From Chaos to Catharsis: The Epic Journey of Symphony No. 3 by Roger Sessions
Roger Sessions, an eminent American composer of the 20th century, crafted his Symphony No. 3 in a time when the Western classical music...
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Grant Gilman
May 30, 20233 min read
Menotti's Violin Concerto: A Harmonious Journey through Melody
In the realm of classical music, Gian Carlo Menotti stands as a celebrated composer known for his evocative works and unique...
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Grant Gilman
Sep 18, 20203 min read
William Schuman - Rawboned Music: Part 2
“as long as writers write long and complicated novels, composers are going to write in the symphonic forms, because they give an opportu
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Grant Gilman
Aug 31, 20205 min read
William Schuman - Rawboned Music: Part 1
“The bustle of city streets in daytime and the mystery of empty streets in nighttime emerge from Schuman’s scores.” — Nicholas Tawa Due...
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Grant Gilman
Aug 21, 20204 min read
Horatio Parker - Far From Docile
Youngest of the “Boston 6”, Horatio Parker was born 1863 in Auburndale, MA, a rural area at the time, now subsumed by the Boston city limits
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Grant Gilman
Jul 30, 20203 min read
Alan Hovhaness - Always Original, Never Unnatural
Let’s begin with a ridiculous understatement: Alan Hovhaness was a prolific composer. Yeah, no kidding.
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Grant Gilman
Jul 23, 20204 min read
George Antheil — Tears in the Basic Fabric and Sound
When someone titles their autobiography “Bad Boy of Music” that’s got to be a character worth investigating, right!?
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Grant Gilman
Jul 10, 20204 min read
Florence Price — Impenetrable
The night is not all dark, Nor is the day all it seems, But each may bring me this relief— My dreams and dreams. — Paul Laurence...
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Grant Gilman
Jun 29, 20204 min read
A Universal Composer — William Grant Still
“The contradictions with which Still struggled shaped his remarkable creative output in ways we need to understand, as much today as...
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Grant Gilman
Jun 20, 20203 min read
The Hand of a Very Fine Craftsman - George Whitefield Chadwick
Another of the Boston 6, George Whitefield Chadwick spent most of his life in Boston, and kept a strong European tradition with him.
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Grant Gilman
Jun 12, 20202 min read
The Youthfulness of American Music - Arthur Foote
Possibly in an effort to puff up his legacy, Arthur Foote is described as the first American composer with a purely American education. I...
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Grant Gilman
May 25, 20203 min read
Youthful Optimistic Vitality - Edward MacDowell
Having already covered two of the Boston Six—John Knowles Paine and Amy Beach—this week I will continue with three more: Edward...
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Grant Gilman
May 15, 20202 min read
Exception To The Rule - Ruth Crawford Seeger
"At thirteen, she wanted it all." Some people grow up fast. They have an awareness of themselves that is more keen than normal at an...
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Grant Gilman
May 13, 20203 min read
Melodic Curve - Walter Piston
“Writing long-haired music is not a way to make a living...” - Walter Piston If you have ever had life kick you in the teeth, you...
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Grant Gilman
May 11, 20202 min read
Music of Energy and Imagination - John Knowles Paine
“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” - Dolly Parton It is difficult to be first in something. We tend...
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Grant Gilman
May 8, 20202 min read
Gone Too Soon - Charles Tomlinson Griffes
Much like Franz Schubert and Lili Boulanger, another composer gone too soon, Charles Tomlinson Griffes, died at the age of...
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Grant Gilman
May 7, 20202 min read
Long Days and Short Years - Roy Harris
Paraphrasing a famous quote of Schumann praising the talents of an up and coming Chopin, one Arthur Farwell said of Roy Harris...
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Grant Gilman
May 4, 20202 min read
Not Just "One of the Boys" - Amy Beach
Dvorak (in 1892): “I am afraid the ladies cannot help us much. They have not the creative power.” Amy Beach: Hold my cocktail. Though her...
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Grant Gilman
Apr 30, 20201 min read
Free Only In His Mind - Henry Cowell
Henry Cowell is a unique study on the effect of incarceration on artistic production.
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Grant Gilman
Apr 28, 20201 min read
A Man of Firsts - William Henry Fry
William Henry Fry (1813-1864) has a lot of “firsts” associated with his music, especially his Santa Claus Symphony, composed in 1853.
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