News from G. Schirmer, Inc. and Associated Music Publishers, Inc. Members of the Music Sales Group 257 Park Avenue South, 20th Floor New York, NY 10010 • tel 212 254 2100 • fax 212 254 2013 • www.schirmer.com G.Schirmer November ‘05 “Gunther Schuller is a key witness to American musical culture.” So declares Bruce Brubaker, Chair of New England Conservatory’s Piano Department and director of NEC’s Schuller celebration “I Hear America: Gunther Schuller at 80.” Schuller’s birthday falls on 22 November and the festival — which takes place from 14-16 November — focuses on this Pulitzer Prize- and MacArthur Foundation-win- ner’s monumental contribution to American music. Brubaker continues, “[Schuller is] renowned as a composer, conductor, histori- an, publisher, hornist and educator. In his pioneering study Early Jazz, his redis- covery of ragtime, his championing of the American symphonists; in his tran- scriptions of Ellington, and his recording of Babbitt; during his presidency of New England Conservatory, and his leadership of the Tanglewood Music Center, Gunther Schuller heard America. As he turns 80, we have an opportuni- ty to understand more fully the significance of Schuller’s work. He wrote America and he read America — in a manner as diverse and expressive as the United States itself.” Festival events highlight several jazz programs and all-Schuller concerts — including the second per- formance of his Grand Concerto for Percussion and Keyboards which premiered this year at Tanglewood. A panel discussion on “An American Repertory” features the composer and conductor James Levine as a preview to the Boston Symphony’s own performances of Schuller’s Spectra on the 17th-22nd. Hearing, Writing and Reading America The Reflective Leader The Grand Master Fall Harvest November is harvest-time, and our harvest is an abundant feast with three world premieres that offer glimpses into the worlds of color and language. On the 4th, Paul Neubauer and the Omaha Symphony introduce Joan Tower’s new viola concerto Purple Rhapsody, led by JoAnn Falletta. Written expressly for Neubauer, the 18-minute work was com- missioned by the Koussevitzky Foun- dation with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Kansas City Symphony, Peninsula Festival Orchestra (FL), Virginia Sym- phony, Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra (OH) and the Chautauqua Symphony (NY). This concerto continues Tower’s “purple” theme for Neubauer, as she pre- viously composed the solo work Wild Purple for him. He premiered it in 1998 during her 60th birthday celebrations at Merkin Concert Hall in New York. Gabriela Lena Frank also gleans this month’s bounty as she invokes the voice of the ancient Incas, with two pieces — a string quartet and orchestral work — inspired by the Quechua language. On the 5th, the Kronos Quartet premieres Inkarrí (Inca Rey) at the Lied Center at the University of Kansas. The work is a co- commission with Stanford University. Frank observes that the five-movement, 23-minute work is “named after a Spanish-Quechua term meaning ‘Inca King.’ It is based on the post-Spanish Conquest indige- nous millennial belief in the ‘dying and reviving Inca,’ and concludes with the prophecy of the return of the King, who ushers in a new age as supreme ruler and returns justice to the world.” Frank con- tinues the Inca vein with the Seattle Symphony’s 10 November premiere of Manchay Tiempo (Time of Fear), con- ducted by Jun Märkl. Joan Tower Purple Rhapsody c.18’ Viola; 2(pic).0.2(bcl).2/0.2.1btn.0/timp.perc./str The sound of the viola has always reminded me of a deep kind of luscious purple…I tried to make the solo viola “sing” by taking advantage of its inherent melodic abilities. This is not an easy task since the viola is one of the tougher instru- ments to pit against an orchestra…I’ve thinned out the back- ground to allow the viola to come forward [and given it] rhap- sodic and energetic lines. — Joan Tower Gabriela Lena Frank Inkarrí (Inca Rey) 23’ string quartet Manchay Tiempo (Time of Fear) c. 13’ (in one movement) perc/pf.hp/str As a young child, I was in the habit of coining my own labels for feelings and sensations especially vivid to me. Manchay Tiempo (actually ‘mancha-dempo’) was my word for the strange mix of ter- ror and tenderness that my nightly dreams visited upon me. I asso- ciated it with one recurring dream involving my Peruvian-born mother, who in the dream is but a hair’s-breadth away from some unspeakable danger…Years passed, and I forgot about ‘mancha- dempo.’ But as a college student, I caught a TV documentary about Sendero Luminoso, a Maoist-inspired group wreaking murderous havoc in my mother’s country during the late 1970’s and 1980’s… I realized that at some earlier point, I had seen this program and interpreted it with a child’s imagination…And there it was — Manchay Tiempo, a hybrid of Spanish and Quechua signifying a ‘time of fear.’ — Gabriela Lena Frank photo by Sabine Frank photo by Noah Sheldon Gabriela Lena Frank Joan Tower p h o to c o u rtesy N E C ph oto by P aul F oley, co urtesy N E C continued on pg. 2
Transcript
News from G. Schirmer, Inc. and Associated Music Publishers, Inc. Members of the Music Sales Group
257 Park Avenue South, 20th Floor New York, NY 10010 • tel 212 254 2100 • fax 212 254 2013 • www.schirmer.com
G.SchirmerNovember ‘05
“Gunther Schuller is a key witness to Americanmusical culture.” So declares Bruce Brubaker,Chair of New England Conservatory’s PianoDepartment and director of NEC’s Schullercelebration “I Hear America: Gunther Schullerat 80.” Schuller’s birthday falls on 22November and the festival — which takesplace from 14-16 November — focuses on thisPulitzer Prize- and MacArthur Foundation-win-ner’s monumental contribution to Americanmusic.
