American composers poll

[Joe Barron]

Given the French and Russian polls, I thought it might be fun to consider Americans. The diversity is remarkable. Only native-borns are considered. Names are in rough chronological order.

And it's odd. I was only able to think of four: Ives, Gershwin, Copland and Carter. Everyone else tied for fifth. Most have written something I like, but I couldn't raise one over another and call hom or her a favorite. Let's say Piston, on the strength of the Second Symphony.

[Don]

Gottschalk
Ives
Piston
Sessions
Copland

[bhodges]

Ives
Gershwin
Copland
Carter
Reich

--Bruce

[Sergeant Rock]

Carl Ruggles
Charles Ives
David Diamond
Leonard Bernstein
Roy Harris

Sarge

[ChamberNut]

Barber
Adams
Glass

Other (Jay Kernis)

My 5th vote was for John Cage....but I didn't vote.  But in my mind, I did.  That 4'33 was a masterpiece.

[Mark G. Simon]

I voted very quickly, otherwise I would have come up with so many names that I could never make a decision:

Ives
Copland
Carter
Reich
Adams


I am already kicking myself for not including Ruggles and Piston

[ChamberNut]

Honorable mention?   Danny Elfman and John Williams   

[some guy]

I was only able to think of four: Ives, Gershwin, Copland and Carter.

Hahahahahahaha! No, really!!

The diversity is remarkable.

Yes, even on the list you gave us....

Cage
Other:Tudor
         Marclay
         Brecht
         Berger
         Nelson
         Shields
         Oliveros
         Clyne
         Crawling With Tarts
         Parallel Lives
         Browne
         Mumma
         Ashley
         Lucier
         Wolff
         Feldman
         Young
         Harrison
         Conrad

Hard to know when to stop... (At five? Pffft. I only voted for two. Be fair. A list of American--by which he meant U.S., I'm sure--composers that leaves off Feldman and Young and Riley and Oliveros? Hmmm.)

[The new erato]

Piston
Copland
Schuman
Harris
Gershwin

[Brian]

Gottschalk
Gershwin
Barber
Bernstein
Other: Scott Joplin

[Joe Barron]

Hahahahahahaha! No, really!!
Yes, even on the list you gave us....

Well, I tried my best. 0:) Ruggles and Roy Harris were definite oversights. I thought of Pauline Oliveros, but I had to stop somewhere. Maybe "American compsoers" is just too broad a category to be truly meaningful, which smply means that, asa culture, we have joined the rest of the world.

[Joe Barron]

Ives
Gershwin
Copland
Carter
Reich

Interesting, Bruce! Your first four choices are the same as mine. As I said, I couldn't pick a fifth, and if I could, it wouldn't be Reich. I used to listen to him a lot but stopped years ago.

As for Gershwin, I chose him largely on the basis of his songs, which I have been learning to play on the piano. They are wonderful. The concert pieces contain memorable melodies, but on a structural level, I find them a little creaky. And structural considerations do count against enjoyment.

[some guy]

Joe,

I cannot fault your effort.

Not if you look who I left off my list!!*

I am filled with shame!

Michael

*Mr. Incomparable, Inimitable, Inconceivable, Incredible Harry Partch. (I am slapping my wrists as I type. Hard.)

[Joe Barron]

*Mr. Incomparable, Inimitable, Inconceivable, Incredible Harry Partch. (I am slapping my wrists as I type. Hard.)

Wow, there are a lot of American composers. I did much of the list from memory and stopped, rather arbitrarily, with composers born in the 1940s. Parthc never crossed my mind Nor did Feldman. And then thre's Subotnick, the biggest of the electronic composers. Well, everyone, feel free to go crazy with other. I'm starting to see some patterns here, and I'd like to go over the results when the voting is finished.

[bhodges]

Interesting, Bruce! Your first four choices are the same as mine. As I said, I couldn't pick a fifth, and if I could, it wouldn't be Reich. I used to listen to him a lot but stopped years ago.

As for Gershwin, I chose him largely on the basis of his songs, which I have been learning to play on the piano. They are wonderful. The concert pieces contain memorable melodies, but on a structural level, I find them a little creaky. And structural considerations do count against enjoyment.

I just chose quickly, since there are dozens of (mostly young) American composers running around exploring interesting things.  But I decided to choose people who had written a large body of works I enjoy, and whom I have continued to listen to over the years.  But many omissions...Feldman would be one for me, and a piece by Pauline Oliveros was one of the first contemporary works I ever heard, back in the 1970s. 

I actually like most of Gershwin's concert music, and some pieces (like the Cuban Overture) I absolutely love.  But yes, those songs are something else--gems of craftsmanship.

--Bruce   

[Kullervo]

No Lukas Foss? George Perle?

[Kullervo]

Lou Harrison is fairly popular as well.

[The new erato]

Rochberg?

[bhodges]

Oh...these last four names alone are making me regret my choices.  I probably should have checked "Other" just to include "everyone else I forgot." 

--Bruce

[not edward]

You forgot Poland Feldman.

I voted for Ives, Carter, Crawford Seeger, Cage and Other.