Emil František Burian's Suite Americaine, Op. 15, originally for two pianos, was also arranged for a mixed instrumental ensemble featuring a violophone, an instrument invented for early gramophone recordings.
Composition History
Darius Milhaud's La Création du Monde was commissioned by the Ballet Suédois in 1923, with a script by Blaise Cendrars based on African mythology, allowing Milhaud to incorporate his love for jazz.
Performer Biography
Werner Herbers, the conductor of the Ebony Band, was the principal oboist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra for 35 years and also played jazz oboe with the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw.
Recording & Production
The Ebony Band's performance of Bohuslav Martinů's Jazz Suite is a CD world premiere because previous editions, including a 1970 publication, accidentally omitted the cello part.
Performer Biography
The Ebony Band, founded by Werner Herbers in 1990, focuses on performing unknown or forgotten music from the first half of the 20th century.
Instruments
The violophone, also known as Stroh-Geige, was an English invention from the late 19th century that amplified string sound using a membrane and a trumpet-like metal bell, popular in street and jazz bands from the 1920s.
Historical Context
During the interwar period, American jazz and dance music like the Blues and Charleston became a significant source of inspiration for European composers, much like older dance forms inspired Bach and Chopin.
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