Henry Cowell: Persian Set

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
In 1956, American music pioneer Henry Cowell was sent by a cultural division of the U.S. Government on a musical tour of the world--not to spread his personal work, but to gather in the music of other countries to share back home. The first sojourn was to Iran... formerly Persia. With the musical knowledge he gained, he chose (besides recording music for Folkways records, later) to write a short composition that would condense many of the musical practices he encountered. The resulting piece was a reading not of specific Persian melodies, but of ambiguous Middle Eastern motifs, where the chatter of percussion meshed with violins and oboes took the slithery place of an oud (wooden instrument of the lute family). Persian Set, this merging of both Persian and Western instrumentation, became one of the most important hybrids of the American 20th-century canon. His other "sets" (on this CD), though composed earlier, use a similar method: the "American Melting Pot" series incorporates German, African, French, Slavic, and other motifs, and "Old American Country Set" has elements of the reels and hornpipes recalled from his childhood in the Midwest. --Robin Edgerton

Henry Cowell: Persian Set, Music, Mark McCormick, Ivy Chatanow, Denise Hoff, Henry Cowell, Richard Auldon Clark, Katherine Schraff, Joyce Balint, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, Tomoko Inaba, Howard Cass, Martha Brady, Michael Sutton, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Concerto, Music For String Orchestra, Music for Chamber Orchestra, Orchestral, Suite for Orchestra, Violin Concerto
Henry Cowell: Persian Set
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Not What I Expected -- But Terrific
 Henry Cowell: Persian Set

Manufacturer: Koch Int'l Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
SuitesSuites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
ViolinViolin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
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Manhattan Chamber OrchestraManhattan Chamber Orchestra | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Henry Cowell: Instrumental, Chamber and Vocal Music, Vol. 1
  2. Henry Cowell: Instrumental, Chamber and Vocal Music, Vol. 2
  3. Henry Cowell: Fiddler's Jig; Air & Scherzo; Concerto Grosso; Hymn & Fuguing Tune No. 10
  4. Henry Cowell: Works for Orchestra
  5. Piano Music

ASIN: B000001SGS
Release Date: 1994-02-09

Tracks:

  1. Persian Set: Moderato
  2. Persian Set: Allegretto
  3. Persian Set: Lento
  4. Persian Set: Presto
  5. Hymn & Fuguing Tune For Str Orch: Hymn
  6. Hymn & Fuguing Tune For Str Orch: Fuguing Tune
  7. American Melting Pot: Chorale (Teutonic-American)
  8. American Melting Pot: Air (African-American)
  9. American Melting Pot: Satire (French-American)
  10. American Melting Pot: Alapria (Oriental-American)
  11. American Melting Pot: Slavic Dance (Slavic-American)
  12. American Melting Pot: Rhumba w. an added eight note (Latin-American)
  13. American Melting Pot: Square Dance (Celtic-American)
  14. Air For Solo Vn & Str Orch - Michael Sutton
  15. Old American Country Set: Blarneying Lilt
  16. Old American Country Set: Meeting House
  17. Old American Country Set: Comallye
  18. Old American Country Set: Charivari
  19. Old American Country Set: Cornhuski' Hornpipe
  20. Adagio From Ens For Str Orch

Amazon.com

In 1956, American music pioneer Henry Cowell was sent by a cultural division of the U.S. Government on a musical tour of the world--not to spread his personal work, but to gather in the music of other countries to share back home. The first sojourn was to Iran... formerly Persia. With the musical knowledge he gained, he chose (besides recording music for Folkways records, later) to write a short composition that would condense many of the musical practices he encountered. The resulting piece was a reading not of specific Persian melodies, but of ambiguous Middle Eastern motifs, where the chatter of percussion meshed with violins and oboes took the slithery place of an oud (wooden instrument of the lute family). Persian Set, this merging of both Persian and Western instrumentation, became one of the most important hybrids of the American 20th-century canon. His other "sets" (on this CD), though composed earlier, use a similar method: the "American Melting Pot" series incorporates German, African, French, Slavic, and other motifs, and "Old American Country Set" has elements of the reels and hornpipes recalled from his childhood in the Midwest. --Robin Edgerton

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Not What I Expected -- But Terrific.......2005-08-28

Having heard Cowell's piano works, I was expecting this to be atonal, highly percussive, etc. I was completely surprised by these compositions. They are closer to Debussey than other Cowell works. I am enjoying this CD immensely. Proof that sometimes it's worth taking a chance!
American Portraits-The American Music Sampler
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • A Must-Have CD
 American Portraits-The American Music Sampler
Gian Carlo Menotti , Paul Creston , Bernard Herrmann , Quincy Porter , Franz Waxman , Howard Hanson , Miklos Rozsa , William Schuman , James Sinclair , James Sedares , Andrew Schenck , Donald Teeters , Jordania, Vakhtang , Clark, Richard Auldon , and Falletta, Joann
Manufacturer: Koch Int'l Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001SH2
Release Date: 1994-08-23

Tracks:

