' of 1976 commissioned by the Koussevitzky
Foundation, that more a parallel than setting to text by poet, Frederick Holderlin. Harbison's first of three operas
was 'Full Moon in March' of 1977 [1,
2;
interpretation by the Boston Modern Orchestra Project led by Gil Rose in 2003-04 toward issue in 2009:
score]. Harbison's second opera, 'Winter's
Tale' of '79, was based on the eponymous work by Shakespeare
[1,
2,
3;
interpretation by the Boston Modern Orchestra Project led by Gil Rose on March 2009 toward issue in 2012:
1,
2].
His solitary ballet, 'Ulysses', surfaced in two acts titled 'Ulysses' Raft'
and 'Ulysses' Bow' in 1983 ['Ulysses' Bow' by
the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra directed by André Previn]. Of Harbison's
six symphonies, 'Symphony No.1' was premiered in Boston on 22 March 1984 by
the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the conductor Seiji Ozawa
[audio: 1,
2].
'Remembering Gatsby' was a foxtrot for orchestra which arrived in 1985 to
see revision in 1990 [live performance
by the GSU Symphony Orchestra led by Andrea Botelho]. His
'The Flight Into Egypt' was a sacred ricercar
for solo soprano, solo baritone, chorus and chamber orchestra commissioned by
the Cantata Singers and Ensemble in 1987. This work which won Harbison a Pulitzer Prize
[1,
2,
3,
4;
audio by the Los Angeles Phil w Andre Previn issued 1990:
1,
2].
'Symphony No.2' of 1987 is a highly regarded work commissioned by the San Francisco Symphony
to celebrate its 75th anniversary. Harbison chose Herbert Blomstedt, a
conductor he deemed with particularly strong qualities, to lead the premiere of above
twenty minutes [1,
2;
recording of the SF Symphony w Blomstedt;
score]. That
was followed in 1989
with a grant from the MacArthur Fellowship worth $305,000
which helped to bring 'Symphony No.3' to its premiere on 26 February 1991 by
the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra directed by David Zinman. 'Symphony No.3' had been commissioned to mark the
75th anniversary of the Baltimore S O
[1,
2,
3].
Seven years later Harbison
received the Heinz Award in 1998,
that
followed by his third and final opera in '99, 'The Great Gatsby', after the
novel about the sensitivities of the wealthy by Fitzgerald [1,
2,
3;
score].
In 2004 he was commissioned by the
Pontifical Council to write a work for the Papal Concert of Reconciliation
in reference to the three Abrahamic faiths which are Judaism, Christianity
and Islam. It was Sir Gilbert Levine who directed the Pittsburgh Symphony
Orchestra at the event held on 17 Jan 2004 to which 7000 people in
particular had received invitation from John Paul II. Also traveling to Rome to perform were
the Krakow Philharmonic Choir, the London Philharmonic Choir and the Ankara
Polyphonic. Commencing this program which saw broadcast on PBS and release
on DVD
was Harbison's sacred motet, 'Abraham'
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
'Abraham': 1,
2;
score;
Levine conducting 'Abraham'].
Harbison's 'Symphony No.4' was commissioned for the Seattle Symphony by
philanthropists Richard and Constance Albrecht toward premiere on 17 June
2004 beneath the baton of Gerard Schwarz
[1,
2;
'Fanfare' 1/5
by the Boston S O led by Ludovic Morlot 2011,
'Finale'
5/5 by the National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic under David Alan
Miller issued 2018]. 'Milosz Songs' was commissioned by the New York
Philharmonic toward premiere on 23 February of 2006 for soprano, Dawn
Upshaw, singing settings to poems by Czesław Miłosz [1,
2,
3].
Harbison's 'Concerto for Bass Viol' saw performance on 1 April 2006 by the
Toronto S O led by Hugh Wolff with Joel Quarrington at bass. Its premiere in
the States arrived on 5 May 2006 by the Houston S O directed by Hans Graf
with Tim Pitts at bass. Harbison's interest in writing this piece arose of
his background in jazz and having conducted above fifty Bach cantatas
[1,
2;
live performance by the Minnesota Orchestra w Fora Baltacigil at double bass:
1/4,
2/4,
3/4,
4/4;
score]. Harbison
became Acting Artistic Director of Emmanuel Music in Boston
in 2007. Harbison's 'Symphony No.5' arrived to Boston on 17 April 2008
for performance by mezzo-soprano, Kate Lindsey, and baritone, Nathan Gunn,
backed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra directed by James Levine
[1,
2,
3,
4].
In 2009 Harbison wrote a unique piece called 'Leonard Stein Anagrams'
consisting of thirteen miniatures for piano first performed by Gloria Cheng
in Los Angeles on 14 Oct 2009.
Stein had died in 2004, a pianist and
musicologist whose work Harbison held in high regard. Come 'Symphony No.6',
Harbison's last, to its initial performance on 12 Jan 2012 by mezzo-soprano,
Paula Murrihy, backed by David Zinman directing the Boston Symphony
Orchestra by which it was commissioned
[1,
2,
3,
4;
'Con Moto' 1/4 featuring Paula Murrihy].
On 20 Oct 2018 Harbison's 'IF' was premiered at the Kresge Auditorium in Cambridge
by soprano, Lucy Fitz Gibbon, that a setting to Holderlin's 'If from the
Distance' [1,
2].
Harbison is yet active as of this writing in association w MIT. His
publisher has long been Associated Music Publishers / G. Schirmer which come
to Wise
Music [1,
2,
3,
4,
5].
References: 1,
2,
3.
Compositions: alphabetical;
chronological: Pytheas,
Dutch Wikipedia;
by genre: Encyclopedia,
Klassika,
Musicalics,
Pytheas,
RYM,
Wise Music;
symphonies.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
YouTube.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3;
select: 'Symphonies 1 & 2' by the Boston Symphony Orchestra w James Levine 2010.
Interviews: Bruce Duffie 13 June 1991 text,
Peter Jacobi 2006 radio.
Further reading: Thomas May,
Gayle Worland
(alt).
Authority research: 1,
2.
Other profiles: English: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
French: 1,
2;
Italian.
John Harbison premiere 2004 for Pope John Paul II Papal Concert of Reconciliation Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Sir Gilbert Levine 2006 For cello & piano Cello: Julia Yang Piano: Patricia Au 1965 Contemporary Chamber Ensemble Arthur Weisberg 2004 'Overture for an Imagined Opera' Albany Symphony David Alan Miller 1985 GSU Symphony Orchestra Andrea Botelho 1987 San Francisco Symphony Herbert Blomstedt 1985 Horn: Robert Ward Piano: Ian Scarfe Violin: Jorja Fleezanis |
|
 Ellen Taaffe Zwilich Source: Florida State University |
Born in Miami on 30 April 1939,
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich
studied piano, violin and trumpet as a youth. She had begun composing as a
youth as well. Zwilich received her bachelor's in music from Florida State
University in 1960, her master's in '62. She taught music a bit in South
Carolina before heading to New York in 1964, there to be employed by the
American Symphony Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski.
Zwilich earned her doctorate in composition in music from Juilliard in 1975. She
presently holds six
honorary doctorates. Pytheas [Comps below] begins her catalogue w 'Einsame
Nacht' ('Lonely Night') for baritone and piano in 1971. 'Im Nebel' (In the
Fog') for contralto and piano emerged in 1972. The debut performance of her
first of numerous symphonic works was on 31 Jan 1975 by the Juilliard Symphony Orchestra
conducted by
Pierre Boulez: 'Symposium for Orchestra'
[score]. Of her five numbered symphonies,
'Symphony No.1'
('Three Movements for Orchestra') premiered on 5 May 1982 at Alice Tully
Hall, Lincoln Center, NYC by the American Composers Orchestra conducted by
Gunther Schuller.
The work won Zwilich a Pulitzer Prize in 1983
[interpretation by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra led by John Nelson
at the Circle Theatre Nov 1984:
I Allegro,
II Song Form,
III Rondo].
'Symphony No.2' ('Cello Symphony') was commissioned by the San Francisco
Symphony toward its first performance on 13 November 1985 w conducting by
Edo de Waart [interpretation by the Louisville Orchestra led by Lawrence Leighton Smith].
Zwilich's 'Concerto Grosso' for chamber orchestra was commissioned by the
Washington Friends of Handel for the 300th anniversary of the birth of
Handel. That was premiered by the Handel Festival Orchestra conducted by
Stephen Simon on 9 May 1986
[1,
2;
interpretation by the New York Philharmonic led by Zubin Mehta in latter
1988:
1/5 Maestoso,
2/5 Presto].
'Symphony No.3' was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic to celebrate
its 150th anniversary, first performed by the New York Philharmonic
conducted by Jahja Ling on 25 February 1993
[1,
2;
recording of premiere;
album;
score].
'Symphony No.4' ('The Gardens') was written for chorus, children's choir and
orchestra toward premiere at Michigan State University on 5 Feb 2000
[score].
'Symphony No.5' ('Concerto for Orchestra') was commissioned for the
Juilliard Orchestra which premiered it under the wand of James Conlon at
Carnegie Hall on 27 October 2008 [score].
Among more recent works is 'Concerto Elegia' for flute and string orchestra
premiered by Trudy Kane at the University of Miami on 18 April 2015 backed
by the Frost Symphony Orchestra conducted by Thomas Sleeper
[score]. Zwilich currently teaches
at Florida State University per a Krafft Distinguished Professorship and works with the BMI Foundation.
Along with orchestral works like symphonies mentioned above, Zwilich has
written for band,
chamber,
solo and duo,
voice and orchestra as well as
concerti. References: 1,
2.
Compositions: alphabetical: 1,
2;
chronological;
by genre: Pytheas,
RYM.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
YouTube.
Videography: chamber & solo,
concerti & orchestra.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3;
select: 'Violin Concerto' | 'Rituals'
featuring Pamela Frank (violin).
Interviews:
Bruce Duffie 13 Jan 1986,
Emer Nestor July 2015.
Further reading: Tim Smith.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3.
Other profiles: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
Wikipedia international: Deutsch,
Dutch,
French,
Italiano,
Japanese.
Per 'Concerto Grosso' below, all tracks are performed by the New York Philharmonic. Per
'Symphony No 1' below, its three movements are performed by the Indianapolis
Symphony Orchestra with John Nelson directing. Ellen Taaffe Zwilich Concerto Grosso Movement 1 1985 Maestoso 1985 Presto 1985 Largo 1985 Presto 1985 Maestoso Concerto per Violino e Orchestra 1998Saarbrücken Radio Orchestra Direzione: Michael Stern Violino: Pamela Frank 1989 London Symphony Orchestra Conducting: James Sedares 1988 New York Philharmonic premiere 1975 This release 1986 premiere 1975 This release 1986 premiere 1975 This release 1986 1993 New York Philharmonic Directing: Jahja Ling |
|
|
Born in Madrid on 12 Sep 1942,
Tomás Marco
Aragon was an avant-garde
composer who early
studied violin, composition and law. His relative obscurity in the United
States belies his rank as one of Spain's finest composers, Spanish culture
among major themes in his oeuvre. Having begun to compose in 1958, he
also studied psychology, sociology and German culture in France and Germany.
Psychology and dialogue would be important elements in his work. Marco's catalogue commonly begins in 1959 when he began to write his
orchestral 'Los Caprichos' in reference
to Goya's etching series,
'Los Caprichos', published
in 1799. Goya was among the major figures along Marco's intellectual journey
to whom multiple compositions would refer. Howsoever, Marco didn't finish 'Los Caprichos' until 1967.
In 1962 Marco began writing as a music critic for 'SP' magazine. Authorship
was to remain a major aspect of his career. 'Trivium' was a work for piano, tuba and percussion (vibraphone or marimba) that premiered in Madrid on 21 March
of 1963, a comp that Marco withdrew from his catalogue as unsatisfactory. 'Tensión'
of 1963 joins other early works which Marco destroyed, though that was an
early instance of a structural method Marco developed which Roberto Alonzo
Trillo discusses as a dialectical tension-over-time.
His since withdrawn 'Roulis-Tangage' ('Roll-Pitch') saw performance in
Madrid on 13 June 1963 written for a combo of horn, piano, cello, guitar, electric guitar, vibraphone and percussion. 'Voz' presumably
for solo voice was also withdrawn since '63. Marco had graduated from the
University of Madrid and received his license to practice law in 1963, the
same year incidental music for 'El Acuerdo' ('The Deal') was heard in Madrid
at the University Theater (TEU) of Industrial Engineers directed by David
Ladra to text by Berthold Brecht. Incidental music for 'Narisco' arrived in
1964 to text by Maux
Aub. Among Marco's earlier important
developmental relationships were members of an association called Zaj
[1,
2
3,
4], a
Spanish neo-Dada group of experimental composers and performance artists
with which Marco hung for a time in '65. Zaj had been formed in Darmstadt in
1958 with John Cage
its major figure. Zaj paralleled Fluxus [1,
2,
3,
4], an international association surrounding
Cage. Marco's first of several
electronic works, 'Su', arrived in 1965. His 'Piraña' for solo piano premiered in Madrid on 26 Dec 1965. He'd
composed 'Albayalde' for solo guitar in '65 as well, though it wasn't performed
until 20 November 1969 in Amsterdam. Marco had also written 'Car in Effet'
in '65 for an interesting combination of three clarinets and three
saxophones, that not premiered until 28 June 1968 in Washington, by which I
hazard Trillo [above] to mean the District of Columbia. Marco
began working for Spanish Radio in 1966. In 1967 he contributed a flute composition to
Karlheinz Stockhausen's
'Ensemble', issued in 1972 w flute performed by Ladislav Šoka. The same year
he became assistant to Stockhausen
he founded the
journal on contemporary music, 'Sonda', w Ramón Barce.
Marco's initial work for theatre was his opera, 'Jabberwocky', from
Lewis Carroll’s 'Through the Looking Glass' of 1871. Marco directed both the
music and staging of its premiere on 23 Feb 1967 at the French Institute in
Madrid. 'Paso a Dos' for two pianos saw its first performance on 17 Jan 1968
by Carles Santos and Tomás Marco at the Instituto Italiano in Madrid. 'Fetiches'
for solo piano surfaced in Amsterdam on 31 March 1968
[interpretation by Manuel Escalante recorded
Jan 2003].
His orchestral work featuring trumpet titled 'Mysteria' saw premiere in
Netherlands on 16 Sep 1972.
Marco had begun to write his one-act opera, 'Selene', back in '65. It
premiered w libretto by himself at the Teatro de a Zarzuela in
Madrid on 14 May 1974 including four saxophones
[1,
2;
interpretation of Scene 1
by the Musikene Sinfonietta w José Luis Temes]. Marco's solitary ballet, 'Llanto
por Ignacio Sánchez Mejías', was completed for violin, violoncello and
orchestra in 1985 in reference to the 1921 eponymous poem by Federico García
Lorca concerning the bullfighter,
Mejías, who died of one too many
justice-minded goring
bulls not in it for sport in 1934. 'Pulsar' is a work for
orchestra which arrived to the Metz
Festival on 22 Jan 1986. Temes led the
Orquesta Filarmónica de Poznań in a recording of 'Pulsar' in August of '89
[I,
II,
III].
Among Marco's several books, he addressed the zarzuela (Spanish opera) in 'Spanish Music in the Twentieth Century'
which saw
print in 1993 [1,
2].
'Tarots' is a set of 22 pieces for solo guitar that saw performing in Madrid
on 10 April 1992 by a guitarist unidentified. 'Tarots' saw issue by Juan
Carlos Laguna in 1995 which was recorded on a date unidentified
[audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5].
Into the 21st century Marco premiered his one-act opera, 'El Viaje Circular', at the Principal Theatre in Alicante on 29 Sep 2002 w libretto
by himself after Homer’s 'Odyssey'. Marco's 'Sinfonía No.7' ('Comoedia
Milenni') received its first performance on 17 Nov 2005 in Ljubljana by the Choir and
Orchestra of the Slovenian Philharmonic conducted by George Pehlivanian
[live performance by the Coro y Orquesta Sinfónica RTVE led by Michal Nesterowicz].
Marco's 'Musical Creation in the XXI Century' was published by Cuadernos de
la Cátedra Jorge Oteiza in 2007 [*]. 'Tránsito del Señor de Orgaz' for
string orchestra arrived to the La Mancha Festival in Castilla on 11 July
2010 [live performance by the
Camerata del Prado conducted by Tomás Garrido]. Marco's last numbered
symphony is thought to be 'Sinfonía No.10' ('Infinita') which the Marco
website gives a date of 2012. Continuing to write several works each year,
Marco's 'Dream of Viral Reason' premiered on YouTube on 20 April 2020, an
electronic address of Covid-19 named after Goya's etching, 'The Sleep of
Reason Produces Monsters'. Among Marco's latest compositions as of this writing
is 'Ligetoven', a conflation of Ligeti
and Beethoven,
which saw its premiere, probably recorded, on 20 July
2020 by pianist, Mario Prisuelos [1,
2].
Marco's
prolific composing has wrought six operas along w works for chamber, orchestra, voice
and instruments like piano, guitar and other strings as well as saxophone et al. Having
lectured at various institutions,
he is also recipient of numerous awards. His book, 'Music on Stage', saw
publishing in 2020 by the Asociación de Directores de Escena de España in 'Serie Debate No.27'
[1,
2].
References: Thomas Marco
Website in frames
containing a thorough catalogue of comps, authored
publications, a discography, bibliography, iconography and current news;
Wikipedia.
Compositions: alphabetical;
chronological;
by genre: Musicalics,
RYM,
Trillo (scroll).
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3;
select: 'El Grupo Círculo Interpreta a Tomás Marco' on Gasa 9G0444 issued 1991:
1,
2;
'Piano Works' by Mario Prisuelos on IBS Classical IBS-112017 issued 2017:
1,
2,
3.
''Sinfonia No. 5' - 'Sinfonia No. 4''
on Col Legno AU 31812 CD issued 1990; 'Works for Guitar' by Marcello Fantoni
on Dynamic CDS 708 recorded 2010 issued 2011:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
IMDb (film).
Interviews: w Esther Martín 2017.
Further reading: analysis: comps for violin: Trillo;
essential catalogue;
'El Pais'.
Bibliography: 'ZAJ and Futurism: from Henri Bergson to Tomás Marco' by Roberto Alonso
Trillo ('Hispanic Research Journal' 2016).
Authority research: 1,
2,
3.
