American Composers

[Daverz]

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.

Sessions also wrote a Piano Concerto.

[arpeggio]

I have performed the chamber version of Appalachian Spring.

[Karl Henning]

I have performed the chamber version of Appalachian Spring.

Likewise. 

[Iota]

Sessions also wrote a Piano Concerto.

I enjoyed that. First time I've heard it, I must look into Sessions, Krummholz's post you quote seems a good a place as any to start.

[San Antone]

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.

Agree 100%.

Sessions and Carter are the only composers I listen to from among the early 20th century group (I think of "academic" composers) that would include Babbitt, Piston, Hanson,  Harris, and Schuman.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

I can't say I'm interested in Sessions, but I do like some of Carter's music. I'm more into Ives, Ruggles and Crawford Seeger. Barber is also just a brilliant composer, IMHO. Copland, Diamond, (William) Schuman and others from this period I have cooled on, although, curiously, I'm actually finding myself more and more drawn to Piston.

[San Antone]

I haven't listened to his music in decades, but in the 1980s I was a fan of John Corigliano.

Listening right now to this one:

[San Antone]

I can't help but feel this that Steven Stucky died prematurely in 2016 at the age of 66. Composer of a number of fine works.

American Muse.

[Karl Henning]

I haven't listened to his music in decades, but in the 1980s I was a fan of John Corigliano.

Listening right now to this one:

I haven't listened to that in an age. I ought. It made a big splash back in the day.

[San Antone]

A couple more of the generation of composers after the Copland/Sessons/Piston generation:

Joseph Schwantner

and Richard Danielpour

American Mosaic performed by Simone Dinnerstein (performance begins at the 2 minute mark)

[lordlance]

This forum always delivers with the recommendations. Thanks for all the pieces, fellas! 

[arpeggio]

I would like to mention some American composers who have created some great works for concert band:

Morton Gould
Vincent Persichetti
Norman Dello Joio
Victorio Gianini
David Maslanka
Steven Mackey
Donald Grantham
Frank Ticheli
Cindy McTee
Gunther Schuller
Karel Husa
Robert Russell Bennett
Mark Camphouse
Paul Creston
Michael Daugherty
Alan Hovhaness
John Barnes Chance
Clifton Williams

Some composers sadly wrote only one work for band.  For example, Peter Mennin, Canzona.  It is a great work that I have performed many times.

[Karl Henning]

I would like to mention some American composers who have created some great works for concert band:

Morton Gould
Vincent Persichetti
Norman Dello Joio
Victorio Gianini
David Maslanka
Steven Mackey
Donald Grantham
Frank Ticheli
Cindy McTee
Gunther Schuller
Karel Husa
Robert Russell Bennett
Mark Camphouse
Paul Creston
Michael Daugherty
Alan Hovhaness
John Barnes Chance
Clifton Williams

Some composers sadly wrote only one work for band.  For example, Peter Mennin, Canzona.  It is a great work that I have performed many times.

Yes, the Canzona is terrific!

[Daverz]

I can't help but feel this that Steven Stucky died prematurely in 2016 at the age of 66. Composer of a number of fine works.

American Muse.

Love this piece, but I also admit I'd listen to Sanford Sylvan sing the phone book.

[San Antone]

In 2005, composer Peter Lieberson wrote a song cycle for his wife, the celebrated mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. The words were poems by Pablo Neruda, tracing the arc of love's joy and loss.

This week (March 2010) at Boston's Symphony Hall, a long-awaited companion piece to that song cycle received its world premiere. Songs of Love and Sorrow is a window into the composer's real-life experiences with true love, heartbreak and death. (NPR)

[Iota]

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.

Thanks very much indeed for these recommendations. I had a listen to the String Quartet No.1 in the Group for Contemporary Music recording and liked it very much. It's funny, the last movement with its boundless energy strongly evoked a puppy dashing round here, there and everywhere, so when I returned to your post it was amusing to see it was inspired by horse riding in Nevada, which is far more American! The slow movement was very involving too, but I enjoyed the whole piece.
Both the Piano Concerto and the quartet seem very concentrated, and always busy (internally if not always superficially) which in his hands I've found a very engaging quality. Am looking forward to the String Quintet.  : )

[pjme]

12 tone - craggy....I used to have this on a long forgotten LP; Strangely, the organ soloist was never mentioned?...Bizarre!
Surely there must be more Riegger that is worthwhile....

[Cato]

Dudes!  We have forgotten...

...Peter Schickele!

Composed under his own name, Peter Schickele has a good number of excellent works, filled with surprises.

e.g.

and...

[San Antone]

Paul Creston (born Giuseppe Guttoveggio; October 10, 1906 – August 24, 1985) was an Italian American composer of classical music. He composed six symphonies and several concertante works for violin, piano, akkordion, marimba, and saxophone.

[Cato]

Paul Creston (born Giuseppe Guttoveggio; October 10, 1906 – August 24, 1985) was an Italian American composer of classical music. He composed six symphonies and several concertante works for violin, piano, akkordion, marimba, and saxophone.

Oh yes!  Another one whom I had forgotten!  My brother (somewhat younger than I am) became interested in him, after I brought home some Creston recordings from the library.

Creston's Third Symphony is a religious work: "Three Mysteries"