Cowell, Henry (Dixon)
(b Menlo Park, CA, 11 March 1897; d
Shady, NY, 10
Dec 1965). American composer,
writer, performer, publisher and teacher. Described by
Cage as ‘the open sesame for new music in America’, he was an early advocate
for many of the main developments in 20th-century music, including the
systematization of musical parameters, the exploration of timbral resources and
transculturalism.
1. Life.
2. Works.
WORKS
WRITINGS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
DAVID NICHOLLS
Cowell, Henry
1. Life.
Many
facets of Cowell's remarkable personality resulted from the unusual
circumstances of his upbringing. His father, upper-class Irish immigrant Harry
Cowell, drifted to California after the failure of an orchard in British
Columbia, given to him by his own father, the Dean of Kildare Cathedral. There
he married Clarissa Dixon, who had fled to the West Coast from her Midwestern
farming family. The couple have been characterized as philosophical anarchists:
both were writers, and neither believed in conventional schooling. Their home
was a cottage in a rural area southeast of San Francisco; Henry Cowell was born
there, and it remained his principal base until 1936.
After
showing early musical talent, from the age of five Cowell received violin
lessons, with the idea that he might become a prodigy. The pressure proved too
great however, and – with the onset of juvenile chorea – the lessons stopped
after three years. His parents divorced in 1903, and following the San
Francisco earthquake of 1906, he and his mother lived (mainly with relatives) in
Iowa, New York and eventually Kansas, where he had access to a piano. Three
decades later, he recalled this period in the Old American Country Set
(1939). By the time of their return to Menlo Park, probably in 1910, Clarissa
Cowell was ill with cancer. After her son had been bullied at school in third
grade (during his sole, brief period of public education) she had chosen to
teach him at home; now he became their main wage-earner, working variously as a
janitor, cowherd and wildflower collector. Concurrently, the dishevelled boy
came to the attention of Stanford University psychologist Lewis Terman, who was
amazed by his breadth of knowledge, conversational abilities, poor arithmetic
and wretched spelling. Terman noted that ‘Although the IQ [of 131] is satisfactory,
it is matched by scores of others … but there is only one Henry’.
Around
1912, Cowell somehow saved $60 and bought a second-hand piano. He had been
composing spasmodically since 1907, but from 1913 onwards (when he started
keeping a list of his pieces) he experienced a major creative spurt. In order
that his blossoming talents be properly nurtured, a fund was organized in 1914
by Samuel S. Seward, a Stanford English professor. The fund, whose contributors
included Terman and Jaime de Angulo, supported Cowell until the mid-1920s and
helped with his mother's medical expenses, prior to her death in May 1916.
Cowell's formal début as a composer-pianist took place on 5 March 1914, in a
concert promoted by the San Francisco Musical Club; included in the programme
was Adventures in Harmony (1913). Perhaps in response to press notices –
one suggested that ‘he needs a thorough schooling’ – Harry Cowell took his son
to the University of California, Berkeley in the fall of 1914. Tuition in
harmony and counterpoint was arranged with E.G. Stricklen and Wallace Sabin,
while weekly discussions on contemporary music were held with Charles Seeger,
who recognized in Cowell ‘the first brilliant talent of my teaching
experience’. A remarkable exchange of ideas ensued (though in later years
Seeger felt his contributions went unacknowledged by Cowell). The products of
this association included the rhythm-harmony quartets (1917–19) and the first
draft of New Musical Resources (written with the literary assistance of
Seward, and published, after much revision, in New York in 1930). The wealth of
possibilities contained in this self-styled ‘theory of musical relativity’ has
influenced several generations of radical composers, in both America and
Europe.
Apart
from a brief sojourn in New York in late 1916, during which he studied at the
Institute of Musical Art and met Leo Ornstein, Cowell remained on the West
Coast until 1918. A second important influence there, after Seeger, was John O.
Varian, a Theosophist poet and mystic, who in some ways became a surrogate
parent to Cowell, especially after Clarissa's death. A regular visitor to the
Theosophist community at Halcyon, near Pismo Beach on the Pacific coast, Cowell
set several of Varian's texts (the earliest is The Prelude, c1914),
wrote a number of piano pieces influenced by his tales of Irish mythology, and
provided music for his ‘mythological opera’ The Building of Bamba
(1917), whose introductory number is ‘The Tides of Manaunaun’.
After
15 months in the army (1918–19), an experience that triggered his interest in
wind band music, Cowell began his career as a crusader for ultra-Modernism.
Performing his own piano works, he undertook five European tours (1923, 1926,
1929, 1931, 1932); he also visited Cuba (1930), gave frequent American
performances (formal New York début at Carnegie Hall, 4 Feb 1924), and was the
first American composer invited to the USSR (May 1929). His tone clusters and
direct manipulation of the piano's strings scandalized audiences, established
him as an international figure of notoriety, and generated terrific publicity
(‘Cowell displays new method of attacking piano’, as the New York Tribune
put it in 1924). But European Modernists, including Bartók and Schoenberg, took
him more seriously: the former, around 1923, asked Cowell's permission to use
clusters, while the latter invited him to perform for his Berlin composition
class in 1932. Dynamic Motion (1916) was probably among the pieces
Cowell played.
Cowell's
efforts on behalf of other contemporary composers were many: he founded the New
Music Society of California in 1925, and controlled the Pan American
Association of Composers for much of its existence (1928–34). Through these and
other organizations, he helped to promote concerts throughout America and
Europe. In 1927, he founded the quarterly score publication New Music,
which later expanded with an orchestra series, various special editions and a
record label. Among the numerous composers to benefit from his activities were
John J. Becker, Carlos Chávez, Ruth Crawford, Wallingford Riegger, Carl
Ruggles, Varèse and particularly Ives, who (anonymously) financed both New
Music and many of the concerts. Partly to bolster his promotional and
publishing efforts, Cowell wrote a stream of articles, gave countless
interviews and edited the symposium American Composers on American Music
(Stanford, CA, 1933). He also taught, both publicly (for instance at New York's
New School for Social Research) and privately: his students during this period
included Cage, Lou Harrison and Gershwin.
In
apparent contradiction to his ultra-Modernism, Cowell was interested in world
musics. As a child, he had been exposed less to Western art music than to
Appalachian, Irish, Chinese, Japanese and Tahitian music. Subsequently he became
acquainted with Indian music, and from the late 1920s regularly taught courses,
in New York and elsewhere, on ‘Music of the World's Peoples’. In 1931 he was
awarded a Guggenheim Foundation grant to study comparative musicology with
Erich von Hornbostel in Berlin; he also studied gamelan with Raden Mas Jodjhana
and Ramaleislan, and Carnatic theory with P. Sambamoorthy. His 1933 article
‘Towards Neo-Primitivism’ proved a turning-point in his career: as Ostinato
Pianissimo (1934) and the String Quartet no.4 ‘United’ (1936) show, he
increasingly followed his own advice in drawing on ‘those materials common to
the music of the peoples of the world, [in order] to build a new music
particularly related to our own century’.