Other profiles: Catalan;
Czech; Spanish:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5. Tomás Marco Agni 1990 Guitar: Marcello Fantoni From 'Sonata de Fuego' Arcadia 1975 Camerata Musica Nova El Caballero de la Triste Figura 2004 Chamber opera Concierto del Agua 1993 For guitar & orchestra Diwanes y Qasidas 1987 Grupo Círculo Fetiches 1967 Piano: Luis Aracama Sonata de Madrid premiere 2007 Symphony No 7 1999 For Choir & orchestra Tarots 1991 Guitar: Jose Jaimes |
 Tomas Marco |
|
 Gavin Bryars Source: Henry Moore Foundation |
Born in Yorkshire,
England, during World War II on 16 Jan 1943, composer,
Gavin Bryars,
wrote works for chamber, chorus, voice and solo instruments along w scores
for film, theatre, opera and dance. From minimalism to medieval
inspirations, his is a wide-ranging catalogue. Bryars took up the double bass
for life while studying philosophy at Sheffield University
from which he graduated in 1964. He had that year written and performed the
score for Stephen Dwoskin's film, 'Naissaint', released in 1967
[Bryars on;
film]. Beginning his musical career as a jazz bassist,
Bryars was yet a student when he formed the improvisational Joseph Holbrooke Trio, named after
the early 20th century English composer, with Tony Oxley (drums) and Derek
Bailey (guitar). That ensemble recorded a number of rehearsals in 1965 which
they didn't issue, though their rendering of
Charlie Parker's 'Miles Mode'
later saw
release by Incus in 1999 on 'Rehearsal Extract 10' 26'
[1,
2;
audio].
They reassembled an age later in Cologne in October 1998 to record 'Joseph
Holbrooke '98' toward issue on Incus CD 39 in 2000
[1,
2].
Another recorded session was held in London in December 1998
to realize 'The Moat Recordings' issued in 2006 on
Tzadik TZ 7616-2
[1,
2; audio:
1,
2].
After the Joseph Holbrooke Trio separated in '66 Bryars
journeyed to the United States to work with the team of aleatory composer,
John Cage, and choreographer,
Merce Cunningham
[Bryars on].
Upon returning to England he wrote 'Mr. Sunshine' in 1968 for pianist, John
Tilbury, to be played on at least one prepared piano. Bryars'
non-traditional score [1 (top),
2]
indicates indeterminate and looping sections. The year of '68 also brought
the formation of the Promenade Theatre Orchestra w composer,
John White. Experimental pieces beginning
about that time arrived more as textual instructions
than scores. Bryars' 'Marvellous Aphorisms Are Scattered Richly Through These
Pages' was for an overcoat fitted w electrical devices which
saw its first performance in Cardiff, Wales, in Nov 1969. Bryars had begun instructing in
fine arts at Portsmouth in January of 1969. The original version of 'The
Sinking of the Titanic' [1,
2] was composed in 1969 for an art exhibition, that
more a set of instructions than a score. Not
until 13 December 1972 did he realize the concrete [1,
2,
3,
4,
5] version at Queen
Elizabeth Hall in London. The album recorded in 1975 by Bryars leading the
Cockpit Ensemble toward issue on Brian Eno's Obscure No.1 was both Bryar's first and a name-maker. Though released
as a limited edition it saw reissue in 1982
[1,
2,
recording;
live performance
by the Psappha Ensemble 2 Feb 2014]. Bryars gives 'A Must For All Sibelians'
a composing date of February 1969, that a work for tape referring to
composer,
Jean Sibelius. Come the score
for the horror film directed by Franco Brocani, 'Necropolis', which premiered in Belgium in 1970, the
United States in Jan of '71 [1,
2;
excerpt]. Bryars began instructing at the Leicester Polytechnic
(De Montfort University) in Sep 1970. Just so, he was a founding member of the Portsmouth Sinfonia
in 1970, among the more usefully useless orchestras around
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6]. His best-known work
is his minimalistic concrete 'Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet'
[1,
2] which
premiered on 13 Dec 1972 at Queen Elizabeth Hall with 'The Sinking of the
Titanic' (above). 'Jesus Blood' features the looping of a pre-recorded
stanza sung by homeless man. It was recorded in 1975 w 'The Sinking' for
issue on Obscure No.1 (above) [recording].
Both the Psappha Enemble and Tom Waits
[1,
2,
3] recorded versions in 1993. St Martin in the Fields more recently
performed the work in April 2019 at Trafalgar Square in London at a memorial
service for who've died homeless. Bryars returned to the piece in 2020 to
compose an orchestral version.
Another among Bryars' experimental works requiring text rather than score
was 'Far Away and Dimly Pealing' in 1972 which is more a quiz for
"performers" on how to ring a bell a mile away than a composition
[*
(alt);
realization
2008]. In 1974 Bryars joined the Parisian society, Collège de Pataphysique founded
in 1948
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5], and
has been a member ever since. Pataphysiques is self-described as the useless
science of imaginary solutions, yet possibly useful since neither the
science nor society are wholly in earnest. Bryars and White (above)
formed the Gavin Bryars Ensemble
to record 'Hommages' on 28
Feb 1981 [recording].
Upon the death of audio engineer, Bill Cadman, in Dec 1988, Bryars wrote one of his works for voice,
'Cadman Requiem', toward premiere at the Conservatoire de Lyon on 17 May 1989
[1,
2,
3;
interpretation by the Hilliard Ensemble [1,
2] recorded
Nov 1997:
'Requiem' 1/14,
'Agnus Dei' 4/14].
Toward the latter part of his career Bryars' interest in early music brought
him to an arrangement of
Henry Purcell's
c. 1680 'In Nomine' for the viol consort,
Fretwork [1,
2], which saw its first performance at the Purcell Room in London
in May of 1995. Fretwork recorded it at Westminster Cathedral on 21 December
1998 for the Lockerbie Memorial Concert. The Hilliard Ensemble also
performed Bryars' 'Cadman Requiem' and the first three titles of the
'First Book of Madrigals'
set in '98 to poems by Blake Morrison. Those were issued in 2003 on GB Records
BCGBCD03 [Fretwork: 'Il Nomne': recording;
Hilliard Ensemble: 'Web' No.1 of 'Madrigals': recording]. 'Biped' was among works for Merce Cunningham (above) decades after their
days in New York together with
Cage
who had died in 1992. Cunningham and his Dance Company performed that at
Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley on 11 April 1999 [1,
2,
3]. Bryars recorded it in 2001 to
become the first release on his own record label, GB Records, in
April 2003
per BCGBCD02 ['Part I' of VI,
'Part II' of VI].
Bryars began writing his numerous sacred 'Laude' ('Songs') in 2002 per
'Laude Cortonese'
containing 29 pieces, numerous of which are contained on 'Oi Me
Lasso' of 2004 on GB Records BCGBCD05 featuring Anna Maria Friman (soprano),
John Potter (tenor), Nick Cooper (cello), Morgan Goff (viola) and Bryars at
double bass [1,
2,
3,
4;
audio of 'Oi Me Lasso' Laude 4].
Bryars' numbered 'Laude' have been composed to as late as No.54 ('Stella
Nuova') for three voices on 23 Jan 2020. It was 20 Nov 2004 when Bryars premiered 'From Egil's Saga' for
BBC Radio 3
w bass sung by Rúni Brattaberg backed by the the London Sinfonietta.
Based on 'Egil's Saga' about the Viking poet-warrior written c. 1230 by
Snorri Sturuson [1,
2], the work saw later recording in
Nov 2011 in the Faroe Islands toward issue on GB Records BCGBCD20
[audio of 'Prologue'].
Bryars finished 'Tre Laude Dolce' for solo cello on 13 December 2006, that
dedicated to cellist and colleague since the early nineties, Audrey Riley [1,
2],
who presumably premiered it in Spain. Bryars and his Ensemble recorded
'No.1' of the three on
5 September 2008 at the Punkt Festival in Kristiansand, Norway, toward issue on
'Live at Punkt' per GB Records BCGBCD15 issued in 2009
[audio of 'No.1'
from 'Live at Punkt'; other interpretations: Matthew Barley: recording 2012,
live 2013;
Louise McMonagle live 9 June 2020].
Riley twice recorded all three on an unknown date toward issue on '1:3' per
AR Records ARR 04
in 2015, first for solo cello, next w James Woodrow at guitar. Bryars' most
recent comp as of this writing is 'Lauda col legno III' for solo bass clarinet
finished on 30 June 2020 with dedication to clarinetist, Roger Heaton, alike the first two
in 2004 and 2009 [live performance in Rome of 'Lauda col legno I'
by Paolo Ravaglia at bass clarinet and Francesco Dillon at cello on 31 Oct 2007].
Others w whom Bryars has worked over the years include such as jazz
musician, John Surman, and the British a cappella trio, Juice. Of recent
dividing his time between Canada and England, he is yet active as of this
writing (Oct 2020). His publisher has been Schott Music
for well above 30 years.
References: 1,
2.
Chronology.
Compositions: Bryars' Website:
chronological,
dance & theatre,
film,
opera,
unfinished;
by genre at Musicalics,
RYM.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
select: 'Biped' dance music by Bryars for Merce Cunningham; 'Hommages' 1981: 1,
2;
'The Marvellous Aphorisms of Gavin Bryars: The Early Years' comps 1969-71:
1,
2;
'Live at Punkt' 2008: 1,
2;
'Lockerbie Memorial Concert' Westminster Cathedral Dec 1998; 'The Sinking of the Titanic' Gavin Bryars Enesemble live in Bourges April 1990:
1,
2.
Film: 1,
2,
3.
Videography.
Interviews: Culture Kiosque 2000,
BBC 2004,
Melony Dodson for WUOT Radio March 2017,
Ethan Iverson May 2017,
Wiener Zeitung Apriil 2018,
Eamon Sweeney Nov 2018,
ECM50 April 2019.
Further reading: GB Webite;
collaborators:
vocalists;
GMG Classical Music Forum;
publishers.
See also: Modern Composition with Gavin Bryars (instruction):
1,
2;
old GB Website in frames.
Authority research: 1,
2.
Book stores: Canada,
Europe,
USA.
Other profiles: English: 1,
2;
Wikipedia international: Catalan,
Deutsch,
Espanol,
Francais,
Italiano,
Japanese. Gavin Bryars 1, 2, 1-2-3-4 1971 With John Adams & Christopher Hobbs After the Requiem 1991 After the Underworlds premiere 2012 National Youth Brass Band Conducting: Bramwell Tovey The Black River 1991 For soprano & organ Farewell to Philosophy 1995 Cello concerto Farewell to St. Petersburg 2002 Filmed live Double bass: Božo Paradžik Four Elements 1994 LP: 'Vita Nova' Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet 1971 Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet 1993 Album with Tom Waits Miles Mode Joseph Holbrooke Trio Improvisational rehearsal taped 1965 Not issued until issued 1999 My First Homage 1981 LP: 'Hommages' The North Shore 1993 For viola and strings On Photography 1984 Latvian Radio Choir Sinking of the Titanic 1969 This revision 1975 Sinking of the Titanic 1969 This filmed live 2012 Vancouver Aquatic Centre Aventa Ensemble |
|
|
Born in Coventry, England, on 16 Jan 1943 (same day as
Bryars), new complexity composer,
Brian
Ferneyhough, nigh
composed himself off the face of the Earth as his compositions developed into
dense structures that were difficult to understand and sometimes impossible to perform.
He began his musical education in 1961 at the Birmingham School of Music (now the
Birmingham Conservatoire) until 1963. His catalogue commences in 1963 with 'Sonatina'
for three clarinets and bassoon or bass clarinet. 'Inventions' for piano
arrived in 1965. He studied serial composition at the Royal Academy of
Music (University of London) in 1966-67, of which 'Epigrams' for piano of '66
was first performed
in London in Feb 1967. The author(s) at Japanese Wikipedia
[Refs below] describes his First Period as serial into 1973. 'Coloratura' for oboe and
piano was written in '66 though not performed until 1972 in Zurich by Heinz Holliger (oboe) and Klara Körmendi (piano)
[interpretation
by Peter Veale (oboe) and James Avery (piano) date unknown;
score].
On 1 July 1967 Ferneyhough premiered 'Prometheus' for wind sextet at Mahatma
Gandhi Hall [interpretation
by the Ensemble Contrechamps led by Zsolt Nagy date unknown;
score].
Another title of 1967, 'Sonatas for String Quartet', didn't see performance
until 23 March 1975 in Royan, France
[interpretation
by the Arditti Quartet date unknown;
w score;
score]. Ferneyhough won a Mendelssohn
scholarship in 1968, after which he studied in Europe with Ton de Leeuw in
Amsterdam and Klaus Huber in Basel. In 1969 Ferneybough wrote his 'Missa
Brevis' for twelve voices in three quartets, eventually premiering on 24 March
1974 in Royan by the Hilversum Radio Choir led by Marinus Voorberg
[1,
2;
BBC Singers led by Odaline de la Martinez w an issue date of 2005 at Discogs:
I-II,
III-V].
'Sieben Sterne' for solo organ is a work of '69 which was first performed in
Royan on 27 March 1974 [interpretation by Kevin Bower]. Come 'Cassandra's Dream Song' for solo
flute in 1970, performed in Royan by Pierre-Yves Artaud on 29
March 1974 [1,
2,
3,
4;
live performances: Robin Meiksins 2016,
Emmanuelle Ophèle 2014].
Ferneyhough had begun writing 'Time and Motion Study I' for solo bass
clarinet in 1971, eventually premiering in Royan in March 1977 by Harry
Sparnaay [1,
2;
interpretation by Armand Angster
recorded 2 July 2014;
live performance by Hugo Queirós May 2015]. By the time 'Cassandra's Dream
Song' arrived Ferneyhough's composing had become a
daunting task to figure for a single instrument. He raised the bar w his
electronic 'Firecycle Beta' in 1971
toward premiere in Oct 1976 in Venice. 'Firecycle Beta' had been written for two pianos w orchestra,
two ensembles and two sections of 30 strings each, the entire body wanting a conductor
along with four subconductors. 'Firecycle Beta' brought Ferneyhough his
first prize from the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) [interpretation
by the hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt (Frankfurt Radio Symphony) 13 Aug 2016].
Ferneyhough began teaching at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg
[1,
2] in
Germany in 1973, where he would keep until 1986.
Among elements making the electronic 'Time & Motion Study II' unique is its
"dialogue" between performer and self, an interaction
between a recording cellist and the manipulated playback of the same, each at
once frustrated (psychological element) by the work's fragmentary scheme. Begun in 1973, the comp was later
premiered by Werner Taube on 21 October 1977 at Musiktage in Donaueschingen
[live performances on cello by: Séverine Ballon,
T.J. borden;
Neil Heyde,
w score]. See also 'Electric Chair Music' of 2007,
a documentary directed by Colin Still and
featuring Neil Heyde w Paul Archbold (electronics) 2007 [1,
2].
'Time & Motion Study III' was composed for sixteen voices and electronics in
'74 toward premiere in Oct '75. It brought Ferneyhough his second prize from
the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) [unknown recording].
The larger scale 'Transit' for six voices, flute and clarinet w
orchestra begun in 1972 was finally completed in '76 [unknown recording].
Japanese Wikipedia begins Ferneyhough's Second Period in 1973 to include the
preparatory 'Time Motion Study II' while noting that it
properly begins with 'Unity Capsule' for solo flute begun in '75 toward
premiere in Royan on 23 March of '76 [*]. 'Unity Capsule' bears similarity to
'Time Motion Study II' in that various articulations (breaths, clicks,
et al in addition to flute) challenge the performer who is again frustrated
by Ferneyhough's employment of gestural patterns meant to make the piece
impossible to play. One would be entirely correct to think that Ferneyhough lived to make
life hard on virtuosos with gauntlet-like schemes, a guy who gives you the
keys to the kingdom if you can survive it. Happily, most performers of
Ferneyhough have lived through it, including Kolbeinn Bjarnason
(audio w score) and
Matteo Cesari (live).
'Unity Capsule' is further fragmented in open form:
the entirety of the composition is never played, but only those parts as the
performer has chosen. 'Lemma Icon Epigram' for solo piano w voice was
premiered in La Rochelle by Massimiliano Damerini on 29 June 1981. By this
time Ferneyhough's notation is become more complex by micro-management of
all variety of elements from rhythm to trills. Once again, the work
was written expressly to make life difficult for virtuosos, such as the
speed at which parts of it must be played along an inhibiting structure
[1,
2,
3;
interpretation by Massimiliano Damerini
or
Marino Formenti;
live performance by Nicolas Hodges
or
Lukas Huisman;
score].
'Superscriptio' that premiered on 1 Sep 1981 by Roberto Fabbriciani is what
Ferneyhough called his "basic" compositional procedure at the time married
in detail
with what is super "emblematic" of the piccolo
[live performance by Rachel Beetz,
Orlando Cela
or
Matteo Cesari]. Ferneyhough left
England for the United States in 1987 to instruct at the University of
California at San Diego where he remained until 1999. Japanese Wikipedia
renders Ferneyhough's Third Period as computer assisted, beginning with
'Bone Alphabet' for percussion of '91 with which he transitioned from writing
scores by hand to using computer software
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5].
Such was helpful in particular with the minutiae of Ferneyhough's scores,
the caveat being the requirement a program that could do it at that early
phase of software development.
He has long since used Finale [1,
2,
3],
of which Sibelius [1,
2,
3]
is main competitor ['Bone Alphabet' live by Ross Karre:
1/2,
2/2].
'String Trio' was premiered in Paris on 21 November 1996 by the Contrechamps Trio
[1,
2]. Though always able to cover with other reasons for
writing some work, that was Ferneyhough's first comp to incorporate computer
generated possibilities set to such parameters as to best intimidate
courageous virtuosos. Ferneybough used the open source software program,
Patchwork, for that, which
main alternative is OpenMusic: 1,
2.
Ferneyhough began instructing at Stanford University in California in 2000
where he teaches composition to this day. He also instructs at the Darmstadt
School in Germany during summers.
His solitary opera which is 'Shadowtime' of 2004 also received computer generated
assistance.
Four of its scenes had been preceded by prior works. 'Opus Contra Naturam'
(Scene 4) had originally been written for piano toward performance in Louvain, Belgium, in October of 2000 by Ian Pace
[1,
2,
3].
'Stelae for Failed Time' (Scene 7) had first been written for twelve voices and
electronics toward premiere on 13 June 2001 in Paris [live performance by the Helsingin kamarikuoro led by Nils Schweckendiek
on 3 July 2015 Finland]. 'Les Froissements d'Ailes de Gabriel'
('The Crumpled Wings of Gabriel' - Scene 2) had been written for guitar and
ensemble in 2003
[*;
audio
of Geoffrey Morris (guitar) w the Elision Ensemble led by Franck Ollu;
score].
'Seven Tableaux Vivants Representing the Angel of History as Melancholia'
had originally been composed for ensemble and spoken voice toward its first
performance in Paris on 13 Jan of 2004. 'Shadowtime' itself arrived to Munich,
which had commissioned the work, on 25 May 2004 with a
libretto [1,
2] by Charles Bernstein addressing the life of philosopher, Walter Benjamin
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
interpretation by the Neue Vocalsolisten w the Stuttgart Nieuw Ensemble on
9 July 2005 at the London Coliseum:
Scene 1,
Scene 3;
scores: Scene 3,
Scene 7,
whole].