Brubaker continues, “[Schuller is] renowned as a composer, conductor, histori-an, publisher, hornist and educator. In his pioneering study Early Jazz, his redis-covery of ragtime, his championing of the American symphonists; in his tran-scriptions of Ellington, and his recording of Babbitt; during his presidency of
New England Conservatory, and his leadership of the Tanglewood MusicCenter, Gunther Schuller heard America. As he turns 80, we have an opportuni-ty to understand more fully the significance of Schuller’s work. He wrote
America and he read America — in a manner as diverse andexpressive as the United States itself.”
Festival events highlight several jazz programs andall-Schuller concerts — including the second per-formance of his Grand Concerto for Percussion andKeyboards which premiered this year atTanglewood. A panel discussion on “AnAmerican Repertory” features the composer and
conductor James Levine as a preview to the BostonSymphony’s own performances of Schuller’s Spectra
on the 17th-22nd.
Hearing, Writing and Reading America
The Reflective Leader
The Grand Master
Fall HarvestNovember is harvest-time, and our harvest is an abundant feast with three worldpremieres that offer glimpses into the worlds of color and language.
On the 4th, Paul Neubauer and the Omaha Symphony introduce Joan Tower’snew viola concerto Purple Rhapsody, led by JoAnn Falletta. Written expressly for
Neubauer, the 18-minute work was com-missioned by the Koussevitzky Foun-dation with the Buffalo Philharmonic,Kansas City Symphony, PeninsulaFestival Orchestra (FL), Virginia Sym-phony, Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra(OH) and the Chautauqua Symphony(NY). This concerto continues Tower’s“purple” theme for Neubauer, as she pre-viously composed the solo work WildPurple for him. He premiered it in 1998
during her 60th birthdaycelebrations at MerkinConcert Hall in NewYork.
Gabriela Lena Frankalso gleans this month’sbounty as she invokes the voice of the ancient Incas, with two pieces — a string
quartet and orchestral work — inspiredby the Quechua language. On the 5th,the Kronos Quartet premieres Inkarrí(Inca Rey) at the Lied Center at theUniversity of Kansas. The work is a co-commission with Stanford University.Frank observes that the five-movement,23-minute work is “named after aSpanish-Quechua term meaning ‘IncaKing.’ It is based on the post-SpanishConquest indige-nous millennialbelief in the ‘dyingand reviving Inca,’and concludes withthe prophecy of thereturn of the King,who ushers in anew age as supremeruler and returnsjustice to theworld.” Frank con-tinues the Inca veinwith the SeattleSymphony’s 10November premiereof Manchay Tiempo(Time of Fear), con-ducted by JunMärkl.
Joan Tower Purple Rhapsody c.18’Viola; 2(pic).0.2(bcl).2/0.2.1btn.0/timp.perc./str
The sound of the viola has always reminded me of adeep kind of luscious purple…I tried to make the solo viola“sing” by taking advantage of its inherent melodic abilities. Thisis not an easy task since the viola is one of the tougher instru-ments to pit against an orchestra…I’ve thinned out the back-ground to allow the viola to come forward [and given it] rhap-sodic and energetic lines.
— Joan Tower
Gabriela Lena Frank Inkarrí (Inca Rey) 23’string quartet
Manchay Tiempo (Time of Fear) c. 13’(in one movement)perc/pf.hp/str
As a young child, I was in the habit of coining my own labels forfeelings and sensations especially vivid to me. Manchay Tiempo(actually ‘mancha-dempo’) was my word for the strange mix of ter-ror and tenderness that my nightly dreams visited upon me. I asso-ciated it with one recurring dream involving my Peruvian-bornmother, who in the dream is but a hair’s-breadth away from someunspeakable danger…Years passed, and I forgot about ‘mancha-dempo.’ But as a college student, I caught a TV documentary aboutSendero Luminoso, a Maoist-inspired group wreaking murderoushavoc in my mother’s country during the late 1970’s and 1980’s… Irealized that at some earlier point, I had seen this program andinterpreted it with a child’s imagination…And there it was —Manchay Tiempo, a hybrid of Spanish and Quechua signifying a‘time of fear.’
