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Past American Composers [PAC]
A celebration of American composers from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
This page includes important anniversaries with recommended books and CDs.
This page compiled by ASCAP composer, Roger Hall
Send any comments or questions to:
| Contents |
Recorded Tributes to American Composers
A:
Best
of William Billings
B:
American
Choral Sampler (Billings, Holden, Ingalls, Read, Swan,
others)
C: Four New England Composers: Dudley Buck, Edwin A. Jones, Charles E. Ives, George W. Chadwick
D: Memorial Music for Three American Composers: Charles T. Griffes, Samuel Barber, Randall Thompson
E: A Conversation with Aaron Copland
Composer Anniversaries (2004)
George Whitefield Chadwick (1854-1931) - Boston Classicist
Charles E. Ives (1874-1954) - Music Maverick
John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) - The March King
Composer Anniversary (2003)
Edwin Arthur Jones (1853-1911) - Modest Man of Music
Composer Anniversaries (2002)
Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) - Broadway Melodist
Meredith Willson (1902-1984) - America's "Music Man"
Composer Anniversary (2001)
Stephen Foster (1826-1864) - First Great American Song Composer
Composer Anniversaries (2000)
William Billings (1746-1800) - Father of American Choral Music
Aaron Copland (1900-1990) - Dean of American Composers
Composer Anniversaries (1999)
Edward (Duke) Ellington (1899-1974) - America's Greatest Jazz Composer
Randall Thompson (1899-1984) - Great American Choral Composer
Composer Anniversary (1998)
George Gershwin (1898-1937) - America's Musical Genius
![[Image]](pict258.jpg)
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Use this handy Bookshelf Search:
American Composers
More information about composers is found at this link:
Are you a musician, researcher or listener interested in American music from the past?
Then consider joining either of these:
Society for Earlier American Music (SEAM)
Web Poll
To read the results, go to:
American Music Resources
Are you looking for American music for performance or teaching?
To find music for performance, go to
For reference guides, songbooks, CD-Rs, and eBooks, see the
This annual event is sponsored by The Tune Lovers Society.
Each year there are ten American composers and songwriters are added to the Tunemaker Hall of Fame.
To read the names listed for each year, click on this link:
Recorded Tributes to American
Composers
21 Tracks (Playing Time = 70:45)
It includes 15 Billings pieces, including CHESTER, DAVID'S LAMENTATION, MAJESTY, MODERN MUSIC, and THANKSGIVING ANTHEM.
Also 2 new compositions by Roger Hall based on texts by William Billings.
In addition there are several radio tributes featuring interviews with Roger Hall and David McKay and music by Billings.
To read the complete playlist for Best of William Billings, see Item No. 103 at:
Music Titles from PineTree Press
24 Tracks (Total Time = 66:28)
Performed by The Old Stoughton Musical Society Chorus, recorded between 1975 and 1985.
1. "The Star Spangled Banner" (1814) - 19th century choral arrangement
2. "My Country 'Tis of Thee" (1831)
3. "John Brown" (1861) / "Battle Hymn of the Republic" (1862) -- original versions
4. "Father and I Went Down to Camp" (ca. 1776) -- tune: YANKEE DOODLE
5. "Chester" (2 versions: 1778 and 1786) -- William Billings
6. "Boston" (1778) -- William Billings
7. "David's Lamentation" (1778) -- William Billings
8. "Majesty" (1778) -- William Billings
9. "Confidence" (1790s) -- Oliver Holden
10. "Coronation" (1793) -- Oliver Holden
11. "Northfield" (1790s) -- Jeremiah Ingalls
12. "New Jerusalem" (1796) -- Jeremiah Ingalls
13. "Victory" (1793) -- Daniel Read
14. "Ocean" -- unknown composer, ca. 1790
15. "Jerusalem, My Glorious Home"(1840s) -- Lowell Mason
16. "Jehovah's Praise" (ca, 1850) -- Edward White
17. "Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims" -- Temperance Hymn
18. "Song of the Old Folks" (1855) -- tune: AULD LANG SYNE
19. "Centennial Meditation of Columbia" (1876) -- Dudley Buck
20. "The Lord is King" (1883) -- Edwin Arthur Jones
21. "Easter Carol" (1892) -- Charles Ives
22. "How Lovely Shines the Morning Star" (1909) -- George Whitefield Chadwick
23. "Peace" (1981) -- Roger Hall
24. "Dedication" (1986) -- Roger Hall
C: Music by Four New England Composers
12 Tracks (Playing Time = 62:37)
Performed by The Old Stoughton Musical Society Chorus, conducted by Earl Eyrich and Roger Hall.