Despite
his many professional successes, Cowell's private life was consistently
unsatisfactory. A bisexual, he had twice been involved in serious (though
tragic) relationships with women: Edna Smith was killed in a car accident in
1922, and Elsa Schmolke was unable to leave Hitler's Germany. He had also had
relationships with men, including one at Halcyon in 1922; in May 1936, he was
arrested at his Menlo Park home on a morals charge and spent the next four
years in San Quentin Penitentiary, where he taught, composed, wrote two
unpublished textbooks (The Nature of Melody and Rhythm) and
rehearsed the prison band. In 1940, after a vigorous campaign led by his
step-mother Olive Cowell and the folk-music scholar Sidney Hawkins Robertson,
he was released on parole. After moving to White Plains, New York, as Percy
Grainger's assistant, in September 1941 he married Robertson, who for the next
25 years provided the emotional security he had previously lacked. At the end
of 1942 he was pardoned by California governor Cuthbert Olson, primarily to
allow his promotion to Senior Music Editor within the overseas branch of the US
Office of War Information.
Although
now based on the East Coast, Cowell was able to pick up many of the threads of
his earlier life. Having relinquished control of New Music in 1936, he
edited it again for four years (1941–5). Teaching and related activities at the
New School for Social Research (1941–63) were supplemented by positions at
Columbia University (1949–65) and the Peabody Conservatory (1951–6), and by
many guest lectureships; among his postwar pupils were Dick Higgins, Philip
Corner and Burt Bacharach. A fresh stream of articles, many of them reviews (an
indeterminate number of which were co- or ghost-written by his wife), appeared
under Cowell's name. In 1955, the couple published Charles Ives and His
Music (New York, 1955, rev. 3/1983) a classic study of a composer Cowell
had championed for nearly 30 years. After the 1940s, Cowell's appearances as a
concert pianist were increasingly rare, but in 1963 he recorded 20 of his piano
works for Folkways Records. Although somewhat shunned by establishment
performance bodies (who were perhaps flummoxed by the increasing eclecticism of
his music) Cowell was lauded in other ways: he was the recipient of several
honorary doctorates, was elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters
(1951, vice-president 1962), was president of the ACA (1951–5), and was awarded
the Henry Hadley Medal by the National Association of American Composers and
Conductors (1962).
Plagued
by ill-health for much of his last decade, Cowell nevertheless pursued a
punishing schedule. Nine of the 20 completed symphonies date from this period,
as do nearly 150 other works, many of them substantial. The Cowells undertook a
world tour in 1956–7, sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation and the US State
Department, which included lengthy stays in Iran, India and Japan; among the
palpable results were the Persian Set (1957), Symphony no.13 ‘Madras’
(1956–8) and Ongaku (1957). In 1961, Cowell returned to Iran and Japan as
President John F. Kennedy's representative at the International Music
Conference in Teheran, and the East-West Music Encounter in Tokyo. After his
death in 1965, there was an increasing realization of his importance not only
as a Modernist maverick, but also as a postmodern prophet. The centenary of his
birth was celebrated at several major events, including a festival and
conference in New York, and on 16 March 1997, Kofi Annan, secretary-general of
the United Nations, paid tribute in a special address to his ‘contributions to
intercultural music’.
Cowell, Henry
2. Works.
Although
Lichtenwanger's catalogue of Cowell's works lists 966 items, the precise number
of his compositions is difficult to determine. Several catalogue entries are
groups of separate works (e.g. the 14 Ings, 1917–55); some ‘lost’ pieces
may be retitled versions of extant items (e.g. Three Pieces for Chamber
Orchestra, 1928); and some works reflect Cowell's Handelian tendency towards
recycling (e.g. Symphony no.15 ‘Thesis’, 1960). Whatever the actual total,
Cowell's prolificity – like that of his near-contemporaries Milhaud and
Villa-Lobos – is inevitably linked to a certain unevenness of quality. Thus,
balanced against his many fine and outstanding compositional achievements, are
works that are incomplete, insubstantial, or inconsequential, though almost
always possessing worthwhile or notable features.
Quantitative
and qualitative issues notwithstanding, Seeger opined as early as 1940 that ‘I can
think of no composer whose work is more difficult to evaluate … To him, music …
is a field, a tabula rasa, in which there are infinite possibilities of
combination’. Cowell openly declared his lack of interest in creating a
consistent and recognizable personal style: polystylism is thus an ever-present
feature of his music, as works as different as Resumé in Ten Movements
(1914) and the Trio in Nine Short Movements (1965) demonstrate. The former
includes ‘Savage [Music]’, a ‘Classic Sonate’, ‘Folk Music’ and a ‘Futurist’
coda-cadenza; the latter, in microcosm, runs a gamut of influences from
diatonic to chromatic, serious to humorous, folk to art, and conservative to
radical. Cowell was endlessly fascinated by the multitude of musical stimuli he
encountered, and was increasingly drawn to those that lay beyond his immediate
time and place. More importantly, he saw each as a colour to add to his
compositional palette.
The
crucial factor in Cowell's public acceptance was the degree to which his
technical and aesthetic interests were congruent with those of the musical
establishment. Until the 1930s, Cowell was best known for his ultra-Modern
works, the innovations of which constituted a compendium of contemporary
possibilities. Included are examples of extreme chromaticism (String Quartet
no.1, 1916; Seven Paragraphs, 1925); extreme rhythmic complexity (Quartet
Romantic, 1917); implied or actual polytempo or polymetre (Quartet
Euphometric, 1919); innovative notational devices, including graphic
notation (Fabric, 1920; A Composition, 1925); semi-improvised
music (Ensemble, 1924, rev. 1956); and the investigation of new
structural possibilities, both integral (String Quartet no.4, ‘United’, 1936)
and indeterminate (Mosaic Quartet, 1935; works in elastic form, including
the ‘Ritournelle’ from Les mariés de la Tour Eiffel, 1939). Particularly
influential were his investigations of new timbral resources: he was an early
exponent of proto-electronic instruments (the rhythmicon, developed in
association with Lev Termen, was featured in the concerto of 1931); of
non-Western and percussion instruments (thundersticks in Ensemble, 1924;
percussion in Ostinato Pianissimo, 1934); and especially of extended
piano techniques. Tone clusters first appeared in Adventures in Harmony
(1913) and became a common feature after his encounter with Ornstein in 1916.
Initially restricted to the piano, clusters were later used in chamber and
orchestral contexts: examples include sections of the String Quartet no.5
(1956) and the fifth (1948) and sixth (1952) symphonies. Clusters serve two
basic functions: in many works, including The Tides of Manaunaun
(?1917), the song Rest (1933) and the first movement of Rhythmicana
(1938), they act to colour material that is often diatonic and relatively simple.
Elsewhere, clusters constitute the basic sonic resource, as in Dynamic
Motion (1916), the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1928) and parts of 26
Simultaneous Mosaics (1963). The effect, though often acerbic, can also be
very beautiful, as the opening of the Piano Concerto's second movement
demonstrates. A similar overall view can be taken of Cowell's manipulation of
piano strings: the remarkable sounds produced by strumming, stroking, scraping,
muting or hitting the strings is used both colouristically (The Aeolian Harp,
c1923; Sinister Resonance, 1930) and as a more fundamental
resource which timbrally often approaches electro-acoustic music (The
Banshee, 1925; third movement of A Composition, 1925). Unrelated to
the above, but equally remarkable, were Cowell's imaginative theatrical
collaborations, including those for The Building of Bamba (1917), Fanati
(1935), Ritual of Wonder (1937), Trickster (Coyote) (1941) and
the various ‘elastic’ pieces composed for Martha Graham and others (whose
lengths can be expanded or contracted to fit with the choreographic or
theatrical needs).
