Cowell: Quartet / Violin Suite / Songs / Piano Pieces / Polyphonica / Irish Suite

Featuring

Joel Sachs
Jayn Rosenfeld
Marsha Heller
Maria Kitsopoulos
Cheryl Seltzer
Ellen Lang

Mia Wu
Continuum
Henry Dixon Cowell

Did you know?

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Historical Context

Cowell was imprisoned for a morals infraction in San Quentin for four years, during which he developed a music education program for inmates.

Cultural Impact

Cowell's pioneering work in non-Western music, disseminated through radio programs and recordings, significantly increased public appreciation for the diversity of world music.

Composer Biography

Henry Cowell, an American composer, had his formal schooling end at the third grade but later studied English at Stanford and music at the University of California, Berkeley.

Compositional Technique

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

Composition History

Cowell founded several institutions to promote American composition, including the California Society for New Music in 1925 and New Music, a quarterly publication, in 1927.

Composer's Artistic Vision

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