Naxos Blog » American composers http://blog.naxos.com Insights on music from the world's leading classical music label Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:43:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 en hourly 1 Podcast: William Schuman - Prayer in a Time of War http://blog.naxos.com/2009/11/17/podcast-william-schuman-prayer-in-a-time-of-war/ http://blog.naxos.com/2009/11/17/podcast-william-schuman-prayer-in-a-time-of-war/#comments Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:00:41 +0000 Raymond http://blog.naxos.com/?p=4069 SCHUMAN, W.: Symphony No. 6 album coverWhen he graduated from high school, William Schuman enrolled in New York University with every intention of doing a commerce degree. Then his sister took him to a New York Philharmonic concert conducted by Arturo Toscanini. That very night, he decided to become a composer. Schuman went on to become one of the most important American composers and composition teachers of the 20th century. He was president of Julliard School, President of Lincoln Centre in New York, and the composer of eight major symphonies. This podcast looks at a new recording of his Symphony No. 6, Prayer in a Time of War, and New England Tryptich, with the Seattle Symphony conducted by Gerard Schwarz.

Album details…
Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.559625

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]]> http://blog.naxos.com/2009/11/17/podcast-william-schuman-prayer-in-a-time-of-war/feed/ Podcast: Michael Daugherty’s Fire and Blood http://blog.naxos.com/2009/08/19/podcast-michael-daughertys-fire-and-blood/ http://blog.naxos.com/2009/08/19/podcast-michael-daughertys-fire-and-blood/#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:00:21 +0000 Raymond http://blog.naxos.com/?p=3705 DAUGHERTY, M.: Fire and Blood album coverComposer Michael Daugherty was the composer-in-residence for four years at the Detroit Symphony, and composed all of the music on this CD for that orchestra. The title work was inspired by the giant murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts by Diego Rivera. Rivera was commissioned by Edsel Ford to create a mural celelbrating the Detroit automobile industry. This CD features the Detoit Symphony, conducted by Neeme Jarvi, with soloists Ida Kavafian on violin, and Brian Jones on Timpani.

Album details…
Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.559372

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]]> http://blog.naxos.com/2009/08/19/podcast-michael-daughertys-fire-and-blood/feed/ Podcast: An American Romantic - Arthur Foote http://blog.naxos.com/2009/06/02/podcast-an-american-romantic-arthur-foote/ http://blog.naxos.com/2009/06/02/podcast-an-american-romantic-arthur-foote/#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:00:17 +0000 Raymond http://blog.naxos.com/?p=3088 FOOTE, A.: Francesca da Rimini album coverArthur was one of America’s finest Romanic composers, and one of the first completely trained in the United States. His gorgeous melodies and lush orchestrations beg the question: Why isn’t the music performed much more often?

In this podcast, conductor Gerard Schwarz tries to answer that question.

Album details…
Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.559365

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]]> http://blog.naxos.com/2009/06/02/podcast-an-american-romantic-arthur-foote/feed/ Podcast: Wild Nights! Exciting New Music for Wind Ensemble http://blog.naxos.com/2009/05/26/podcast-wild-nights-exciting-new-music-for-wind-ensemble/ http://blog.naxos.com/2009/05/26/podcast-wild-nights-exciting-new-music-for-wind-ensemble/#comments Mon, 25 May 2009 16:00:46 +0000 Raymond http://blog.naxos.com/?p=2956 TICHELI, F.: Wild Nights album coverA podcast featuring the new University of Kansas Wind Ensemble CD, Wild Nights. This recording features five new band pieces, all written in the 21st century.

In this podcast conductor Scott Weiss talks about the music on this disc, and his ongoing commitment to creating new works for winds.

Album details…
Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.572129

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]]> http://blog.naxos.com/2009/05/26/podcast-wild-nights-exciting-new-music-for-wind-ensemble/feed/ Podcast: The Phoenix and the Composer - an Interview with Bright Sheng http://blog.naxos.com/2009/05/05/podcast-the-phoenix-and-the-composer-an-interview-with-bright-sheng/ http://blog.naxos.com/2009/05/05/podcast-the-phoenix-and-the-composer-an-interview-with-bright-sheng/#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 16:00:49 +0000 Raymond http://blog.naxos.com/?p=2804 Bright Sheng - The Phoenix album coverBright Sheng has spent half his life in his homeland China, where he survived the Cultural Revolution by playing piano and percussion in a folk music group on the border with Tibet, and has spent the other half of his life in the United States where he has become one of the most saught after composers.

A fascinating story and interview.

