Soundtracks: September 1999
As the cost of making orchestral recordings in the United States continues to skyrocket, less than 15 recordings by the major American orchestras have been slated for studio time this year. Clearly, something must be done to make American orchestral recordings viable once again and the answer is in the recording of new American repertoire.… Read more »
The Orchestra in Contemporary American Musical Life
Frank J. Oteri Photo by Melissa Richard Is the orchestra a viable contemporary American institution? That’s a question that’s been on a lot of people’s minds both within and outside the orchestral music community as well as within the new music community which all too frequently has been treated like an opposition political party. There… Read more »
Describe your best and worst memories of premiere performances
John Corigliano “The best premiere I can remember is that of my Clarinet Concerto with Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic and Stanley Drucker as the soloist…” Tim Page “…I’d choose the first performance of the orchestral version of Reich’s Tehillim in 1981 as the “worst” premiere.” Laurel Ann Maurer “I premiered [Meyer Kupferman’s]… Read more »
The Philadelphia Orchestra at 100
To celebrate The Philadelphia Orchestra’s centenary on November 16, 2000, the artistic and management team of the orchestra decided to devote their entire 2000-2001 concert season exclusively to music composed since the orchestra was founded–that is to say the music of the 20th century.
What do you expect to hear when someone says "American music?" David Nicholls, Professor of Music and Research Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Keele University, Staffordshire U.K.
David Nicholls Photo courtesy David Nicholls “Defining American Music” What do we mean by “American music?” From a millennial perspective, the answer is apparently simple: as America’s Music, the Cambridge History of American Music, and The New Grove Dictionary of American Music make manifestly clear, it is synonymous with inclusivity. From Barber to barbershop, Cage… Read more »
What do you expect to hear when someone says "American music?" Howard Mandel, President of the Jazz Journalists Association
Howard Mandel Photo courtesy Howard Mandel America’s music is wide and wild, fed by hundreds of old and new musical strains. It starts with Native American chants, flutes, rhythms, North American colonies of the Spanish and French and Germans as well as the Pilgrims, in the community functions, dilletante artistry and diverse forms of entertainment,… Read more »
What do you expect to hear when someone says "American music?" Judith Lang Zaimont, Composer
Judith Lang Zaimont Photo courtesy Judith Lang Zaimont What is ‘American music’? It reflects the vital, energized, young and action-oriented nation we are. In general it’s color-sensitive, edgy and, more often than not, pulsed — wickedly pulsed. It likes to take chances, and, as befits our polyglot national character, sometimes incorporates a staggering variety of… Read more »
What do you expect to hear when someone says "American music?" Chen Yi, Composer
Chen Yi Photo by Jim Hair Since music is a universal language, music composition reflects the precipitation of a composer’s cultural and psychological construct, I think that all musical works composed in the States AND influenced by American culture are considered American music. The modern society, especially the American society, is like a great network… Read more »
The Unlimited Flavors of American Pie: How Immigration and Emigration have Shaped American Music
Sid Whelan Photo by MJ Sharpe What is American music? If, in answering that question, we start by discussing roots music (in my opinion a more appropriate term in the context of American culture than “folk” or ‘traditional”) such as bluegrass, country, gospel, blues, zydeco and rockabilly, and then move on to pop and popular… Read more »
Soundtracks: August 1999
We have tracked down new recordings of music by 65 American composers this month. As always, the variety is overwhelming. There are three new MMC anthologies of orchestral music featuring works by 21 composers proving that the orchestra continues to be a source of inspiration for composers with a wide variety of stylistic inclinations ranging… Read more »
What is American Music?
Frank J. Oteri Photo by Melissa Richard America is a land of immigrants and the culture of America has been formed and reshaped time and time again by the immigrants whose traditions get introduced here and then morphed into something completely new. When we speak of an “American tradition,” it is almost an oxymoron because… Read more »
What do you expect to hear when someone says "American music?"
Chen Yi “I think that all musical works composed in the States AND influenced by American culture are considered American music.” Judith Lang Zaimont “In a very real sense, it is the lifeblood of our country expressed in sound.” Howard Mandel “America’s music is wide and wild, fed by hundreds of old and new musical… Read more »
Tania León: What it Means to be an American Composer
Although raised in Cuba, Tania León was born into a family that had roots from all different parts of the globe. Since arriving in the United States, where she has been based since 1967, she has come to realize that her own multicultural heritage is what makes her a quintessentially American composer.
