Six greatest American orchestral works

[jowcol]

Wow, Schuman wrote a Concerto for the Barber? Lots of scissor noises?  And I can't wait to hear Kern's Showboat for the Hovhaness.  A showboat for whales?   

Anyways, a little misconception I see in the previous comments.  Cage and Feldman were not minimalist by most definitions.  The difference is that minimalism involves "Process Music".  Minimalism starts with a set of principles, a little like a 12-tone row for serialism, and develops a process around them.  The key is that the listener can understand the process merely by listening to the music.  (See this famous essay by Steve Reich: http://www.columbia.edu/ccnmtl/draft/ben/feld/mod1/readings/reich.html)

By this definition Alvin Lucier's music was minimalist, and I would agree.  The process music idea eventually wore out.  The music we usually call Minimalist now has an aesthetic relationship to process music, but is much more dynamic.  This music is more rightly called Post-Minimalist.  Adams is the perfect example.  If you listen to his bass lines, you'll find a carefully crafted process, albeit with many exceptions so as to throw off the listener and create energy. 

On the other hand, Cage and Feldman never perceived their work as a process, and while there are surface similarities, the aims were entirely different.

Schuman's Concerto for Barber was, I believe, taken from the unpublished film music he wrote for an early version of Edward Scissorhands. 

Your comments on definitions for minimalism are very insightful-- particularly when you distinguish between the aesthetics and intent.

The one thing I'd say in Reich's case is that he wrote that essay on process music in 1968, and many of his more successful works (Music for 18 Musicians, Desert Music, Different Trains) were not nearly as process driven- but your definition of post-minimalist catches that.   (And, I don't really like his "process-driven" material as much-- I can live a rich life without hearing the Music for 4 Organs again, and I consider myself a Reich fan.)   But most people will still associate Reich with being a Minimalist, and accept Adams as being a post minimalist.   

And Feldman was a rare and wonderful person that was harder to place and categorize. 

[Catison]

And Feldman was a rare and wonderful person that was harder to place and categorize.

Yes, Feldman's own verbiage was Between Categories.

[jurajjak]

Nah ... there is definitely nothing American about either Schoenberg or Stravinsky. Ditto all composers in residence.

This is debatable...what about Ernest Bloch? Though not born in the U.S., he must be considered American and went to lengths to write "American" music.

[DavidRoss]

This is debatable...what about Ernest Bloch? Though not born in the U.S., he must be considered American and went to lengths to write "American" music.

Just don't expect rational responses and you'll be fine.

[Chrone]

Some American orchestral works that I like that haven't received much love yet in this thread:

Tredici: "Final Alice"
Riley: "In C"
Herrmann: "Vertigo" score
Adams: "The Chairman Dances"
Marshall: "Fog Tropes"
Zappa: "G-Spot Tornado"
Hovhaness: "And God Created Great Whales" (yeah, it's gimmicky, but I love that modal 6/8 melody near the beginning)

And if 18 players counts as an orchestra,

Reich, "Music for 18 Musicians"

[jowcol]

Some American orchestral works that I like that haven't received much love yet in this thread:

Tredici: "Final Alice"
Riley: "In C"
Herrmann: "Vertigo" score
Adams: "The Chairman Dances"
Marshall: "Fog Tropes"
Zappa: "G-Spot Tornado"
Hovhaness: "And God Created Great Whales" (yeah, it's gimmicky, but I love that modal 6/8 melody near the beginning)

And if 18 players counts as an orchestra,

Reich, "Music for 18 Musicians"

Nice choices-- and I also love that Hovhaness melody you are referring to.

[karlhenning]

Hovhaness had a talent for lovely modal melodies.

[DavidRoss]

Hovhaness had a talent for lovely modal melodies.

Reminds me that I've not heard any of his music in quite some time.  Symphony #2 goes into the queue!

Has anyone mentioned the music for West Side Story yet?

[karlhenning]

Reminds me that I've not heard any of his music in quite some time.  Symphony #2 goes into the queue!

There's a passage in Fair Warning which (in method rather than tone) is something of a nod to Hovhaness.

[Mirror Image]

My top 6 current favorite American orchestral works (in no particular order):

Piston: Symphony No. 2
Diamond: Symphony No. 4
Adams: Naive & Sentimental Music
Barber: Adagio for Strings
Copland: Appalachian Spring
Hohvaness: Symphony No. 2 - Mysterious Mountain

[snyprrr]

American composers. Hahahahahaha. Sorry, i feel a bit dodgy today, i'll be leaving the premises.

I will goad thee.

But not with commies!



Carl Ruggles Sun-Treader, Men & Mountains, Angels



No,.. I was going to continue writing,... but no, I see, the temptation is too great to say stuff! oy vey, indeed, haha! mos... no!

[RJR]

A quick punt.

Ives - Holidays symphony
Varese - Amériques
Cowell - Ongaku
Brant - Kingdom Come
Feldman - Coptic Light
Gershwin - Cuban Overture

Don't anybody point out that Varese was French or Brant was Canadian.

Varèse wasn't French, he was a Burgundian.

[Dax]

and he was born in Paris and had an Italian father . . .