— Gabriela Lena Frank
photo by Sabine Frank
photo by Noah Sheldon
Gabriela Lena Frank
Joan Tower
photo courtesy NEC
photo by Paul Foley, courtesy NECcontinued on pg. 2
2
ART Heads the AMC
National Public Radio’s World of Opera broadcasts Mark Adamo’sLysistrata nationwide on 19 November. This broadcast was recorded inMarch 2005 during the premiere run at the Houston Grand Opera. Formore information see http://www.npr.org/programs/worldofopera
photo by Brett Coomer, courtesy Houston Grand Opera
Capping the celebra-tions of his 60thbirthday year, con-ductor, composer,educator andAmerican musicadvocate MichaelTilson Thomas hasbeen namedGramophone Artistof the Year for 2005.Editor James Jollynotes, “During histen years at the helmof the San FranciscoSymphony, MichaelTilson Thomas has cre-ated a dynamic and imagi-native focus for symphonic music…A skillful blend of traditional reper-toire, contemporary music and clever programming has drawn newaudiences into the concert hall.” The Award is chosen by the magazine’sreaders from a select editors’ list.
photo by Susan Schelling, courtesy San Francisco Symphony
Augusta Read Thomas has been named Chair of the American Music Center’s Boardof Directors. Joanne Cossa, the AMC’s Executive director enthuses, “Augusta Thomas is
one of the most dynamic individuals I know. Theamount of energy she brings to the table is simplyastonishing, and I have no doubt that she will be agreat advocate for the organization and for the fieldat large.” Thomas is the first woman to serve inthis capacity in the AMC’s 66-year history.
“I am thrilled to have this opportunity to serve thenew music community,” Thomas shares. Shebegan the three-year term in July and sees her roleas promoting interdependence among the disparateorganizations within the new music and larger artscommunities. “…It makes sense for organizationslike ours to figure out how to work together mosteffectively so that we can collectively make thegreatest possible impact…It’s important to providea broad base of support to composers and the field
of new music, so that we offer every opportunity for great art to emerge.”
Thomas’s commitment to new and American music is evidenced by an oft-performedcatalogue of works in every genre; her nine-year term as the Chicago Symphony’s MeadComposer-in-Residence, and dedicated professorships at Eastman School of Music andNorthwestern University. Her next world premiere comes in February 2006, as DavidLoebel and the Memphis Symphony present their 75th anniversary commissioned work:Shakin’: Homage to Stravinsky and Elvis.
photo by Dan Rest
Elliott Carter and Pocahontas. Notnecessarily a connection that anyonewho was around in the mid-1990swould make. However, in 1936 theyoung composer was hard at workon his first ballet, bringing thePocahontas story to life long beforeDisney. Commissioned by LincolnKirstein’s traveling ballet companyBallet Caravan, this first of twoCarter ballets was an integral part ofKirstein’s desire to bring ballet toAmerica — not just New York City,but the vast land beyond.
As a distinctly American story with arugged neo-classical score, Pocahontascaptures the adventuresome spirit of the settlers arriving in unknown lands and the com-passion of the original Americans. Written and rewritten between 1936 and 1939, thevoyage of the ballet Pocahontas was nearly as exciting as that of Pocahontas herself. Partof the initial incarnation of the ballet was eventually added to Carter’s Symphony No. 1.A piano version surfaced in Keene, NH, in August 1936, only to disappear again for 3years. The complete Pocahontas ballet premiered on 24 May 1939 in New York City on
the same program as Copland’s new ballet Billythe Kid, and then joined a number of othernew American ballets on the BalletCaravan tour of the US.
Reworked into a slightly shorter (20') suitein 1941, Pocahontas moved away from the
ballet stage and now also stands on its own as a concert work (and even survived a trip toEngland, unlike its namesake). The Suite from Pocahontas was recorded in 2001 by theAmerican Composers Orchestra with Paul Lustig Dunkel on CRI.
Ever the man on the go, Schuller wraps up a composer residency at theUniversity of Wisconsin and then leaps into rehearsals for theNorthwest BachFestival, where heserves as musicdirector. He alsotravels to Florida forthe New WorldSymphony’s con-certs of OfReminiscences andReflections conduct-ed by OliverKnussen. Schuller iscurrently finishingup Volume I of hisautobiography forOxford UniversityPress. Upcoming80th birthday season activities include concerts by Collage New Music,Boston Musica Viva, and the Delaware and Jacksonville Symphonies.