Dudley Buck (1839-1909)
1. "Festival Hymn" (composed for the World's Peace Jubilee in Boston in 1872)
2. "Centennial Meditation of Columbia" (cantata composed for the U.S. Centennial in Philadelphia in 1876)
Edwin Arthur Jones (1853-1911)
3. "Praise Ye the Lord" (composed for the Dartmouth College Glee Club in 1874)
4. "Blessing and Glory" (composed for the Dartmouth College Glee Club in 1874)
5. "Prelude and Fugue in G minor" (for pipe organ, 1878) - Richard Hill, organist
6. "Hail, All Triumphant Lord!" (chorus from the oratorio, Easter Concert, 1890)
Charles Edward Ives (1874-1954)
7. "Turn Ye, Turn Ye" (for chorus, 1890)
8. "Easter Carol" (for solo quartet and chorus, 1892)
9. "The Collection" (for soprano soloist and chorus, 1920)
George Whitefield Chadwick (1854-1931)
10. Organ Prelude: "The Star" (from the cantata, Noel, 1909) - Richard Hill, organist
11. Chorale: "How Lovely Shines the Morning Star" (from Noel)
12. Cantata: Land of Our Hearts (for keyboard and chorus, 1918)
D: Memorial Music for Three American Composers
13 Tracks (Playing Time = 51:48)
Music by Charles T. Griffes, Samuel Barber, and Randall Thompson.
For a complete track list, go to:
American Music Recordings Collection
E: A Conversation with Aaron Copland
30 Tracks
This conversation with Aaron Copland took place at his home, "Rock Hill," in Cortlandt, New York on 21 July 1980
Compiled and edited by Roger Hall
Tracks:
1. Music: Fanfare for the Common Man (opening) [1:29]
2. Conversation: Copland speaks about the Fanfare [1:35]
3. Music: Music for the Theatre (Prologue) [1:21]
4. Conversation: Copland on Leonard Bernstein [1:20]
5. Conversation: Copland on Edward and Marion MacDowell [3:02]
6. Music: Appalachian Spring (original version) [2:35]
7. Conversation: Copland on Appalachian Spring & Martha Graham [1:37]
8. Music: Appalachian Spring (lead in to "Simple Gifts")[1:24]
9. Conversation: Copland on the Shaker song, "Simple Gifts"[1:27]
10. Music: "Simple Gifts" - sung by Peter Pears, 1950 [1:42]
11. Conversation: Copland on Old American Songs [3:45]
12. Music: "Simple Gifts" - William Warfield,1963 [1:44]
13. Music: "I Bought Me a Cat"- W. Warfield,1963 [2:05]
14. Conversation: Copland speaks about Old American Songs & Shaker tunes [2:55]
15. Conversation: Copland on American folk tunes [0:41]
16. Conversation: Copland speaks about film music [3:19]
17. Conversation: Music for the Movies and film composition [4:47]
18. Conversation: Copland on his first film score, The City, 1939 [1:24]
19. Music: "Sunday Traffic" from The City [2:32]
20. Conversation: Copland on his Oscar-winning score, The Heiress, 1948 [1:04]
21. Conversation: Copland on his Oscar-nominated score, Our Town, 1940 [1:46]
22. Conversation: Copland on film music and the audience/ concert hall [2:13]
23. Conversation: Copland on jazz in his Piano Concerto, 1927 [1:59]
24. Music: "Andante sostenuto" from Piano Concerto [2:31]
25. Conversation: Copland on Serge Koussevitzky & Nadia Boulanger [1:17]
26. Conversation: Copland on Charles Ives and his songs [4:53]
27. Music: El Salon Mexico, 1938 (opening only) [0:33]
28. Conversation: Copland on conducting and composing [1:49]
29. Music: "Happy Ending" from The Red Pony [3:05]
30. Music: Appalachian Spring (finale) [1:54]
More about Aaron Copland at:
To order any of the above titles, go to:
American Music Recordings Collection
Help support this web site
Order your merchandise here:
Note: Click on the links listed under each composer below to order CDs or music collections...