'Renvoi/Shards' was another work for guitar that arrived in 2010, this time for
quarter-tone along w quarter-tone vibraphone,
that commissioned by the Asamisimasa Ensemble
[live performance
by Travis Andrews (guitar) w Andy Meyerson (vibes) 2015]. Ferneyhough's
latest works documented in
'Edition Peters' of 2018 [Comps below] is a collection of eleven
compositions for
ensemble or string quartet begun in 2001 called 'Umbrations' which premiere of the whole together arrived on 5 May 2017
by the Arditti Quartet w the Ensemble Modern conducted by Brad Lubman
[recording;
score to 'Christus Resurgens' (No.7 of 11) composed for string quartet and double bass in 2016].
Among Ferneyhough's greater works not here mentioned are of his numerous string quartets. Ferneyhough
is yet active residing in sunny California as he likely continues to scheme
the dark doom of musicians. For all anyone knows he may have a few bound up
behind a wall or under the floorboards like in Edgar Allen Poe. His publisher is long since
Edition Peters
(alt)]. References: Links to IRCAM BRAHMS, an important site for
information on Ferneyhough et al, are correct in this article. If a glitch
misdirects to a bad gateway try the
same link later. References: All Music,
Wikipedia,
Wikipedia (Japanese).
Compositions: Edition Peters 2018
(alt);
alphabetical;
chronological;
by genre: BRAHMS,
Composers 21,
Musicalics,
RYM.
Authorship:
'The Collected Writings of Brian Ferneyhough' (Harwood Academic Publishers 1995);
'Words and Music'.
Audio: 1,
2,
3;
YouTube: Contemporary Classical,
Hering.
Recordings of: discographies: 1,
2,
3;
select: 'Choral Works' by the BBC Singers:
1,
2,
3,
4;
'Complete Works for String Quartet & Trios' by the Arditti Quartet & Claron McFadden:
1,
2.
Interviews: Joshua Cody 1996,
Molly Sheridan 2005,
Jeffrey Arlo Brown for VAN Magazine 2017,
James Gardner 2020.
Further reading by source: Matthias Kriesberg,
Radio 3 Forum,
Tom Service.
Further reading by topic: complexity (Powell),
computer technology,
'Gesture, Mimesis and Image' by Diego Castro-Magas,
new complexity,
notation for solo flute,
patterning (gestural composition).
Bibliography: 'Brian Ferneyhough' by Jonathan Harvey ('The Musical Times' Sep 1979);
by compositions addressed: 'Bone Alphabet': Steven Schick;
'Cassandra's Dream Song': Ben Sledge,
Ellen Waterman;
'Lemma Icon Epigram': Richard Toop;
'String Quartets': Lois Fitch;
'Superscriptio': David Toop;
'Time and Motion Study II': Martin Iddon;
‘Transit': Roddy Hawkins
(alt).
Authority research: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Books/ docs/ scores: Canada; Europe:
1,
2;
USA.
Other profiles: English: 1,
2;
Russian: 1,
2;
Wikipedia Europe: Catalan,
Deutsch,
Espanol,
Francais.
Brian Ferneyhough Brian Ferneyhough LP suite Issued 2000 Nieuw Ensemble/Ed Spanjaard Cassandra's Dream Song 1971 With score Flute: Denizcan Eren Chronos Aion 2007-08 This performance 2011 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival Ensemble Linea Conducting: Jean-Philippe Wurtz Coloratura 1966 Firecycle Beta 1971 premiere 1976 Incipits 1996 Inconjunctions 2014 Ensemble Modern Frankfurt Lemma Icon Epigram 1982 With score Liber Scintillarum 2012 Renvoi/Shards 2008 This filmed performance 2013 The Living Earth Show Tribeca New Music Festival Filmed at Cell Theatre Manhattan Renvoi/Shards 2008 With score Sonatas for String Quartet 1967 String Quartet No 3 1987 String Quartet No 5 2006 String Quartet No 6 2010 Filmed with the Arditti Quartet La Terre est Un Homme 1979 This performance: 2011 Barbicon Centre London Time and Motion Study I 1971–77 This performance 2013 Bass clarinet: Vincent Hering Time and Motion Study II 1973-76 For cello With score |
 Brian Ferneyhough Source: Twitter/Ferneyhough |
|
|
Born in Chicago on 22 March 1943,
Joseph Schwantner, studied
classical guitar as a youth, tuba in high school as well. Most of his
compositions were based on his or someone else's poetry. Schwantner was
initially drawn to free jazz when he wrote his atonal serial work, 'Offbeat',
which won the National Band Camp Award in 1959. He graduated
with a degree in composition from American Conservatory in Chicago in 1964. Pytheas [Comps below] commences its catalogue of Schwantner with an obscure
'Nonet' for piano and chamber ensemble composed 1964-65. Schwantner earned a
master's degree in music in 1966 from Northwestern University (Chicago).
The Schwantner
Website begins its catalogue with his published work for chamber, 'Diaphonia Intervallum',
composed for sax, flu in 1965 toward premiere by the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble at
Rutgers U in New Jersey as well as New York in 1967
[recording on
album]. Schwantner
acquired his doctorate in music from Northwestern University in 1968. Beginning his
career as a professor at Pacific Lutheran University in '68, he would instruct at several
institutions throughout the decades including Juilliard and Yale, he remaining at the latter since
1999. Schwantner began writing for ensembles which he called consortiums in
1970. 'Consortium I' consisted of flute, clarinet, violin, viola and
violoncello commissioned by the Boston Musica Viva which recorded it under
the direction of Richard Pittman toward issue on
Delos DEL 25406 in 1975
[recording on
album]. Schwantner's
'Consortium III' arrived as the subtitle of 'Modus Caelestis' which saw
premiere on 29 April 1972 by the Zeitgeist in Musik with Bruce Hangen
conducting at Kilbourn Hall for the 50th anniversary of the Eastman School
of Music (U of Rochester New York) where Schwantner was on the faculty. That
consortium consisted of twelve flutes, six violins, three violas, three
cellos, piano, celeste and three percussionists [recording
by the New England Conservatory Orchestra w Richard Pittman 1970 on
album].
'Consortium IV' was the subtitle of 'In Aeternum' for solo cello solo w alto
flute bass clarinet, viola and percussion. The Boston Musica Viva recorded
it under the direction of Richard Pittman toward issue
on Delos DEL 25406 in 1975
[recording on
album
which lends a comp or pub date of 1973].
His 'In Aeternum II' for organ had already arrived in 1972, published in
'74, the year he received the first of several grants from the NEA [National
Endowment for the Arts: 1,
2].
That valued at
$3,500, he received another in '75
worth
$5,000.
Others followed in '77 and '79. Schwantner's final 'Consortium IX' was the subtitle for 'Canticle of the Evening
Bells' commissioned by the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble that had arrived in 1976, that
consisting of flute, piano, strings and percussion [on
album].
Wind instruments were of special emphasis to Schwantner whose major work
titled 'and the mountains rising nowhere' was commissioned by the Eastman
Wind Ensemble with a grant from the NEA toward its debut in 1977
[Note: links to the Wind Repertory Project, an important site for information on Schwantner et al, are correct in this article.
If a glitch misdirects to a bad page try the same link later:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
interpretation
by the North Texas Wind Symphony w score issued 2006 of recording unknown;
interpretation by the
United States Marine Band President's Own 2017;
live performance by the
University of Michigan Symphony Band led by Michael Haithcock 31 March 2017;
on albums].
Schwantner's orchestral 'Aftertones of Infinity' caught up on 29 Jan of 1979
at Tully Hall, NYC, conducted by Lukas Foss. premiered by the American
Composers Orchestra by which it had been commissioned, the work won a 1979
Pulitzer Prize [on
album].
It saw later recording by the Juilliard-Orchestra toward issue on New World
Records NW 381-1/2 in 1989 [recording w score].
Come 'Sparrows' for voice and chamber to the Smithsonian Institute in
Washington DC on 18 March 1979. That was premiered by sopran, Lucy
Shelton, to fifteen haiku by Issa Kobayashi translated to English by Lewis Mackenzie
[1,
2; live
performances:
Halcyon at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music 18 Sep 2011,
Shari Feldman backed by New Music Delaware 2013,
Rachel Sparrow backed by the Northwestern Chamber Ensemble;
on albums].
'From a Dark Millennium' was a work for wind orchestra first performed by the
Northern Illinois University Wind Ensemble in Feb 1981
[1,
2,
3;
interpretation by the North Texas Wind Symphony issued 2006 recording unknown;
live performance by Colorado University Wind Symphony led by
Donald McKinney or
Austin State University Wind Ensemble led by David Campo;
on album].
'Music of Amber' in Parts I and II arrived to the Chicago Civic Center on 10 April 1981,
performed by the New York New Music Ensemble [on album;
live performance
by the Northwestern Chamber Ensemble conducted by Dominic Talanca]. Also in
1981 Schwantner wrote a work for chamber called 'Through Interior Worlds'
which appears withdrawn from the Schwantner catalogue [Comps below]. That
was later developed into a ballet for orchestra in 1991, also missing from Schwantner's catalogue. Encyclopedia gives that a date of 9 Oct 1992
presumed here to mean its premiere. If Schwantner considers that a
substandard work, he compensated for it with his orchestral 'New Morning for
the World' ('Daybreak of Freedom') commissioned by AT&T for the Eastman
Philharmonia which premiered it at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC on 15
Jan 1983 w John Effron conducting. That was also written for narration of
text by Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-68)
[on albums;
live performance
by University of Michigan Symphony Band conducted by Michael Haithcock w narration by Daniel Washington 6 April 2018].
About twenty years later Schwantner wrote other versions, one for chamber
orchestra which premiered at Harvard University on 25 Jan 2004 by the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston
directed by Isaiah Jackson, another for wind orchestra which was performed in Tallahassee
on 20 April 2007 by the Florida State University Wind Orchestra led by Nikk
Pilato. Percussion is another area that was emphasized by Schwantner throughout his career,
by which is meant all variety from vibraphone and bells to chimes and water
gongs. He wrote several versions of concerto for percussion, one his major 'Concerto
for Percussion and Orchestra' which premiered at Lincoln Center's Avery
Fisher Hall in New York on 6 Jan 1995 [1,
2,
3,
Schwantner on;
on albums;
interpretation by the
Nashville Symphony Orchestra directed by Giancarlo Guerrero w Chris Lamb at percussion;
live performances with percussion by:
Thomas Burritt w the U of Texas Wind Ensemble,
Claire Edwardes w the SCM Wind Symphony].
Another of Schwantner's favored works arrived into the new millennium via
the Ford Motor Company's 'Made in America' project, the first of which went
to Joan Tower for her 'Made in America' which she took on tour through all
fifty states employing 65 orchestras along the way
[NPR].
That had been launched in Glens Falls in Oct 2005. Next up was Schwantner
for 'Chasing Light', that tour launched by the Reno Chamber Orchestra on 20
Sep 2008 to see performances in all fifty states
['Crystal Light': Schwanter on: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
on album;
Ford commission: 1,
2,
3,
Shwantner on].
The last composition to date in Schwantner's catalogue is
'Daydreams...' of
2018 for violin, vocal quartet and glass harmonica
which was recorded by violinist, Yevgeny Kutik, toward issue in 2019 on
'Meditations on Family' per Marquis Music MAR 81493
[1,
2].
Schwantner is yet active as of this writing, living in Spofford, New
Hampshire.
References: 1,
2,
3.
Chronology.
Compositions: alphabetical;
chronological: New Music,
Pytheas,
Schwantner;
by genre: EAM,
Pytheas,
RYM,
Schwantner.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
YouTube.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
select: 'Looking Back' w flute by
Jennie Oh Brown;
''New Morning' | 'The Passion'' (Flagello's) by the Oregon Symphony directed by
James DePreist on Koch International Classics;
'Schwantner' by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra conducted by
Andrew Litton;
''Sparrows' | 'Music of Amber'' by the Holst Sinfonietta conducted by
Klaus Simon American Classics Naxos 8.559206: notes:
1,
2.
Interviews:
Bruce Duffie 13 March 2002.
Further reading: 'Unity and Pluralism' by Cynthia Folio;
''A Conductor's Guide to the Wind Music of Joseph Schwantner' by Nikk Pilato w transcription of 'New Morning for the World';
''From a Dark Millennium' Comes the 'Music of Amber'' by James Popejoy (comparative study);
students of.
Sheet music (Europe). Bibliography:
''Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra'' by Shawn Michael Hart
2008. Authority research: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Other profiles in English: 1,
2,
3.
Wikipedia international: Deutsch,
Dutch,
French,
Italiano.
Joseph Schwantner Aftertones of Infinity 1978 and the mountains rising nowhere 1977 Colorado State University Wind Symphony Concerto for Percussion 1994 Nashville Symphony Orchestra Director: Giancarlo Guerrero Diaphonia Intervallum 1966 From a Dark Millennium 1981 Luminosity 2014 New Morning for the World 1982 Recoil 2004 Sparrows 1978 Ensemble: New Music Delaware Soprano: Shari Feldman Velocities 1990 Revised 2007 Marimba: Doug Perry |
 Joseph Schwantner Source: Alabama Media Group |
|
|
Born in Moquegua, Peru, on 18 April 1943,
Alejandro Núñez Allauca
grew up in a Roman Catholic household toward joining those latter composers who arrived to classical music during its
decline about midway through the 20th century in the wake of such as rock n
roll, and its transformation via the advent of film and
television which finds it categorized as popular music. Such wasn't
generally the case, however, for niche modernistic composers invisible to
Billboard charts in the best of locations. As for Allauca, as a largely
autodidactic Peruvian avant-garde composer with a little early study of magnetic tape, he is largely unknown in the
United States for the additional reason that he had a strong lean toward
Catholic sacred music not recorded for commercial
reasons, nor the least concerned w Billboard which had no cause to care what
popes might favor. Allauca began training on accordion in 1956. He studied music
theory at the Cathedral of Lima under organist, Manuel Cabrera Guerra,
violoncello at the National Conservatory of Lima, then electronics for music at CLAEM (Latin American Center for Advanced Musical Studies at the Torcuato di
Tella Institute in Buenos Aires, Argentina). The author(s) at Wikipedia
commences an incomplete directory in 1965 per 'El alba para coro' ('Dawn for Choir') for mixed choir. His first work for orchestra
was a suite titled, 'Koribeni', appearing in 1967. Allauca later wrote a
version for guitar as 'No.2' in '88, revised in 2003 [*;
interpretation by Alexander-Sergei Ramirez;
live performance by Bruno Coz Núñez].
Worldcat finds him publishing a version for piano in 2001
[audio sample by Simonetta Tancredi].
All of which were in a different direction from his
album issued by Iempsa
in 1969, 'El Primer Acordeonista del Perú', on which he performed Creole and
Peruvian folk tunes on accordion along with a couple of his own
compositions. Allauca's electroacoustic 'Gravitación Humana' arrived in 1970, an early
electroacoustic investigation the likes from which he moved away as he
further developed [*;
audio
(alt)]. His
debut ornamental work arrived in 1970 for piano: 'Moto Ornamentale and
Perpetual'. Ornamentation is the decoration of a basic melody with such as
grace notes, trills, etc.. Such would become a concern of major emphasis for Allauca
which he later examined in the treatise, 'La Composición Musical Ornamental', in 1978.
Allauca traveled back and forth between Peru and the United States
delivering concerts from '72 to '79 when he began to teach composition at the
National Conservatory of Lima. Moving to Milan, Italy, in 1987, among the
various instruments for which he composed was harp per 'Rapsodia y Serenata'
in 1988. Allauca's 'Wiesbaden Konzert' premiered in 1994 in Chisinau,
Moldova [interpretation by pianist, Michele Fedrigotti, backed by the
Orchestra Nazionale della Radio di Bucarest led by Daniel Pacitti Feb 1997:
Movement 1 Allegro con brio,
Movement 2 Lento,
Movement 3
Allegro con brio]. Allauca's 'Sonrisa
de Jesus' ('Smile of Jesus') premiered at the Vatican on 15 Dec 1995 w text
by Francisco Estrello sung by tenor, Luigi Alva, backed by the Choir of Rome
and the Santa Cecilia Orchestra
[live performance by
Olatz Gorrotxategui (soprano) w Simonetta Tancredi (piano)]. Allauca composed his
Catholic 'Missa Andina' ('Andean Mass') dedicated to Pope John Paul II in
1997-98 [historic performances: 31 March 2015: 1,
2,
3;
complete live interpretation on 4 Nov 2016;
2018].
Allauca's religious 'Missa Populus Dei' ('Mass for the People'), was premiered on
27 July 2012 in Bern,
Switzerland, by mezzosoprano, Jimena Llanos, and pianist, Alicia Arce
[live performance by Josefina Brivio (mezzo-soprano) w Mattia Marelli (organ) Jan 2017
(alt)].
Among Allauca's more recent works is 'Meditazione e Allegro'
for bass clarinet in 2017. He is yet active residing in Milan a long
distance from his youth in South America but more at home with his
fundamentally European works, profane or sacred.
References: Filarmonia,
Pizzicato,
Wikipedia.
See also Spanish Wikipedia for an abbreviated catalogue. A list at Klassika
in a stage of stunted growth. The most complete directory of Allauca's works is
'Alejandro Nunez Allauca: Catalogo delle Opere' by Bruno Rossi (Adliswil
[CH]; Udine: Pizzicato 1999): 1,
2.
Further reading: Meza.
See also authority research: 1,
2,
3.
Other profiles: Italiano.
Alejandro Núñez Allauca Gravitación Humana 1970 For magnetic tape Koribeni No 2 1988 Llora Llora Corazón/Evocación 1969 Accordion: Allauca Moquegua 1998 Sonrisa de Jesus Song composed 1995 Pianoforte: Simonetta Tancred Soprano: Olatz Gorrotzategui Wiegenlied Song composed 1991 Pianoforte: Simonetta Tancred Soprano: Olatz Gorrotzategui |
 Alejandro Núñez Allauca Source Vice/Noisey |
|
 Peter Eotvos Source: Orlando Records |
Born on 2 Jan 1944 in Odorheiu Secuiesc, Transylvania
(then Hungary, now Romania),
Péter
Eötvös, is among the most
toasted of contemporary classical composers. He early studied composition at
the Budapest Academy of Music and conducting at the Hochschule für Musik in
Cologne. Pitching quick to glove that is
Eötvös' compositions in this article, at age twelve ('56) he composed
the vocal work for boys' or women's' choir, 'Solitude / Egyedül', revised
fifty years later in 2006. He began
training at the Music Academy in Budapest at age 14. The next year he began
composing for piano, five pieces from '59 to '61 cited at his website [Refs
3 below]. Those
were 'Adagio' ('59), 'Hommage à Haydn' ('59), 'Scherzo' ('60),
'Improvisation' ('61) and 'Rondo' ('61). He started composing and conducting
for theatre and film in Hungary in 1961 upon being hired at the Vígszinház
(Gaiety Theatre). His initial compositions for theatre in '61 were for
'Leonce and Lena' and 'The Silver Tassie'. A couple of vocal works arrived
in 1963: 'Hochzeitsmadrigal' and 'Moro Lasso'. His was the score for István
Szabó's film, 'Age of Illusions' [*],
released in 1965. His first of several explorations into the early
seventies with electronic tape was 'Mese' premiering in Darmstadt in Sep 1968.