Gunther SchullerGrand Concerto for Percussion and KeyboardsWorld PremiereNEC Percussion Ensemble/Epstein6 August 2005; Festival of Contemporary Music,Tanglewood, Lenox, MA
The festival was fortunate in its masters…and in its worldpremieres, of which the most remarkable was the GrandConcerto for Percussion and Keyboards by that grand mas-ter Gunther Schuller, still going strong at 80. Scored for 11musicians playing more than 150 instruments, Schuller’sthree-movement work was entirely serious and thoughtful.He completely passed over the opportunity for novelty orfor sheer volume in favor of composing almost meditativemusic for these extraordinary forces.
— Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe
Hearing, Writing and Reading Americacontinued from pg. 1
Gramophone Honors MTT
Elliott Carter (b. 1908)Pocahontas (1939) 22'3222/4331/4timp.perc/hp.pf/str; 2-pf score availableBallet legend in one act.
Pocahontas, Suite from the Ballet (1939/61) 20'3222/4331/4timp.perc/hp.pf/str
While I was a student in Paris the choreographer GeorgeBalanchine had two weeks of Balanchine ballets in theChamps Élysée. A man I'd known in college, LincolnKirstein was very much impressed by this and it was he thatgot George Balanchine to come over to the United Statesand start the New York City Ballet. In the early days, I was amusical advisor to that for a while. I was commissionedactually to write one ballet for them, which was done in1939 on the subject of Pocahontas.”
— Elliott Carter
Turning 97 on 11 December,Carter is in the midst of many celebra-
tions, including BBC Symphony Orchestrapresentation of Get Carter: The music of
Elliott Carter in January 2006.
(Re)View: Carter, Pocahontas
3
Imagine this: 19th-century revolutionary Russian tale meets 20th-century Soviet musical imagina-tion. Furthermore, the tale is completely portrayed through mime! What do you have? Gogol meetsShostakovich, in The Canadian StageCompany’s production of Gogol’s short-story,completely set to the music of DmitriShostakovich.
Originally premiered at the VancouverPlayhouse in 1997, CanStage’s production ofThe Overcoat was co-created and directed byMorris Panych and choreographer WendyGorling. The result is a theater piece that is partdance, part drama, and part mime, and is Panych and Gorling’s vision of dramatically exploringnon-verbal ways of setting stories to music. The produc-tion was critically well-received and has since touredthroughout Canada as well as America, Australia,Europe, and New Zealand. The most recent productionwas mounted in August 2005 at the AmericanConservatory Theaterin San Francisco.
“The Overcoat”
ReviewJoan TowerIn Concert
A landmark moment in American music came during the Sunday afternoonconcert of the Glens Falls Symphony. Joan Tower’s new composition, Made inAmerica, saw its world premiere.
It will soon be takenup by more than 60other small orchestrasaround the country.The project…is thelargest consortiumcommission in thehistory of Americanorchestras.
One of today’s mostwidely performedcomposers, Tower hasa well-established
style — propulsive rhythmic landscapes with vibrant orchestration. Made inAmerica hewed closely to that model but with an added element. Fragments ofthe melody of “America the Beautiful” are subtly woven throughout the piece.The familiar tune gave a thread of beauty, possibly hope, to Tower’s tense andedgy sounds…The score’s feeling of industry and striving made it veryAmerican.
Mark Your Calendar: Shostakovich Centennial Birthday
25 September 2006
“…Shostakovich’s music is very adept in telling sto-ries…And, because we have added very hauntingmusic and been very specific about which piece ofmusic goes with a particular part of the play, themusic is really the third author…We built the play,movement by movement, with the music…Themusic breathes in and breathes out.”
— Wendy Gorling
“Once the main idea is set, we allow, as much as possible, for the musicto tell us the direction the story will take…The choice of music waseasy…First, the dramatic Slavic character of [Shostakovich] really fits,but as importantly, the many layers of the orchestration allow for lotsof movement interpretation…”
— Morris Panych
photos courtesy American Conservatory Theater
Philip GlassSymphony No. 8 30'3(pic).2(ca).2(Ebcl)+bcl.2/43Ctpt(highEtpt)2+btbn.1/timp.4perc/pf(cel).hp/str
Symphony No. 8 marks a return tosymphonic writing based on instru-mental music alone. My recent sym-phonies — Symphony No. 5:“Requiem, Bardo, Nirmanakaya,”Symphony No. 6, “Plutonian Ode,” andSymphony No. 7 “A Toltec Symphony”— are all driven by text. SymphonyNo. 5 is based on Ancient, Classical,and Aboriginal writings; SymphonyNo. 6 is inspired by Allen Ginsberg’spoem, and Symphony No. 7 is a tran-scription of a Native American song.