![[Image]](pict3.jpg)
Composer Anniversaries (2004)
George Whitefield Chadwick (1854-1931)
- Boston Classicist
150th anniversary of his birth
Born: Lowell, Massachusetts, November 13, 1854
Died: Boston, Massachusetts, April 4, 1931
One of the group known as the "Boston Classicists" (also known as: "The Second New England School of Composers"), Chadwick was a highly regarded composer who was also head of the New England Conservatory of Music from 1897 to 1931. He composed several operas, a lyric drama ("Judith"), 3 symphonices, a series of overtures based on classical antiquity, other orchestral works, many choral works and songs. Probably his best known orchestral piece is "Jubilee" (1895) from his Symphonic Sketches (1895-1904).
You can order a CDR [see above] with excerpts from the Chadwick cantata Noel (1909) and the complete cantata, Land of Our Hearts (1918). For information how to order the CDR, write to:
Here are some recommended CDs of Chadwick's music from Amazon.com
Aphrodite, Suite Symphonique, Symphonic Sketches (Jose Serebrier, conductor) (Reference - 2CDs)
Orchestral Works (Kenneth Schermerhorn, conductor)(Naxos)
Symphonies 2 and 3 (Neemi Jarvi, conductor)(Chandos)
Symphonic Sketches (Howard Hanson, conductor)(Polygram)
Charles Edward Ives (1874-1954) - Music
Maverick
50th anniversary of his death
Born: Danbury, Connecticut, October 24, 1974
Died: New York, New York, May 19, 1954
Considered one of the greatest American classical composers, he wrote 4 symphonies, numerous orchestral works, much chamber music, choral music and over 150 songs. He is best known today for his symphonies, orchestral works like Three Places in New England, and his many highly original songs.
Recommended Books:
Boatwright, Howard, editor. Essay before a Sonata, The Majority and Other Writings (paperback edition).
Burkholder, J. Peter. Charles Ives and His World (paperback edition).
Kirkpatrick, John. Charles E. Ives: Memos (paperback edition)
Perlis, Vivian. Charles Ives Remembered: An Oral History (paperback edition)
Swafford, Jan. Charles Ives: A Life in Music (paperback edition)
Recommended CDs:
Orchestral -
An American Journey - Thomas Hampson, soloist. San Francisoco Orchestra and Chorus, Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor. RCA # 63703.
Holidays Symphony - First recording of the critical editions. Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor. Sony Classical #42381.
Symphony No. 2 and other works - Leonard Bernstein, conductor. Polygram #429220.
Symphony No. 4 and other works - Michael Tilson Thomas and Seiji Ozawa, conductors. Polygram #423243.
Vocal -
Charles Ives: Songs. Jan DeGartani, mezzo-soprano; Gilbert Kalish, piano. 17 songs, superbly performed. Elektra/Nonesuch 9 71325-2.
Rare Choral Music:
There are two early Ives choral works of the 1890s ("Turn Ye" and "Easter Carol") plus choral music by other composers on this CDR:
Four New England Composers (Buck, Jones, Ives, Chadwick)
To order this CDR, write to:
John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) - The March King
150th anniversary of his birth
Born: Washington, D.C., November 6, 1854
Died: Reading, Pennsylvania, March 6, 1932
"Composer, bandmaster and writer. He was known as the 'March King' (from a publicist's analogy to Johann Strauss as the 'Waltz King) and was the most important figure in the history of American bands and band music." - H. Wiley Hitchcock, The New Grove Dictionary of American Music (Vol. 4, 1986).