'Cricket Music' for band and tape premiered in Budapest in December 1970
using prerecorded natural cricket sounds [Farkas
(bottom at "Tücsökzene")]. Eotvos was a member of
the Stockhausen Ensemble from 1968 to 1976, during which period he also
worked as a sound engineer in Cologne, Germany. During that time he began to
distinguish himself via Japanese culture. His first of
several operas, 'Harakiri', arrived in 1973 with libretto in Hungarian by
István Bálint concerning the 1970 ritual suicide (seppuku) of author, Yukio
Mishima. Eötvös borrowed from traditional Japanese music in writing for
Japanese vocals and instruments [1,
2;
live interpretation 2015;
text].
Eötvös drew the idea for his chamber opera of 1975, 'Radames', from Japanese
puppet theatre known as bunraku.
That saw its first performance w libretto by himself in March 1976 in Köln
[1,
2].
Eötvös was
director of the Ensemble InterContemporain [EIC: 1,
2] from 1979 to '91, and later
worked as a guest conductor for several orchestras, including the BBC and,
in the 21st century, the Radio Symphony Orchestra in Vienna. In the meantime
another Oriental opera arrived in 1986 called 'Chinese Opera' which Eötvös
recorded at Casino Zögernitz in Feb 1999 toward issue on 2000 on Kairos
0012082KAI
[album,
audio,
score].
Another of numerous film scores, 'Tüske a Köröm Alatt'
('Thorn Under the Nail'), arrived in 1987 directed by Sándor Sára
[1,
2,
3] from the
novel by Sándor Csoóri [1,
2,
3].
It was Sara's 'Könyörtelen Idök' ('Relentless Times') in 1991. Eötvös wrote
'Atlantis' for baritone, boy soprano, cimbalom, virtual choir (synthesizer) and orchestra
with text by Sándor Weöres toward premiere on 17 Nov 1995 by the WDR S O conducted by himself.
That was recorded toward issue in 1998 on Budapest Music Center
BMC CD 007
[audio
of Parts I-III of III]. Rolling into the new millennium, Eotvos'
orchestral 'Zero Points' ('zeroPoints') of 1999 saw premiere in London on 27 Feb 2000 by the Orchestre
Symphonique de Londres, by which it was commissioned, directed by Pierre Boulez
to whom it was a tribute [1,
2]. Eötvös recorded 'zeroPoints' w the Swedish GSO
(Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra) toward issue on
BMC CD 063 in 2001
[0.1 of 9,
0.2 of 9].
The Raúl channel at YouTube has Eötvös conducting 'zeroPoints' at La Scala in Milan on 30 Sep 2012
[*]. 'IMA' for choir and orchestra was first performed
on 13 September 2002 by the WDR Choir & Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sylvain Cambreling
and issued on BMC CD 085
[recording].
That addressed Biblical Creation based on poetry by Gerhard Rühm and Sándor
Weöres. In 2004 Eötvös wrote the work for solo piano called 'Un taxi
l'attend, mais Tchékhov préfère aller à pied' ('There's a taxi waiting, but
Chekhov would rather go on foot')
[*;
interpretation by Hayk Melikyan 2013, w
score].
Come the string quartet, 'Encore', on 11 June 2006 by the Athena Quartet.
The violin concerto, 'Seven',
premiered in Lucerne, Switzerland, on 6 Sep 2007 again conducted by
Boulez. 'Seven' is a
memorial to the astronauts of the Columbia space shuttle who died in flight
on 1 February 2003. 'Seven' saw recording at the Budapest Spring Festival on
30 March 2008 by violinist, Akiko Suwanai, backed by the Gothenburg Symphony
Orchestra [1,
2,
3].
Violinist, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, performed the work on 27 March 2013
backed by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by François-Xavier
Roth at the Helsinki Music Centre [1/2,
2/2].
Suwanai performed 'Seven' again on 23 Feb 2016 backed by the
Gürzenich-Orchester Köln directed by Roth [live performance]. Eotvos' latest opera
was his one-act 'Senza
Sangue', premiering on 1 May 2015 in Cologne by Alan Gilbert conducting the
New York Philharmonic by which it had been jointly commissioned with the KölnMusik GmbH. With libretto by Mari Mezei based on the eponymous novel by Alessandro
Baricco, that was intended as a double billing w Bartók's 1918 one-act
'Bluebeard's Castle' [1,
2,
3,
4;
live premiere 1 May 2015].
Eötvös's oratorio, 'Halleluja - Oratorium Balbulum', saw performance w
libretto compiled by Péter Esterházy on 30 July 2016 in Salzburg by the
Hungarian Radio Choir directed by Zoltan Pad w the Wiener Philharmoniker
conducted by Daniel Harding [1,
2,
3].
Narration was by Peter Simonischek w Iris
Vermillion (mezzo-soprano) and Topi Lehtipuu (tenor).
MusicWeb International
has it recorded in 2017 toward issue on WERGO WER73862 by Eötvös leading the
WDR Sinfonieorchester w Matthias Brandt narrating along w Vermillion and Lehtipuu
[audio: 1,
2].
Eötvös' 'The Sirens Cycle' for soprano and string quartet was an electronic
work arriving to London's Wigmore Hall on 1 October 2016
realized by Piia Komsi (soprano) w the Calder Quartet
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5].
MusicWeb International
has it recorded at IRCAM Studios in Paris in 2016 by the Calder Quartet w Audrey Luna (soprano) toward issue on Budapest Music Center
BMCCD249
[audio: 1,
2].
Eötvös conducted the premiere of
'Multiversum' for (pipe) organ, Hammond organ and orchestra on 10 October 2017
in Hamburg. Again in tribute to
Boulez, that came
in
three parts titled 'Expansion', 'Multiversum' and 'Time and Space'
[1,
2;
Eötvös on: text (Bachtrack interview 2019,
video w Tamás Sándor;
live performance by the
hr-Sinfonieorchester (Frankfurt Radio Symphony) directed by Eötvös 8 Dec
2017;
score
(alt)].
It was 8 December 2019 when 'Aurora' for solo double bass, accordion and
string ensemble saw performing by Matthew McDonald at the Kammermusiksaal in
Berlin [1,
2;
McDonald on].
Other recent works
include the piano concerto, 'Cziffrhapsodie', that saw performance in 2020.
Eötvös is yet active as of this writing, residing in Budapest since 2004.
References: Bach Cantatas;
Eötvös Website: Deutsch,
English,
Francais,
Hungarian;
Wikipedia.
Chronology at Schott (Eötvös' publisher).
Compositions: alphabetical;
chronological;
by genre: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
operas.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
Eötvös channel YouTube.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4;
select: 'Chinese Opera' by the Klangforum Wien w Peter Eötvös recorded 1999 issued 2000; 'Concertos' issued 2014 on BMC CD 170:
1,
2;
'Gliding: Four Works for Symphony Orchestra' issued 2019:
1,
2,
3,
4;
''zeroPoints' | 'Beethoven Symphony No.5'' issued 2001 on Budapest Music Center BMC CD 063:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Film.
Interviews: 'The Globe and Mail' 2012,
Jeffrey Arlo Brown 2019.
Facebook.
Further reading: 'Frankfurter Allgemeine';
A.S. Ivanoff;
Arnold Whittall.
See also: agents & publishers;
concert performances 1998-present;
PE Contemporary Music Foundation:
1,
2.
Bibliography
(Eötvös Website).
Authority research: 1,
2.
Books & scores: Canada,
Europe,
USA.
Other profiles: Deutsch;
English: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8;
Hungarian: 1,
2,
3;
Japanese.
Per below, the full title for Eotvos' piano piece of 2005 is 'Un taxi
l'attend, mais Tchékhov préfère aller à pied' ('There's a taxi waiting, but
Chekhov would rather go on foot'). Péter Eötvös Angels in America 2004 Opera for film Chinese Opera Part 1 1986 Chinese Opera Part 2 1986 IMA 2002 For choir & orchestra Intervalles-Intérieurs 1981 For magnetic tape Jet Stream 2002 Trumpet: Markus Stockhausen Korrespondence 1992 For string quartet Kosmos 1961 Revised '99 For two pianos Love & Other Demons Part 1 2007 Love & Other Demons Part 2 2007 Natasha 2006 Ensemble Linea Soprano: Allison Bell Psy 1996 Seven Part 1 2006 Violin: Patricia Kopatchinskaja Seven Part 2 2006 Violin: Patricia Kopatchinskaja Un taxi . . . à pied 2005 For piano Windsequenzen 1975 Revised 1987 |
|
|
Born on 23 March 1944 in London to Jewish furriers,
Michael
Nyman
entered the Royal Academy of Music in 1961 where he studied piano and 17th
century baroque. Among his four compositions there were 'Introduction and
Allegro Concertato for Wind Quartet' lost since its first performance in January 1963, and
'Divertimento for Flute, Oboe and Clarinet', performed in June and December
of '63. Nyman won the Howard Carr Memorial Prize for composition in 1964,
the year he commenced his career as a music critic, writing for such as
newspapers and weekly magazines. A 'Cadenza' for flute arrived in 1965, the
year he secured a residency from the British government to study folk song
in Romania from '65 to '66. Nyman's first of numerous film scores for Peter
Greenaway was '5 Postcards From Capital Cities' in 1967. The next year he coined the term "minimalism' as applied to music in 1968 in
an article for 'The Spectator' [*;
see also minimalist art; minimalist music:
1,
2,
3,
4].
As Nyman pursued his literary career, writing above 100 articles between '68
and '78, he also performed with and wrote about Cornelius Cardew's
experimental Scratch Orchestra formed in '69
[1,
2,
3,
4].
Distinguished among avant-garde compositions is Cardew's 'The Great
Learning' which takes its title from Book 1 ('Daxue') of the
Four Books of
Confucianism. Cardew recorded 'Paragraphs'
2 and 7 of 7 toward issue on
Deutsche Grammophon 2561 107
in 1971 by which Nyman's review in 'London Magazine'
that year it acquired reputation as the first minimalist recording [Cardew's
'The Great Learning' containing 'Paragraphs 1-7' issued 2010 1,
2,
3.
It was June of 1971 when Nyman completed his open form 'Bell Set No.1' for percussion premiering at the
Cockpit Theatre in London in 1973
[1,
2]. Nyman recorded the work with Nigel
Shipway toward issue on 'Decay Music' [1,
2;
audio]
for Brian Eno's Obscure label in 1976
[audio;
interpretation
by the PVD Keyboard Ensemble 2 July 2014]. Eno's is among the more important figures in experimental music, whose
career path is an education in it. 'Bell Set No.1' was Nyman's initial
exploration of what he called the "decay" process in which tintinnabulation
(continuing tone as like in the resonant ring of a triangle) is a major
element together with performers mechanistically trading off individual
rhythmic units. It was Nyman's book,
'Experimental Music: Cage and Beyond', saw publishing in 1974 in which he
addressed experimental music, Fluxus (association), electronic systems, indeterminacy and
minimalism [2nd Edition 1999: 1,
2,
3,
4].
Nyman pursued his ideas as to decay from 'Bell Set' in a work for four to
six pianos titled '1-100', finished on 19 December 1975 to appear in another
Greenaway film in 1976, '1-100'.
Nyman recorded both 'Bell Set No.1' and '1-100'
toward issue in 1976 on the LP, 'Decay Music' (above)
['1-100' audio
(alt)].
Nyman's rendition of 'Faster Decay' was included on the 2004
reissue of 'Decay Music' on Virgin CDVE 964
[audio: 1,
2].
Nyman formed the Michael Nyman Band in '76 with which he would tour
internationally during his career. The Nyman Band issued its first album,
''The Masterwork' Award Winning Fish-Knife'', in 1979 to accompany a
performance sculpture by Paul Richards and Bruce McLean that premiered at
Riverside Studios in London in Nov that year [audio].
The Nyman Band next recorded the 'Michael Nyman' album in 1981 toward issue
in November on Victor VIP6798. That included one of his waltzes of 1976,
'Waltz in F' [audio].
It also included his 'In Re Don Giovanni' of 77 which Nyman describes as a
deconstruction of the first sixteen bars of the 'Catalogue Song' in Mozart's
1787 'Don Giovanni' [1,
2;
audio].
'A Neat Slice of Masterwork' in 1980 consisted of excerpts from 'The
Masterwork' (above) arranged for solo piano [audio].
'A Neat Slice
of Saraband' for clarinet, trombone, piano et violoncello was written about
the same [score] along with 'A Neat Slice of Time' for choir a cappella with text
from Leonardo da Vinci. Nyman returned to his neat slice theme as late as
2019 per 'Neat Slice of Tango' for solo piano as documented by IRCAM's
BRAHMS and WiseMusic, indicating this
live performance
by Silas Bassa should be sometime 2019>. But I'm unable to
jive a composition date of 2019 w Bassa's 'Oscillations' said released in 2015
also containing Nyman's 'Neat Slice of Tango' [1,
2]. I leave
that mystery unsolved to back up to 1980 for a couple more films by Greenaway, 'The
Falls' [1,
2,
3,
4,
5]
and 'Act of God' (a documentary about being struck by lightning).
Come Greenaway's film, 'Terence Conran' in 1981 concerning the interior designer.
In 1982 it was Nyman's score borrowed from lesser known works by
Henry Purcell
for Greenaway's debut feature-length film, 'The Draughtsman's Contract'
[1,
2,
3,
4;
soundtrack issued on Charisma CAS 1158 1982 in 1982;
audio selection including 'Chasing Sheep Is Best Left to Shepherds' and 'An Eye
for Optical Theory']. Nyman recorded 'The Draughtsman's Contract' again in April and August of 2005 toward issue on
'Composer's Cut Vol I': [1,
2].
What is 'Composer's Cut Vol II' is 'Nyman / Greenaway Revisited' recorded in 1992 and April 2005
[1,
2].
In 1984 Nyman composed an orchestral 'Basic Black' for the Houston Ballet
[BRAHMS, Wikipedia] as well as the first of multiple versions of 'Water
Dances' for another Greenaway film called 'Making a Splash',
this time about synchronized swimming. Tracks of that arrived on the 1985
album, 'The Kiss and Other Movements' [album;
audio
of 'Water Dances']. Another version of 'Water Dances' later arrived to
Ludwigshafen in 2013,
that his 'Symphony No.8' [interpretation
by the German State Philharmonic of Rhineland-Palatinate directed by Karen Kamensek
14 April 2016]. 'Zoo Caprices' for violin had appeared in 1985, written for
violin virtuoso, Alexander Balanescu, who premiered it in Paris on 8 April
1986. Balanescu features on the 1986 album, 'And Do They Do / Zoo Caprices'
issued on That's Entertainment Records TER 1123
[1,
2].
Nyman's initial
of several operas, 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat', arrived to the
Institute of Contemporary Arts in London on 27 October 1986. The libretto
[1,
2] by
Christopher Rawlence borrowed from the eponymous case study of visual
agnosia of 1985 by neurologist Oliver Sack
[1,
2;
adaptation for television 1987].
It was another Greenaway film in 1988 titled 'Drowning By Numbers' which soundtrack
was released in 1988 containing titles like 'Trysting Fields', 'Drowning by Number 2' and 'Drowning by Number 3'
[1,
2].
'Not Knowing the Ropes' (aka '2M6') was erroneously titled 'Knowing the Ropes'
[audio]. Nyman returned to
'Drowning by Numbers' in '92 and '98 for other versions for strings and chamber
orchestra.
It was Greenaway's 'The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover' in 1989
including 'Memorial' which addressed the 39
largely Italian deaths at Heysel Stadium in
Brussels on 29 May 1985 that resulted in the banning of England from football on the Continent for
the next five years. Nyman had premiered his 'Memorial' on 5 June 1985
from which he culled for the film score that he then donated toward the film
[Heysel riot: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
film;
soundtrack: 1,
2,
3;
'Memorial': audio
(alt)].
Although Nyman is best known for his film scores, he wrote numerous works
otherwise such as concertos for cello, trombone, harpsichord, sax and
violin. A couple piano concertos arrived in 1993 one for solo piano, one for
a pair. The former premiered at the Festival de Lille in France on 26 Sep 1993 along with
'MGV' ('Musique à Grande Vitesse' - 'High-Speed Music')
['Piano Concerto': 1,
2;
audio
by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jonathan Carney w Peter Lawson at piano;
'MGV' complete recording
('Regions 1-5')]. Nyman's 'Flute Concerto No.2' was composed as
recently as 2019 [score]. 'Gattaca' concerning eugenics arrived in 1997 directed by Andrew Niccol
[1,
2,
3,
4;
soundtrack: w
review].
Into the new millennium, Nyman and his band premiered the score for 'Man
with a Movie Camera' on 17 May 2002 at London's Royal Festival Hall. The
original 'Man with a Movie Camera' was a 1929 avant-garde Russian
silent documentary
purveying Russian society
written and directed by Dziga Vertov which Nyman set to music
[1,
2]. Nyman
later directed and produced his own expanded global version of the film
released in Sep 2010 with newer footage titled 'NYman with a Movie Camera'
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
trailer cut by Nyman
(alt);
film locations
1929 v 2015 w Nyman]. Discogs has the orchestral version of 'When
Ingrid Met Capa' issued
in April 2016 by the German DO.GMA Chamber Orchestra on
'DO.GMA #4' per Berthold Records 912 1944-6
[recording].
BRAHMS has him composing another version for string quartet as recently as
2019, one of numerous such quartets written by Nyman. Albeit Nyman's
popularity has seen decline into the 21st century, he is yet active dividing his
calendar
between Milan, London and Mexico City, the latter a favored
place to be since before filming 'NYman with a Movie Camera' a decade earlier.
Having published 378 works to date [publisher], Nyman has also
released well above seventy name albums. Among
other awards such as an honorary doctorate from the University of Warwick
Coventry in 2007, he was made Commander of the Order of the British
Empire (CBE) in 2008. References: Wikipedia,
All Music.
Compositions: chronological: Academic,
BRAHMS,
Pytheas;
by genre: BRAHMS,
Musicalics (sheet music),
Pytheas,
RYM.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
10,
YouTube.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
select: 'Complete Piano Music' by Jeroen van Veen recorded 18/19 January 2015 Netherlands
toward issue 2016 on Brilliant Classics 95112:
1,
2;
audio;
'The Essential Michael Nyman Band' 1992: *;
audio;
'The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat' by the Nashville Opera conducted by Dean Williamson issued on Naxos 8.660398 in 2016:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
audio: 1,
2,
3;
'Mozart 252' recorded 2005/06 issued 2008 by MN Records;
'The Piano' by Nyman 1993
(Czech);
'The Piano Concerto | MGV' 1994
(reissue 2008); 'The Very Best of Michael Nyman: Film Music 1980 - 2001' by Virgin Records 2002:
1,
2,
3,
4;
'Water Dances' by the Zoo Duet recorded 1994 issued 2004.
