Richard Danielpour(1956-)

[Lilas Pastia]

Just listened to this disc myself. I like Celestial Night a lot. It's supposed to be a symphony.

Also listened to last week: the Delos disc with Symphony 3 Journey Without Distance, and two other orchestral works. Like Celestial Night, the third symphony is also in two movements. It has a soprano singing excerpts from - of all things - a self-healing book titled A Course in Miracles  . Be that as it may, I still find this to be the best Danielpour work I've heard, and a very fine one by any standards. The coomposer treats the voice like an instrument, in a resolutely tonal way. It's all very beautiful and soprano Faith Easham is excellent.

[snyprrr]

Danielpour?
Corigliano?
Rouse?
Asia?

How many more of them are there??? oy!

I, for one, borrow that YoYoMa cd from the library once a year just to remind me why I didn't like it.

I'm being a very good boy right now by saying goodnight and not indulging my self righteousness. 0:)

[Dundonnell]

Still haven't listened to Danielpour's American Requiem.....even though it has been sitting patiently beside my cd player for some moths now

Amended: "....for some months now"

[snyprrr]

Dun...I feel like I'm being chased around the table tonight, haha.

[Lilas Pastia]

Danielpour?
Corigliano?
Rouse?
Asia?

How many more of them are there??? oy!

I, for one, borrow that YoYoMa cd from the library once a year just to remind me why I didn't like it.

I'm being a very good boy right now by saying goodnight and not indulging my self righteousness. 0:)

Don't look for more.  It's a worthy quartet and they will carry you some way. Perhaps Yo Yo is not the best ambassador? I have a few discs by these composers, but I can't recall one where he aroused my interest.  IOW don't blame the message, blame the messenger!       

[Dundonnell]

Dun...I feel like I'm being chased around the table tonight, haha.

Take it as a compliment, my friend

[Elnimio]

I really like his music. Not sure what makes it "populist shlock" to people's ears. Too much "loud" action in the faster movements? Exciting and vibrant rhythms? His music is the perfect balance between craft and primal instinct. Also, his slower movements are always quite introspective and heartfelt.

[snyprrr]

I really like his music. Not sure what makes it "populist shlock" to people's ears. Too much "loud" action in the faster movements? Exciting and vibrant rhythms? His music is the perfect balance between craft and primal instinct. Also, his slower movements are always quite introspective and heartfelt.

He's no Peter Mennin!

[Dundonnell]

He's no Peter Mennin!

That's certainly true

[Elnimio]

Interestingly enough, he was a student of Mennin's.

[kyjo]

Resurrecting this thread after a 7-year slumber! My university orchestra is currently playing Danielpour's Concerto for Orchestra (subtitled Zoroastrian Riddles), which is a terrifically fun and catchy piece full of color, ingenuity, and sly references to other classical works and pop culture. Not a work of great depth perhaps (though the slow movement is quite powerful with a climax of remorseless tread bringing to mind Holst's Saturn), but I think it is much more than "high-quality elevator music" as one Amazon reviewer (who I usually agree with) puts it. The only available recording, featuring my hometown band, is very good:


[asin]B0000029UM[/asin]

[arpeggio]

I just discovered this thread.  I have been a big fan of his music for years.  Wow. All of the negative waves.

Even if he really is as bad as some think I still like his music.

[Maestro267]

I know, right? It's so disappointing. The person who started this thread must have done so because they enjoy this composer's music. Then to have that enthusiasm utterly wiped out by the first few replies. That's one of the things I dislike about places like this, how people are so quick to trash other people's joy and enthusiasm for a subject.

[Symphonic Addict]

Some of the best string quartets written in the last 30 years (the SQ 3 includes a solo baritone in the 3rd mov; I'm not a fan of vocal music, but here it's strikingly effective and moving). Extraordinary music, that's all what I'll say about it.