[For this new work,] Dennis Russell Davies asked me to think of the orchestra as a collectionof virtuoso instruments as you would find in a concerto formation. Symphony No. 8 startsfrom this point in presenting ideas involved with timbre, density, structure, and melody.
— Philip Glass
Philip Glass
photo by Mark Seliger
photo by Ed Matthew
Backstage après-premiere of Joan Tower’s Made in America: (left to right) conductor CharlesPeltz, Joan Tower, Glens Falls Symphony Executive Director Robert Rosoff, Barbara Petersen,BMI’s Associate Vice President of classical music administration, and Susan Feder, Vice President of G. Schirmer, Inc./Associated Music Publishers.
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1 Virgil ThomsonThe Feast of Love premiered 1964
2 Henry CowellVariations for Orchestra premiered 1959
3 David Langhow to pray premiered 2002
3 Dmitri ShostakovichSymphony No. 9 premiered 1945
4 Bright ShengString Quartet No. 3 premiered 1993
5 Samuel BarberAdagio for Strings premiered 1938
6 John Philip Sousa born 1854
6 Augusta Read ThomasBrass Rush premiered 2004
7 Peter Maxwell DaviesPiano Concerto premiered 1997
9 John CoriglianoOboe Concerto premiered 1975
10 Stephen AlbertSymphony No. 2 premiered 1994
11 John CoriglianoVocalise premiered 1999
11 Augusta Read ThomasDancing Galaxy premiered 2004
12 Dmitri ShostakovichString Quartet No. 14 premiered 1973
13 Poul RudersSymphony No. 2 premiered 1997
14 Richard DanielpourAn American Requiem premiered 2001
19 Elliott CarterSonata for flute, oboe, cello and harpischord premiered 1953
20 Roy HarrisSymphony No. 7 premiered 1952
21 John HarbisonThe Flight into Egypt premiered 1986
22 Ferde GroféGrand Canyon Suite premiered 1931
22 Gunther Schuller born 1925
23 Manuel de Falla born 1876
24 Alfred Schnittke born 1934
25 Walter PistonSymphony No. 6 premiered 1955
25 Virgil Thomson born 1896
26 John CoriglianoThe Red Violin (Chaconne for Violin and Orchestra) premiered 1997
28 Charles T. GriffesThe Pleasure Dome of Kubla Khan premiered 1919
29 Anthony DavisAmistad premiered 1997
30 John CoriglianoSymphony No. 2 premiered 2000
30 John HarbisonNovember 19, 1828 premiered 1989
Anniversaries
On 25 November, mezzo-sopranoLorraine Hunt Lieberson joins JamesLevine and the Boston Symphony forthe east coast premiere of PeterLieberson’s Neruda Songs. The NewYork premiere follows at CarnegieHall on the 28th.
Avner Dorman’s PiccoloConcerto receives its
European premiere inRome on the 22nd at a
benefit for OperationSmile Italia.
November 13: Symphony Hall, Birmingham, UK ★★★
November 14: Wigmore Hall, London November 21: Konzerthaus, Vienna, Austria ★★
November 22: Chiasso, Switzerland ★★
November 23: Lucerne, Switzerland
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Frank (GS) Inkarrí (Inca Rey) ★★★
Kronos QuartetLawrence, KS
Tower (AMP) Made In America(November 6)Las Cruces Symphony/Lonnie KleinLas Cruces, NMBay-Atlantic SymphonyBridgeton, NJ
Stravinsky (GS) Concerto in E-flat“Dumbarton Oaks”Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, NY
Thomson (GS) The Plow That Broke ThePlains Chicago Youth SymphonyOrchestra/Allen Tinkham
Gould (GS) Jubilo - on “Year of theJubilo” from “AmericanBallads”Warren SymphonyOrchestra/David DanielsWarren, MIEdvard Grieg SocietyNordheim (WH) Violin Concerto ★★
Arve Tellefsen, violinOrchestra of St. Luke's/Per BrevigNew York City
Husa (AMP) Piano Sonata No. 1Charis Dimaras, pianoIthaca College
Tan Dun (GS) Overture: Dragon andPhoenix - from HeavenEarth Mankind(Symphony 1997)Fort WaynePhilharmonic/B. Thachuk
LysistrataRadio broadcastWorld of OperaNational Public Radio
Tower (AMP) Made In AmericaRhode Island PhilharmonicProvidence, RI(November 20)New Philharmonia ofMassachusetts/Ronald KnudsenNewton, MA
Corigliano (GS) Tournaments OvertureSan Francisco YouthSymphony
Ellington/LutherHenderson, arr. (GS) Grand Slam JamElmhurst Symphony/Stephen AlltopElmhurst, IL
Gubaidulina (SIK) Risonanza (Resonance)Present Music/Kevin StalheimMilwaukee, WI
