| 10 Under 10 (51-55) |
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| 51. |
Henry Cowell (1897-1965)
Hymn & Fuguing Tune No. 10 for Oboe and Strings (1955) [9'14"]
Humbert Lucarelli-oboe, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra / Richard Auldon Clark - conductor
Tracks 1-2, Cowell: Concerto Grosso/Hymn & Fuguing Tune No. 10 {Koch International Classics 7282} |
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Celebrated for his wild solo piano pieces which often involve smashing fists on keyboards or playing inside the piano, Henry Cowell has been forgotten as one of America's greatest composers of melodious and very accesible orchestral music. This short masterpiece is just the tip of the iceberg.
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| 52. |
Colin McPhee (1900-1964)
Nocturne (1958) [7'34"]
Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra / Dennis Russell Davies - conductor
Track 7, Colin McPhee - Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra {Musicmasters 01612-67159} |
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John Cage called McPhee "the most overlooked composer of the 20th century." Written in the 1950s after years of immersion in Indonesian culture, this devastatingly beautiful orchestral miniature is a treasure.
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| 53. |
Frank Zappa (1940-1993)
Dupree's Paradise (1984) [7'53"]
Ensemble Inter-Contemporain / Pierre Boulez - conductor
Track 4, Frank Zappa: The Perfect Stranger {Rykodisc 10542; Formerly EMI Angel 38170} |
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A while back, a reviewer who clearly had never heard this album attacked it as a crossover. Yes, Frank Zappa was a rock star, indeed one of the most innovative musicians ever involved with rock music. However, he also created a significant body of music for the concert hall from which this is a delightful example. Of course, his masterpiece is the 1967 rock album We're Only In It For The Money, but convincing classical radio stations to program that album is a whole other argument.
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| 54. |
William Grant Still (1895-1978)
Phantom Chapel (1944) [6'40"]
Howard Cass-piano, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra / Richard Auldon Clark - conductor
Track 13, William Grant Still: The American Scene {Newport Classic 85596} |
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A beautiful miniature by the pioneering African-American composer.
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| 55. |
Virgil Thomson (1896-1989)
At the Beach (1949) [5'20"]
David Kuehn - trumpet, Yvar Mikhashiff - piano
Track 18, Virgil Thomson: Early and as Remembered {New Albion 034} |
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A delightful tune-filled miniature with surprising pauses.
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| 5 Under 5 (56-60) |
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| 56. |
Amy Beach (1867-1944)
Young Birches (1928) [2'35"]
Joanne Polk - piano
Track 15, amy beach: by the still waters {Arabesque Z6693} |
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Amy Beach played this piece for Eleanor Roosevelt twice at the White House in 1934 & 1936.
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| 57. |
George Antheil (1900-1959)
Little Shimmy (1923) [1'13"]
Marthanne Verbit - piano
Track 26, George Antheil: Bad Boy of Music {Albany/Troy 146} |
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A extra-ordinarily short jazzy piano piece to brighten up the afternoon.
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| 58. |
John Cage (1912-1992)
Experiences (1945) [2'44"]
Double Edge: Edmund Niemann and Nurit Tilles, pianos
Track 2, John Cage: Music for Two Pianos {CRI 732} |
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For everyone who thinks that John Cage couldn't write a pretty tune, this will change your mind.
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| 59. |
Stefan Wolpe (1902-1972)
Studies, Part 1 (1944-51) [4'17"]
Katharina Wolpe - piano
Track 10, Stefan Wolpe: Remembering the Dancemaster {Largo 5120} |
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No pretty tunes here, but lots of excitement in these seven (!) little piano miniatures (some lasting only a few seconds) that were culled together from manuscripts written on the backs of menus. Performed authoritatively by Wolpe's own daughter. Did you know that there's even a Stefan Wolpe Society?
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| 60. |
William Russell (1905-1992)
Chicago Sketches (1940) [3'34"]
Essential Music
Tracks 10-12, Made in America: The Complete Works of William Russell {mode 34} |
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As short as this piece is, it's actually in three self-contained movements each of which runs only a little over a minute. Russell, a true American original, created only 8 pieces of music, all of which are highly energetic jazz-influenced percussion ensemble works. Only in America!
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