Films: 1,
2.
Interviews: Jed Distler 1996,
Dan Goldwasser 2000,
Topology 2003,
John Leeman 2005,
Chris Broughton 2009,
Enrique Giner de los Ríos for 'Apartamento' 2019.
Facebook.
Further reading: films: 1,
2,
3,
4;
Anthony Venutolo.
Bibliography:
'Michael Nyman: Collected Writings' ed. by Pwyll ap Siôn (Routledge 2016):
1,
2;
'The Music of Michael Nyman' by Pwyll ap Siôn (Routledge 2017).
Authority research: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Books & scores: Canada,
Europe,
USA: 1,
2,
3.
Other profiles: English: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
Italian;
Wikipedia international: Czech,
Deutsch,
Dutch,
French,
Japanese,
Romanian,
Russian,
Swedish.
Michael Nyman A La Folie 1998 'To Madness' Film: 'Six Days Seven Nights' Cine Opera 2010 Cinematography: Michael Nyman Decay Music 1976 Album '1 - 100' & 'Bell Set No 1' The Departure 1997 Film: 'Gattaca' An Eye for Optical Theory 1982 This performance 2010 Filmed in Halle, Germany Drowning . . . Ropes 2009 Accordions: Motion Trio Love Doesn't End 1999 Film: 'The End of the Affair' Memorial 1989 Soundtrack Nyman/Greenaway Revisited 2006 Soundtracks revised for orchestra: Chasing Sheep . . . Shepherds Miranda Time Lapse The Piano 1993 Soundtrack Prospero's Magic 1991 Film: 'Prospero's Books' A Sixth Part of the World 2009 Soundtrack Stroking Synchronising 1984 Soundtrack Water Dances 1984 Film score This filmed concert: 2010 Wonderland 1999 Soundtrack |
 Michael Nyman Source: Oxonian Review |
|
 John Adams Photo: Deborah O'Grady Source: All Music |
Born on 15 February 1947 in Worcester, Massachusetts, though
John
Coolidge Adams (not to be confused w John Luther Adams b. '53) began
composing at age ten. Upon graduating from Concord High School in 1965 he
entered Harvard to study composition. He earned his bachelor's in '69, his
master's in '72. Works composed during Adams' Harvard period include
'Study' ('Dolls and Dreams') for piano and violin ('66), 'Er Kommt' for piano
('67), 'Moment' for piano ('67), 'Seven Canons' for clarinet and bass
clarinet ('68), 'Electric Wake' for soprano ('69), 'Genesis' for chorus and
orchestra ('70), 'Sonata' for piano ('70), 'For Tomorrow' for chamber ('71)
and 'Three Pieces' for piano ('71: 'Prelude', 'Reflections I' and
'Reflections II') ['Boston Composers Project' ed. by Linda Solow (MIT Press
1983)]. BRAHMS (below) begins its catalogue w 'Piano Quintet' performed in May of 1970
by Luise Vosgerchian, and an electronic work for tape called 'Heavy Metal' in 1970.
'Electric Wake' (above) had been the first composition accepted at Harvard for a senior thesis.
'Heavy Metal' was non-commercially recorded and is featured in a 1973 interview w Charles Amirkhanian for
KPFA Radio [Part 1: 06.52 to 20.32]. Adams began teaching at the San Francisco Conservatory of
Music [1,
2,
3] in 1972 until 1983. it was during that period that he began to delve into
the minimalism for which he is known, commencing its development a la such as
Steve Reich. In the meantime his
experimental open form 'American Standard'
premiered on 23 March 1973 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art by the
Conservatory's New Music Ensemble which Adams
directed [Wikipedia].
Named after the plumbing fixture manufacturer, 'American Standard' was recorded toward release in 1975 on an LP titled
'Ensemble Pieces', issued on Brian Eno's label per Obscure #2
[Wikipedia,
Discogs
also giving a date of 23 March 1973]. 'American Standard' was earlier featured during the
same 1973 interview as above (Part 1) w Amirkhanian who comments
in Part 2 without correction
by Adams that its performance was recorded on 22 March
[Part 2 audio 0.00 to 19.28].
Part 2 also contains audio of 'Period 1'
of Adam's 'Hockey Scene' written for tape [23.23 to 40.40].
'American Standard' itself is a work in three parts consisting of a march by
Sousa, a
hymn and a jazz ballad by
Ellington, each described by Adams in Part 2 of the interview above
("audio"). The hymn titled 'Christian Zeal and Activity' is also featured at
NPR.
Though Adams isn't catalogued by opus, 'China Gates'
[1,
2,
3]
for solo piano would be his No.1, everything before it formative but wanting
grasp of a new language with possibilities.
Adams composed the repetitive 'China Gates' for teenage Sarah Cahill who premiered it on 17 March 1978 at Hellman Hall
in San Francisco. To what Adams refers by "gates" are transitions of
modes [analysis;
interpretation by Fraser Graham
or
Kris Lennox;
live performance by Sarah Cahill
May 2019 SF Conservatory]. 'China Gates' supplied the right combination of elements
to more thoroughly pursue in his longer 'Phrygian Gates' for solo piano
composed for Mack McCray who premiered it at the same concert as 'China Gates'
on 17 March '78
[1,
2,
3,
4;
harmony in;
macro and micro processes;
interpretation by Connie Cheng w score in parts
1,
2,
3;
live performance 2004 by Emanuele Arciuli in parts
1,
2,
3;
live performance by Jeroen van Veen
30 Sep 2012]. Adams had written
an earlier minimalist 'Wavemaker' for string quartet in 1977 inspired by
the rippling of water. In 1978 he developed that into 'Shaker Loops' for
string septet which title refers to tremolos, trills and Shakers dancing
[1,
2].
Adams withdrew that work upon revising it for orchestra in 1983
[Version 1978
recorded 15 Dec 1978 by the SFC New Music Ensemble directed by Adams;
Version 1983
by the San Francisco Symphony [1,
2,
3] led by
Edo De Waart]. In '78 Adams had assumed the post of composer-in-residence for the
San Francisco Symphony until 1985. That period brought the premiere of
'Harmonium' for choir et grand orchestra on 15 April 1981 by the San
Francisco Choir & Symphony led by De Waart.
'Harmonium' is Adam's
self-described second mature
work, building upon ideas of pulse and ripple previously employed in 'Shaker
Loops'. 'Harmonium' is an essentially carnal expression of texts by John Donne and Emily Dickinson.
Adams' emphasis on harmony led to
his orchestral 'Harmonielehre' ('Study of Harmony') which saw performance on 21 March 1985
by the San Francisco Symphony led again by De Waart [BRAHMS].
Adams' title refers to
the 1911 eponymous text in music theory by Arnold Schoenberg of which it is
a rejection of having set the ultimate trajectory in contemporary music,
Adams embracing tonality within the greater context of harmony
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5].
'Harmonielehre' became Adams' first recording for the Nonesuch record label
gone down w De Waart conducting the SF Symphony on 23 March 1985 toward issue on 79115
[Discogs,
Nonesuch;
presumed
recording].
If BRAHMS and Discogs both refer to the premiere then one is incorrect.
Musicbrainz also gives a recording date of 23 March [other recordings:
audio
w score by the City of Birmingham S O led by Simon Rattle 1994;
live performance
by the American Modern Orchestra led by Ward Stare 28 June 2019]. Adams'
first opera, 'Nixon in China', was first performed at the Houston Grand
Opera on 22 October 1987. Concerning President Richard Nixon's 1972 visit w
premiere Zhou Enlai commencing diplomatic relations nonexistent since the end
of World War II, the work's premiere was produced by
Peter Sellars w
conducting by John DeMain to a libretto written by Alice Goodman and
choreography by Mark Morris [1,
2,
3;
videos of the 22 October premiere: arias w libretto,
scenes of Nixon w libretto].
In Dec 1987 the work was recorded by the SF Symphony again conducted by De Waart toward a Grammy Award in 1989
for Best Contemporary Classical Composition, an award made to no one from 1967 to 1984, reflecting on the popularity of
modernistic classical music, which wasn't very. Excepting scores for the silver screen and
recordings of old masters from baroque to romantic, classical music had entered its decline upon
the advent of such as rock n roll and television, its golden age of three
hundred years since the
Bach dynasty come to a close. Such as
Cage,
Reich and
Glass
were big names amidst the special languages of contemporary classical, but they were a long distance, all
put together plus a few more, from
Elvis Presley
or 'I Love Lucy' in the head of the average Joanna. Though such had always
been the case, with the largest exception of Church music, between folk and the rarified
worlds of classical, even the democratized waltz or parade march shrank in
public embrace before the onslaught of electric recording which created huge
markets for folk and jazz, and Hollywood making the movie theater rather
then the opera theatre the place to go on Saturday night, not to mention
the drive-in and, especially,
television. The explosion of media, excepting happy wedding with the screen, spelled the doom of classical music
which twelve-tone composing a la
Schoenberg
or anyone else of modernistic ilk wasn't going fix, even if it mattered to such dedicated
diehards. As for Adams, it was another collaboration with Sellars, Goodman
and Morris toward 'The Death
of Klinghoffer' which premiered on 19 March 1991 at the Théatre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels
with conducting by Kent Nagano
[1,
2]. This work addressed the 1985 Palestinian
hijacking
of the cruise liner, 'Achille Lauro', resulting in the death of Jewish passenger,
Leon Klinghoffer.
It has also endured controversy that continues to this day, charged by
some to be anti-Semitic such that various venues yet refuse to stage
it. Adams nevertheless acquired another Grammy in 1998 for his orchestral work,
'El Dorado',
which had been premiered by the San Francisco Symphony on 11 Nov 1991. Adams
does a lot with a little in his minimalist 'Hallelujah Junction' for two pianos which was premiered by
Grant Gershon and Gloria Cheng at the Getty Center in Brentwood, CA, in 1998. Dedicated to Ernest Fleischmann, general manager of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, 'Hallelujah Junction' was named after a truck stop on the California-Nevada border, its
title also referring to the work's tight intercourse between two pianos
[1,
2; live performances:
Thomas Ang and Joseph Havlat at St John's Smith Square 13 October 2018
*;
Jake DeBacher and Sydney Kjerstad at Luther College 4 Nov 2011
*].
Turning the page into the new millennium, 'El Nino' is a Nativity opera-oratorio
which was first performed at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on 15 Dec 2000
by the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin,with Kent Nagano conducting
[1,
2,
3,
4;
audio of
'I Sing of a Maiden'
(Part 1 No.1)]. Adams'
orchestral work for chorus, children's choir and fixed sound, 'On the
Transmigration of Souls', brought a Pulitzer worth $7,500
[1,
2]
in 2003 followed by three Grammys in 2005. The work was premiered
by the New York Philharmonic on 19 September 2002 at Avery Fisher Hall to
mark the first anniversary of 9/11 for which
occasion it had been commissioned [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
texts,
Adams on;
interpretations by the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra conducted by
Federico Cortese;
New York Philharmonic conducted by
Lorin Maazel issued on Nonesuch 2004;
the Atlanta Symphony Chorus & Orchestra directed by
Robert Spano].
After winning his Pulitzer in April '83, Adams became composer-in-residence
at Carnegie Hall in September [*]. It was 1 October of 2005 when Adams' major opera in two acts, 'Doctor Atomic', arrived to
San Francisco with libretto contributed by Sellars. This work addresses the development of the atomic bomb
per the Manhattan Project headed by Robert Oppenheimer at Los Alamos, New Mexico, the first
detonation of which was on 16 July 1945 codenamed Trinity
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9;
'Batter My Heart' from Act 1 Scene 3 by
Gerald Finley as Oppenheimer backed by the BBC Singers & Symphony Orchestra conducted by Adams 2018].
Adams' 'Doctor Atomic Symphony' followed on 21 August 2007 by the BBC
Symphony conducted by Adams, that wrought of the overture to 'Doctor Atomic'
[audio
with score by the Juilliard Orchestra conducted by Adams 2018
(alt)].
Among Adams' string quartets was one called 'Absolute Jest' for which he borrowed variously from Beethoven, made the more difficult in juxtoposition with texture supplied by orchestra. Commissioned by the San Francisco Symphony for its hundreth anniversary, the same performed its premiere along w
the St. Lawrence String Quartet on 15 March 2012, after which Adams revised it toward the premiere of that on 1 December 2012
by the St. Lawrence String Quartet w the New World Symphony. Michael Tilson Thomas had directed the first version, Adams the second.
"Jest" refers not to humor, but to its etymology from Latin for "gesta" meaning deed (act)
[1,
2,
3,
4;
audio
by the St. Lawrence String Quartet w the SF Symphony directed by Thomas 4 May 2013;
live performance
by the Brentano String Quartet w the Yale Philharmonia conducted by Adams 17 Oct 2014].
'The Gospel According to the Other Mary' is a major opera-oratorio in two acts
with libretto compiled by Sellars (above)
which premiered on 31 May 2012 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles by Gustavo Dudamel
conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic
[1,
2,
3,
4,
Adams on;
audio of
'En un día de amor yo bajé hasta la tierra' ('In a day of love I came down to earth') from Act 1 Scene 2].
Adams' orchestral 'Scheherazade 2' concerns the first, being the character in
'One Thousand and One Nights', Scheherazade. This nice work addressing the
situation of womankind in a patriarchal world was written for violinist, Leila Josefowicz, and was first performed by the New York Philharmonic
beneath Alan Gilbert at Avery Fisher Hall on 26 March 2015
[1,
2,
3,
4;
audio of Movement IV of IV
by the St. Louis Symphony led by David Robertson w Josefowicz at violin].
Sellars again contributed the libretto for 'Girls of the Golden West', also
directing its stage premiere on 21 Nov 2017 by the San Francisco Opera led by Grant Gershon.
This is a trip into Americana set in a mining camp in the Sierras during the California
Gold Rush (1848-55)
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
live performance of
'Ven esta Noche Amado Querido' ('Come Tonight Dear Beloved')
by J'Nai Bridges (mezzo-soprano) w Ernst Munneke (piano) 27 March 2019].
'Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes?' was written for virtuosic pianist,
Yuja Wang, who premiered it at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on 7 March 2019 backed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Gustavo Dudamel.
A later performance in November saw recording toward issue on Deutsche Grammophon 483 8950 in 2020
[1,
2,
3; audio of
Movement I,
Movement II,
Movement III].
Having received nigh as many awards as works he's composed, five include
honorary doctorates from Northwestern University, Harvard, Yale, Cambridge
and the Royal Academy of Music in London. Adams is yet active as of this
writing, residing in California.
References: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Compositions: chronological: 1,
2,
3;
by genre: 1,
2,
3,
4;
John Adams Earbox: arrangements & orchestrations;
chamber;
choral;
electronic;
orchestral;
orchestral w voice;
opera & theatre;
piano;
ensembles various.
Authorship: memoir: 'Hallelujah Junction' (Farrar Straus & Giroux Oct 2008):
excerpt;
on Steve Reich.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
Nonesuch (Adams' label);
select: 'Absolute Jest' recorded 4 May 2013 w 'Grand Pianola Music' recorded 18 January 2015:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
'Complete Piano Music' by Ralph van Raat (American Classics 2007); 'Doctor Atomic' by the BBC Singers & S O conducted by Adams 2018 on 2xCD per Nonesuch 7559-79310-7:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7; 'Doctor Atomic Symphony' on Nonesuch 468220-2 issued 2009:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
'John Adams' containing 'Absolute Jest' w 'Naive and Sentimental Music' of 1998 (steel guitar); 'Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes?' by Yuja Wang at the Walt Disney Concert Hall November 2019
toward issue April 2020: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
'The John Adams Earbox' 10xCD on Nonesuch 79453-2 issued 1999:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
'Scheherazade 2' by Leila Josefowicz (violin) backed by the St. Louis Symphony led by David Robertson Feb 2016;
'Transmigration' on Telarc 80673 issued 2009: 1,
2;
'Violin Concertos' (one by Roy Harris) by Tamsin Waley-Cohen (violin) backed by the BBC S O led by Andrew Litton.
IMDb (film).
Interviews: KPFA Radio 1973,
David Beverly 1995,
Robert Davidson 1999,
Frank Oteri 2000,
Gramophone 2008,
Mercury News (topic: jazz) 2014,
Noah Bendix-Balgley 2017.
Further reading by source: Guy Dammann;
Andrew Druckenbrod;
Nathan Heller;
John Kapusta;
Joshua Kosman;
Cory Walsh;
World Heritage.
Further reading by topic: earlier works;
Erasmus Prize 2019;
later works;
music for strings;
symmetry.
See also: BBC;
management;
NPR;
publisher <1987;
publisher 1987>.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Other profiles (English): 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Wikipedia international: Danish,
Dutch,
French,
Spanish. John Adams American Standard 1973 China Gates 1977 For piano Piano: Olivier Lattiono City Noir 2009 For orchestra Grand Pianola Music 1982 Hallelujah Junction 1996 For two pianos Harmonium 1980 For chorus Lollapalooza 1995 For orchestra Naive and Sentimental Music 1998 For orchestra Nixon In China 1987 Opera On the Transmigration of Souls 2002 For chorus & orchestra Atlanta Symphony C & O Directing: Robert Spano Phrygian Gates 1977–78 For piano Son of Chamber Symphony 2007 Asko/Schönberg Ensemble Netherlands Conducting: Reinbert de Leeuw Tromba Lontana 1986 Fanfare San Francisco Symphony Conducting: Edo de Waart |
|
|
Born on 14 April 1948 in Montreal, Quebec,
Claude
Vivier was a spiritual
composer who
had been adopted at age three. Ten years later he was studying for the
priesthood in Marist Brothers boarding schools
[1,
2,
3,
4]. It's said he was asked to
leave the novitiate at age eighteen, Wikipedia suggesting that he was
unsuitable for being gay. Thought to have begun composing by then, he began
to study under Gilles Tremblay in 66/67 for the next few years at the
Conservatoire de Musique in Montréal [1,
2,
3].
His first catalogued compositions arrived in 1968: 'Quatuor a
Cordes' for string quartet considered his Op 1 which premiered in Magog, Quebec, on 10 August 1968
[1,
2,
3] and 'Ojikawa' for soprano, clarinet and
percussion. Vivier withdrew 'Musique pour une liberté a bâtir' of 1968 from
his catalogue. His works during this period were formative, yet several years shy of
his own mature language. 'Proliferation' of 1969 was an experimental electronic work for percussion, piano
and Martenot waves [audio
by Louis-Philippe Pelletier (pianoforte), Serge Laflamme (percussion) and Jean Laurendeau (ondes Martenot)].
Vivier's 'Hiérophanie' was a graduation
work required of the Conservatoire completed in 1971 [1,
2,
3,
4,
5].
