Steven Stucky (1949-2016)

Started by bhodges, February 16, 2016, 06:08:37 PM

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bhodges

It saddens me to start a new thread on a composer who just died two days ago, but there you go. I don't know much of Stucky's music, but have heard one of his most recent works live several times: Symphony (2012), which is on YouTube below, with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the world premiere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfPRltoWa_8

Of the many appreciations all over the Internet - Stucky was hugely influential to many younger composers - here is a fine piece by Mark Swed, focusing on his relationship with the LA Phil. Stucky also wrote a highly regarded book, Lutoslawski and His Music (1981).

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/classical/la-et-cm-steven-stucky-appreciation-20160217-column.html

--Bruce

snyprrr

He's got a release on BIS, of all labels. And also on the Gloria Cheng recital with Lutoslawski and Salonen Piano Music.

lescamil

I used to attend his preconcert talks at the LA Phil. He was one of the best speakers on music I have heard. Very intelligent man with music to match. I was quite shocked to learn he had only been diagnosed with brain cancer in November and just left us over the weekend.
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Karl Henning

http://www.stevenstucky.com/

I admit I never realized Stucky was a composer;  although I had read some of his book on Lutosławski, and his discussion of the music was clearly composerly.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Mirror Image

He was clearly an expert on Lutoslawski's music and I really enjoyed watching his series (w/ Salonen) on the life of Lutoslawski. He spoke so naturally about the composer and had one interesting anecdote about the composer after another. I knew he was a composer, but I freely, and ignorantly admit, I have not heard one note from him. He seemed really down-to-earth and from what I've read he was an inspiring person, especially whenever he would give speeches and talks to classes at different universities. RIP Mr. Stucky.

Marsch MacFiercesome

I saw Salonen and the LAPO do a Debussy and Stravinsky program at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in L.A.  where it featured Stucky's orchestration of Les noces, of which I enjoyed immensely.

Stucky gave a short lecture prior to the concert where he struck me as an intelligent man who had a natural humility toward great composers; and who would be a brilliant conversationalist.

I'm sad to hear of his passing.
Easier slayed than done. Is anyone shocked that I won?

Karl Henning

Quote from: Marsch MacFiercesome on February 17, 2016, 04:46:43 AM
I saw Salonen and the LAPO do a Debussy and Stravinsky program at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in L.A.  where it featured Stucky's orchestration of Les noces, of which I enjoyed immensely.

Was the idea that he took the portion which Stravinsky had scored for full orchestra, and carried that out through to the end?
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Marsch MacFiercesome

Quote from: karlhenning on February 17, 2016, 04:56:14 AM
Was the idea that he took the portion which Stravinsky had scored for full orchestra, and carried that out through to the end?

I don't know.

I only remember that Stucky said something to the effect that his orchestration of Les noces was an alternate orchestration and not meant to try to supersede Stravinsky's own.
Easier slayed than done. Is anyone shocked that I won?

Karl Henning

Oh, something entirely different, then, perhaps.  Thanks!
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Marsch MacFiercesome

Quote from: karlhenning on February 17, 2016, 05:10:49 AM
Oh, something entirely different, then, perhaps.  Thanks!

:)

--



Szell/Concertgebouw Sibelius Second

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lescamil

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Daverz

#11
Listened to this live recording of his Symphony (Gilbert with the NYP) the other day.  Very fine and accessible work:



https://open.spotify.com/album/3qxPpnVi7X7hWBMrBHyBTs

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/01/arts/music/new-york-philharmonic-plays-steven-stuckys-symphony.html?_r=0

amw

I'm not particularly a fan of neo-romantic composers, but Stucky seemed like one of the best in an "objective" sense—ie you recognise the music as good/well crafted whether you like it or not. Have not heard any of his work on recordings; it might be time to change that.

lescamil

Quote from: amw on February 19, 2016, 06:37:33 PM
I'm not particularly a fan of neo-romantic composers, but Stucky seemed like one of the best in an "objective" sense—ie you recognise the music as good/well crafted whether you like it or not. Have not heard any of his work on recordings; it might be time to change that.

I would hardly consider him "neo-romantic," given that he is pretty much in the direct lineage of Lutoslawski, similar to Salonen.
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amw

Lutosławski could be quite neo-romantic in rhetoric himself—particularly in the 3rd and 4th symphonies—though a quasi-romantic mode of organisation and form was never "settled" with him and especially in the middle of his career he was constantly seeking new ways of writing. I hear Stucky and Salonen (among others) as being much more content to stick with this kind of quasi-romanticism (e.g. in terms of "line" and organic development) regardless of the aesthetic of their music. (Which as an aesthetic is often more conservative than Lutosławski's, not that that means anything much.)

vandermolen

Never heard of him but the Symphony (2012) held my attention, reminding me in places of Martinu's 'Fatasies Symphoniques' and conveying a real sense of a journey. Sad that he has passed away but thanks for posting Bruce.
Jeffrey
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

snyprrr

Quote from: lescamil on February 19, 2016, 09:55:11 PM
I would hardly consider him "neo-romantic," given that he is pretty much in the direct lineage of Lutoslawski, similar to Salonen.

I dunno--- my first reaction was "Eh, sounds like a Neo_Romantic Lutoslawski"

What I would call a "New World (record label) Composer"


Forgive me, but I feel he might suffer from the "Glenn Frey Syndrome"- do you know what I mean by that?



To be perfectly honest, my first reaction was, "Oh no, here is a guy who has now passed, leaving a legacy of "sounds like Neo-Romantic Lutoslawski" with a paltry Discography... I guess he'll always be a superstar on his on campus, but will be completely unknown to the outer universe... and, his music is so... so... "normal" sounding, like it was all written in 1986,... I'm sorry, but here's an example of a Composer that I would have problems with from the get-go. Music that is seemingly perfectly happy to lounge into obscurity in some academic setting- where former students are always saying "he was the greatest", but so is every former student of every Music Teacher...

example: Gordon Cyr (go ahead, look him up)





Look, honestly, I wouldn't want to pass with such a conformed legacy... I'd love to know what his most experimental piece was...

Mirror Image

I'll take 'Neo-Romantic Lutoslawski' over most 'experimental for its' own sake' music any day of the week. Not only that, but I don't find the description "Neo-Romantic" to have the same kind of negative connotations it apparently has with some of our members here.