William Schuman (1910-1992)

[pjme]

Let's hope Naxos finds time and money to record this wonderful score :
Concerto for viola, female chorus and orchestra "On old English Rounds" (1974)

Bernstein recorded it for CBS...but it was never reissued on CD.

It is Schuman in a gentle, poetical mood! Great - and original.
Peter

[Scarpia]

Was listening to this mono LP release on Mercury Living Presence.  No date anywhere on the disk or jacket, but I think 1950 or '51 is likely.  Contains scores for two ballets written for Martha Graham, Judith and Undertow.  Both are very dynamic scores and (upon first impression) very well performed by the Louisville Kentucky Orchestra under Robert Whitney or the composer himself.  The scenario for Judith, in particular, seems compelling, judging from the album notes.  The Louisville Orchestra had commissioned a number of important works around that time.

A shame that these works have been apparently lost in their original form.  This recording of the original interpretation of the works has never been reissued (there are modern recordings) and I can find no visual record of the ballet Judith itself.  I'd be interested to see it.

[bhodges]

Thanks for posting that cool LP cover.  And on his 100th birthday, too!

--Bruce

[Scarpia]

Thanks for posting that cool LP cover.  And on his 100th birthday, too!

My pleasure.  Got it for $2.99 at Princeton record exchange.  I think I selected it because I was interested in any mono Mercury releases. 

[Scarpia]

I have made an mp3 of Judith available on rapidshare:

http://rapidshare.com/files/411032788/WilliamSchumannJudith.mp3

Hope that works.

[bhodges]

Thank you!   

PS, on Facebook, some folks have been weighing in on Schuman, and several musicians have mentioned playing in Undertow, and how much they liked that, too. 

Thanks again.

--Bruce

[Dundonnell]

There is a saying: 'you wait ages for a bus and then two come along at the same time'.

Two record companies have almost simultaneously released recordings of Schuman's "A Free Song"(sometimes additionally titled Secular Cantata No.2). This relatively short-13 minute-work won Schuman the 1943 Pulitzer Prize for music, the first time a Pulitzer was awarded in this branch of the arts. It is a setting of texts from Walt Whitman's 'Drum Taps'(also used, of course, for example in Vaughan Williams' 'Dona Nobis Pacem') and is very much a wartime piece.  'A Free Song' is certainly both impressive and moving and I am delighted to have heard it at last.

The version I have is a Cedille recording of three Pulitzer Prize winning compositions. The others are Aaron Copland's 'Appalachian Spring' and the Chicago composer Leo Sowerby's
Cantata 'The Canticle of the Sun'. They are played by the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus under Carlos Kalmar.

Bruce has alerted me however to the other recording of 'A Free Song' which has been released by Albany(and is also billed as a 'world premiere recording'). This version-which I haven't been able to hear yet-is coupled with 'On Freedom's Ground: an American Cantata'(1985). This is a much bigger piece(40 mins.) for baritone, chorus and orchestra. The Sinfonia da Camera is accompanied by the University of Illinois Chorale and Oratoria Society and conducted by Ian Hobson. This disc also includes the American Festival Overture and the unaccompanied Prelude for Full Chorus.

It is great that some of Schuman's choral music is at last being recorded! Now we could do with 'This is Our Time-Secular Cantata No.1'(1940), the Concerto on Old English Rounds for viola, women's chorus and orchestra(1973) and 'The Young Dead Soldiers' for soprano, horn, woodwind and strings(1975).

[Mirror Image]

I've got to revive this thread since there seems to be some Schuman love going on in the forum lately. I relistened to Symphony No. 4 earlier this morning and really enjoyed this time around. It has a gorgeous slow movement that is surely the heart of the work. The recording of the 4th I listened to was Gerard Schwarz but I bought a new recording today with David Alan Miller conducting the Albany Symphony Orchestra that sounded really good so I'm anticipating that recording. This recording also contains his Piano Concerto which I never heard before and Credendum which I listened via YouTube thanks to Bill (Bogey). A really fantastic piece. I plan to listen to his symphonic cycle again and give it more of a fighting chance this time around.

[Mirror Image]

By the way, for those interested, there's a great new article about Schuman in this year's spring issue of Listen: Life with Classical Music magazine.

[vandermolen]

I think that Symphony No 6 is a great one - although less immediately approachable than the better known No 3 I think that it is a very profound work. One critic called it a 'Requiem for the 20th Century'.  Also there is a great Naxos CD with it on (Schwarz, Seattle SO), which also contains 'Prayer in Time of War' and 'New England Tryptich' - probably my favourite William Schuman disk. Parts of Symphony No 6 remind me of Honegger. The darkly searching end of the symphony I find very moving, though devoid of any sentimentality - which is part of Schuman's appeal for me.
[asin]B002QEXBUY[/asin]

[madaboutmahler]

I was introduced to Schuman's music only last Friday, through a BBC 'Composer of the Week' podcast, and instantly became really fascinated by the excerpts they included, I really enjoyed them.
I am hopefully going to buy the Naxos Schuman symphony box very soon, as the 3rd, 5th and 10th symphonies interested me in particular. Also, the violin concerto which sounded brilliant.