'Hiérophanie' was a broad statement on human existence. His next work addressed the verifiable end of human existence:
'Musik für das Ende' of 1971 was written for twenty voices and percussion. With
'Musik für das Ende' Vivier commenced what would become a current for him,
that being the end of things, or, death
insofar as anyone yet alive knows, the living of whom Vivier conceives in this work to be of two threads, rhythm and word:
one's last heartbeat bringing verifiable silence, "verifiable" a qualifier.
'Musik für das Ende' itself went silent for forty-one years (as a curiosity,
one beyond forty known variously as a limit). This work wasn't premiered
until 20 Jan of 2012 in Berlin by the RIAS Kammerchor directed by Hans-Christoph
Rademann. This unidentified audio to
which the Vivier website points may or may not be the same.
'Musik für das Ende' is an important advance along Vivier's way in its ritualistic
coming and going repetitions.
Ritual in Vivier will be broadly relevant to the various ways that such
might apply from sexual to Church music to eternal recurrence, et al. Obtaining a government grant to study abroad in 1972, he traveled to
Utrecht, Netherlands, and enrolled into the Institute for Sonology to
explore electroacoustic composition. His piece for electronic tape, 'Hommage
a un Vieux Corse Triste', arrived the same year. His Utrecht period was
followed by some time under
Karlheinz Stockhausen in Cologne, Germany, the latter of major significance
in his career [Gilmore: 1,
2,
pdf;
Tilley,
review by Braes]. Vivier pursued his ideas in
'Musik für das Ende' toward 'Chants' in 1973
while with Stockhausen,
a work which Vivier describes as his first real composition
[audio
(Atelier de Musique Contemporaine de la Faculté de Musique U de Montréal)].
'O! Kosmos' for soprano and choir also arrived in 1973
[audio
by the Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal]. A couple versions of 'Disintegration
followed in '74, one for two pianos and one for two pianos w four violins
and two violas w the latter first performed in Darmstadt [audio
w Kristi Becker e Ursula Kneihs at pianos]. Upon returning to
Quebec in 1974. He there composed 'Lettura di Dante' while teaching
at the University of Ottawa [1,
2;
audio w Pauline Vaillancourt
(soprano)]. 'Siddhartha' of 1975 is Vivier's largest orchestral work based
on the Buddhist character in the 1922 eponymous novel by Herman Hesse.
Commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Company for the National Youth
Orchestra of Canada, the work was written for orchestra in eight groups but
wasn't performed in Vivier's lifetime, its premiere not arriving until 14
March 1987 by the Orchester Métropolitain du Grand Montréal conducted by
Walter Bourdeau [1,
2,
3;
audio which may or may not be the premiere
issued in 1988 on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CMC-CD 3188].
Vivier's next work, 'Learning', was composed for four violins, percussion
and tape, another that didn't see premiere in Vivier's lifetime, not
performed until 12 June 2005 in Amsterdam
[1,
2;
live performance
Paris 1 Feb 2016]. Following 'Learning', Vivier traveled in Japan, Bali and Thailand
in '76 and '77. His Bali experience was another major influence on his composing
[Tilley,
review by Braes]
as evidenced in 'Pulau Dewata' ('The
Island of the Gods'), written for any combo of instruments, that premiered on 28 January 1978 in Toronto
[1,
2,
3,
4,
live performance by the
Fujii Trio et al 5 March 2003 in Toronto]. Vivier's short visit to Iran in
1977 brought about 'Shiraz' for piano.
Named after the city, 'Shiraz' saw
premiere in Toronto by Christina Petrowska-Brégent on 4 April 1981
[audio by Kristi Becker
found on Pianovox PIA 529-2
recorded Jan 1999 or
Alessandro Soccorsi
(w score)
found on Brilliant Classics 96082 recorded in Netherlands 2019: 1,
2].
Vivier completed his mystic opera in two acts, 'Kopernikus: Ritual de Mort',
toward its premiere at the Théâtre du Monument National in Montreal on 8 May
1980 [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
interpretation
by the Dutch National Opera in Netherlands 15 April 2014]. 'Zipangu' (as
Japan was known during the middle ages) is a lesson in coloration, as
described by Vivier, that was premiered at the U of Toronto on 4 April 1981,
revised in 1985
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
audio w score
by the Musici de Montréal directed by Yuli Turovsky]. 'Lonely Child' for
soprano and orchestra saw its first performance on 7 of Jan 1981 by
Marie-Danielle Parent (soprano) backed by the CBC Vancouver Chamber
Orchestra conducted by Serge Garant
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8;
audio w score by
Parent backed by the CBC Vancouver Chamber Orchestra conducted by Garant].
Vivier's final finished work was 'Trois airs pour un opera imaginaire'
composed toward its premiere that he didn't live to see
on 24 March 1983 in Paris. Vivier's composing career was a continuous
experiment with new techniques. With 'Trois Airs' Vivier continues with a
method first explored in 'Wo Bist du Licht! of '81 which Emilie Marshall
identifies as sinusoïdale or, the repetitive contour of a wave
[1,
2,
3,
4;
recording
by the Quebec Contemporary Music Society w Walter Boudreau issued 2012]. Vivier was working on an opera in Paris concerning the
death of Tchaikovsky
(1840-93)
which he set aside to write 'Glaubst du an die
Unsterblichkeit der Seele' ('Do you believe in the immortality of the
soul?') of which only a fragment exists due to his murder on 7 March 1983
only 34 years old
[1,
2,
3;
live performance
by the Psappha Ensemble conducted by Nicholas Kok 2008]. Vivier had brought home a nineteen-year old serial killer
from a pub who had previously stabbed to
death a couple of other people. His corpse was discovered five days later with 45
stab wounds for good measure. A number of coincidences attend Vivier's death
which may or may not suggest a naiveté in general in our expressions. The
most obvious curiosity was the score to his unfinished opera discovered as far as its last line (by
"Claude" the narrator): "Then, without any further introduction, he took a
dagger out of his deep black jacket (probably bought in Paris) and stabbed
it right into my heart." Vivier left behind 49 works during
the fifteen
years of his catalogue. References: 1,
2,
3.
Compositions: alphabetical;
chronological: BRAHMS,
Vivier website w video references;
by genre: BRAHMS,
Musicalics,
RYM;
Boosey & Hawkes: 1,
2,
3.
Audio: 1,
2,
3.
recordings of: discos: 1,
2;
select: 'Marco Polo' (1981) by the Asko & Schoenberg Ensembles led by Reinbert de Leeuw on Opus Arte OA 0943 D 2xDVD 2006:
1,
2;
'Vivier' by Alessandro Soccorsi (piano) on Brilliant Classics 96082 issued 2019:
1,
2.
Usage in film.
Further reading:
Therese Desjardins;
Pierre Gervasoni;
Jonathan Goldman;
Alfred Hickling;
Catherine Kustanczy: 1
(ritual in 'Kopernikus'),
2;
Iain Morley ('Ritual and Music' U of Oxford);
Martine Rhéaume
('Stylistic Transitions in Vivier’s Emergent Musical Style').
Bibliography: 'Claude Vivier: A Composer’s Life' by Bob Gilmore (U of Rochester Press 2014):
1,
2,
3,
review by Bryan Christian ('Journal of the American Musicological Society' 2016).
Authority research: 1,
2,
3.
Collections: 1,
2.
Other profiles: English: 1,
2,
3,
4;
French. Claude Vivier Chants 1973 Et je reverrai cette ville étrange 'And I will see this strange city' 1981 Filmed performance Glaubst . . . der Seele? 1983 Opera Incomplete upon death Filmed performance Greeting Music 1978 Filmed performance Journal 1977 Filmed performance Psapphe Ensemble Conducting: Nicholas Kok Kopernikus 'Rituel de la Mort' 1979 Opera 2 acts Filmed performance Lettura di Dante 1974 Society of Contemporary Music Québec Directing: Serge Garant Soprano: Pauline Vaillancourt Lonely Child 1980 Filmed performance Asko & Schonberg Ensembles Conducting: Reinbert de Leeuw Soprano: Susan Narucki Musik für das Ende 1971 O! Kosmos For soprano & choir Orion For orchestra Paramirabo 1978 Pianoforte 1975 Piano: Kristi Becker Proliferation 1969 For piano & percussion Prologue pour un 'Marco Polo' 1981 Pulau Dewata 1977 Filmed performance Shiraz 1977 For piano Filmed with Alessandro Soccorsi Siddhartha 1976 Zipangu 1980 Filmed performance Asko & Schonberg Ensembles Conducting: Reinbert de Leeuw |
 Claude Vivier Source: Claude Vivier |
|
|
Major contemporary composer,
Christopher Rouse, was born
in Baltimore, Maryland, on 15 Feb 1949. He decided to become a composer at age
six upon hearing
Beethoven's
'Symphony No.5', that leading to a legacy of neoromantic and expressionistic symphonic works.
Just so, Rouse's six numbered symphonies provide the path followed in this
writing. Rouse enrolled into the
Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio in 1967, graduating in 1971. He then studied
privately with
George Crumb
before earning his graduate degree at Cornell University in Ithaca, New
York, in 1977. Rouse's first significant work was
'Morpheus' for cello in 1975, though not premiered until 10 Nov 1983 in NYC
by Chris Finckel of the Atlantic Quartet
[interpretation by Virginia Kron].
Morpheus is the god of dreams in Greek mythology.
In 1976 he addressed
Haitian voodoo in 'Ogoun Badagris' [1,
2,
3,
4,
5] for five percussionists including four
congas with its theme tied to an examination of Haitian rhythm, particularly
in the Juba dance [1,
2,
3]. Ogoun Badagris is one among numerous manifestations of
Ogoun,
a voodoo [1,
2,
3] loa
[deity: 1,
2,
3].
Live performances of 'Ogoun Badagris':
Austin State U Percussion Studio 16 April 2018
*,
Berklee Percussion Ensemble 2014?
*,
Oklahoma City Philharmonic 2013
*,
U.S. Marine President's Own Percussion Ensemble 14 Dec 2016
*.
'Quattro Madrigali'
had also been written in '76, Rouse reaching back to the Renaissance for
contemporary settings to
four texts by anonymous (I), Tasso (II), Guarini (III) and Michelangelo
Buonarotti ('IV'). Specified for eight solo voices SSAATTBB, those saw
recording astman Musica Nova Ensemble on 22 Feb 1984 toward issue on
Albany Records TROY 192 in 1996 [audio: 'I' by Anon,
'II' by Tasso;
see also madrigal].
'Ku-Ka-Ilimoku'
of 1978 for four percussionists addresses the Polynesian god,
Ku-Ka-Ilimoku,
who is the warring manifestation of Ku, this work thus composed as a
war dance [live performances of 'Ogoun Badagris':
Daidalos Percussion Quartet 2015
*,
Humboldt State U Percussion Ensemble May 2010
*,
IUPUI Percussion Ensemble 22 Nov 2010
*].
Rouse' first orchestral work, 'Phantasmata', was written in part
while teaching at the University of Michiganin 1981,
finished as a set of three in '85 containing 'The Evestrum of Juan de la Cruz in
the Sagrada Familia at 3 A.M.', 'The Infernal Machine' and 'Bump'. Its
premiere entire was at Powell Symphony Hall in St. Louis by the Saint Louis
S O conducted by Leonard Slatkin on 25 Oct 1986. This is a surreal work
inspired by dream images and couched in concepts found in the writings of
Paracelsus. "Phantasmata" are variously described as haunting nocturnal
entities, spirits or hallucinations wrought by imagination in Chapter V
('Pneumatology'
[alt])
of Franz Hartmann's 1896 'The Life of Paracelsus'. (Though not mentioned by
Rouse, dream, imagery or hypnogogic images are pursued existentially by
Sartre in his 1940/48 'The Imaginary: A Phenomenological Psychology of the
Imagination' [1,
2,
3].
See also Schacter's 'The Hypnagogic State' of 1976; additional
biblio: Ellis,
Sauer,
Stawarska,
Trifonova.)
About 'Phantasmata': 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7
[audio
by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra directed by David Zinman issued 1989].
Rouse had also begun teaching at the Eastman School of Music in 1981, there to remain until 2002
[1,
2]. Rouse
completed his 'Symphony No.1' in Indianapolis on 6 August 1986 toward
premiere on 21 Jan 1988 by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra directed by
David Zinman. This work is in a single adagio movement written in homage to
various composers whose adagios he admired, recognizably quoting the
opening to the second movement of
Bruckner's 'Symphony No.7'
[1,
2,
3,
4;
audio
by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra directed by David Zinman issued 1989].
Before Rouse boarded the classical train at age six such as
Elvis Presley and
Little Richard
were heard in his parents' household. Rouse taught rock music at Eastman and quotes from rock music
are on occasion dropped into his compositions.
On 13 Nov 1988 Rouse finished 'Bonham', another work for percussionists, now
eight of them, that was commissioned by the New England Conservatory of Music.
'Bonham' is a tribute to rock drumming, particularly John Bonham's of
Led Zeppelin who had died on
25 Sep 1980. 'Bonham' was debuted in April 1989 in Boston by the New England
Conservatory of Music Percussion Ensemble conducted by Frank Epstein
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
recording
by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra led by David Zinman issued on
'Dance Mix' Argo 444 454-2 in 1995;
live performances by: Rune Halvorsen & Friends 2010
*,
Temple University Percussion Ensemble
*,
Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music Percussion Ensemble 10 March 2016 Singapore
*]. Rouse's 'Trombone Concerto' [1,
2,
3,
4]
was written in honor of
Leonard Bernstein who had
died on 14 Oct 1990. premiered by the New York Philharmonic featuring Joseph
Alessi at trombone on 10 Dec 1992, Alessi later recorded the work in Feb
1995 w the Colorado Symphony Orchestra directed by Marin Alsop, that
bringing Rouse a Pulitzer
worth $3000 in 1997 [audio].
'Trombone Concerto' is the initial of what the author(s) at Wikipedia
identifies as a death cycle consisting of works written upon deaths
significant to him. Those include William Schuman ('Violoncello Concerto' of
'93), the murder of James Bulger ('Flute Concerto' of '93),
Stephen Albert
('Symphony No.2' of '94) and his mother ('Envoi' of '95). Rouse completed
his 'Violin Concerto' on 18 Aug 1991 in Fairport, New York, toward its first
performance on 12 July 1992 at the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado by
Cho-Liang Lin at violin backed by the Aspen Festival Orchestra conducted by
Leonard Slatkin [1,
2,
3;
Cho-Liang Lin backed by the
Shepherd School S O conducted by Larry Rachleff 13 Feb 2014]. Per above,
'Violoncello Concerto' [1,
2,
3] was finished on 27 Oct 1992 in Fairport in honor of
William Schuman who had died
on 15 Feb 1992. That was premiered on 26 January 1994 at the Dorothy
Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles by Yo-Yo Ma backed by the Los Angeles
Philharmonic conducted by David Zinman. Yo-Yo Ma later recorded the work in
studio in
January 1996 backed by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Zinman
[audio].
Per above, another work in Rouse's death cycle was
'Flute Concerto' concerning the killing of young James Bulger (above) by two
ten-year old boys. That saw its debut performance on 27 October 1994 at
Orchestra Hall in Detroit by Carol Wincenc backed by the Detroit S O led by
Hans Vonk [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
audio by
Katherine Bryan backed by the Royal Scotttish National Orchestra led by Jac van Steen;
live performance by Jasmine Choi backed by the KBS Symphony Orchestra led by Yoel Levi August 2014
* or
Carol Wincenc backed by the Texas Festival Orchestra led by JoAnn Falletta 2 July 2011
*].
Per above, Rouse's 'Symphony No 2' is also included in his death cycle, its
'Adagio' (Movement 2 of 3) written in tribute to composer, Stephen
Albert (above) who died on 27 Dec 1992. The work was dedicated overall to
Christoph Eschenbach, director of the Houston Symphony, who performed it on
4 March 1995 at Jones Hall in Houston [1,
2,
3;
unidentified recording by
the Houston Symphony w Eschenbach].
Though dedicated to his mother who died in 1993, 'Envoi' addresses death
itself rather than her. The work was commissioned by the Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra which performed its premiere on 9 May 1996 w conducting by Yoel
Levi [1,
2,
3].
Rouse began teach at Juilliard in 1997, where he remained until 2019.
'Concert de Gaudí' [1,
2,
3] is a work for guitar and orchestra first performed on 2
January 2000 at Hamburg Music Hall by Sharon Isbin backed by the NDR
Symphony Orchestra conducted by Eschenbach. This is a surrealistic
work inspired by Spanish architect, Antoni Gaudí.
Isbon et al later recorded the work at the Gulbenkian Grand Auditorium in Lisbon in May 2000 which
issue on Teldec 8573-81830-2 won
Rouse a Grammy
[audio: 1,
2;
album: 1,
2].
It was light rather than darkness which Rouse wished to represent in 'Rapture'
completed at his home in Pittsford, NY, on 9 January 2000. That resulted in a tonal work employing next to no dissonance.
"Rapture" in this isn't religious in meaning, but refers to bliss. Dedicated to Mariss Jansons, director of
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra by which it was commissioned, it premiered in May 2000
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7;
interpretation
by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Leif Segerstam]. It was birth rather than death which Rouse commemorated w 'Requiem', marking
the bicentenary of
Hector Berlioz'
arrival to Earth. Regarded by Rouse to be his finest
work, it was completed in Aspen, CO, on 25 July 2002, though didn't premiere
until 25 March 2007 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles which
performance featured baritone, Sanford Sylvan
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
interpretation featuring Jacques Imbrailo
at Carnegie Hall 2014]. 'Symphony No.3'
was composed in homage to Sergey Prokofiev, that performed on 5 May 2011 at Powell Hall
in St. Louis by the Saint Louis S O conducted by David Robertson
[1,
2,
3,
4;
interpretation
by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Alan Gilbert on
20 June 2013].
Rouse completed 'Symphony No.4' in Baltimore on June 30, 2013 toward
premiere on 5 June 2014 at Avery Fisher Hall in New York by the New York
Philharmonic conducted by Alan Gilbert
[1,
2,
3;
premiere recording
by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Alan Gilbert on
5 June 2014].
Rouse's symphonic 'Supplica' ('Supplication') was finished as a companion piece to his
Fourth symphony on 2 Sep 2013 toward its first performance on
4 April 2014 at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh by the Pittsburgh Symphony conducted by Juraj Valčuha. Like his Fourth,
the reasons that Rouse wrote the work are personal and not divulged
[1,
2,
3,
4;
interpretation
by the Nashville Symphony led by iancarlo Guerrero sometime 11-13 April 2019 issued on
Naxos 8.559852].
Come 'Thunderstruck' [1,
2,
3]
completed on 29 December 2013, an orchestral tribute to seventies rock music
named after Jay Ferguson's 1978 'Thunder Island'. 'Thunderstruck' was
premiered by the the New York Philharmonic conducted by Alan Gilbert on 9
October 9 2014 at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.
Beethoven's 1808 'Symphony No 5' is the topic of Rouse's
'Symphony No 5' which was premiered on 9 Feb 2017 at Meyerson Hall in Dallas by the
Dallas Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jaap van Zweden
[1,
2,
3,
4].