Album details…
Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.559610

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]]> http://blog.naxos.com/2009/05/05/podcast-the-phoenix-and-the-composer-an-interview-with-bright-sheng/feed/ Podcast: Daron Hagen’s Opera Shining Brow http://blog.naxos.com/2009/04/14/podcast-daron-hagen-opera-shining-brow/ http://blog.naxos.com/2009/04/14/podcast-daron-hagen-opera-shining-brow/#comments Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:00:17 +0000 Raymond http://blog.naxos.com/?p=2631 HAGEN, D.: Shining Brow album coverThe 1993 opera Shining Brow is based on the life of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

In this podcast, both composer Daron Hagen and librettist Paul Muldoon talk about how this opera was created.

Album details…
Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.669020-21

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]]> http://blog.naxos.com/2009/04/14/podcast-daron-hagen-opera-shining-brow/feed/ Podcast: An Interview with Robert Ian Winsten of ERM http://blog.naxos.com/2009/03/31/podcast-an-interview-with-robert-ian-winsten-of-erm/ http://blog.naxos.com/2009/03/31/podcast-an-interview-with-robert-ian-winsten-of-erm/#comments Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:00:12 +0000 Raymond http://blog.naxos.com/?p=2493 Taliban Dances album coverAn interview with Robert Ian Winstin as he talks about his work as a composer, conductor, pianist, and as founder of the CD label ERM Media.

All of the music in this podcast comes from the CD Taliban Dances, which features Winstin in all four different roles.

Album details…
Catalogue No.: ERM ERM-5555

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]]> http://blog.naxos.com/2009/03/31/podcast-an-interview-with-robert-ian-winsten-of-erm/feed/ Podcast: An Interview with John Corigliano http://blog.naxos.com/2009/03/17/podcast-an-interview-with-john-corigliano/ http://blog.naxos.com/2009/03/17/podcast-an-interview-with-john-corigliano/#comments Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:00:42 +0000 Raymond http://blog.naxos.com/?p=2453 CORIGLIANO, J.: Circus Maximus album coverAn interview with Grammy-winning composer John Corigliano about his monumental piece for wind band, Circus Maximus. In this interview, the composer talks about writing this work, how he approaches composition, and why he especially enjoyed writing music for band.

Album details…
Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.559601

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]]> http://blog.naxos.com/2009/03/17/podcast-an-interview-with-john-corigliano/feed/ Podcast: Passaggi Featuring The Hartt School Wind Ensemble http://blog.naxos.com/2009/03/03/podcast-passaggi-featuring-the-hartt-school-wind-ensemble/ http://blog.naxos.com/2009/03/03/podcast-passaggi-featuring-the-hartt-school-wind-ensemble/#comments Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:00:05 +0000 Raymond http://blog.naxos.com/?p=2381 Passaggi album coverA podcast featuring a new CD by The Hartt School Wind Ensemble under director Glen Adsit, along with soloists Ben Toth and Joe Alessi.

This CD features works by five contemporary American composers, including a work newly composed for this CD.

Album details…
Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.572109

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]]> http://blog.naxos.com/2009/03/03/podcast-passaggi-featuring-the-hartt-school-wind-ensemble/feed/ Podcast: An Introduction to Vittorio Giannini http://blog.naxos.com/2009/02/24/podcast-an-introduction-to-vittorio-giannini/ http://blog.naxos.com/2009/02/24/podcast-an-introduction-to-vittorio-giannini/#comments Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:00:57 +0000 Raymond http://blog.naxos.com/?p=2295 GIANNINI, V.: Symphony No. 4 / Piano Concerto album coverVittorio Giannini is best known to other composers as one of America’s most important composition teachers. Curiously, his own music has been largely forgotten.

This episode looks at the the music of Vittorio Giannini.

Album details…
Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.559352

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]]> http://blog.naxos.com/2009/02/24/podcast-an-introduction-to-vittorio-giannini/feed/ Podcast: Introducing Bright Sheng http://blog.naxos.com/2009/01/27/podcast-introducing-bright-sheng/ http://blog.naxos.com/2009/01/27/podcast-introducing-bright-sheng/#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:00:47 +0000 Raymond http://blog.naxos.com/?p=2031 Northern Winds album coverBright Sheng is equally a Chinese composer and an American composer. He was born in Shanghai, spent the Cultural Revolution years in a remote Chinese province, then studied in the United States, where he now teaches, and is one of the busiest composers.

His music defies easy labeling, but it’s wonderful sounds have been captivating audiences around the world.