Most
of these new ideas were introduced during the period before Cowell's arrest, in
a cultural climate which was broadly conducive to innovation and novelty. By
1940, however, much had changed. Cowell had already begun to move away from
ultra-Modernism towards both populism (he had been a member of the left-wing
Composers' Collective) and transculturalism, as the prefatory note to the
String Quartet no.4 ‘United’ (1936) and the article ‘Towards Neo-Primitivism’
make clear. After four years of comparative isolation in San Quentin, he found
that the effects of Franklin D. Roosevelt's ‘New Deal’ and the outbreak of
World War II made for a different America, less open to new ideas. Although he
increasingly composed in traditional genres (concerto, symphony) and for
conventional forces (band, orchestra), he seldom did so in expected or
acceptable ways; thus he became increasingly marginalized. All of the later
concertos are for unusual instruments (percussion, 1958; accordion, 1960;
harmonica, 1962; koto, 1961–2; 1965; harp, 1965) and most of the
symphonies from no.9 (1953) onwards are in five or more movements. Some recycle
earlier music (no.15 ‘Thesis’, 1960 is largely an orchestration of the Mosaic
Quartet, 1935 and the Movement for String Quartet, 1928), while others rely
on forms somewhat tangential to the Western symphonic tradition (jig, ballad
and hymn and fuguing tune). Several symphonies incorporate transcultural
elements (Indian music in no.13 ‘Madras’, 1956–8; Icelandic music in no.16,
1962), as do many other works, both overtly (Homage to Iran, 1957) and
covertly (Set of Five, 1952). Hymns and fuguing tunes – which Cowell
variously described as ‘frankly influenced by the early American style of
[William] Billings and [William] Walker’ and ‘something slow followed by
something fast’ – abound. The numbered set of 18 (1944–64) includes keyboard
and other solo works, chamber music, and pieces for orchestra and band;
numerous other examples occur in such pieces as the Violin Sonata (1945–6), the
String Quartet no.5 (1956), the Trio for flute, violin and harp (1962), and at
least eight of the symphonies. A quite different side of Cowell's personality
emerges in the substantial body of vocal music: the norm here is of unaffected
warmth and lyricism. Typical examples include the songs St. Agnes Morning
(c1914), The Pasture (1944) and Firelight and Lamp (1962),
and the choral pieces Luther's Carol for his Son (1948) and …if He
please (1955).
Cowell's
musical legacy is twofold. First, many of his advanced ideas – not least as
expounded in New Musical Resources – have been taken up by later
composers, both in America and Europe. For instance, Nancarrow's complex
rhythms and use of the player piano were both inspired by the book, and
Stockhausen's scales of tempo in Gruppen are very similar to those
proposed by Cowell. Second, Cowell's remarkable openness of mind, especially in
relation to timbre and to non-Western musics – he once stated his desire ‘to
live in the whole world of music’ – set an important precedent for his
own students, such as Cage and Harrison, who in turn influenced many younger
composers. As Goldman asserted in 1966, ‘[Cowell] helped two generations to see
and think and hear, and he helped to create and build a foundation for “modern”
music in America. This is not a small achievement; it is a gigantic one…’.
Cowell’s MSS and sketches are in US-Wc, his papers and some
MSS are held on deposit at US-Ny.
Cowell, Henry
WORKS
Catalogue:W. Lichtenwanger: The Music of Henry Cowell: a Descriptive
Catalog (Brooklyn, NY, 1986)
Fragments, sketches, composition exercises and most lost and
incomplete works are omitted, except where evidence of performance exists.
Numbers are from Lichtenwanger; letter suffixes denote arrangements, and
numbers following a diagonal indicate a movement or part of a larger work. To
facilitate cross-references between sections letter prefixes have been added.
Titles follow the forms in Lichtenwanger, except where indicated otherwise.
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AP
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anniversary piece (Cowell composed 85 short pieces for his wife
Sidney Robertson Cowell for various anniversaries beginning in 1941)
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pf-str
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piano strings (an indication that the part should be played
directly on the strings of the piano)
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<
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arranged as/developed into
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>
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arranged from/developed from
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†
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works not appearing in Lichtenwanger
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‡
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published work
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Index: A – Orchestral and band; B – Concertante; C – Choral; D –
Solo vocal; E – 5 or more instruments; F – 3–4 instruments; G – 2 instruments;
H – Solo instrumental; I – Keyboard; J – Music for dance and drama; K –
Arrangements
a: orchestral and band
b: concertante
c: choral
d: solo vocal
e: 5 or more instruments
f: 3–4 instruments
g: 2 instruments
h: solo instrumental
i: keyboard
j: music for dance and drama
k: arrangements
Cowell, Henry: Works
a: orchestral and band
for orch unless otherwise stated
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147
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The
Birth of Motion, c1914, inc. [part <a:221a]
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213/2a
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What’s
This?, 1920 [>i:213/2]
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221a
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‡Some
Music, 1922 [>lost pf piece and a:147]
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245
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Symphony
[no.1], b, 1918, rev. 1940
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253
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March,
1918–19
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289
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A
Symphonic Communication, 1919
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305a
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‡Vestiges,
1922 [>i:305]
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387a
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Manaunaun’s
Birthing, 1944, lost [>d:387]
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404
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Some
More Music, ?c1924, inc.
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415a
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Slow
Jig, 1933 [>i:415]
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439
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Three
Pieces for Chamber Orchestra, 1928, lost [? =a:443]
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443
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‡Sinfonietta,
chmbr orch, 1928; as Marked Passages, cond. N. Slonimsky, Boston, 28 April
1928 [? =a:439; movts 1 and 2 >movts 1 and 2 of e:380; movt 3 >i:429]
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463/1a
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Reel
(Lilt of the Reel), small orch, 1932; cond. B. Herrmann, New York, 17 May
1933 [>no.1 of i:463]
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463/1b
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Reel
for CBS Orchestra, 1942 [>no.1 of i:463]
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464
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‡Synchrony
of Dance, Music, Light, retitled Orchesterstück: Synchrony, 1930; cond.
Slonimsky, Paris, 6 June 1931
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475
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[untitled],
?1920–30
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484
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Two
Appositions: One Movement for Orchestra, 1932, lost; cond. Slonimsky, Paris,
21 Feb 1932 [arr. str, 484a; <i:484b]
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486
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Four
Continuations for String Orchestra, 1932; cond. J. Edward Powers, Brooklyn,
NY, 10 Dec 1933
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493
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Horn
Pipe, 1933; cond. A. Roldán, Havana, 22 Oct 1933
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499
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Suite
for Small Orchestra, 1934; cond. C. Vrionides, New York, 21 May 1934
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506
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Reel
no.2, small orch, 1934; cond. J. Becker, Minneapolis, 9 Jan 1941 [arr. large
orch, 506a]
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523
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How
they Take It: Prison Moods, band, 1936, lost [arr. theatre orch, 523a, ?1937,
lost]
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527
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Jig
in Four, 1936
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541
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‡Symphony
no.2 ‘Anthropos’, 1938: 1 Repose, 2 Activity, 3 Repression, 4 Liberation;
cond. Cowell, Brooklyn, NY, 9 March 1941
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543
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‡Celtic
Set, concert band, 1938: 1 Interlochen Camp Reel, 2 Caoine, 3 Hornpipe; cond.