Of the many recordings of Sousa marches, here are several recommended CDs:
Fennell Conducts Sousa (Polygram)
Great American Marches (Angel)
Marches and Dances(Arts Music)
Composer Anniversary
(2003)
Edwin Arthur Jones (1853-1911) - Modest Man of Music
150th anniversary of his birth
Born: Stoughton, Massachusetts, 28 June 1853
Died: Stoughton, 9 January 1911
For information about this composer and violinist, go to:
Composer Anniversaries
(2002)
Richard
Rodgers (1902-1979) - Broadway Melodist
100th anniversary of his birth
Born: Hammels Station, Long Island, New York, June 28, 1902
Died: New York, New York, December 30, 1979
Rodgers worked with two of the great American theater lyricists:
Lorenz Hart (from 1919 to 1943) - Major Shows: Jumbo, 1935; On Your Toes, 1936; Babes in Arms, 1937; The Boys from Syracuse, 1938; Pal Joey, 1940.
Oscar Hammerstein II (from 1943 to 1960) - Major Shows: Oklahoma 1943; Carousel, 1945; South Pacific, 1949; The King and I, 1951; The Sound of Music, 1959.
Rodgers worked with other lyricists after the death of Oscar Hammerstein, including:
Stephen Sondheim (Do I Hear a Waltz?, 1965)
Martin Charnin (Two by Two, 1970; I Remember Mama, 1970)
Rodgers also composed some symphonic scores including these:
"Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" for a ballet sequence choreographed by George Balanchine in On Your Toes
Nursery Ballet - suite by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra at Cerbegie Hall, New York in 1938.
Ghost Town - American folk ballet produced by the Ballet Russes at the Metopolitan Opera in New York in 1939.
Victory at Sea - orchestrated and conducted by Robert Russell Bennett for the award-winning NBC television series in 1952.
Winston Churchill, the Valiant Hours - music for the television series in 1960.
Meredith Willson (1902-1984) - America's "Music Man"
100th anniversary of his birth
Born: Mason City, Iowa, May 18, 1902
Died: Santa Monica, California, June 15, 1984
(Robert Reiniger) Meredith Willson was a composer, lyricist, conductor, and flutist. He played in John Philip Sousa's famous band while still a student at the Julliard School in New York. He also played flute in the New York Philharmonic between 1924 and 1929. Willson later worked on both radio and television as a composer and conductor for ABC and NBC.
Even though he composer some classical music (including two symphonies), Meredith Willson is known for his three major theater musicals which he wrote both the words and music;
The Music Man, 1957 ("Seventy-six Trombones"; "Till There Was You")
The Unsinkable Molly Brown, 1960 ("I Ain't Down Yet"; "Belly Up to the Bar, Boys")
Here's Love, 1963 ("Arm in Arm"; "You Don't Know")
He also wrote a novel and three books of memoirs, between 1948 and 1959.
The Meredith Willson Library of Popular American Sheet Music is located at the University of California in Los Angeles.
[above information compiled from the entry by Larry Stempel in The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, Volume 4, 1986]
His two symphonies, recorded by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, conducted by William T. Stromberg are available here:
Symphony No. 1 in F minor ("A Symphony of San Francisco")(1936)
Symphony No. 2 in E minor ("The Missions of California")(1940)
For more information about Richard Rodgers, Meredith Willson and others, go to:
American Songwriters and Songs
Composer Anniversary
(2001)
Stephen Collins
Foster (1826-1864) - America's First Great Song Composer
175th anniversary of his birth
Born: Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania, July 4, 1826
Died: New York, New York, January 13, 1864
Composer of over 200 songs, including such favorites as: "Camptown Races"; "My Old Kentucky Home"; "Jeannie With The Light Brown Hair"; "Oh! Susanna"; and "Old Folks at Home."
Besides these well known songs, Foster also composed some instrumental arrangements of his own songs and popular Italian opera melodies.
Perhaps the least known of his compositions are his Sunday School hymns composed in the early 1860s, during the Civil War.
A CD-R or cassette tape is available of these very tuneful hymns, performed by The Old Stoughton Musical Society Chorus. A videotape titled "SINGING STOUGHTON" contains a half hour program devoted to these rare Sunday School hymns by Stephen Foster.