Piston (AMP) The Incredible Flutist,Ballet Suite for OrchestraClassical SymphonyOrchestraChicago, IL
Thomas (GS) Ceremonial ★★
Orchestra National ofBordeaux Acquitania/Hannu LintuBordeaux, France
Composer in ResidenceCorigliano (GS) Mr. Tambourine Man:Seven Poems of Bob DylanHila Plitmann, sopranoBochum Symphony/Steven SloaneBochum, Germany(November 27)Dortmund, Germany
Lieberson (AMP) Drala(December 1, 3)San Francisco Symphony/Michael Tilson Thomas
Thomas (GS) In My Sky at TwilightNorthwestern University/Ryan NelsonChicago, IL
Lindberg (CH) CorrenteCalifornia StateUniversity/Justus MatthewsLong Beach, CA
Saariaho (CH) Dolce tormento ★★
Noa NoaCamilla Hoitenga, piccoloChanging Light (Versionfor Two Flutes)Camilla Hoitenga andPatricia Spenser, flutesHofstra UniversityHempstead, NY(November 13)New York City
Tower (AMP) PetroushskatesPatrica Spencer, fluteYass HakoshimaMovement TheatreDa Capo Chamber PlayersSymphony SpaceNew York City
photo by Lois Greenfield
Emanuel Ax
Glass (DUN) Symphony No. 8 ★★★
Symphony No. 6(Plutonian Ode)(November 4, 5)Bruckner Orchestra Linz/Dennis Russell DaviesBrooklyn, NY
Husa (AMP) Fanfare for Brass EnsembleWestern Michigan BrassQuintetKalamazoo, MI
Ruders (WH) New Rochelle Suite ★★★
David Starobin, guitar;David Colson, percussionSchuller (AMP) Suite for Guitar (Excerpts)David Starobin, guitar;California State UniversityChico, CA(November 4)Sacramento, CA(November 5)Claremont, CA
Adams (AMP) The Chairman Dances(November 4, 5)Utah Symphony/Scott O'NeilSalt Lake City, UT
Prokofiev (GSR) Romeo and Juliet(November 4 - 6)James Sewell BalletPhoenix Symphony/Timothy Russell
Corigliano (GS) Fern HillUniversity of TexasChamber SingersAustin, TX
Piano SpheresHarbison (AMP) Monk TropeSalonen (CH) Three PreludesGloria Cheng, pianoLos Angeles, CA
Lang (RP) Cheating, Lying, StealingSt. Louis Symphony/David Robertson
Shostakovich (GSR) Piano Trio No. 1Piano Trio No. 2(November 2)Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio92nd Street YNew York City
November 2: California State University at Chico (New Rochelle Suite ★★★)
November 4: California State University at SacramentoNovember 5: Pamona College, Claremont, CA
Ruders (WH) New Rochelle SuiteDavid Starobin, guitar; David Colson, percussion
80th Birthday CelebrationSchuller (AMP) Suite for Guitar (Excerpts)David Starobin, guitar
phot
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Lutoslawski RevisitedWitold Lutoslawski. It’s been over ten years since his death, and his imprint oncontemporary music remains vibrant and strong. On 18 November, Leon Botsteinand the American Symphony Orchestra honor the great Polish composer with aconcert retrospective entitled “The Career of Witold Lutoslawski.” “Lutoslawski,”shares Botstein, “demonstrated that being moderndid not require sacrifice to emotional intensity,accessibility, and originality. He was among themost singularly poetic, intense and sensitive com-posers of the twentieth century.”
Lutoslawski’s music is personal yet adventurous,filled with aleatoric technique, and an extensive exploration of melody. Recently,the Lutoslawski Estate granted permission for his works to be choreographed. His isa catalogue ripe to be delved into and rediscovered through the world of dance. Formore details on his works, log onto: www.chester-novello.com
“The Career of Witold Lutoslawski”Symphony No. 1 (1947)Musique funèbre (1958)Symphony No. 3 (1983)
Chain 2 (1985)
Nordheim in AmericaDate: 6 November. Time: 7:00 pm.Location: Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center.
Event: “A Century of Norwegian Independence,” featuring the American premiere ofNorwegian composer Arne Nordheim’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, with soloist ArveTellefsen and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, conducted by Per Brevig. The concert — co-spon-sored by the Edvard Grieg Society and the New York office of the Norwegian Consulate General— also highlights cellist Darret Adkins’s performance of Nordheim’s Clamavi for Solo Cello andworks by Halvorsen, Grieg and Sinding.