P. Grainger, Selinsgrove, PA, 6 May 1938 [arr. orch, 543a, 1944; <i:543b, <I:543c]
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545
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Air
for Band, 1938
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547a
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‡Symphonic
Set, op.17, 1938; cond. I. Solomon, Chicago, 1 April 1940 [>f:547]
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567
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‡Old
American Country Set, 1939: 1 Blarneying Lilt, 2 Meetinghouse Chorale, 3
Comallye, 4 Charivari, 5 Cornhusking Hornpipe; cond. F. Sevitzky,
Indianapolis, 28 Feb 1940 [no.1 arr. small orch, 567/1a, 1940, lost, arr.
band, 567/1b, 1941]
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571
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‡Shoonthree
(The Music of Sleep), band, 1939; cond. R.F. Goldman, Mansfield, PA, 3 May
1940
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574
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Quaint
Minuet, band, 1939, lost [arr., 574a, lost]
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576
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Vox
humana, 1939 [arr. band, 576a, lost]
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579
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The
Exuberant Mexican: Danza latina, band, 1939 [arr. pf; 579a, lost]
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587
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‡Pastoral
and Fiddler’s Delight, 1940; cond. L. Stokowski, New York, 26 July 1940
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594
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American
Melting Pot Set for Chbr Orch, 1940: 1 Chorale (Teutonic-American), 2 Air
(Afro-American), 3 Satire (Franco-American), 4 Alapna (Oriental-American), 5
Slavic Dance (Slavic-American), 6 Rhumba with added 8th (Latin-American), 7
Square Dance (Celtic-American); cond. F. Petrides, New York, 3 May 1943
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595
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58
for Percy, band, 1940 [<f:595a]
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597
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‡Ancient
Desert Drone, 1940; cond. Grainger, South Bend, IN, 12 Jan 1941 [<g:597a; ‡arr. small orch, 597b]
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598
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Purdue,
1940; cond. Sevitzky, West Lafayette, IN, 19 Dec 1940
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599
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A
Bit o’ Blarney (This One is a Wise-Cracker), band, 1940, inc.
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610
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Indiana
University Overture, 1941
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617
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‡Shipshape
Overture, band, 1941; cond. Goldman, State College, PA, 31 July 1941
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625
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Festive
Occasion, band, 1942; cond. Cowell, New York, 3 July 1942
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634
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‡Fanfare
to the Forces of our Latin-American Allies, brass, perc, 1942; cond. E.
Goossens, Cincinnati, 30 Oct 1942
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636
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‡Gaelic
Symphony (Symphony no.3), band, str, 1942; movt 1, cond. E. Williams,
Saugerties, NY, 24 July 1942
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645
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‡American
Pipers, 1943; cond. P. Henrotte, New Orleans, 12 Jan 1949
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647
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‡Philippine
Return: Rondo on Philippine Folk Songs, 1943: 1 Introduction, 2 Iluli si
nonoy [Iloilo Cradle Song], 3 An mananguete [Leyte Coconut Gatherer’s song],
4 Pispis ining pikoy [Visayan Game Song], 5 Kalusan [Bataues Rowing Song]
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648
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‡United
Music, 1943; cond. K. Krueger, Detroit, 23 Jan 1944
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651a
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‡Hymn
and Fuguing Tune [no.1], sym. band, 1944; cond. E.F. Goldman, New York, 14
June 1944 [>i:651]
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652
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Improvisation
on a Persian Mode, 1943
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656
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Symphonic
Sketch, c1943, inc., realized D. Porter
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657
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‡Hymn
and Fuguing Tune no.2, str, 1944; WEAF radio, cond. H. Nosco, New York, 23
March 1944
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659
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‡Animal
Magic of the Alaskan Esquimo, band, 1944
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660
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‡Hymn
and Fuguing Tune no.3, 1944; cond. I. Dahl, Los Angeles, 14 April 1951 [<i:660a]
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673a
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‡Hymn
and Fuguing Tune no.5, str, ? 1946; cond. F.C. Adler, Saratoga Springs, NY,
15 Sept 1946 [>c:673, a:788]
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679
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‡Big
Sing, 1945: 1 Fanfare, 2 Hymn, 3 Testimonials, 4 Great Rejoicing; cond.
?Cowell, Fresno, CA, 27 May 1946
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687
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Band
Piece, ?1940–45
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688
|
Hymn
for Strings, str, 1946; cond. Cowell, Denton, TX, 22 March 1946
|
|
689
|
‡Grandma’s
Rhumba, band, 1946
|
|
692
|
Festival
Overture for Two Orchestras, 1946; cond. W.E. Knuth, Interlochen, MI, 11 Aug
1946
|
|
693
|
Congratulations!
To Mr. and Mrs. Howard Hanson, str, 1946
|
|
697
|
‡Symphony
no.4 (Short Symphony), 1946: 1 Hymn, 2 Ballad, 3 Dance, 4 Introduction and
Fuguing Tune; cond. R. Burgin, Boston, 24 Oct 1947 [movt 4 >fuguing tune
of i:696]
|
|
705/3a
|
‡Ballad,
str, 1954; cond. F. Balazs, Tucson, AZ, 27 Nov 1956 [>movt 3 of g:705]
|
|
719
|
‡Saturday
Night at the Firehouse, 1948
|
|
722
|
‡Symphony
no.5, 1948; cond. H. Kindler, Washington, DC, 5 Jan 1949
|
|
732
|
‡A
Curse and a Blessing, sym. band, 1949; cond. R.F. Goldman, Brooklyn, NY, 21
July 1949
|
|
744
|
‡Overture
for Large Orchestra, 1949; cond. C. Brown, Santa Rosa, CA, 1 Dec 1968
|
|
767
|
Air
of the Glen/Song of the Glen, band, ?c1950–51: 1 Andante – Trio, 2
Schottische; movt 1 arr. as Air for String Orchestra, 767/1b, 1953, inc. [movt
1 <b:767/1a]
|
|
769
|
Fantasie
(Enigma Variations) on a Theme by Ferdinand [Friedrich] Kücken, band, 1952;
cond. F. Resta, West Point, NY, 30 May 1952
|
|
770
|
‡Symphony
no.6, 1952; cond. Stokowski, Houston, 14 Nov 1955
|
|
774
|
‡Rondo
for Orchestra, 1952; cond. Sevitzky, Indianapolis, 6 Dec 1953
|
|
776
|
‡Symphony
no.7, small orch, 1952; cond. R. Stewart, Baltimore, 25 Nov 1952
|
|
778
|
Symphony
no.8, opt. A, chorus, orch, 1952; cond. T. Johnson, Wilmington, OH, 1 March
1953
|
|
787
|
‡Symphony
no.9, 1953; cond. R. Holder, Green Bay, WI, 14 March 1954 [movt 1 >hymn of
g:758]
|
|
788
|
‡Symphony
no.10, 1953; cond. F. Bibo, New York, 24 Feb 1957 [movts 1 and 2 >a:673a, movts 5 and 6>f:713]
|
|
790
|
‡Symphony
no.11: Seven Rituals of Music, 1953; cond. R. Whitney, Louisville, 29 May
1954
|
|
797
|
‡Singing
Band, concert band, 1953; cond. Cowell, Central Park, New York, 18 June 1954
|
|
801/1
|
In
Memory of a Great Man, 1954, inc., = no.1 of [6] Memorial Pieces [for
nos.2–4, 6, see i:801/2, c:801/3,
i:801/4, g:801/6; 801/5, frag.]