Memorable outdoor premieres you've heard and/or your most unusual exposure to a new piece of music Joseph Dalton, Executive Director, Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI)
Joseph Dalton Photo by Dorothy Alexander Collecting composers’ autographs used to be a hobby of mine. In my youth it was an early indicator of my future profession. It also got me to attend (and sometimes to endure) all manner of musical happenings, and allowed me to meet some wonderful figures, some of whom are… Read more »
Memorable outdoor premieres you've heard and/or your most unusual exposure to a new piece of music Marilyn Nonken, Pianist
Marilyn Nonken by Sara Press A few years ago, I stumbled into a Henry Brant premiere taking place outdoors at Lincoln Center: a work written to commemorate Columbus’s discovery of America. Various ensembles were playing around the plaza: jazz band, orchestra, maybe a sax quartet or mariachi ensemble. Honestly, no matter where I went, I… Read more »
Memorable outdoor premieres you've heard and/or your most unusual exposure to a new piece of music Michael Torke, Composer
Michael Torke Photo by Vivianne Purdom, courtesy Decca I remember a concert at the Tanglewood Music Center that had both David Del Tredici’s “Happy Voices” (from Child Alice) and John Adams’s Harmonielehre on the same program! This was the summer of 1984, fresh after Paul Fromm made public his criticisms of the ’70s kind of… Read more »
Memorable outdoor premieres you've heard and/or your most unusual exposure to a new piece of music Greg Sandow, Composer & Music Journalist
Greg Sandow Photo courtesy Greg Sandow Was it an outdoor experience? I’m not sure, and who cares? But when I was new music critic for the Village Voice in the ’80s, I remember being invited to a private event, somebody playing his sax in an abandoned building in the East Village. This was magical, the… Read more »
Looking For Red, White and Blue Between Bach, Beethoven And Brahms: Can American Music Be Found at American Music Festivals?
Mic Holwin photo by Lost In Brooklyn Studio Music festivals in America take on added pleasure in the summer, when a concertgoer can claim a spot on the lawn surrounding a stage, spread out a quilt handed down from an aunt in Pennsylvania, uncork a bottle of California Zinfandel, slice some Vermont Cheddar and Wisconsin… Read more »
Soundtracks: July 1999
For our third issue of NewMusicBox, we have expanded the scope of SoundTracks. In addition to featuring the cover and complete track information for all new recordings of American music that we can get our hands on, we are also featuring sound samples of every recording. So rather than hearing us rave about one of… Read more »
How Festivals can Attract New Audiences to American Music
Frank J. Oteri Photo by Melissa Richard Five years ago some friends of mine drove me down to a bluegrass festival in Stumptown, West Virginia — a more than 10 hour journey from New York City which was more time than I’ve ever spent in a car in my whole life being the die-hard urbanite!… Read more »
Memorable outdoor premieres you've heard and/or your most unusual exposure to a new piece of music
Greg Sandow “Was it an outdoor experience? I’m not sure, and who cares?…” Michael Torke “I remember a concert at the Tanglewood Music Center that had both David Del Tredici’s “Happy Voices” (from Child Alice) and John Adams’s Harmonielehre on the same program!” Marilyn Nonken “…the sight of Brant –headgear, jumpsuit, etc.– will always stick… Read more »
The Ravinia Festival: A talk with Zarin Mehta
During his tenure as the President and CEO of The Ravinia Festival, Zarin Mehta (would would later become Executive Director of the New York Philharmonic), explained the delicate balancing act of presenting live music, a balancing act which is sometimes at odds with the presentation of new music.
What recordings do you buy and why? What recordings have you listened to recently? Derek Bermel, Composer
Derek Bermel Photo courtesy Derek Bermel Last month I found some CD gems, among them Pittsburgh band Don Caballero‘s new album What Burns Never Returns (Touch and Go TG185CD) a minimalist rock album which takes King Crimson’s early 80’s stuff to the next level; the drummer Damon Che weaves some incredible polyrhythmic lines. Listening to… Read more »
What recordings do you buy and why? What recordings have you listened to recently? Elliott Schwartz
Elliott Schwartz Photo by Joel Chadabe, courtesy Electronic Music Foundation As I’m living in England (on resident fellowship at Robinson College, Cambridge University) for the months of May and June, I’ve had a chance to hear some 20th century English music — ranging from the earliest part of the century (Vaughan Williams‘ wonderful song cycle… Read more »
