Henry Cowell (1897-1965)

[cilgwyn]

Engage-D! I think I might have another crack at 'old Henry',soon! Whatever his faults,his output was,thankfully, more varied than Roy 'patriot' Harris's!
But then again,it would be very difficult NOT to be!

Have to 'dig them' out of that box first!

Anton Rubinsteins hyper experimental 'Ocean' Symphony on,at the moment,in the 4 movement version. Henry would have grooved to that!

And I'm enjoying it!

[snyprrr]

Engage-D! I think I might have another crack at 'old Henry',soon! Whatever his faults,his output was,thankfully, more varied than Roy 'patriot' Harris's!
But then again,it would be very difficult NOT to be!

Have to 'dig them' out of that box first!

Anton Rubinsteins hyper experimental 'Ocean' Symphony on,at the moment,in the 4 movement version. Henry would have grooved to that!

And I'm enjoying it!

I'm debating on wether to download that 1,000 piece catalog from the site.

[snyprrr]

Sorry, have to bump Cowell with Harris. It's the Law.

[cilgwyn]

I'm debating on wether to download that 1,000 piece catalog from the site.

Go on,download it. You know you WANT to!

[cilgwyn]

Well,well,well!! A new Henry Cowell cd!! Just when I thought it might never happen!! And not only that,it's a "Premium audio hybrid SACD" with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the San Francisco Symphony!! Of course,it isn't ONLY Henry Cowell,it's got,well,you can see above & it looks like an interesting selection. Maybe,I'll fork out for this one;although,unfortunately,with the wolf at the door,I might have to hold out a little longer!
  So there we are,more Cowell!! Hopefully,there may be more in the offing! While I'll be the first to admit that Cowell isn't a regular visitor to my cd player & I think he really was a bit too experimental purely for the sake of being experimental,for his own good;I DO find his best music quite intriguing & even rewarding;and I think he does deserve a little bit more attention from the cd labels than he currently gets.Nuff said!

[bhodges]

Thanks for posting this, and glad they released it. If you're at all inclined, I suspect the recording will be excellent. I heard all of these last spring when MTT and the group came to Carnegie Hall, and the concerts are already showing up on some "Best of 2012" lists.

The Harrison is also quite marvelous. (I had never heard it before.)

--Bruce

[Mirror Image]

Well,well,well!! A new Henry Cowell cd!! Just when I thought it might never happen!! And not only that,it's a "Premium audio hybrid SACD" with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the San Francisco Symphony!! Of course,it isn't ONLY Henry Cowell,it's got,well,you can see above & it looks like an interesting selection. Maybe,I'll fork out for this one;although,unfortunately,with the wolf at the door,I might have to hold out a little longer!
  So there we are,more Cowell!! Hopefully,there may be more in the offing! While I'll be the first to admit that Cowell isn't a regular visitor to my cd player & I think he really was a bit too experimental purely for the sake of being experimental,for his own good;I DO find his best music quite intriguing & even rewarding;and I think he does deserve a little bit more attention from the cd labels than he currently gets.Nuff said!

I've seen this release before and heard it is excellent!

[vandermolen]

JUST AN UPDATE. AT THE COWELL SITE )OOPS) there is a list that runs almost 1,000 pieces. I went through this thing, and, pretty much, MOST of the GOOD STUFF is available. I think, ultimately, Cowell may have up to three (maybe four) modes of operation, and we should probably stop worrying if there are a load of undiscovered masterpieces. As I said, if one cleaned out the Amazon, one would surely surely have a pretty exact portrait of HC. Perhaps there are some rarer expressions that one might find curious (Ballad for ww quintet; Gravely and vigorously for cello on JFK's assassination), but they're out there.

I just finally listened the the Suite and Sonata for violin and piano, and wow!, THERE was some 'classic' HC I'd not heard before. And the Set of Five is a nice proto pacificism.

And the Piano Concerto disc is on YT, and that too tickled my ear.

Now I really want to hear Symphony No.5, that vandermolen liked.


I'm starting to get a soft spot for ole Henry.

Did you get to hear Symphony No 5? I hope so.

[cilgwyn]

I'm not expecting any hidden masterpieces quite franky! In fact I wouldn't describe anything I've heard by Cowell as a masterpiece. Intriguing at best. Pretentious at worst.He doesn't seem to have composed anything as arresting as Harris's third or,even,his Sixth;but his output is more varied. An interesting puzzle when you're in the right mood & then after a while you forget about him. It's still nice to see Tilson Thomas conducting his music in SACD sound.
It's on my shopping list,anyway (along with socks & shoe polish)!

[snyprrr]

Did you get to hear Symphony No 5? I hope so.

No. Those BayCities discs are hard to come by. Also looking for Harris's Band Symphony.

[snyprrr]

No. Those BayCities discs are hard to come by. Also looking for Harris's Band Symphony.

Well, a lot of Cowell's Syms. are now on YT, and I spent the afternoon perusing. Aye, there's 16, right? Whew, there's a lot of stuff here, a lot of it sounding similar,... kind of like Ruggles-meets-Harris,... with some really cool experimental stuff thrown in.

No.14- a rehearsal recording, pretty bad, but the music is quite interesting,... must have a better recording...


No.11 '7 Rituals of Music'- this also had some interesting sounds and procedures...


No.7- can't remember, but seems to have interest...




There's a lot of the 'Hymn & Fuguing Tunes' in a lot of this, can't keep it straight,... 4... 9... were pretty Pastoral...


5 started off kind of clunky but settled into some cool things...


16 'Icelandic'... eh.... kind of .....    .......    .....