For more information, go to: Music in Stoughton
If you would like to order the CD-R, cassette tape or videotape, write to:
Composer Anniversaries
(2000)
William Billings
(1746-1800) - Father of American Choral Music
200th anniversary of his death
Born: Boston, Massachusetts, October 7, 1746
Died: Boston, Massachusetts. September 28, 1800
Married: Lucy Swan in Stoughton, Massachusetts on July 26, 1774. Lucy had been a pupil in the Billings singing school taught in Stoughton in 1774, which consisted of 49 pupils [not 48 --as written in most books]. Lucy was born in 1751 and died in Boston in 1795.
Children: Rachel (born: 1775/ died: 1776); Abigail Adams Billings (born: 1777); Elizabeth Adams (borh: 1779); William and Lucy (twins, born: 1781/ William died: 1781, Lucy died: 1784); Sarah (born: 1783); William (born: 1786/ died: 1858); Peggy Dawes (born: 1788/ died: 1862); Lucy Billings (born: 1792/ died: 1869).
For more information about Billings, go to:
Top Ten Favorite American Composers
To join a web group in support of music from early America, click on this link:
Society for Earlier American Music (SEAM)
200th Anniversary Billings Observance Held in Boston (September 2000)
On a rain soaked Tuesday, a day and evening "sing" was held at King's Chapel (built in 1749) at the corner of Tremont and School Streets in Boston, Massachusetts. The date was September 26 - the actual date when Billings died in 1800.
In observance of the 200th anniversary of his death, an exuberant chorus from points far and wide, including England, sang selected hymns and anthems of William Billings. The singing was organized by Billings 2000 (Sheila Beardslee Bosworth, King's Chapel Tuesday Recitals; Gina Balestracci and Roland Hutchinson from Garden State Sacred Harp Singers). A large volume of music was skillfully prepared by Roland Hutchinson titled: "William Billings 2000 - The book of his bicentennial commemoration at Boston."
In typical Sacred Harp fashion, various singers offered to lead the individual Billings pieces.
Neely Bruce came with his group of Sacred Harp singers from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.
Also Roger Hall, represented the Old Stoughton Musical Society and led two Billings tunes (STOUGHTON and MAJESTY), plus an original canon , "Come Let Us Sing," which Hall had composed on words from the last Billings tunebook of 1794. All three of these pieces led by Roger Hall are included in a monograph described below.
Billings and the Stoughton Singing School
The Stoughton Musical Society was organized twelve years after Billings taught his singing school in Stoughton in 1774. It is now the oldest choral society in the United States.
For more information, go to:
Old Stoughton Musical Society History
There is also an enjoyable one hour video titled, A Stoughton Musicfest. The first portion of the video features William Billings himself (played by a local actor) leading a singing school in Stoughton to young students and features the singing of two Billings tunes: CHESTER and STOUGHTON. An audio version of this program is also available.
**************************
These collections include music by Billings:
The Best of William Billings - listed under the monograph titled: MAJESTY (CDR only)
Christmas Music in America (with CDR)
New England Songster (with CDR or Tape)
The Stoughton Songster (with CDR or Tape)
To order any of these four collections, go to:
Music Titles from PineTree Press
Learn more about the life and music of Billings
This illustrated monograph by Roger Hall was written in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the death of Billings in 2000.
Commercial CDs of Billings music from Amazon.com:
The Birth of Liberty: Music of the American Revolution - Various artists (New World CD #80276, 1996 - Billings pieces: "Lamentation Over Boston"; "Independence."
A Land of Pure Delight - His Majesties Clerkes (Harmonia Mundi CD #907048, 1992) - 16 Billings compositions
The Liberty Tree: American Music, 1776-1861 - The Boston Camerata, Joel Cohen, director (Erato CD #21668, 1998) - Billings pieces: "Chester"; "David's Lamentation."
Make a Joyful Noise: Mainstreams and Backwaters of American Psalmody, 1770-1840 - Oregon State University Choir, Ron Jeffers, conductor (New World Records CD # 80255, 1996) - Billings pieces: "Chesterfiled"; "The Dying Christian's Last Farewell"; "Washington"; "Richmond."
Trav'ling Home: American Spirituals, 1770-1870 - The Boston Camerata, Joel Cohen, conductor (Erato CD #21668, 1996) - Billings pieces: "Invocation"; "Richmond"; "Warren."