Another work I was particularly impressed and moved by was the Concerto for viola, female chorus and orchestra "On old English Rounds". I saw it briefly mentioned here on the thread. I was listening to the excerpt they included, thinking... 'wow... this is absolutely beautiful. I must hear the work in full'. And then once the excerpt had finished, the presenter reluctantly sighed 'well, there's something you won't hear again for a long time...'. 
So, does anyone know this work? Are there any hopes of it being released again?

Looking forward to exploring Schuman further!

[Mirror Image]

I think that Symphony No 6 is a great one - although less immediately approachable than the better known No 3 I think that it is a very profound work. One critic called it a 'Requiem for the 20th Century'.  Also there is a great Naxos CD with it on (Schwarz, Seattle SO), which also contains 'Prayer in Time of War' and 'New England Tryptich' - probably my favourite William Schuman disk. Parts of Symphony No 6 remind me of Honegger. The darkly searching end of the symphony I find very moving, though devoid of any sentimentality - which is part of Schuman's appeal for me.
[asin]B002QEXBUY[/asin]

I plan on revisiting that disc, Jeffrey. Kudos for the mention of it. New England Tryptich is probably Schuman's most well-known work with Symphony No. 3 (apart of the so-called "American trinity of 3s"). I bought the newer Albany disc and I haven't actually heard his Piano Concerto so this will be something new for me as will be Credendum. I can't recall the 6th or Prayer in a Time of War so I'm anxious to hear this again.

[Dundonnell]

I was introduced to Schuman's music only last Friday, through a BBC 'Composer of the Week' podcast, and instantly became really fascinated by the excerpts they included, I really enjoyed them.
I am hopefully going to buy the Naxos Schuman symphony box very soon, as the 3rd, 5th and 10th symphonies interested me in particular. Also, the violin concerto which sounded brilliant.

Another work I was particularly impressed and moved by was the Concerto for viola, female chorus and orchestra "On old English Rounds". I saw it briefly mentioned here on the thread. I was listening to the excerpt they included, thinking... 'wow... this is absolutely beautiful. I must hear the work in full'. And then once the excerpt had finished, the presenter reluctantly sighed 'well, there's something you won't hear again for a long time...'. 
So, does anyone know this work? Are there any hopes of it being released again?

Looking forward to exploring Schuman further!

Delighted that you have discovered Schuman, Daniel He is one of the very finest of American composers but your chances of hearing his music in the concert hall are virtually nil.

The Concerto on Old English Rounds is the most serious gap in the Schuman cd dicography and I know of no plans to record it. However....I have an off-radio recording which I shall gladly make available to you, if you are interested

[Mirror Image]

...your chances of hearing his music in the concert hall are virtually nil.

This could be said of many major American composers though, Colin. I mean how often do people in Scotland get to hear Ives?

The Concerto on Old English Rounds is the most serious gap in the Schuman cd dicography and I know of no plans to record it. However....I have an off-radio recording which I shall gladly make available to you, if you are interested

I find this odd. I mean I'm surprised an enterprising label like Naxos or Albany hasn't taken up this work. I do wish there were some better choices for his Violin Concerto, but I haven't heard the Slatkin recording. Slatkin is usually pretty reliable in American music, but I have had issues with his Barber recordings for years. His Ives, Copland, and Piston recordings, however, are quite good.

[Sergeant Rock]

I do wish there were some better choices for his Violin Concerto....

The Zukofsky/Tilson Thomas recording, on a 1990 DG 20th Century Classics CD, is a great performance of the concerto.



OOP, of course, but used copies are available. Eleven years later DG re-released the Ruggles and Piston as part of the Originals series but dropped the Schuman in favor of Ives. Unfortunate.




Sarge

[vandermolen]

The Zukofsky/Tilson Thomas recording, on a 1990 DG 20th Century Classics CD, is a great performance of the concerto.



OOP, of course, but used copies are available. Eleven years later DG re-released the Ruggles and Piston as part of the Originals series but dropped the Schuman in favor of Ives. Unfortunate.



Two great discs which I have in my collection. I do, however, think that the performance of the Ives work is the best I have heard - but yes, pity about the Schuman.


Sarge

[Lethevich]

Eleven years later DG re-released the Ruggles and Piston as part of the Originals series but dropped the Schuman in favor of Ives. Unfortunate.

Brr, hipsters! We have plenty of Ives already I feel that this practice stretches the designation "Originals" a bit thinly.

[Karl Henning]

You chilly there, Sara? You're Brrrr-ing a lot! ; )

[Karl Henning]

The Zukofsky/Tilson Thomas recording, on a 1990 DG 20th Century Classics CD, is a great performance of the concerto.

Good to know, thanks, Sarge!

[Mirror Image]

The Zukofsky/Tilson Thomas recording, on a 1990 DG 20th Century Classics CD, is a great performance of the concerto.



OOP, of course, but used copies are available. Eleven years later DG re-released the Ruggles and Piston as part of the Originals series but dropped the Schuman in favor of Ives. Unfortunate.

Yeah, I've seen that recording before, but I already own the re-release, remaster with the added Ives. I personally don't find it unfortunate that Ives was included instead of Schuman. I am an Ives too! But I do wish DG would release a recording that has that Schuman performance on it and couple it with some other performances by MTT which perhaps had never been released before. Now that would be an enterprising release!