15 'Thesis'- a little noisier than it's neighbors....




I think Cowell is the next logical place to go after Harris... very similar "feelings"...

[snyprrr]

Well, a lot of Cowell's Syms. are now on YT, and I spent the afternoon perusing. Aye, there's 16, right? Whew, there's a lot of stuff here, a lot of it sounding similar,... kind of like Ruggles-meets-Harris,... with some really cool experimental stuff thrown in.

No.14- a rehearsal recording, pretty bad, but the music is quite interesting,... must have a better recording...


No.11 '7 Rituals of Music'- this also had some interesting sounds and procedures...


No.7- can't remember, but seems to have interest...




There's a lot of the 'Hymn & Fuguing Tunes' in a lot of this, can't keep it straight,... 4... 9... were pretty Pastoral...


5 started off kind of clunky but settled into some cool things...


16 'Icelandic'... eh.... kind of .....    .......    .....


15 'Thesis'- a little noisier than it's neighbors....




I think Cowell is the next logical place to go after Harris... very similar "feelings"...

c'mon guys 

[vandermolen]

I like No.5 very much on the Bay Cities CD.

[cilgwyn]

I have begun to rather like some of Henry Cowell's music in recent months. My reappraisal of Cowell really began when I made a cd-r of the Louisville cd,which excluded the Hymn and Fuguing Tune No3. I was then able to listen to the other works on the cd,without the H.A.F.T 3,which I had felt was,by far,the least interesting. Suddenly,Henry Cowell was more enjoyable! I have since grown to really like the Symphony No11 "Seven Rituals of Music",with it's strangle clumping sounds. I also like Thesis,his Fifteenth. I like those eerie sounds and interesting string textures. I really do find them quite absorbing! I have also dowloaded Botstein's stereo recording of the Eleventh. I feel the old Louisville recording has more atmosphere,though. But the Botstein is still good! I also like Ongaku!!
Allot of the other symphonies are far more conventional,as far as I can make out;and I only have access to ancient old recordings. I quite like No's 4 & 5,though. Or,one or the other? I will put them on in a short while and have another listen. These are Cowell in a more folksy,pastoral vein,if I remember correctly? So far,I am not so keen on Symphonies 7 & 17. The sound doesn't help,mind. It's dire!! I also downloaded Botstein's recording of his Variations for Orchestra. I seem to remember thinking this was great;but I need to listen to it again!
I have the Mode cd's of his Chamber and instrumental music. This is where I think Cowell really excels (if he does,anywhere?). I find this side of his music very interesting. On the Mode cd,"Dancing with Henry",I particularly like his 1926 opus,Atlantis;which has the singers groaning and grunting (literally!) depictions of sea monsters and battles. It's hard not to laugh out loud! The instrumental accompaniment is equally fun and imaginative.

[cilgwyn]

We're in for the Long Game, here 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Quite!!

[Turner]

It certainly would be nice with a more systematic CD series of his works, not at least regarding the orchestral music, rather than the scattered & rather meagre selection we have generally available ... sort of strange so little happens in that field ...

[Mirror Image]

It certainly would be nice with a more systematic CD series of his works, not at least regarding the orchestral music, rather than the scattered & rather meagre selection we have generally available ... sort of strange so little happens in that field ...

+ 1

[cilgwyn]

I must admit,he's been a slow burner,for me. I think at first I though some of his music was quite interesting,or even intriguing;but not that good. But the more I've listened,when I've had time for his music,the more I've begun to like what I hear. It's also a question of sorting out the chaff from the wheat. Like Hovhaness,say,there's stuff  that goes in one ear and out the other,or at best pleasant,but not exactly that interesting;and then there's the ones that really grab my attention. I'm even to start like the more folksy Symphonies like 4 & 5,now. There are some interesting sonorities there. Conversely,Symphonies No 7 and 17 have got me reaching for the stop button on the remote half way;and I'm not sure it's just the recording quality?!! (Maybe,a lousy performance?!!) Then there are Symphonies 11 and 15,which I find really absorbing,and in their own way,very original. To that,I could add the Variations for Orchestra and allot of the chamber and instrumental music. Yes..........maybe he is a genuinely unjustly neglected figure after all??!!

Someone seems to think so here?! :

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/blog/new-york-insider/the-revelation-of-henry-cowell

[cilgwyn]

Hello everyone. Regarding the Persian set'. I have had this cd for some time. Cowells use of vocal  contributions from the orchestra reminded me of the different but similairly colourful 'Eventyr' by Delius. There are some newer recordings of Cowell,conducted by Botstein,available on Amazon,(and maybe some other site),for download,which include his Second & eleventh symphonies & a deleted Koch cd,which includes some more symphonies. The sound quality on the latter seemed a bit 'thin' & this should be taken into account before downloading or buying. The Naxos cd's are Cowell in more experimental mode & I must admit to not being so keen on those. Cowell is very neglected at the moment & his interest in the the East makes him an interesting comparison to the better known Hovhaness. There also recordings of Cowell playing & announcing some of his piano music on another cd. Unfortunately Cowell doesn't have a cult following like Hovhaness,but in my opinion he is an intriguing figure who certainly deserves more exposure. No doubt some of the smaller & more adventurous record labels will reach him in the end.

Can't believe my first ever post on this forum was about Henry Cowell! I thought it would have been Havergal Brian! I am beginning to like Cowell's music more,though. In hindsight,however,Persian Set is pleasant enough,but not him at his best. (The Koch cd got taken to a charity shop! ).

[cilgwyn]

This has got to be the earliest post stored here?!!