Nordheim is recognized as his country’s composer laureate, with his modernist musical languagethat creates its own sound-world by examining the human conditions of loneliness, despair,death, light, love, warmth and humor. “[Nordheim’s] Violin Concerto is a major piece of music,”Brevig observes. “It is difficult…he uses a large orchestra with a large percussion section thatoften includes unusual instruments…The score also contains aleatoric and improvisatory pas-sages…[This is] a great concerto that must be heard.” Brevig is intricately tied to Nordheim’smusic not only as a conductor, but as a trombone player having premiered two solo compositions— The Hunting of the Snark and The Return of the Snark — that were composed for him.
Prior to the concert, on 4 November, the American-Scandinavian Foundation hosts the com-poser in the colloquium “Norwegian Music, Past, Present and Future,” moderated by Brevig.For more information: http://www.edvardgriegsociety.org/events.html
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Per Brevig and Arne Nordheim rehearsing for the 1990 AspenMusic Festival’s premiere of The Return of the Snark“Ben Hur” Rides Again
New to our rental library is Miklós Rózsa’s Ben Hur Choral Suite, culled from his Oscar-win-ning score to William Wilder’s 1959 blockbuster film. Throughout his career, Rózsa composed
award-winning music for MGM Studios, and laterin life, he returned to these scores intending torearrange them and create several choral suites.However, he died before completing this project.Cincinnati Pops conductor Erich Kunzel learned ofRózsa’s endeavor and with the encouragement ofthe composer’s son Nick, this new six-movement,20-minute suite was completed by Daniel Robbins,who arranged and reconstructed the piece. In April,Telarc released its world-premiere recording of TheBen Hur Choral Suite, with Kunzel leading theCincinnati Pops and the Mormon TabernacleChoir. For rental information, email us [email protected].
Ben Hur Choral SuiteMormon Tabernacle ChoirCincinnati Pops Orchestra/KunzelTelarc CD 80631Telarc SACD 60631
The only sufficient word for this disc is ‘blockbuster.’
— HighFidelityReview.com
Erich Kunzel once again displays his knack for presenting film music as if itwere born for the concert hall…Telarc’s recording offers vivid imaging, widedynamics and crystal-clarity…For film buffs and serious music lovers alikethis is just plain terrific.
— ClassicsToday.com
photo by Steve J. Sherman, courtesy American Symphony Orchestra
Leon Botstein leads the AmericanSymphony Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall
Miklós RózsaBen Hur Choral Suite 20’SATB;2(pic)+pic.2(ca).3(ebcl)+bcl.2(cbn)/4331/timp.perc/hp.pf(cel,org)/str
Mvt. 1: OvertureMvt. 2a: A Star of Bethlehem (Chorus)Mvt. 2b: The Adoration of the Magi (Chorus)Mvt. 3: Rowing of the Galley SlavesMvt. 4: Alleluia (Chorus)Mvt. 5: Parade of the CharioteersMvt. 6: Miracle and Finale (Chorus)
Malcolm ArnoldOvertures
Alongside his nine symphonies and several suites of dances, Arnold’s dozen or so over-tures form a crucial and very characteristic component of his catalog and his musicaltemperament. This spanking and sparkly new Chandos collection of 10 of these alter-natingly radiant and rousing works is a greatly welcome compilation…One highlightof this release is the premiere recording of the latest of [Arnold’s] works in this form,Robert Kett…[A] Grand, Grand Overture,written for [a] festival of musical parodyfeaturing three vacuum cleaners and onefloor polisher — all specially tuned —…out Rossinis Rossini — it has climaxafter climax, resulting in one of the mosthilarious passages in musical history…thefour great early overtures — Beckus theDandipratt, The Smoke, Sussex, Tam o’Shanter — …possess a snarling ferocity…
— Paul A. Snook, Fanfare
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New Publications
Leonardo BaladaNo-ResDenis Rafter, narratorMadrid Community ChorusMadrid CommunityOrchestra/EncinarNaxos CD 8.557343
Recent Recordings
Elliott CarterHoliday OvertureOdense Symphony/PalmaBridge Records BCD 9177
David Lang“Elevated”WedLisa Moore, pianoHow to PrayMike Svoboda, tromboneAudrey Riley, cello, HammondorganAndrew Zolinsky, pianoJames Woodrow, electric guitarNick Album and Rob Allum, drumsMenEuropean Music Project/GrözingerCantaloupe Music CA 21029
Witold LutoslawskiTwenty Polish Christmas CarolsPolish Radio Chorus, KracowPolish National RadioSymphony/WitNaxos CD 8.555994
Selected Studies Op. 45and Op. 4600296587
“A Master Class,” LyricSoprano Arias50485881
Two Christmas Ballads50485638
Stephen Heller/William Westney (ed.)Selected Studies Op. 45 and Op. 46Piano 00296587 $12.95
Tan Dun gave the Kennedy Center's Festival ofChina a triple helping of his talents Monday. TheChinese American composer, conductor and videoproducer brought his odyssey The Map: Concerto forCello, Video and Orchestra to life with the ShanghaiSymphony Orchestra and cellist Wendy Sutter.Tan, most famous for his film score for CrouchingTiger, Hidden Dragon, effectively integrated technically sophisticated video with the musiconstage.
