The Essay for Strings is Williams channelling Herrmann with some Stravinsky thrown in for good measure. Its got a certain dark malevolence to it that stands up to repeated listens.

The Trumpet concerto is definately not in the Williams vien you expect from his brass writing. I can't go into much more detail as I need to give it a more critical listen.

Hopefully it'll be out in 2001. Its also got some works by Kevin "Varese Superman" Kaska--which are just great--fear not folks, he has classic Williams/Elmer Bernstein in his blood...and a great sense of melody...

I am too excited about this album. The horn concerto will be awesome from what I have heard. My horn professor is very good friends with Dale Clevinger(who Williams is writing for) and it is said to be an amazing and complex piece. I cannot wait!

Later,
Aaron

I'm curious about these concert works, especially the Cello concerto you mentioned, considering that I think the sound of the cello is one of the most beautiful sounds ever to reach the tympanic membrane.

Which brings me to a question. Anyone know of any scores which use the cello a lot?
I could have leaped for joy when the cello came on a few seconds into Angela's Ashes, and I was wondering where I could get more...

Oh, and Scott, don't forget to flush.

Seven Years in Tibet is sort of a cello concert, with the solos performed by Yo-Yo Ma.

Some of his concert works stay on the route of film scores, but he gets a little more in depth and digs more into the melody.

Which brings my question... Do you believe that "classical" or "concert" music will veer away from the styles of lets say Beethoven, Copeland, and Wagner and lean towards the more atonal, dissonance of Stravinsky or Corgliano? It seems these days that "concert" music is definitely leading towards the dissonance.

Post your thoughts

Of course, anything goes in this day and age now.

Right now, we have the mystic movement led by Tavener and Arvo Part. We have mildly romantic music with Rautavaara.

Minimalism has faltered under the weight of its own pretense, and composers like Phillip Glass are not, in my opinion, groundbreaking anymore. But I will give Glass some credit. His later works like his Symphony No 3 and the String Quartets have some very poignant moments.

Now we have composers who combine everything, like James Macmillan, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Harrison Birtwistle (all British), as well as Corigliano.

symphonies like Mahler's are a thing of the past with the advent of film scores.

But Romanticism never died. There is some wonderful music from the 1940s and 50s, and even into the last few years, that are decidedly informed by advanced tonal composition. The problem is that the "academic" community never accepted these composers much. It has been only lately when these great composers are being "re-discovered". Check out the music of Howard Hanson, David Diamond, even Paul Creston, Morton Gould, etc...

Composers like Prokofiev and Shostakovich continued to elaborate the traditional symphony by combining angular melodies, intricate rhythms, and unique scoring. They got most of the attention, especially Shostakovich during the 1950s.

Rachmaninoff's music is all "20th Century" music and is unabashedly romantic.

Mahler's music became chic in the 1960s again, lots of musicologists have posited their opinions as to why. Mahler's works are acquired tastes but reward at levels no film score can compare too.

It is a sad comment on our music education that people today basically "kill" classical music after Stravinsky. I know this was the problem in the department where I was while a grad. student.

Pick up a CD of the Dvorak Cello Concerto--you will be glad you did!

And Luscious: When Timmer sent me Lion in Winter, I hadn't heard a single note of it, but after listening to it a few times, I'm happy to say that I find it really good!

Most professors these days are TEACHING the more modern approach to composing. Right now I am currently studying Shoenberg and Persichetti. This is not a bad thing, but are we gonna leave out the music of the 1700's through early 1900's? Who are some Romantic composers these days? I am curious to know!

Camillu,

If we are not talking about film scores check out:

-Shostakovich's Cello Concerto
-Stephen Albert's Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
-Ernest Bloch's Hebraic Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra

If talking about film scores, definitely check out Seven Years in Tibet. That is a must have anyways for everyone!

Later,
Aaron

quote:

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Originally posted by Davidh:
Let's not forget Samuel Barber -- there's more to him beyond the Adagio.

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Few music gets any better than that though.

About the score recommendations. What is 7 years in Tibet like beyond the title piece? (which I have from JW - greatest hits)

quote:

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Originally posted by Aaron Collins:
Sakman,

Most professors these days are TEACHING the more modern approach to composing. Right now I am currently studying Shoenberg and Persichetti. This is not a bad thing, but are we gonna leave out the music of the 1700's through early 1900's? Who are some Romantic composers these days? I am curious to know!

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The most interesting thing about college musical study is that many think if the music is "easy" it is not worth studying. I spent my time "analyzing" Schoenberg too, Persichetti, in my mind is a better composer. Some schools have a hard time realizing music beyond a cerebral exercise. So, they tend not to teach the music that runs counter to the programs/departments philosophy. I'd encourage you to take a class in American Music, assuming it goes beyond teaching Ives and Copland and pays attention to early 20th century symphonists, the "neo-classicists", the "neo-romantics", and even some "minimalist" composers. The 20th Century was unique in that we had a multitude of styles co-existing. Unfortunately, many musicologists tend to teach that "dissonance" equals good, and the more the better.

Even the serialists soon realized that they had to find unique ways to draw in their listeners if they continued along the dead end that Schoenberg discovered.

If it's atonal, then it's not very atonal.

Mostly it sounds like Williams' film scores, though a bit less melodic.
And unlike the violin concerto CD we got from DGG last fall, the trumpet concerto stays on track and does not degenerate into pointless orchestral noise.

Kaska's music is also very good and pleasant. And his harp concerto easily outshines Williams' music.

Overall, a 4-star disc. Money well spent.