Rouse borrowed architecture from Mahler's 1912 'Symphony No.9' to crowned
his symphonies with 'No.6', another personal work with a theme about which
Rouse preferred to remain silent. This work's recorded premiere by the
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra conducted by Louis Langrée was on 18 October
2019 at Music Hall in Cincinnati [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7;
recorded premiere]. Rouse was seventy years of age when he died on 21
September 2019 of renal cancer complications in Towson, Maryland
[obits: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7]. He had
married once in 1983 (Ann), again in 2016 (Natasha), and had four children
(Angela, Jillian, Alexandra and Adrian). His main publisher has long been Boosey & Hawkes.
References: 1,
2.
Chronology.
Compositions: chronological;
by genre: LCP,
Pytheas,
RYM;
Rouse Website: alphabetical,
chamber & ansemble,
orchestral,
orchestral w solo instrument,
orchestral w voice,
solo instrumental,
wind ensemble.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4; select:
'Christopher Rouse'
by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Zinman containing
'Phantasmata' & 'Symphony No.1':
about;
'Christopher Rouse'
by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra led by Leif Segerstam containing
'Violin Concerto', 'Der Gerettete Alberich' & 'Rapture':
about;
'Christopher Rouse' by the Nashville Symphony led by Giancarlo Guerrero containing 'Concerto for Orchestra', 'Symphony No.5' & 'Supplica':
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6; audio:
1,
2,
3,
4.
Usage of Rouse in film.
Documentaries: 'Rouse on Rouse' directed by Elena Primost for Boosey & Hawkes 2013.
Interviews:
Bruce Duffie April 1994;
Phil Oliver? 2012? (on composing);
David Dies 2014?.
Further reading: Facebook;
performances 2001-present;
program notes;
Richard Whitehouse.
Sheet music.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3.
Other profiles: English: 1,
2,
3,
4,
NPR;
Wikipedia international: Deutsch,
Dutch,
Francais,
Italian.
Christopher Rouse Bump Movement 3 of 'Phantasmata' 1981 Revised 1985 Concerto for Orchestra 2008 Cabrillo Festival Orchestra Director: Marin Alsop The Evestrum of Juan Movement 1 of 'Phantasmata' 1981 Revised 1985 Flute Concerto 1993 Filmed performance Texas Festival Orchestra Conducting: JoAnn Falletta Gorgon 1984 Symphony Colorado Symphony Orchestra Director: Marin Alsop The Infernal Machine Movement 2 of 'Phantasmata' 1981 Revised 1985 Ku-Ka-Ilimoku 1978 This filmed performance 2015 Daidalos Percussion Quartet Der Gerettete Alberich 'The Rescued Alberich' 1997 This filmed performance 2015 Bob Cole Conservatory Symphony Conducting: Johannes Müller-Stosch Ogoun Badagris 1976 Berklee Percussion Ensemble Phaethon 1986 Houston Symphony Orchestra Director: Christoph Eschenbach Symphony No 2 1994 Houston Symphony Orchestra Director: Christoph Eschenbach Trombone Concerto 1991 Colorado Symphony Orchestra Director: Marin Alsop Seeing 1998 For piano Violin Concerto 1991 Violin: Cho-Liang Lin Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra Conducting: Larry Rachleff Wolf Rounds 2006 For wind ensemble |
 Christopher Rouse Photo: Boosey & Hawkes/Jeffrey Herman Source: New Music Box |
|
 Stephen Paulus Photo: MPR/Tim Post Source: Classical MPR |
Born on 24 August 1949 in Summit, NJ,
Stephen
Paulus
was raised in Minnesota, perhaps in a magic circle of reindeer chanting that
he must write songs for Christmas. He began training on piano
at age ten, experimenting with composition as an adolescent. Wrapping up his
bachelor's in music at the University of Minnesota in 1971, his master's in
music theory ensued in '74, then a doctorate in composition in '78. It was 1973
that Paulus helped found the Minnesota Composers Forum, now the American
Composers Forum, the largest of its kind connecting composers and performers
with community orchestras
[1,
2]. Pytheas [Comps
below] begins its catalogue of Paulus with 'Three Elizabethan Songs' for soprano and piano
premiered by a group from the Minnesota Composers Forum at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis
on 25 Oct 1973, also published that year. 'Duo for Clarinet and Piano' was performed in May of 1974
at the same venue and published that year. A few titles in 1975 included the Christmas carol,
'Hallelu' [interpretation by
the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers led by Philip Brunelle issued 2010; live
performances by the Lutheran High School
Jubilate Choir 2015 or the
U of Utah Chorus 2013].
'Personals' and 'All My Heart This Night Rejoices' had also been written in
'75. Paulus completed 'Lunar Maria', his first work for
orchestra, in 1976. His 'Mad Book, Shadow Book' of '76 saw premiere by Vern
Sutton (tenor) and Julie Himmelstrup (piano) at the Walker Art Center in
Minneapolis on 17 Feb 1977. That was a song cycle of six w texts by Michael
Dennis Browne [1,
2,
3], the latter a major figure
throughout Paulus' career, they
collaborating numerously over the decades into the new millennium. In 1977 Paulus set texts by Browne for 'Canticles: Songs and
Rituals for the Easter and the May'. Written for the United Methodist Church,
those included 'As Adam in the Morning', 'Not Dead but Sleeping' and 'For a
Wedding' first performed by the Sanctuary Choir and Orchestra of the
Hennepin Avenue church on 15 May of 1977. Browne also wrote the text for
'North Shore' commissioned by the Minnesota State Arts Board and published
in 1977, composed for mezzo-soprano, baritone, chorus and small orchestra.
Paulus is most famous for his opera, 'The Postman Always Rings Twice'
[1,
2],
w libretto by Colin Graham from the 1934 eponymous novel by James Cain
concerning sex and murder at a roadside diner. Commissioned by the Opera
Theatre of St. Louis, its initial of endless performances arrived on 17 June
1982 w conducting by C. William Harwood. Paulus
became Composer-in-Residence with the Minnesota Orchestra in 1983. Come 'All
My Pretty Ones'
(alt), a cycle of 8 songs for soprano and piano in 1984 w
texts
again by Browne [recording of 'All My Pretty Ones' (8/8) by
Ruth Jacobson first issued 1990 on Albany Records TROY036:
1,
2,
3].
Paulus' 'An American Medley'
was performed at the May Festival, venue unidentified, in 1988
[audio
by the Colombia Pro Cantare, date unidentified;
score]. Paulus
also assumed the post of Composer-in-Residence with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
in 1988. Paulus served as a board member of ASCAP from 1990 to 2014
[1,
2]. ASCAP (American Society of
Composers, Authors and Publishers) was founded in 1914 in New York City to
protect the copyrights of songwriters in association with Tin Pan Alley,
long since the hub of sheet music publication and sales by that time. Just
so, today ASCAP handles licenses and royalties, and monitors performances.
BMI [1,
2] and
Global Music Rights are similar organizations,
SESAC in Europe [1,
2]. As for Paulus,
among his most favored works is 'Pilgrims' Hymn' in D-flat of 1997,
premiered by singers of the House of Hope Presbyterian Church by which it
was commissioned [1,
2;
audio: All Saints Choir 2018,
U of Utah Singers w score;
live performances: Concordia Choir,
Mormon Tabernacle Choir 19 Oct 2014,
UWEC Choral University of Wisconsin Eau Claire]. Among
Paulis' endless works for chorus were numerous masses, such as
'Mass'
which was debuted by the New Choral Society of Central Westchester on 15 and 16 May
of 1999. Come another of Paulus' top works called 'The Road Home' of 2002
premiered by the Dale Warland Singers conducted by Warland with text again
by Browne [1,
2;
audio by the King's College Choir 2017;
live performances: The Singers led by Matthew Culloton,
VOCES8
at Gresham Centre London; King's College Choir on album:
1,
2].
Paulus 'Mass for a Sacred Place' of 2003 was premiered by the Cathedral
Choral Society of Washington DC led by Reilly Lewis at the National
Cathedral [1,
2;
audio: 1,
2].
'Prayers and Remembrances' of 2011 was a memorial to friends lost in the
9/11 attacks, premiered by the Tucson Chamber Artists and the Tucson
Symphony Orchestra w Eric Holtan conducting. For this work Paulus set music
to texts
by various from Henry Vaughan to William Blake. Paulus won a
posthumous Grammy in 2016 upon its recording on 22-24 May 2013 by the True
Concord Voices w the True Concord Orchestra led by Eric Holtan toward issue
on 'Far in the Heavens' [1,
2,
3,
4,
5].
'TimePiece' of 2011 was an electronic wedding of classical and jazz
in collaboration with son and trumpeter, Greg Paulus
[1,
2],
which saw premiere by the Minnesota Orchestra conducted by Osmo Vänskä
[1,
2,
3].
It was another libretto by Browne in the one-act opera,
'The Shoemaker',
which was first performed on 29 and 30 of Sep 2012 at the Plymouth Congregational Church in
Minneapolis. That was a companion piece based on Tolstoy's 1835 'What Men
Live By' intended as a companion work to Paulus' 1997 'The Three Hermits'
[*
(alt);
audio:
premiere rehearsal:
* (alt:
1,
2)].
'Concerto No.3' for violin and orchestra saw its first performances on 11 and
13 of October of 2012 by violinist, William Preucil, backed by the Cleveland
Orchestra conducted by Giancarlo Guerrero [1,
2; audio:
1,
2].
Per Classical MPR
'A Refined Reflection" for organ was Paulus' final finished composition, that premiering on 14 August 2013
by Caron Farmer at Pillar Church in Holland, Michigan
[audio: 1,
2].
Having endured a stroke in July of 2013, Paulus died on 14 October of
2014 [obits: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5].
References: Wikipedia.
Brief chronology.
Compositions: by genre: EAMC (Firefox only),
Pytheas,
RYM,
Schott,
Subito;
choral;
SP Website: band,
chamber,
choral,
Christmas,
opera,
orchestral,
organ,
piano,
solo instrumental,
top 5,
top 8.
Song texts.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
10.
Discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Further reading: choral works by Sean Linfors;
interview w Bruce Duffie 10 June 1988;
premieres 2007-13.
Sheet music: Europe;
USA: 1,
2.
Licensing.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3.
Other profiles: English,
French.
Stephen Paulus Age of American Passions 1999 For orchestra Awakening 1999 Festival Singers of Florida Concertante 1989 For orchestra Concerto for Two Trumpets 2004 Director: Osmo Vänskä Trumpets: Doc Severinsen & Manny Laureano Grand Concerto for Organ 2004 Organ: Nathan Laube Nashville Symphony Orchestra Violin Concerto No 3 2012 Violin: William Preucil Directing: Giancarlo Guerrero |
|
 Steven Stucky Source: Ithaca |
Though
Steven
Stucky
was born on 7 December 1949 in Hutchinson, Kansas, he grew up in Abilene, Texas. He
studied music in public schools as well as viola, conducting and composition
privately. He attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, prior to earning
his doctorate in composition from Cornell in 1978, the year he won a
fellowship from the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts). Stucky composed
largely for orchestra, chamber and choir. What's thought his first published
work had arrived eight years earlier in 1970: 'Movements, 4
Cellos'. 'Spring and Fall: To a Young Child' for chorus followed in 1972. 'Quartet
for Clarinet, Viola, Cello and Piano' was finished in '73. Come 'Movements
III: Seven Sketches for Flute and Clarinet' in '76 followed by 'Schneemusik'
for soprano and piano in '77. Stucky's last two years at Cornell saw
'Kenningar' ('Symphony No 4') published in '78 [score].
Stucky also won a fellowship from the NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities) that year.
Come the
motet for chorus, 'Drop, Drop, Slow Tears', in '79, that an arrangement of a motet by Orlando Gibbons
(1583-1625) with text by Phineas Fletcher (1582-1650) that arrived in '79
[live performance
by the U.C. Alumni Chorus directed by Mark Sumner 11 November 2017]. 'Refrains' for percussion
emerged
in '79 [live performance
by the Hamiruge - LSU Percussion Group 28 November 2016]. His book, 'Lutoslawski and His Music',
saw publishing in
1981 [*].
'Voyages' for solo cello and wind orchestra surfaced in 1983
[live performance
by Richard Narroway (cello) backed by the U of Michigan Symphony Band conducted by Michael Haithcock].
A fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation was acquired in 1986, the same year he wrote his
'Concerto for Orchestra'
which nearly won a Pulitzer in 1988. This concerto, of multiple, had been
commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra with funding by Johnson & Higgins
for the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution.
It was premiered by the same on 27 October 1988 beneath the wand of Riccardo Muti
[audio by the Boston Modern Orchestra Project led by Gil Rose recorded 31 March 2014:
Allegro 1/3,
Adagio 2/3,
Comodo 3/3].
'Pinturas de Tamayo'
was a work commissioned by the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra which premiered it on 28 March 1996 under the baton of Michael
Gielen. This work was based on the paintings of Rufino Tamayo (1899-1991).
It was later recorded in August of 2006 by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra led by Lan Shuiat at the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore toward
release by BIS Records on BIS-CD-1622: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5. While teaching at Cornell Stucky directed Ensemble X from 1997 to 2006. Of particular note in 1999 is
'American Muse' for baritone and orchestra. Come his 'Second Concerto for Orchestra'
commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic (Stucky composer-in-residence)
in 2003 for the opening of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. It was premiered on
12 March 2004 w Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting. This concerto brought Stucky a
Pulitzer [1,
2]
in 2005 [1,
2,
3;
score;
audio by the National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic led by David Alan Miller recorded
2017:
Overture (with Friends) 1/3,
Variations 2/3,
Finale 3/3].
Stucky's 'Rhapsodies'
premiered by the New York Philharmonic conducted by
Lorin Maazel on 28 August 2008 [Stucky on;
audio
by the Boston Modern Orchestra Project led by Gil Rose recorded 2 July 2013].
Stucky's 'Symphony' of 2012 [1,
2,
3] was a joint commission by the Los Angeles
Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic. The former premiered the work at
the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles with conducting by Gustavo Dudamel on 28 Sep 2012. The latter performed it in NYC w conducting by Alan Gilbert
on 29 Nov 2012. Stucky served as composer-in-residence at the Aspen Music
Festival and School in 2013, Professor Emeritus at Cornell University in
2014) and professor of composition at Juilliard in 2014. His 'The Music of
Light' for double chorus arrived in 2015. 'Cantus' of 2015 was written for
flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion. Stucky was only 66
when he died at his home in Ithaca, New York, of brain cancer on 14 February
2016 [obits: 1,
2,
3,
4].
References: 1,
2,
3.
Compositions: alphabetical;
chronological;
by genre:
arias & fanfares
(alt),
band & orchestra,
chamber,
choral & voice,
solo instrumental,
wind ensemble.
Authorship.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Recordings of: discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
select: 'American Muse' recorded 2010/13/14 by Sanford Sylvan (baritone) and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project led by Gil Rose:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
audio: 1,
2,
3.
Documentaries: LA Phil 2016.
Interviews: Bruce Duffiie 1992,
Sound Post News 2009,
Franklin Crawford 2005,
Keith Fitch 2012,
Esa-Pekka Salonen 2013.
Further reading: Richard Ginell;
Stucky Website.
Sheet music.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3.
Collections: Library of Congress. Other profiles: Dutch;
English: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
NPR;
French;
Italian.
Steven Stucky Meditation and Dance 2004 Clarinet: Jessica Blaza Piano Quartet 2005 Radical Light 2006–07 For orchestra Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Director: Xian Zhang Refrains 1979 For percussion Conducting: Tyler Bragg Silent Spring 2011 Symphonic Poem Sonata for Piano 2014 Piano: Gloria Cheng Filmed performance Sonata for Violin and Piano 2013 Violin: Cho-Liang Lin Filmed performance Symphony 2012 Director: Gustavo Dudame Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra Threnos 1988 Director: Mark Scatterday Eastman Wind Ensemble |
|
 Elena Firsova Source: Repertorio Compositoras Piano |
As classical music becomes contemporary composers
from America, Europe (France, Germany, Great Britain) and Russia would
dominate. Relative newcomers to classical music, the Japanese, would to hog
the show w virtuosos as well.
Elena
Firsova, being from Russia,
had some tough acts to follow (Rachmaninoff,
Shostakovich,
et al) when she was born in Leningradon 21 March 1950, then raised in Moscow since
1956. Firsova's father was an atomic physicist. She began experimenting with composition at age eleven, trained at a
music school from '63 to '66, a music college from '66 to '70, then studied
at the Moscow Conservatory until 1975. Russian Wikilivres [Comps below]
commences Firsova's early works with 'Sail' for voice and piano in 1962,
setting verses by Mikhail Lermontov. Firsova was in college when from 1966
to '67 she composed
'Invention à Two' for piano, 'Two Polyphonic Pieces' for piano, and 'Two
Romances' for piano and voice per poems by Boris Pasternak. By Firsova's
time most composers had dispensed with the use of opus numbers, but Firsova
continued the practice, her Op 1 being 'Scherzo' in 1967. Her Op 2 was
'Suite' for viola the same year. Several titles without number arrived until her Op
3 in 1970, 'Three Poems', her last work before entering the Moscow
Conservatory. 'String Quartet No 1' Op 4 of 1970 was her first piece at
the conservatory. Her final was 'Stanzas' for orchestra (Op 13) in 1975. She
had married composer, Dmitri Smirnov
[1,
2], in
August 1972. Lending a little context here, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn published
his first 'The Gulag Archipelago' in 1974.
The Cold War was yet too cool for wind chill during the first decades of Firsova's career. In that climate she composed six titles in 1976, her first upon graduation from the Conservatory: 'Concerto' for violin Op 14, 'Capriccio' for flute and saxophone quartet Op 15
and
'Sonata for Clarinet' Op 16 [audio
by Anne Piirainen 13 May 2015 Helsinki]. 'Petrarcha’s Sonnets' for voice and ensemble Op 17
of 1976 was premiered in Moscow by soprano, Anna Soboleva, on 9 January 1978
[audio
by Jane Manning (soprano) 1979 Paris]. 'The Bell' for choir had also been
composed in '76. Firsova has worked extensively in Europe, Great
Britain and the United States. Her penchant for destinations beyond Soviet
Russia got her blacklisted in 1979 by the Sixth Congress of the Union of
Soviet Composers for an unauthorized performance in Cologne, Germany.
Roaming off location wasn't her only problem: she and Smirnov (husband) were two of seven composers identified by the Union who
composed "pointless" music, so much "noisy mud" not representative of Soviet
music. That group was known as Khrennikov's Seven
whose work was banned from Russian radio and television. Nor were their scores
permitted publishing. On 8 April 1985 Firsova gave birth to artist,
Philip Firsov [1,
2]. On 24 July of 1986 Firsova gave birth to composer,
Alissa Firsova [1,
2]. The family moved to England in 1990.