|
|
807
|
Toward
a Bright Day, 1954: 1 Reel, 2 Vivace
|
|
816
|
Dalton
Suite, school orch, 1955; New York, 16 April 1956
|
|
830
|
‡Symphony
no.12, 1955–6; cond. Stokowski, Houston, 28 March 1960
|
|
833
|
‡Variations
for Orchestra, 1956, rev. 1959; cond. Johnson, Cincinnati, 23 Nov 1956
|
|
838
|
‡Persian
Set, chmbr orch, 1957; cond. A. Dorati, Tehrān, Iran, 17 Sept 1957
|
|
839
|
Teheran
Movement, chbr orch, 1957
|
|
842
|
‡Music
for Orchestra, 1957; cond. Dorati, Athens, Greece, 3 Sept 1957
|
|
846
|
‡Ongaku,
1957; cond. Whitney, Louisville, 26 March 1958
|
|
848
|
‡Symphony
no.13 ‘Madras’, 1956–8; cond. T. Scherman, Madras, India, 3 March 1959
|
|
865
|
‡Antiphony
for Divided Orchestra, 1959; cond. H. Schwieger. Kansas City, MO, 14 Nov 1959
|
|
867
|
Mela
(Fair), 1959, inc.: 1 Thanksgiving, 2 Sowing after Rain, 3 Harvest – The Joy
of Fulfillment; broadcast New Delhi, India, 13 Dec 1959
|
|
869
|
Characters,
1959: 1 Cowboy, 2 The Mysterious Oriental, 3 The Profound One, 4 Deep
Thinker, 5 The Frightened Scurrier, 6 The Celestial Soul, 7 The Jaunty
Irishman
|
|
874
|
‡Symphony
no.14, 1959–60; cond. H. Hanson, Washington, DC, 27 April 1961
|
|
887
|
‡Symphony
no.15: ‘Thesis’, 1960; cond. Whitney, Murray, KY, 7 Oct 1961 [movts 1–4 >f:518, movt 6 >f:450]
|
|
888
|
Suite,
?str, ?1950–60, score missing but parts complete
|
|
892
|
‡Chiaroscuro,
1961; cond. J.M.F. Gil, Guatemala City, 13 Oct 1961
|
|
904
|
Andante,
1962
|
|
909/2a
|
‡Carol,
1965; cond. F. Autori, Tulsa, OK, 16 Nov 1968 [>movt 2 of b:909]
|
|
912
|
‡Symphony
no.16 ‘Icelandic’, 1962; cond. W. Strickland, Reykjavik, Iceland, 21 March
1963
|
|
916
|
‡Symphony
no.17, 1963
|
|
921a
|
‡Hymn
and Fuguing Tune no.16, 1964; cond. Bernstein, New York, 6 Oct 1966 [>g:921]
|
|
930
|
‡Symphony
no.18, 1964
|
|
932
|
‡The
Tender and the Wild, 1964
|
|
942
|
Twilight
in Texas, 1965; cond. A. Kostelanetz, New York, 20 June 1968
|
|
943
|
‡Symphony
no.19, 1965; cond. W. Page, Nashville, TN, 18 Oct 1965
|
|
945
|
‡Symphony
no.20, 1965, movt 4 completed and orchd L. Harrison
|
|
946
|
Symphony
no.21, 1965, sketches
|
Cowell, Henry: Works
b: concertante
|
96
|
[concerto],
?A , pf, orch, 1914,
lost
|
|
440
|
‡Concerto
for Piano and Orchestra, 1928; movts 1 and 2, Cowell (pf), New York, 26 April
1930; complete, Cowell, cond. P. Sanjuan, Havana, 28 Dec 1930 [movt 1
>movt 1 of e:406]
|
|
452
|
Irish
Suite, conc., pf-str, chbr orch, 1928–9: 1 The Banshee, 2 The Leprechaun, 3
The Fairy Bells; Cowell, cond. Slonimsky, Boston, 11 March 1929 [movt 1 >i:405, movt 2 >i:448, movt 3 >i:447]
|
|
481
|
‡Concerto
for Rhythmicon and Orchestra, 1931, orig. entitled Rhythmicana; realized
cptr, orch, L. Smith, cond. S. Salgo, Palo Alto, CA, 3 Dec 1971
|
|
605
|
‡Four
Irish Tales, pf, orch, 1940: 1 The Tides of Manaunaun, 2 Exultation, 3 The
Harp of Life, 4 The Lilt of the Reel; Cowell, cond. F. Mahler, New York, 24
Nov 1940 [no.1 >i:219/1, no.2 >i:328,
no.3 >i:384, no.4 >no.1 of i:463]
|
|
620
|
Suite
for Piano and String Orchestra, 1941, pf pt inc., reconstructed D. Tudor;
Cowell, cond. J. Wolffers, Boston, 11 Jan 1942 [movts 3–5 <620a]
|
|
620a
|
‡Little
Concerto, pf, band, 1941; Cowell, cond. F. Resta, West Point, NY, 25 Jan 1942
[> movts 3–5 of a:620]; ‡arr. pf, orch, 1945, 620b
|
|
767/1a
|
‡Air,
vn, str, 1952 [>movt 1 of a:767]
|
|
771
|
‡Flirtatious
Jig (Fiddler’s Jig), vn, str, 1952
|
|
813
|
‡Hymn
and Fuguing Tune no.10, ob, str, 1955; cond. Stokowski, Santa Barbara, CA, 10
Sept 1955 [not = h:798]
|
|
861
|
‡Concerto
for Percussion and Orchestra, 1958; cond. Schwieger, Kansas City, MO, 7 Jan
1961
|
|
878
|
‡Concerto
brevis for Accordion and Orchestra, 1960
|
|
882
|
‡Variations
on 3rds for Two Violas and String Orchestra, 1960; cond. D. Antoun, New York,
10 Feb 1961
|
|
894
|
‡Duo
concertante, fl, hp, orch, 1961; J. Baker, G. Agostini, cond. J. Wiley,
Springfield, OH, 21 Oct 1961
|
|
897a
|
‡Air
and Scherzo for Alto Saxophone and Small Orchestra, 1963 [>g:897]
|
|
908
|
‡Concerto
for Harmonica [and Orchestra], 1962 R. Bonfiglio, cond. L. Foss, Brooklyn,
NY, 4 April 1986
|
|
909
|
‡Concerto
[no.1] for Koto and Orchestra, 1961–2; K. Eto, cond. Stokowski, Philadelphia,
18 Dec 1964 [movt 2 <a:909/2a]
|
|
917
|
‡Concerto
grosso, fl, ob, cl, vc, hp, str, 1963; cond. Sevitzky, Miami Beach, FL, 12
Jan 1964
|
|
940
|
‡Concerto
no.2 for Koto and Orchestra in the Form of a Symphony, 1965; S. Yuize, cond.