William Billings: Wake Ev'ry Breath - William Appling Singers & Orchestra (New World Records #80539, 1998) - 13 Billings compositions. To read about the William Appling Singers recordings, go to: www.muzen.com/appling.html
Aaron Copland (1900-1990) - Dean of American Composers
100th anniversary of his birth
Born: Brooklyn, New York, November 14, 1900
Died: North Tarrytown, New York, December 2, 1990
Can you guess where Aaron Copland placed in a web poll?
To see the results, go to:
Top Ten Favorite American Composers
A Conversation with Aaron Copland
In commemoration of the Copland Centennial, a one hour CD-R is now available for the FIRST TIME.
The conversation took place in July of 1980 at Copland's "Rock Hill" home in Cortlandt, New York. During the hour long conversation, Copland talks about his orchestral music, his friendship with Leonard Bernstein, his film music, his film music, his arrangements of the Shaker song, "Simple Gifts," and his admiration for Charles Ives and his songs.
See more details about it at
Support the Copland House
The restored, longtime New York residence of Aaron Copland, is the only composer's home in the U.S. devoted to nurturing America's rich musical heritage through a broad range of activities.
An Official Project of the White House "Save America's Treasures" program, Copland House's activities include a thriving composers' residency program, a touring resident chamber ensemble, educational programs based on American music, related public presentations, and various recording, broadcast, and Internet projects.
This is well worth supporting.
Information on Copland House and its national membership organization, Friends of Copland House, may be obtained by visiting -
Copland and Film music
There is a previously unpublished interview with him in Soundtrack magazine, Vol. 19/ No. 75 (Fall 2000):
"Tip To Moviegoers: Take Off Those EarMuffs! Aaron Copland Talks About Film Music"
The interview was conducted by Roger Hall at the composer's home in 1980. It also includes a large photo of Copland in conversation.
An excerpt of the interview with Copland about his film music is included in
A Guide to Film Music - Songs and Scores
For a list of Copland's film scores, go to:
FILM MUSIC REVIEW (From the Editor)
Recommended CD recordings of Copland's film music:
Music for Films - St. Louis Symphony, conducted by Leonard Slatkin
The Copland Collection, 1936-1948 - Excerpts from OF MICE AND MEN and OUR TOWN
Copland conducts Copland: Our Town, The Red Pony, etc. (Sony Classics #42429, 1988)
Aaron Copland's "Simple Gifts"
Do you know the lively Shaker dance song used by Copland in his popular ballet score, Appalachian Spring?
The song is titled "Simple Gifts," also known by its first line: "Tis the gift to be simple."
Copland arranged this Shaker song a second time in his first set of Old American Songs in 1950.
It's ironic that Aaron Copland died the same year as the Shaker sister he met in 1974. Both died in 1990.
To read about their historic meeting in Shaker Heights, Ohio in 1974, go to:
Aaron Copland Meets The Shakers
An exclusive interview with Aaron Copland about his arrangements of the famous Shaker dance song, "Simple Gifts," is available in the second edition of the monograph:
Joseph Brackett's 'SIMPLE GIFTS': Evolution of a Shaker Dance Song.
CD-R or Tape:
Now available is a one hour CD-R or Tape titled: "Simple Gifts of Shaker Music." It has the Copland interview plus interviews with several Shaker sisters and many Shaker spirituals. To read about ordering a copy, go to:
Recommended CD recordings of Copland's music:
The Copland Collection:
1923-1935 (Sony Classics # 47232, 2 CD set, 1991)
1936-1948 (Sony Classics #46559, 3 CD set, 1991)
1948-1971 (Sony Classics #47236, 2 CD set, 1991)
Other recordings:
Copland's Greatest Hits - Boston Symphony & Philadelphia Orchestras (BMG/RCA #60837, 1991)
Copland's Greatest Hits - Boston Pops & others (Sony Classics #64059, 1994)
Composer Anniversaries
(1999)
Edward Kennedy ("Duke") Ellington (1899-1974)
America's Greatest Jazz Composer
100th Anniversary of his birth
Born: Washington, D.C., April 29, 1899
Died: New York, NY, May 24, 1974
Edward Kennedy Ellington was one of the founders of big band jazz and considered by many to be the greatest jazz composer of this century.
