Cowell: Homage To Iran / Piano Pieces / Set of Five / Six Casual Developments / Two Songs

Featuring

Mark Steinberg
Joel Sachs
Cheryl Seltzer
Raymond Murcell
David Krakauer
Marilyn Dubow

Gordon Gottlieb
Continuum
Henry Dixon Cowell

Did you know?

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Composer Biography

After being unjustly jailed in 1936, Cowell was pardoned by the Governor of California in 1942 and continued to teach at various institutions.

Compositional Technique

Cowell's trademark was the 'tone-cluster,' a harmony of adjacent piano keys often played with the forearm, flat of the hand, or side of the fist.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Cowell believed the world's musics form a gigantic resource whose elements could be recombined into unusual amalgams, a conviction he manifested in compositions, lectures, and writings.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Cowell's advanced musical ideas always coexisted with a traditional melodiousness, stemming from his love of folklore, making even his most experimental music accessible.

Composer Biography

Henry Cowell, a remarkably innovative American composer, was born in 1897 to anarchist writers and had his formal schooling end at the third grade.

Cultural Impact

Cowell created institutions like the California Society for New Music and the periodical New Music, which published new works and supported composers.

Cultural Impact

Henry Cowell left an immeasurable legacy, including public enthusiasm for non-Western music and generations of notable pupils like John Cage and Lou Harrison.