M. di Bonaventura, Hanover, NH, 8 May 1965
|
|
947
|
Concerto
for Harp and Orchestra, 1965
|
Cowell, Henry: Works
c: choral
|
53
|
O
salutaris, SATB, pf, 1913
|
|
95
|
Maker
of Day, Mez, A, Bar, chorus, timp, pf, 1914
|
|
148
|
[choral
sketch], 4vv, c1914
|
|
154
|
The
Wave of D […], 3vv, pf, ?c1914
|
|
218
|
The
Light of Peace, chorus, pf, 1917
|
|
219/8[?]
|
The
Birth of Midyar, SATB, pf, 1917
|
|
236
|
The
Sun Shines: Chorale, 9-pt chorus, 1917
|
|
276a
|
‡Psalm
cxxi, chorus, 1953 [>d:276]
|
|
533a
|
‡The
Road Leads into Tomorrow (D. Hagemeyer), 8vv, pf ad lib, 1947 [arr. from lost
song]
|
|
536
|
‡The
Morning Cometh (T. Chalmers Furness), chorus, 1937
|
|
546
|
‡The
Coming of Light (Hagemeyer), 4-pt female vv/4 solo vv, 1938
|
|
562
|
‡Spring
at Summer’s End (Hagemeyer), SSA, ?c1938
|
|
586
|
Easter
Music, chorus, band, 1940, lost: 1 The Passion, 2 The Vigil at the Cross, 3
The Resurrection
|
|
640
|
‡Fire
and Ice (R. Frost), male vv, band, 1943
|
|
641
|
‡American
Muse (S.V. Benét), 2-pt female vv, pf, 1943: 1 American Muse, 2 Swift Runner,
3 Immensity of Wheel
|
|
655
|
Hail,
Mills! (L. Seltzer), SSA, pf, c1943
|
|
673
|
Hymn
and Fuguing Tune no.5, 5vv, 1945 [arr. as a:673a]
|
|
675
|
‡The
Irishman Lilts (Henry Cowell), female vv, pf, 1945
|
|
690
|
‡Air
Held her Breath (canon A. Lincoln), SATB, 1946 [AP]
|
|
691
|
‡To
America (Hagemeyer), SSAATTBB, 1946
|
|
707
|
Union
of Voices, 6-pt female vv, ?1945–6
|
|
712
|
‡Day,
Evening, Night, Morning (P.L. Dunbar), 6-pt male vv, 1947
|
|
715
|
‡The
Lily’s Lament (E. Harald [Lomax]), SSA, pf, 1947
|
|
716
|
‡Sweet
was the Song the Virgin Sung (Sweet Christmas Song) (early 17th-century),
SATB, pf/org/str, 1948
|
|
723
|
‡Luther’s
Carol for his Son (Luther), TTBB, 1948
|
|
727
|
‡Do
you Doodle as you Dawdle? (Henry Cowell), chorus, pf, drums ad lib, 1948
|
|
728
|
‡Evensong
at Brookside: a Father’s Lullaby (Harry Cowell), male vv, 1948
|
|
731
|
Do,
Do, Do, is C, C, C (Henry Cowell), children’s chorus, pf, ?c1948
|
|
733
|
‡Ballad
of the Two Mothers (Harald), SSATBarB, 1949
|
|
750
|
‡To
a White Birch (Hagemeyer), chorus, 1950
|
|
759
|
‡Song
for a Tree (Hagemeyer), SSA, opt. pf, 1950
|
|
775
|
With
Choirs Divine (J.T. Shotwell), SSA, 1952
|
|
781
|
Mountain
Tree (Hagemeyer), chorus, 1952
|
|
796
|
Psalm
xxxiv, SATB, unacc./org, 1953
|
|
801/3
|
A
Thanksgiving for Ruth Strongin (S.R. Cowell), SSATB/S, pf/org/any 5 insts,
1954, no.3 of [6] Memorial Pieces [see also a:801/1]
|
|
818
|
‡…
if He please (E. Taylor), chorus, boys’/children’s chorus, orch/pf, 1955;
cond. W. Strickland, Carnegie Hall, New York, 29 Feb 1956
|
|
819
|
‡The
Tree of Life (Taylor), chorus, 1955
|
|
829
|
‡Lines
from the Dead Sea Scrolls, TTTBBB, orch, 1956; cond. H. Ross, Tanglewood, MA,
7 July 1956
|
|
873
|
[possible
Malayan national anthem], vv, band, 1959
|
|
881
|
‡Edson
Hymns and Fuguing Tunes (L. Edson, Jr.), suite, chorus, orch, 1960; ‡arr.
chorus, org, 881a, ?1960; ‡arr. chorus, band, 881b
|
|
902
|
‡Supplication:
Processional (Henry Cowell), org, 2 tpt, 2 trbn, unison vv, timp ad lib, 1962
|
|
919
|
‡The
Creator (orat, G.R. Derzhavin), S, A, T, B, chorus, orch, 1963; cond. R.L.
Hause, De Land, FL, 1 May 1964
|
|
929
|
‡Ultima
actio (J. de Diego, trans. J. Machlis), SSATB, 1964; cond. A. Rodriguez, New
York, 22 Sept 1965
|
|
938
|
Zapados
sonidos, SSAATTBB, tap dancer, 1964
|
|
969
|
My
Spinning Wheel Complete (Taylor), chorus, ?1955†
|
Cowell, Henry: Works
d: solo vocal
all for 1v, pf, unless otherwise stated
|
92
Jesus was born at Christmas, 1v, unacc., ?c1913; 93 Maternal Love (L.
Smith Wood), ?c1913; 100 Follow [to the Wild Wood Weeds], 1914; 104/8
That Sir which serves and seeks for gain (W. Shakespeare), 1914 [see i:104]; 104/9 And will he not come again? (Shakespeare), 1914
[see i:104]; 104/10 If she be made of red and white
(Shakespeare), 1914, lost [see i:104]; 104/11 You that
choose not by the view (Shakespeare), 1914, lost [see i:104];
106 Sonnet on the Sea’s Voice (G. Sterling), 1914; 123 Among the Rushes (C.
Dixon), 1914; 125 The Fish’s Toes (Dixon), 1914
|
|
129
Bed in Summer (R.L. Stevenson), 1914; 131 Rain (Stevenson), 1914; 134 Time to
Rise (Stevenson), 1914; 135 Looking Forward (Stevenson), 1914; 136 At the
Seaside (Stevenson), 1914; 145 Where Go the Boats (Stevenson), 1914; 146 A
Baby’s Smile (Smith Wood), c1914; 151 The Prelude (J.O. Varian), c1914;
152 ‡St. Agnes Morning (M. Anderson), c1914; 157 My Auntie (Dixon),
1915; 159 A Song of Courage (Dixon), 1915; 161 Jealousy: Land and Sea
(Dixon), 1915; 164 God of the Future (Varian), 1915; 174 White Death (C.A.