Come 'Seven Haiku' for voice and lyre/guitar Op 47 in '91. Her earliest of several symphonic works
was 'Cassandra' Op 60 of 1992 which was premiered in Swansea by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales led by Tadaaki Otaka
on 8 Oct 1993 [audio
of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Otaka].
'Evening Music' Op 77 surfaced in '96. 'Requiem' for soprano Op 100 saw
premiere in Berlin on 6 Sep 2003 by Claudia Barainsky backed by the Berlin
Radio Choir & Symphony Orchestra led by Vasily Sinaisky. 'For Alissa' for piano Op 102
arrived in 2002 [live performance
by Alissa Firsova (daughter) June 2009 Wisconsin]. Her Op 104 was 'Winter
Songs' for soprano and cello of 2003 [live performance
by Judith Spiesser (soprano) w Philipp von Morgen (cello) 6 May 2019 Musik-Forum in München]. 'Euphonisms' for euphonium and piano Op
108 emerged in 2003 followed by a version for tuba and piano Op 108a
[audio
by Stephanie Frye (tuba) w Kirstin Ihde (piano)]. Her 'For Slava' Op 120 of
2007 was written in memory of cellist, Mstislav Rostropovich, who died on 27
April 2007 [live performance
by Anatole Liebermann 3 Dec 2009 London]. Russian Wikilivres traces Firsova
to as late as several works in 2016, of which the last is 'Burlesque' for
flute and piano Op 163. She has more recently written
'A Fearful Fairy Tale'
('Prophetic Birds') Op 171 for piano which was premiered on 13 August 2019 at the Danish festival by Helena Basilova. Basilova had already recorded and released the work on TRPTK TTK 0041
[1,
2] on 2 August 2019
[audio;
live performance
by Basilova 29 Sep 2019]. Yet active as of this writing, Firsova resides with Smirnov in Great Britain.
Her publisher
is Boosey & Hawkes.
References: 1,
2.
Compositions: alphabetical;
by genre
Musicalics,
Smirnov-Firsova Website, Wise Music;
by Opus:
Onno van Rijen (1-100),
Wikilivres
(1-163).
Authorship: 'Composing Music'
(email 15 May 2011);
'Uznitsa' (1992 translation of Proust's 'Prisoner').
Song texts.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Further reading: Smirnov-Firsova Website.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3.
Other profiles: Deutsch,
English,
Espanol,
French,
Japanese,
Portuguese, Russian:
1,
2.
Elena Firsova Amoroso
'String
Quartet No 4' 1989
Op 40 Euphonisms 2003 Op 108 4 movements: 1: Moderato 2: Vivo 3: Andante Cantabile 4: Moderato Piano: Kirstin Ihde Tuba: Stephanie Frye 1998 Revised 2007 Op 89 1998 Op 86 For strings Music for Twelve 1986 Op 34 Sonata for Cello & Piano 1971 Op 5 Movement 1 Movements 2 & 3 Cello: Alatole Liebermann Piano: Elena Firsova Tristia 1979 Op 22 Cantata for soprano Moscow Conservatory Orchestra Conducting: Eduard Serov Soprano: Irina Muratova |
|
|
Like his earlier counterpart,
Henry Mancini,
Alan Silvestri
was a film composer whose early days were jazz oriented before arriving to the classical orchestra
which would be the major vehicle of the
soundtracks that made his name synonymous with Hollywood. My attempt to
place him in the Popular chapter where he
more belongs got derailed by too long an argument with code. But lucky me:
though not a classical composer per se, Silvestri drew ideas and used
methods from the classical domain, which adaptations to the silver screen had
become
the major branch of modern (not modernistic) classical music, all grown up
now and heading into space, postmodern in availing itself of what genres or
means as it may. Born in New York City on 26 March 1950, his grandparents were
immigrants from Italy. Silvestri played drums
and woodwinds as a youth before beginning guitar at age
fifteen. Following high school, Silvestri attended the Berklee College of
Music in Boston in 1970 to study composition. He later dropped out, however,
and headed for Las Vegas where he joined
Wayne Cochran's outfit for a brief
time as a guitarist, largely at the Flamingo. Wayne Cochran was a soul
shouter received less than seriously as the "white
James Brown".
Blue-eyed and conspicuously blonde, Cochran was billed as the White Knight
of Soul. Silvestri wasn't with Cochran long before heading to Los Angeles with false expectations of work as an
arranger. Serendipity nevertheless found him composing his first film
score, 'The Doberman Gang', w Bradford Craig, that released in May of 1972
[1,
2]. As is often the case w soundtracks which emphasize visual drama, suites
are oft written as well to better convey the music itself for recording
['Honest Man Suite']. Silvestri's education in
composing for film at that time consisted of an overnight reading of
Earle
Hagen's 1971 'Scoring for Films'. Hagan was a major composer for
television, such as 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' and 'I Spy'. He both wrote and
whistled the theme for 'The Andy Griffith Show'. A few more
films followed in the seventies with consistent work in television beginning
in 1978 for the series, 'CHIPs' [1,
2]. That program
presented 139 episodes into 1983, Silvestri composing for 109 of them. After
'CHIPs' was cancelled he fell in with producer, Robert Zemeckis
[1,
2], with whom
he would work to the present day on at least sixteen major films, beginning with 1984's
'Romancing the Stone' [musical settings to individual scenes].
Self-taught at orchestration, Silvestri composed his first classically
oriented orchestrated score for 'Fandango' of 1985 directed by
Kevin
Reynolds and starring Kevin Costner
[1,
2;
soundtrack].
It was Zemeckis again per 'Back to the Future' of 1985
[1,
2,
3,
4;
live performance
of the 'Suite' by the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna conducted by Silvestri
2011]. 'Who Framed Roger
Rabbit' of '88 was a mesh of human characters with an animated rabbit
[1,
2;
musical settings
to individual scenes].
'Forrest Gump' of '94 starring Tom Hanks saw the issue of 'The Soundtrack' along with the
orchestral 'Original Motion Picture Score' not so popular as the soundtrack
[1,
2;
audio].
'Contact'
was based on the 1985 novel by physicist, Carl Sagan, that arriving in '97
starring Jodie Foster [Main Theme].
'What Lies Beneath'
was a horrible way to begin the new millennium in 2000
[Silvestri on;
soundtrack]. 'The Polar Express'
arrived in 2004 [Aguilar on;
'Suite'].
It didn't take long for the main character of 'Beowulf' to journey from not
yet to he was in 2007 [audio from soundtrack: 'What We Need Is a Hero'
4/17,
'He Was the Best of Us'
15/17;
soundtrack reviews: 1,
2,
3].
Excepting 'Fandango', all of the films above since 'Romancing the Stone' were directed by Zemeckis. Also collaborating with
director, James Cameron [1,
2], 'Predator' starring Arnold Schwarzenegger had been
released to theaters in 1987 [soundtrack;
audio: 1,
2;
analysis;
review].
It was Cameron's horror under water,
'The Abyss', in '89 [soundtrack audio: 1,
2;
musical settings
to individual scenes;
reviews:
1,
2,
3]. Silvestri's
first score for director, Stephen Sommers [1,
2], was 'The Mummy Returns' per 2001
[soundtrack; reviews:
1,
2;
'Suite'].
Come 'Van Helsing' in 2004 [soundtrack;
audio;
reviews: 1,
2].
Silvestri's first of four scores for Marvel Studios was
'Captain America:
The First Avenger' released to theaters in July 2011 [soundtrack].
'The Avengers'
followed in 2012 [soundtrack],
'The Avengers: Infinity War' in 2018 [soundtrack]
and 'The Avengers: End Game' in 2019 [soundtrack;
musical settings
to individual scenes; Silvestri on].
Another director with whom Silvestri worked was Russell Mulcahy
[1,
2], writing the
score to 'Ricochet' starring Denzel Washington in 19'91
['Suite'].
It was 'Eraser' starring Schwarzenegger in 19'96 w director,
Chuck Russell
[soundtrack;
reviews: 1,
2,
3;
'Suite'].
Also working in television, Silvestri's compositions include three
episodes of the cop series, 'Starsky and Hutch' in '78-79.
Carl Sagan's astronomy documentary directed by Adrian Malone,
'Cosmos: A Personal Voyage',
saw broadcasting in 1980 toward two Emmy Awards and a Peabody
[Episodes 1-13;
musical settings to individual scenes;
Silvestri
on]. Seven episodes of 'Tales from the Crypt'
arrived in the early nineties. Sagan's documentary,
'Cosmos: A
Spacetime Odyssey', saw premiere in March of 2014 by 21st Century Fox,
that also winning a couple of Emmys along with a Peabody
[musical settings to individual scenes;
Silvestri on;
'Suite'].
'Cosmos: Possible Worlds'
saw launching in March 2020 on 'National Geographic'. As of this writing, Silvestri's latest soundtrack was for 'The Witches'
[1,
2] released in October
2020, that again directed by Zemeckis (above) [soundtrack;
review].
Beyond music, Silvestri is father to two sons and a daughter, has a pilot
license and resides in California with his wife, Sandra, where they run Silvestri
Vineyards at Carmel.
References: 1,
2,
3
(alt).
Compositions.
Audio: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
YouTube,
Top 7 soundtracks,
Top 30 soundtracks.
Recordings of: discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
10;
select: 'Fandango' issued 1985 by Intrada but no longer available (first orchestrated film score - not a soundtrack):
1,
2,
3,
4
; 'The Mummy Returns' special collection 2001:
audio;
'The Polar Express'
('Original Motion Picture Score'); soundtracks: 'Beowulf'
by the Hollywood Studio Symphony w Silvestri:
1,
2;
'Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey' Volumes I-IV on Intrada
2017; 'The Polar Express': 1,
2;
'What Lies Beneath':
audio,
review;
'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' by the London Symphony w Silvestri.
Reviews: 1,
2,
Italiano,
Spanish.
Film references: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Danish,
Japanese,
Russian.
Interviews:
Daniel Schweiger pub 1 May 2012,
Ted Drozdowski pub 1 Aug 2012.
Social media: Instagram,
Twitter.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3.
Books & scores: Canada,
Europe, USA:
1,
2.
Other profiles: English: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8;
Espanol: 1,
2;
Wikipedia international: Asturian,
Catalan,
Czech,
Deutsch,
Dutch,
Francais,
Italiano,
Japanese,
Russian.
Alan Silvestri The A-Team 2010 Score Back to the Future 2011 Live performance Film: 1985 ORF Radio-Symphony Orchestra Vienna Conducting: Alan Silvestri Cast Away 2000 Theme CHIPs 'Supercycle' 1978 Cosmos 2014 Soundtrack 1986 Theme 'Dog Honest Man Suite' 1972 Erasure 1996 Suite 1991 Theme Flight of the Navigator 1986 Soundtrack Forrest Gump 1994 Theme 1991 Soundtrack 2004 Soundtrack 2015 Live performance Film: 2015 Brussels Philharmonic/Flemish Radio Choir Conducting: Alan Silvestri |
 Alan Silvestri Source: Berklee College of Music |
|
|
As classical music entered into its contemporary
decades classical composers of strong regional note had appeared as far
south as Bulgaria. Music in the Balkans, however, was largely sacred,
distant by culture from the avant-garde and remaining quite obscure to
audiences of such as
modernist,
John
Cage, or huge names in traditional classical like conductor,
Leonard Bernstein. Across the border to Turkey music becomes distinctly
other than Western classical, entering Ottoman regions which neither
Eastern Orthodox Church organs in the Balkans nor these histories address.
Israel and Japan (most largely and notably) are the only nations in the
Middle East and Asia where classical music of the Western variety has been
strongly cultivated. It does exist, though barely, in India, but forget
Africa altogether, with the exception of South Africa where its presence has
been too exclusive atop already meager to have much relevance to the populace. Down
African way it was jazz rather than classical that crossed borders. Across
the ocean toward the Americas the influence of classical largely ceased at
Mexico on down. Though Brazil has produced some classically oriented
composers, again, it is jazz (bossa nova) rather than classical that has
there
merged cultures. As for
Otomar
Kvech, he composed neither
jazz nor
avant-garde graphic scores nor music for the Church, partly by choice,
partly because he was born on 25 April 1950 in Prague, Czechoslovakia. That is, he
was born in Communist Czechoslovakia absorbed into the Soviet Bloc in 1948 where Church music was less than
encouraged. Kvech was himself concerned to keep the traditional masters, from
JS Bach
to
Shostakovich,
safe from the avant-garde. He had no interest
in such as developing a new language, which projects kept elitist (even if poor) modernist circles busy
guessing at scores which required a doctorate in specialist minutiae only to read.
Not that Kvech's was a
personal reactionary crusade against modernist influences. Kvech was well aware of
them and
recognized their inevitable development even as a portion of his career
involved keeping Soviet music free of their encroachment. To each his own in
composing modern music, but for himself, keeping things in style was
sufficient. These histories of classical music thus approach their end,
not with such as electronic music or "compositions" of an audience
coughing before a silent orchestra (Cage),
but with the post-modern merging w other genres notably in film (Silvestri),
and Kvetch, quite satisfied if traditional methods continue indefinitely. Albeit Kvech
didn't shake Earth as a composer, the complex concerns of progressive
modernists which a few "in the know" found significant didn't much either: Not a lot of people can
read, nor care to purchase,
graphic notations. Most people prefer rhythm to synthesizers making
strange mechanistic sounds. Most would rather go to a concert than
visit a sound installation with a light show at a stark and frigid
art museum without beer, cigarettes and burritos at hand. Again, it's
a ready analogy between modernist open form classical and the free form
jazz that arose in the sixties. Had free
form been the only jazz around, no bossa nova, for example, or jazz fusion
to come, the general audience for jazz would have evaporated but for
its forbears and some diehards. However sophisticated music might become, musical people in
general just want, so to speak, a fat lady who can sing to a beat and make them click their fingers.
Howsoever, with
conservative Kvech one arrives to the tail end (to date) of old classical
architecture yet puffing along the track. Kvech's father had been a sound engineer for Czechoslovak Radio
and his mother worked in a shop. He began training at piano in 1955 before
entering
the State School of Music at age nine ('59).
Beginning to compose at about age thirteen, he studied composition at the
Prague Conservatory from 1965 to '69, then organ at the Prague Academy of
Music until 1973. Kvech begins his own catalogue [Comps genre 3 below] with 'Pocta Bachovi'
('Tribute to Bach') of 1971, a work for various instruments postdating his late
teen years at the Prague Conservatory [score].
His 'String Quartet No.1', the first of nine, arrived in autumn of '71, a
formative work going not much of anywhere in Kvech's opinion. Kvech's earliest professional
employment was at the Prague National Theatre, an opera house, as an
accompanist. He married in 1972 toward two daughters, the same year he
composed 'A Little Suite for Organ' [score] and 'When the Road Ended', the latter
a song cycle for soprano and piano. Among other titles in '73 was his
'String Quartet No.2' which inspiration was the death of a friend in a plane
crash [excerpts Prazak
Quartet]. Kvech spent a year in the army before becoming musical director
for Czechoslovak Radio in 1976. The Kvech website has him already composing
the first of three radio operas for children, 'Spring Is Here', in 1975.
Kvech joined the
Composer's Union in 1980 by which he was entrusted to help shape the
character of Czech music and culture in accord with Soviet standards. The
Composer's Union brought its members better commissions, dissemination of
publications and recording opportunities. Such as 'Sonata for Violin and
Piano' Nos. 2 & 3 are representative of that period bearing the good
nation-keeping seal of the Soviet Union. Kvech's 'Sonata for Violin and
Piano No.1' had arrived in 1974, the first of numerous for various instruments,
most involving piano and strings until a few for organ arrived in the new millennium. Upon the disunion of the Soviet
Bloc in 1989 Kvech found himself back at Czechosloak Radio the next year,
also instructing at the Prague Conservatory. The quick transition from
composing to keep an ideology intact to now a wide range of possibilities found
Kvech concentrating on smaller works like sonatas for special occasions
while lending larger works an "idealistic" scenery the popularity of which
he shrugged in pleasing himself. At that fresh pond into which he could cast as
he liked he wrote
such as 'Piano Quintet' in 1990, his 'Requiem' in 1992. Among Kvech's
favorite instruments for which to compose was organ, such as his 'Čtvero
ročních dob' ('The Four Seasons') with orchestra in 2001
[audio w organ by Aleš Bárta].
'String Quartet No.9' was Kvech's last in 2008
[audio by the Pražák Quartet].
Musicbase [Comps alpha 1 below] traces him to as late as the premiere of 'Fantasy Variations' for
trumpet and organ on 25 July of 2015 by Jaroslav Halíř (trumpet) and Pavel
Černý (organ). Kvech also taught at the Prague Academy of Music before dying on 16 March
2018 [obit].
References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Compositions: alphabetical: 1,
2;
chronological;
by genre:
1,
2,
3.
Authorship: 'An Introductory Note';
'String Quartets'.
Scores: vendor (Europe),
free.
YouTube.
Discogs.
Further reading: Kvech Website.
See also: The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.
Authority research: 1,
2,
3.
Iconography.
Other profiles: Czech Wikipedia.
Otomar Kvech 1983 'Karneval Sveta' Czech Radio SO Director: Elli Jaffe 1976 'Promena' Sinfonietta Nocturnalia 1997 For woodwinds Prague Conservatory Orchestra Director: Jaroslav Vodnanský RUR: Passacaglia 1986 Czech Radio S O Director: Stanislav Bogunia Piano Trio 1976 New Prague Trio Serenade 2004 'Themes of Czech Carols' Director: Miriam Nemcová Filmed performance Sonata No 2 1980 3 movements: 1: Allegro Moderato 2: Presto 3: Grave Storm and Calm 2009 'Boure a Klid' Melodrama String Quartet No 2 1973 Pražák Quartet String Quartet No 6 2006 'Mozart's Nostalgia' Apollon Quartet String Quartet No 7 2002 Herold Quartet |
 Otomar Kvech Source: Vyznamne Osobnosti |
|
|
This section of the history of modern classical music suspends with Kvech.
|
|
Early Blues 1: Guitar
Early Blues 2: Vocal - Other Instruments
Modern Blues 2: Vocal - Other Instruments
Medieval - Renaissance
Early Jazz 1: Ragtime - Bands - Horn
Early Jazz 2: Ragtime - Other Instrumentation
Modern 2: Trumpet - Other Horn
Modern 4: Guitar - Other String
Modern 5: Percussion - Other Orchestration
Modern 7: Latin Jazz - Latin Recording
Modern 8: United States 1960 - 1970Latin Recording 2: The Caribbean
Latin Recording 3: South America
Popular Music
Rock & RollThe Big Bang - Fifties American Rock
Jazz Early - Ragtime - Swing Jazz
Jazz Early - Swing Jazz
Jazz Modern - Horn
Jazz Modern - Piano - String
Jazz Modern - Percussion - Song - Other
Boogie Woogie - Doo Wop - R&B - Rock & Roll - Soul - Disco
Boogie Woogie - Rockabilly UK Beat - British Invasion Latin Recording - Europe
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