This symphony is wonderful!! Why isn’t this programmed by American orchestras today?? It should be!! Another example of very high quality music toiling in obscurity for no good reason. Thank you so much for the wonderful post!! 👍🏻👍🏻
This symphony nr. 2 is in my opinion Crestons finest & best symphony. It is in many ways very original, and yet has an influences from Debussy & the french school of composers, but it still has this very Crestonian language & lyricism. Always loved this composer, one of americas finest through the times.
According to me, the greatest american symphonists of the XXth century are : Paul Creston, William Grant Still, Howard Hanson, Don Gillis, Peter Mennin... and also Nicolas Flagello (for all his orchestral works), Randall Thompson (for his "Symphony No. 2"), Samuel Barber (for all his orchestral works), Bernard Herrmann (for his "Symphony" and his film musics), Aaron Copland (for many orchestral works)... Good listening, in particular on collectionCB, collectionCB2 and collectionCB3 :-) C.B.
I could add others to your list, but I must agree with every name you mentioned. I find it amazing that most major symphony orchestras never play works by any of these composers (except for Copland).
Thejimdoherty, because Copland is just a great composer in any way you look at him and has composed music of a caliber and longevity that sets him apart from the others. Even today the main part of his musical output sound fresh and original and inventive, and therefore played all over the world. I love all the other composers mentioned too, but Copland is in a league of his own. Unique. And I am from Denmark, not USA.
Around 12:00 or so, a theme announced on strings shows influence of Messiaen (I guess, Quartet for the End ...); although, who knows, these two gentlemen are from around the same time.
Many of these composers can be found in channels CB Collection. Thanks also to Corentin by those names I do not know (William Grant Still, Don Gillis and Nicolas Flagello). I Forgot to Randall Thomson. Barber had not seen him as a symphonist, as well as to Herrmann. I have to listen to these last composers...
The past year I have been listening to many American composers, especially symphonists. If I had to cite a 20 would be these: Charles Ives, Wallingford Riegger, Walter Piston, Roger Sessions, Howard Hanson, Roy Harris, George Antheil, Paul Creston, William Schuman, Alan Hovhaness, David Diamond, George Rochberg, Peter Mennin, John Harbison , Vincent Persichetti, Aaron Copland, Robert Ward, Lou Harrison, Henry Cowell, Gloria Coates.
Becoming my favourite American symphony. From 13:48-17:38, Creston seems to anticipate the more serious compositions of one Frank Zappa!! To these ears, at least...
Max Merry It’s so true!! So many wonderful works like these toil in obscurity for no good reason. I have felt for quite some time now that there is hardly ever a big audience for the best of something. Certainly this is a top-drawer American symphony, yet when does it get performed?
But those names mentioned (Ives, Schuman, Whitefield Chadwick, Harris ...) are very few. Surely there are another important symphonists. For example, what are the 20 most important American symphonists twentieth century?
Does anyone have access to Paul Creston's "Kalevala" written for wind ensemble? I played it in college, but it seems to have disappeared altogether. I'd love to see it uploaded so everyone could enjoy it!
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Wow! This music knocks me over! What a master Creston was. If the orchestras played more of his music, the concert halls would begin filling-up again.
This symphony is wonderful!! Why isn’t this programmed by American orchestras today?? It should be!! Another example of very high quality music toiling in obscurity for no good reason. Thank you so much for the wonderful post!! 👍🏻👍🏻
This symphony nr. 2 is in my opinion Crestons finest & best symphony. It is in many ways very original, and yet has an influences from Debussy & the french school of composers, but it still has this very Crestonian language & lyricism. Always loved this composer, one of americas finest through the times.
Always felt that Creston was unjustly neglected during his lifetime. I like his Symphony Number 2, despite it not lingering in my memory.