Smith), 1915; 175 The Dream Bridge (Smith), 1915
|
|
177
I dreamed I lay where flowers were springing (Burns), 1915; 182 Light and Joy
(Dixon), 1915; 182 Vive Liberty: an Anthem (Dixon), ?c1915; 186 Vive
Liberty: an Anthem (Dixon), ?c1915; 192 The First Jasmines (R.
Tagore), 1v, vn, pf, 1916; 198 The Wisest Wish (Dixon), 1916; 204 Christmas
Song (E.R. Veblen), 1916; 207 Invocation (Varian), 1916; 215 March Men of the
Earth (Varian), 1v/vv, pf, c1916 [acc. inc.]; 216 Psalm vii [recte Ps.
viii], c1916; 222 Oh, could I mount on fairy wings (F.G. Currier),
1917; 226 Look Deep, 1917; 228 Angus Og (Varian), 1917; 230 Consecration
(Currier), 1917
|
|
238
The Chauldron (Varian), S, A, T, B, pf, ?c1916–17, inc.; 244 The
Morning Pool (Smith), 1918; 248 Democracy (Varian), 1918–19; 250 April (E.
Pound), 1918–19; 251 Mother (T. Helburn), 1918–19; 256 Homing (L. Brower),
1918; 258 System (Stevenson), 1918–19; 261 My Summer (W. Brooks), 1918–19;
268 A Vision (L. Brown), 1918–19; 270 We’ll Build our Bungalows (?Henry
Cowell), 1v/vv, pf, ?1918, refrain lost; 274 Prayer for Mary, 1919
|
|
276
Psalm cxxi, 1919 [<c:276a]; 278 There is a Light
(Varian), 1919; 282 Oh, let me breathe into the happy air (Keats), 1919; 291
The Daga’s Song of the Hero Sun (Varian), c1919; 296 The Sun’s Travels
(Stevenson), ?1917–19; 297 To a Skylark (Shelley), 1920; 299 To my Valentine,
1920; 317 Forget me not, c1920; 319 Grief Song (Veblen), c1920;
322 Before and After (text and tune, T. Glynn), ?1915–20; 329 My Love (Harry
Cowell), 1921
|
|
331
Auntie’s Skirts (Stevenson), 1921; 337 Olivia (Harry Cowell), c1921;
344 Allegro and Burden, ? 1916–21; 358 Music, when Soft Voices Die (Shelley),
1922; 363 The Song of the Silence (Harry Cowell), 1922; 364 The Dream of My
Life, 1v, unacc., ?c1922; 365 Sentence (W. Bynner), ?c1922; 387
‡Manaunaun’s Birthing (Varian), 1924 [<a:387a]; 400
‡Where she Lies (E. St. Vincent Millay), 1924
|
|
414
The Fairy Fountain (Harry Cowell), ?c1925; 417 Our Sun (Varian), ?c1925;
419 Reconciliation (G.W. Russell), T, org, ?c1920–25; 420 Shelter my
soul, O my love (S. Naidu), ?c1920–25; 421 The Willow Waltz, ?c1920–25;
425 Carl’s Birthday [Ruggles] (?Henry Cowell), ?1926; 427 The Gift of Being
(G.W. Russell), 1926; 436 Dust and Flame (J. Rantz), c1927; 455
Renewal (Dixon), 1929; 474 Milady of Dreams, ? 1920–30; 477 ‡How Old is Song?
(Harry Cowell), 1931 [<g:477a]; 492 ‡Sunset, Rest
(C. Riegger), 2 songs, 1933
|
|
497
Proletarian Songs and a March, 1v/vv, pf/unacc., ?1930–33: 1 Canned, 2 Free
Nations United!, 4 [Proletarian Song], 5 We can win together, 6 Working men
unite, we must put up a fight! [for no.3 see i:497/3];
502 Love, Creator of Creation (C.E.S. Wood), 1934; 504 Introspection (E.
White), 1v, fl, pf, 1934; 507 Relativity (S. Giffin), 1934; 509 Plan ahead
(C.W. Eliot), ?c1934; 538 6 Songs on Mother Goose Rhymes, 1v/vv, pf,
1937: 1 Curly Locks, 2 Polly put the Kettle on, 3 Three Wise Men, 4 Dr.
Foster went to Gloucester, 5 Goosey, 6 Tommy Trot
|
|
542
‡3 Anti-Modernist Songs, 1938: 1 A sharp where you’d expect a natural, 2
Hark! From the pit a fearsome sound, 3 Who wrote this fiendish ‘Rite of
Spring’?; 575 Up from the Wheelbarrow (O. Nash), 1939; 604 Mice Lament (E.
Grainger), 1v, pf-str, 1940; 665 ‡The Pasture (Frost), 1944 [AP]; 694
‡Daybreak (Blake), 1946; 695 ‡The Donkey (G.K. Chesterton), 1946
|
|
698
‡March in Three Beats (J.W. Beattie), 1v/vv, pf, 1946; 702 Family
Ruellan-Taylor, 3 solo vv, 1946; 760 Signature of Light (Hagemeyer), 1951;
762 Her smile is as sweet as a rose (? Henry Cowell), 1v, ?unacc., 1951; 783
‡The Little Black Boy (Blake), 1952, rev. 1954; 803 The Commission (sym.
Cant., C. McPhee), 4 solo vv, orch, 1954, orchd H. Bloch; 808 ‡Spring Comes
Singing (Hagemeyer), 1954; 814 [St Francis’ Prayer for Our Day], 4 solo vv,
1955 [AP]
|
|
820
Because the Cat (B.A. Davis), ?1951–5; 824 ‡Septet for [5] Madrigal Singers,
Cl, and Kbd, 1956; 825 Crane (P. Colum), 1956; 826 I heard in the night
(Colum), (1v, pf/fl/cl/va)/(S, fl), 1956; 827 Night Fliers (Colum), 1956; 858
A Tune for Jennie (Cowell, 1v, 1958; 864 Spring Pools (Frost), ?c1958;
879 High Let the Song Ascend (hymn), 1v, fl, pf, 1960; 891 Music I Heard (C.
Aiken), 1961; 910 ‡Firelight and Lamp (G. Baro), 1962; 935 3 Songs (L.