He was incredibly prolific and wrote works for stage, screen [ FILM MUSIC REVIEW ], sacred music, concert hall and many songs [ American Popular Songwriters ]. Among his memorable songs are: "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" (1942); "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing" (1932); "Mood Indigo" (1931); "Solitude" (1935); "Sophisticated Lady" (1933); and "Satin Doll" (1958). His theme song was "Take the A Train" (1941) by Billy Strayhorn.
Recommended Books:
Beyond Category: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington. By John Edward Hasse. Foreword by Wynton Marsalis. (Paperback, 1995).
Music is My Mistress. By Duke Ellington (paperback, 1988).
Recommended CDs:
Even though Ellington is this century's greatest jazz composer, he also composed some fine concert works. Here are a few of them:
Duke Ellington: Three Suites (1960). "The Nutcracker Suite" (Tchaikovsky); "Peer Gynt Suites Nos. 1 and 2" (Grieg); "Suite Thursday" (Ellington-Strayhorn). Arrangements by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. Columbia CD CK 46825 (Digitally remastered from the original analog tapes). If you watched the wonderful PBS TV concert with the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Kurt Masur and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, led by Wynton Marsalis, then you heard the Peer Gynt Suites. Here are the originals and they are all together on this wonderful release. A classic!
Harlem. Also includes: Symphony No. 2 (William Grant Still, 1895-1978); Negro Folk Symphony (William Levi Dawson, 1899-1990). Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi, conductor. Chandos CD 9226, 1994.
The River (Suite). Also includes: Symphony No. 1 (William Grant Still). Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi, conductor. Chandos CD 9154, 1993.
Randall Thompson (1899-1984) - Great American Choral Composer
100th Anniversary of his birth
Born: New York, New York, April 21, 1899
Died: Boston, Massachusetts, July 9, 1984
Even though he composed orchestral music, including 3 symphonies; and some chamber and stage music; he is best known for his many outstanding choral works.
Among his best known choral works are: Alleluia (1940), The Testament of Freedom (1943), Frostiania (1959), and A Concord Cantata (1975).
Recommended Books:
Randall Thompson - by Caroline Cepin Benser and David Francis Urrows (hardcover, 1991).
Randall Thompson: A Choral Legacy - by Alfred Mann (paperback,1983).
Recommended CDs:
Orchestral -
Symphonies Nos. 1, 2, and 3. New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Schenck. conductor. Koch International Classics CD 3-7413-2, 1997.
Choral -
Testament - American Music for Chorus and Band. Includes Thompson's "The Pasture"; "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"; "Alleluia"; and "The Testament of Freedom." Also choral works by Ron Nelson, Howard Hanson, Aaron Copland, and Leonard Bernstein. Turtle Creek Chorale, Dr. Timothy Seelig, artistic director. Reference Recordings CD RR-49, 1992.
The Testament of Freedom. Also includes: Frostiana. New York Choral Society, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, Richard Auldon Clark, conductor. Koch International Classics CD 3-7283-2, 1995.
Composer Anniversary
(1998)
George Gershwin (1898-1937) - America's
Musical Genius
100th anniversary
of his birth
Born: Brooklyn, New York at 242 Snedicker Avenue on September 26, 1898
Died: Los Angeles, California of brain tumor on July 11, 1937
One of America's most popular composer, he was able to crossover the bridge the musical theater and the concert hall. In 1924, he wrote what many believe to be the most appealing concert work by an American composer: Rhapsody in Blue. It's not "a song," as some have called it [see American Songwriters and Songs ]
There are countless CDs of Gershwin's concert music. For more information about Gershwin's concert works and songs, order your copy of this guide:
A GUIDE TO GEORGE GERSHWIN (PineTree Press)
This handy reference guide is just right for the Gershwin fan. It has lots of useful information, including a detailed chronology of Gershwin's life and music; an essay on Gershwin's genius; a list of Top 40 Gershwin songs; recommended books and recordings of Gershwin's songs and classical works. A CDR or audio tape with two radio Gershwin birthday tributes are included with the guide.
The second revised edition (2004) is now available, with the CDR or audio tape.
For more information about the Gershwin guide, go to:
Music Titles from PineTree Press
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