Excellent list! There are very good symphonists Americans in the twentieth century as imagined. thanks
According to me, the greatest american symphonists of the XXth century are : Paul Creston, William Grant Still, Howard Hanson, Don Gillis, Peter Mennin... and also Nicolas Flagello (for all his orchestral works), Randall Thompson (for his "Symphony No. 2"), Samuel Barber (for all his orchestral works), Bernard Herrmann (for his "Symphony" and his film musics), Aaron Copland (for many orchestral works)... Good listening, in particular on collectionCB, collectionCB2 and collectionCB3 :-)
C.B.
I could add others to your list, but I must agree with every name you mentioned. I find it amazing that most major symphony orchestras never play works by any of these composers (except for Copland).
Thejimdoherty, because Copland is just a great composer in any way you look at him and has composed music of a caliber and longevity that sets him apart from the others. Even today the main part of his musical output sound fresh and original and inventive, and therefore played all over the world. I love all the other composers mentioned too, but Copland is in a league of his own. Unique. And I am from Denmark, not USA.
I’d like to add Vincent Persichetti and William Schuman to the list. :)
Thank for all those names, some did not know them.
Around 12:00 or so, a theme announced on strings shows influence of Messiaen (I guess, Quartet for the End ...); although, who knows, these two gentlemen are from around the same time.
Masterful score. It is really surprising that none of Creston’s scores (other then the Saxophone Sonata) have a higher profile on the concert stage.
Kerri Christopher The Fantasy for Trombone is pretty popular.
William Robinson I stand corrected.
Kerri Christopher Give it a listen. It’s such a good piece of music.
William Robinson I did. It is a wonderful score!
Many of these composers can be found in channels CB Collection.
Thanks also to Corentin by those names I do not know (William Grant Still, Don Gillis and Nicolas Flagello). I Forgot to Randall Thomson. Barber had not seen him as a symphonist, as well as to Herrmann. I have to listen to these last composers...
The past year I have been listening to many American composers, especially symphonists. If I had to cite a 20 would be these: Charles Ives, Wallingford Riegger, Walter Piston, Roger Sessions, Howard Hanson, Roy Harris, George Antheil, Paul Creston, William Schuman, Alan Hovhaness, David Diamond, George Rochberg, Peter Mennin, John Harbison , Vincent Persichetti, Aaron Copland, Robert Ward, Lou Harrison, Henry Cowell, Gloria Coates.
Gloria Coates hardly belongs in this exalted company. Where is Bernard Herrmann?
@@jslasher1 he's lying face-down in the corner of Gloria's garden with a knife protruding from between his shoulder-blades.
Good symphony! in my opinion, Ives, W. Schuman and Creston are the three major American Symphonist.
Becoming my favourite American symphony. From 13:48-17:38, Creston seems to anticipate the more serious compositions of one Frank Zappa!! To these ears, at least...
Max Merry I agree about favorite American symphony-it’s wonderful! Why isn’t this programmed by orchestras today? It should be.
ackamack101, Same could be said of so many composers and works that are neglected and/or forgotten about.
Max Merry It’s so true!! So many wonderful works like these toil in obscurity for no good reason. I have felt for quite some time now that there is hardly ever a big audience for the best of something. Certainly this is a top-drawer American symphony, yet when does it get performed?
But those names mentioned (Ives, Schuman, Whitefield Chadwick, Harris ...) are very few. Surely there are another important symphonists. For example, what are the 20 most important American symphonists twentieth century?
Does anyone have access to Paul Creston's "Kalevala" written for wind ensemble? I played it in college, but it seems to have disappeared altogether. I'd love to see it uploaded so everyone could enjoy it!
Quick Willies there is a recording on Soundcloud by the Mid America Freedom Band.
Thanks, Dean. Fantastic!
Yes, they are also good symphonists, as well as G. Whitefield Chadwick, despite he only wrote three symphonies.
The influence of Howard Hanson is obvious at 6:10 and later on.
Roy Harris?
0:00 is a good place to start.