  1. Country Band March - J. Sinclair/Orch New England
  2. Fall River Legend Movt III-Church Social - J. Sedares/New Zealand SO
  3. Sym No.3 in a Movt III-Allegro vivace - A. Schenck/New Zealand SO
  4. Christmas Cantata Movt III-Allegro - B. Cecilia/D. Teeters
  5. To the Green Mountains Movt I-Prelude - V. Jordania/KBS SO
  6. Adagio for Strs - J. Sedares/New Zealand SO
  7. Persian Set Movt IV-Presto - R.A. Clark/Manhatten CO
  8. I Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child - Alexa Still/Susan DeWitt Smith
  9. The Last Judgement Movt I-The Resurrection of Eve - J. Falletta/London SO
  10. Three Latin American Sketches Third Sketch-Danza de Jalisco - J. Sedares/Pheonix SO
  11. Some Other Time - New York Festival of Song
  12. Apocalypse Movt III-Gli Angel Militanti - J. DePreist/Oregon Sym
  13. Fanfare for Paratroopers - J. Mester/London PO
  14. The Lovers-Close Your Eyes - A. Schenck/Chicago SO & Chorus
  15. Sym Movt II-Scherzo - J. Sedares/Pheonix SO
  16. Blue Lontains - Alexa Still/Susan DeWitt Smith
  17. Sin for Str Orch & Timp Movt II-Lento - I. Jackson/Berliner Sym
  18. Serenade, Op.35 - N. Braithwaite/A. Still/New Zealand CO
  19. The Vintner's Daughter Variation 7-Alla marcia ongarese - J. Sedares/New Zealand SO
  20. New England Tryptich Movt III-Chester - J. Sedares/Pheonix SO

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A Must-Have CD.......2000-11-14

This is a must-have album. Why is this not available? You have Copland, Ives, Gould, Herrmann, Moross and others. These are great American composers. I have never seen such a well rounded and representive body of works from so many great Americans. Go out and find a copy of this one. It's great!
Cowell: Persian Set/Goeb: Symphony No.3/Weber: Blake Symphony
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Now, this is the REAL Stoky heritage
 Cowell: Persian Set/Goeb: Symphony No.3/Weber: Blake Symphony

Manufacturer: Citadel
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

SymphoniesSymphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
Modern & 20th CenturyModern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000003JW9
Release Date: 1997-12-16

Tracks:

  1. Persian Set: Moderato - Leopold Stowkowski
  2. Persian Set: Allegretto - Leopold Stowkowski
  3. Persian Set: Lento - Leopold Stowkowski
  4. Persian Set: Rondo - Leopold Stowkowski
  5. Sym No.3: Allegro Moderato - Leopold Stowkowski
  6. Sym No.3: Andante - Leopold Stowkowski
  7. Sym No.3: Vivace - Leopold Stowkowski
  8. Sym On Poems Of William Blake: 'To Autumn': Moderato Assai - Warren Galjour
  9. Sym On Poems Of William Blake: 'Never Seek To Tell Thy Love': Lento Assai - Warren Galjour
  10. Sym On Poems Of William Blake: 'Mad Song': Largo Misterioso - Warren Galjour
  11. Sym On Poems Of William Blake: 'To Spring': Allego Moderato - Warren Galjour

Amazon.com

This is a gorgeous reissue of recordings from the Fifties done by Leopold Stokowski of American composers who were then more popular than they are today. Henry Cowell's atmospheric Persian Set, of 1957, perfectly suited Cowell, who was known for experimenting with unusual modalites, in this case Iranian ones. More recommended here is the music of Roger Goeb and Ben Weber. Goeb's nostalgic Symphony No. 3 (1952) belongs to the Roy Harris/Howard Hanson/Aaron Copland school of midwestern American music that emerged during the Thirties and Forties. Weber's Symphony on Poems of William Blake is the more discordant and modern piece here. Highly recommended. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Now, this is the REAL Stoky heritage.......2000-07-12

Along with Howard Hanson, Koussevitzky, and Mitropoulos, Stokowski contributed immeasurably to the propogation and performance of American music. Despite all the other things he's known for, this service to native music is his most treasurable heritage.

Assembled here are remarkable works by remarkable composers in remarkable performances. Stoky DID keep his hands off composers quite a bit, especially living composers, and that's what's happening here. The Cowell is an entrancing work by a unique composer who, like the late Hovhaness, experimented in Eastern modalities and came up with highly original works that in no way sound contrived or derivative. The Goeb is a great big, rangey, propulsive, masculine work brimming with optimism and accomplishment, snappy, forceful, and entrancing. The Weber is one of the composer's best works: tightly made, colorful, rapid-fire and even slick in places. As a collection, the works seem to "feed" off each other, and the result is a fine 75 or so minutes of absorbing listening.

The sound is remarkably good, and Stoky makes these recordings all about the music and not about Stoky...which is something that happened more often than you think.

Buy this very good-sounding disc and get to know Stokowski at his best and the great heritage that is his greatest gift to us.

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