American Composers

Started by lordlance, February 02, 2025, 08:24:53 PM

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lordlance

I was surprised to see there was no thread dedicated to this often-neglected section of the repertoire.

At the moment, I am more curious about piano and percussion concertos from American composers. Suggestions welcomed.

Feel free to discuss about your favorites!
If you are interested in listening to orchestrations of solo/chamber music, you might be interested in this thread.
Also looking for recommendations on neglected conductors thread.

Daverz

Quote from: lordlance on February 02, 2025, 08:24:53 PMI was surprised to see there was no thread dedicated to this often-neglected section of the repertoire.

At the moment, I am more curious about piano and percussion concertos from American composers. Suggestions welcomed.

Feel free to discuss about your favorites!

Maybe 2 threads, "American Piano Concertos" and "American Percussion Concertos". 

relm1

I quite enjoyed this new album of American music (maybe technically music of the Americas) such as George Walker, George Crumb and Revueltas.  The Crumb was quite interesting and the first time I heard this work.  I enjoyed it so much I'm seeking out more of his music.


Karl Henning

Quote from: lordlance on February 02, 2025, 08:24:53 PMI was surprised to see there was no thread dedicated to this often-neglected section of the repertoire.

At the moment, I am more curious about piano and percussion concertos from American composers. Suggestions welcomed.

Feel free to discuss about your favorites!
Love the Mennin:

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

Karl Henning

Wuorinen's Third and Fourth. I got to hear Peter Serkin give the première of the Fourth here in Boston.


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

Karl Henning

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

San Antone

I listen to American (USA) composers probably more often than those from any other region.  Whenever I list my favorite ten composers, more than half will be from the USA. 

Here's some names:

Bernstein
Ives
Cage
Carter
Feldman
John Luther Adams
Gershwin
Duke Ellington
Ross Lee Finney
Scott Joplin
Peter Lieberson
Donald Martino
Meredith Monk
Nico Muhly
Wynton Marsalis
Frank Zappa
John Zorn
Stephen Sondheim
Roger Sessions
James Tenney

vandermolen

"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).

Karl Henning

Quote from: San Antone on February 03, 2025, 11:47:07 AMBernstein
With both Lenny and the request for beloved piano concerti in mind, the Age of Anxiety Symphony features an essential concertante piano.

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

foxandpeng

"A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people ... then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbour — such is my idea of happiness"

Tolstoy

Karl Henning

Quote from: Karl Henning on February 04, 2025, 08:39:26 AMWith both Lenny and the request for beloved piano concerti in mind, the Age of Anxiety Symphony features an essential concertante piano.

The ending really is Magic!
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

Karl Henning

Another undersung concerto is Copland's:
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

Daverz

For piano concertos, I can't come up with much more than the Gershwin works for piano and orchestra and the Barber Concerto.  That has more to do with my own relationship to the piano as a listener than anything about the music.


Here's a great disc:


relm1

Not an obscure work, but damn this is great writing.  Copland's Appalachian Spring.


Karl Henning

Quote from: relm1 on February 05, 2025, 06:32:55 AMNot an obscure work, but damn this is great writing.  Copland's Appalachian Spring.

I fault classical radio not for liking the piece, but for resorting to it with ear-numbing frequency.
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

San Antone

#15
Quote from: relm1 on February 05, 2025, 06:32:55 AMNot an obscure work, but damn this is great writing.  Copland's Appalachian Spring.


I really prefer the original orchestration for chamber group.


pjme

#16

Not for the faint hearted....rachmanimossolov..?

Moderato assai
Andante
Finale. Allegro

Orchestra: piccolo, 4 flutes (4th also piccolo), 4 oboes, English horn, 4 clarinets,
bass clarinet, 4 bassoons, contrabassoon
8 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, 2 timpani (2 sets), strings

krummholz

Very fond of Roger Sessions's 1st String Quartet and the String Quintet, as played by the Group for Contemporary Music on Naxos. The Quartet is tonal but very chromatic, with utterly gorgeous contrapuntal writing in the first two movements in which long, sometimes sinuous lines interact in complex ways - and a delightful, bouncy finale with lots of syncopation and trotting and galloping rhythms, about which Sessions wrote that it was inspired by riding horseback in Nevada. The Quintet is 12-tone but very accessible, and reminds me in places of Schoenberg's 4th String Quartet. Highly recommended.

Karl Henning

Quote from: San Antone on February 05, 2025, 07:04:27 AMI really prefer the original orchestration for chamber group.

I agree, but the "big band" scoring has grown on me.
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

Karl Henning

Quote from: krummholz on February 05, 2025, 07:40:06 AMVery fond of Roger Sessions's 1st String Quartet and the String Quintet, as played by the Group for Contemporary Music on Naxos. The Quartet is tonal but very chromatic, with utterly gorgeous contrapuntal writing in the first two movements in which long, sometimes sinuous lines interact in complex ways - and a delightful, bouncy finale with lots of syncopation and trotting and galloping rhythms, about which Sessions wrote that it was inspired by riding horseback in Nevada. The Quintet is 12-tone but very accessible, and reminds me in places of Schoenberg's 4th String Quartet. Highly recommended.
Nice! Thanks for the recommendation!
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