Album details…
Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.570601

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]]> http://blog.naxos.com/2009/01/27/podcast-introducing-bright-sheng/feed/ Podcast: Leroy Anderson’s Christmas Music http://blog.naxos.com/2008/12/09/podcast-leroy-andersons-christmas-music/ http://blog.naxos.com/2008/12/09/podcast-leroy-andersons-christmas-music/#comments Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:00:57 +0000 Raymond http://blog.naxos.com/?p=1611 Leroy Anderson: Sleigh Ride and Other Holiday Favourites album coverLeroy Anderson was one of America’s finest composers of what is now often called “light music”.

He as a master of the memorable melody and the catchy rhythm. Over the years, he composed or arranged many pieces for the holiday season, including Sleigh Ride and A Christmas Festival.

This podcast looks at a new recording of his holiday music, featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra and Leonard Slatkin.


Album details…
Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.559621

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]]> http://blog.naxos.com/2008/12/09/podcast-leroy-andersons-christmas-music/feed/ Podcast: American Music for Cello and Orchestra http://blog.naxos.com/2008/09/16/podcast-american-music-for-cello-and-orchestra/ http://blog.naxos.com/2008/09/16/podcast-american-music-for-cello-and-orchestra/#comments Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:00:01 +0000 Raymond http://blog.naxos.com/?p=831 PERRY, W.: Jamestown Concerto / SCHUMAN, W.: A Song of Orpheus / THOMSON, V.: Cello Concerto album coverWilliam Perry, William Schuman and Virgil Thomson share several important traits.

They are all 20th American composers (though Perry is stil alive, which makes him a 21st century composer), and all have written works for solo cello and orchestra.

This podcast introduces threse three beautiful but still unknown works.

Album details…
Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.559344

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]]> http://blog.naxos.com/2008/09/16/podcast-american-music-for-cello-and-orchestra/feed/ Podcast: Four American Quartets http://blog.naxos.com/2008/08/05/podcast-four-american-quartets/ http://blog.naxos.com/2008/08/05/podcast-four-american-quartets/#comments Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:00:11 +0000 Raymond http://blog.naxos.com/?p=591 Four American Quartets coverA podcast look at this new recording by the Fine Arts Quartet of four string quartets by American composers: Ralph Evans, Philip Glass, George Antheil and Bernard Hermann.

Album details…
Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.559354

]]> http://blog.naxos.com/2008/08/05/podcast-four-american-quartets/feed/ Podcast: Leroy Anderson at 100 http://blog.naxos.com/2008/07/29/podcast-leroy-anderson-at-100/ http://blog.naxos.com/2008/07/29/podcast-leroy-anderson-at-100/#comments Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:00:54 +0000 Raymond http://blog.naxos.com/?p=574 ANDERSON, L.: Orchestral Music, Vol. 3 album coverTo celebrate the centenary of Leroy Anderson’s birth, Naxos has released 3 CDs of his orchestral music, including the many world premiere recordings.

This podcast looks at his life, and at this new recording featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin.

Album details…
Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.559357

]]> http://blog.naxos.com/2008/07/29/podcast-leroy-anderson-at-100/feed/ Podcast: Alan Hovhaness - Symphony No. 63 “Loon Lake” http://blog.naxos.com/2008/07/22/podcast-alan-hovhaness-symphony-no-63-loon-lake/ http://blog.naxos.com/2008/07/22/podcast-alan-hovhaness-symphony-no-63-loon-lake/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:00:08 +0000 Raymond http://blog.naxos.com/?p=567 Alan Hovhaness - Symphony No. 63 album coverAn introduction to three world premiere recordings of pieces by Alan Hovhaness - Fanfare for the New Atlantis, Guitar Concerto No. 2 and his Symphony No. 63.

All these pieces show the lush sounds and soaring melodies that have drawn many people to his music - and baffled other composers in an age when lush melodic writing was not the norm.

Album details…
Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.559336

]]> http://blog.naxos.com/2008/07/22/podcast-alan-hovhaness-symphony-no-63-loon-lake/feed/ Podcast: Philippe Quint plays Corigliano and Thomson http://blog.naxos.com/2008/05/20/philippe-quint-plays-corigliano-thomson/ http://blog.naxos.com/2008/05/20/philippe-quint-plays-corigliano-thomson/#comments Mon, 19 May 2008 16:00:44 +0000 Raymond http://blog.naxos.com/?p=451 CORIGLIANO: The Red Violin Caprices album coverAn interview with violinist Philippe Quint as he talks about his new recording of The Red Violin Caprices by John Corigliano, and the Portraits by Virgil Thomson.

Quint also describes how he fell in love with American music when he first arrived in the United States.

Album details…
Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.559364

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