The field video recordings used in The Map captured passionate antiphonal singing, intriguingtongue singing, emphatic percussive dance and other images of ethnic musical life in Hunanprovince. The interaction of audio-video and live music connected generations and cultures acrossyears and over continents.
Without visual images, Bright Sheng painted a vivid travelogue in his Postcards, four miniaturesusing Chinese melodies woven in a tonal setting. Solidly led by Chen Xieyang, the players stroveto emulate traditional Chinese timbres with their Western orchestral instruments.
— Gail Wein, Washington Post
Tan DunThe Map
Cello; 2(2pic).2(ca).1+Ebcl(bcl).1+cbn/2221/4perc/hp/str and video
For the first installment of its Carterseries…Lorin Maazel led the HolidayOverture, as uncharacteristic a score asyou will find in the Carter catalog. Long stretches of the Holiday Overturecould pass for music of Copland…Yet that’s not all there is to this piece…After the jaunty woodwind lines and fold-accented string themes that holdthe spotlight for the first half of the work, Carter begins to push against theexpectations the music has created. Competing and almost incompatible fig-ures nudge one another with an Ivesian impishness. And in the score’s finalpages, the pileup of brass and percussion textures gives the music a dark hueand spikiness that — if by no means full-fledged Carter — take the piece aworld away from its innocently celebratory opening.
— Allan Kozinn, nytimes.com
Holiday Overture 10’3333/4331/timp.perc/pf/str
New York Philharmonic/Maazel29 September 2005; Avery Fisher
Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City
A Grand Grand OverturePeterlooThe SmokeTam o’ShanterA Flourish for OrchestraThe Fair FieldA Sussex OvertureAnniversary OvertureRobert KettBeckus the DandiprattBBC Philharmonic/GambaChandos CD 10293
Kirke MechemBlow Ye the TrumpetSSAA and pianoOctavo 50485735 $1.95Two Christmas Ballads (1. Christmas Carol 2. The Ballad of Befana)SSAA and piano (or guitar)Octavo 50485638 $1.95SATB and piano (or guitar)Octavo 50485637 $1.95
Friedrich Seitz/Philipp Mittell (ed.)Pupil’s Concertos, Nos. 1 – 5 CompleteViolin and pianoScore and part 50485872 $17.95
Opening bars from Gabriela Lena Frank’s Inkarrí.Premiere: 5 November 2005;
New York, NY. International Copyright Secured. AllRights Reserved. Used by permission.
ReviewsJohn AdamsChina Gates, Phrygian Gates
[In Phrygian Gates] there is much here that isintriguing, especially the relatively short, aus-tere second section…[This] performanceis…emphatic, clearly accented, and even vio-lent…Russo’s performance…makes more ofthe second part, drawing it out, so that the lastsection becomes more like one of those bravu-ra third movements in a piano concerto. Thesound on the recording is focused and crys-talline, which perfectly complements the per-formance. Adams likens China Gates to musicfor gamelan, and its chiming rippling notes arelike a benign cousin to Phrygian Gates.
— Christopher Abbot, Fanfare
Andrew Russo, pianoBlack Box BBM 1098
George AntheilIn Concert
The three worksperformed at theMiller Theaterare virtuallyunknown tomusic history…The concerto,played nicely byGuy Livingston[contains] caden-za-like solos[that] race andripple…The Dreams Ballet is a user-friendlydelight of brief marches, cancans, polkas andthe like. Choreographers might want to revisitit…The first two movements of the Serenadeshow a composer deserving of serious atten-tion. The tart ambiguous harmonies aremoved along with sophistication andstrength…
— Bernard Holland, The New York Times
Piano Concerto No. 2 25’US Premiere
Piano; 2(2pic).020/3201/strGuy Livingston, piano
Dreams 25’1(pic).121/2210/perc/pf/str
Serenade II 21’2111/2110/perc/pf/str(66442)
Philadelphia VirtuosiChamber Orchestra/Spalding
7 October 2005; Miller Theater, ColumbiaUniversity, New York City
G. Schirmer, Inc.Associated Music Publishers, Inc.257 Park Avenue South, 20th FloorNew York, NY 10010
Address Correction Requested
To receive Schirmer Newselectronically, contact us [email protected]