Hughes), 1v, fl/vn, cl, vc, 1964: I Demand, 2 Moonlight, 3 Fulfillment; 939
The Eighth-Note Jig (R. Brown), ?1960–64; 955 The Word External (?Cowell),
?1917
|
Cowell, Henry: Works
e: 5 or more instruments
|
328a
‡Exultation (4 vn, 2 va, 2 vc, db)/str orch, 1930 [>i:328];
340 Carl’s Birthday [Ruggles], 3 cl, hn, str qt, pf, c1920–21; 380
‡Ensemble: Str Qnt with Thunder Sticks, 1924, ‡rev. 1956, 380b [movts 1 and 2
a:443]; 406 ‡A Composition, pf-str, ens, 1925 [movt 1 a:440, movt 2 < i:406/2a]; 458
‡Polyphonica, 12 insts/chbr orch, 1930; 491b ‡Suite for Ww Qnt, 1934
[>movts 2, 4, 5, 6 of g:491]; 505 ‡Ostinato
pianissimo, 8 perc, 1934, cond. J. Cage, New York, 7 Feb 1943; 521 Dance
Forms, 3 melody insts, 2 perc, 1936
|
|
548
4 Assorted Movts, fl, ob, cl, b cl, bn, hn, pf ad lib, 1938: 1 Hoedown, 2
Taxim, 3 Tala, 4 Chorale; 565 ‡Pulse, perc, 1939, cond. Cage, Seattle, 19 May
1939; 639 ‡Action in Brass, brass qnt, 1943: 1 Dancing Brass, 2 Singing
Brass, 3 Fighting Brass; 643 This is America 1943, fanfare, 4 tpt, 3 trbn,
tuba, 1943; 684 ‡Party Pieces [Sonorous and Exquisite Corpses], ?c1945,
20 pieces by Thomson, Cowell, Cage, and Harrison; Cowell contributed to
nos.3, 9, 10, 12–20 [arr. fl, cl, bn, hn, pf, by R. Hughes]
|
|
705/3b
‡Ballad, ww qnt, 1956 [>movt 3 of g:705]; 709 ‡Tall
Tale, brass sextet, 1947; 717 ‡Tune Takes a Trip, cl choir/qnt, 1948; 729
Grinnell Fanfare, brass, org, 1948; 772 4 Trumpets for Alan [Hovhaness], 4
tpt, muted pf, 1952; 837 Taxim, Round and F[uguing] T[une], inst ens, 1957,
fuguing tune inc.; 851 ‡Rondo (for Brass), 3 tpt, 2 hn, 2 trbn, 1958; 923 ‡26
Simultaneous Mosaics, cl, vn, vc, pf, perc, 1963
|
Cowell, Henry: Works
f: 3–4 instruments
|
24
Pf Quartette, 3vn, pf, ?1912; 160 Scenario, 2vn, vc, pf, 1915; 162 Quartett,
str qt, 1915; 166 Minuetto, str qt, 1915; 197 ‡Str Qt [no.1] (Quartett
Pedantic), 1916; 223 ‡Quartet Romantic, 2 fl, vn, va, 1917; 283 ‡Quartet
Euphometric, str qt, 1919; 332 Movt, str qt, 1921; 383 ‡4 Combinations for 3
Insts, vn, vc, pf, 1924 [movt 2 < movt 1 of g:397];
408 ‡7 Paragraphs, vn, va/vn, vc, 1925; 438 4 Little Solos for Str Qt, 1928;
450 ‡Movt for Str Qt (Str Qt no.2), 1928 [a:887]
|
|
518
‡Mosaic Qt (Str Qt no.3), 1935 [a:887]; 522 ‡Str Qt
no.4 ‘United Qt’, 1936; 524 ‡Vocalise, 1v, fl, pf, 1936; 547 ‡Toccanta, S,
fl, vc, pf, 1940, arr. as Music Lovers’ Set of Five, fl, vn, vc, pf, 547b,
1940, lost [<a:547a]; 566 Return, 3/4 perc, 1939,
cond. Cage, Seattle, 19 May 1939; 595a 58 for Percy, 3 hmnm, 1940 [>a:595]; 628 ‡60 for 3 Sax, 1942; 650 R[uellan]-T[aylor]
‘Family Suite’, s rec, s/a rec, t rec, 1943; 662 Sonatina, Bar, vn, pf, 1944
[AP]; 664 Hymn and Fuguing Tune no.4, (s rec, a rec, b rec)/ww/str, 1944 [AP]
|
|
668
Sonatina, Bar, vn, pf, 1944; 713 ‡Hymn, Chorale, and Fuguing Tune no.8, str
qt, 1947 [a:788]; 737 ‡Sailor’s Hornpipe: the Sax-Happy
Qt, 4 sax, 1949; 741 Christmas for Sidney 1949, s rec, a rec, t rec, kbd,
1944 [AP]; 779 ‡Set of Five, vn, pf, perc, 1952; 786 ‡For 50, s rec, a rec, t
rec, 1953, pubd as no.2 of 3 Pieces for 3 Rec; 789 Song for Claire, 3 rec,
kbd, 1953; 800 ‡, ‘Duet for 3 Rec’ Sonata, sopranino/s rec, s rec, a rec,
1954 [AP]; 802 ‡Qt for fl, ob, vc, hpd, 1954, ‡arr. fl, ob, vc, hp, 802a,
1962
|
|
806
‡Pelog, 2 s rec, a rec, 1954 [AP], pubd as no.1 of 3 Pieces for 3 Rec; 809
‡Jig, s rec, s/a rec, a rec, 1955 [AP], pubd as no.3 of 3 Pieces for 3 Rec;
832 ‡Str Qt no.5, 1956; 843 Wedding Anniversary Music, a rec/vn, vn/cl/ hn,
vc/bn/hn, 1957 [AP]; 850 ‡Hymn and Fuguing Tune no.12, 3 hn, 1958; 890 Sax
Qt, 1961; 898 Family Rondo, 3 kotos, 1961; 901 Love on June 2, 1962, fl, vn,
pf, 1962 [AP]; 903 ‡Trio for fl, vn, hp, 1962; 941 ‡Trio in 9 Short Movts,
vn, vc, pf, 1965; 960 Paragraph, fl, tuba, va, ?1924/5 [ded. Ruggles]
|
Cowell, Henry: Works
g: 2 instruments
|
71
[A Prince who was Apart]: 1 March, lost, 2 Wedding Music, vn, pf, 1913 [no.2
= no.12 of j:70]; 74 Rondo, vn, pf, 1913; 104/1 Vn
Stucke, vn, pf, 1914 [= no.1 of i:104]; 150 Minuetto,
vn, pf, c1914; 153 Vn Piece no.1, vn, pf, ?c1914; 158 Sonata,
vc, pf, 1915 [MS has Sonate]; 180 Vn Piece no.2: Phantasmagoria, vn, pf,
1915; 199 Air, vn, pf, 1916; 263 Vn Song (Love Song), vn, pf, 1918–19; 264 Va
Song, va, pf, 1918–19; 304 Mazurka, e, vn, pf, 1920; 320 Reminiscence, vn,
pf, c1920; 352 Gavotte, vn, pf, 1922
|
|
357
Minuetto, vn, pf, 1922; 368 Chiaroscuro, vn, pf, 1923; 392 Paragraph for Leo,
vn, pf, 1924; 393 Passage, vn, pf, 1924; 397 ‡Suite, vn, pf, 1924 [movt
1>movt 2 of f:831, movt 4>g:393;
398 Trugbild (Phantasmagoria), vn, pf, 1924; 406/2 Duett to St. Cecilia, vn,
pf-str, ?1925/6; 407 Fiddel Piece, vn, pf, 1925; 432 A Remembrance, vn, pf,
?1926; 477a How Old is Song?, vn, pf, 1942 [>d:477];
491 ‡6 Casual Developments, cl, pf, 1933 [<j:491a,
movts 2, 4, 5, and 6 <e:491b]; 517 7 Associated
Movts, vn, pf, 1935
|
|
529
A Bit of a Suite, vn, va, 1937; 532 ‡3 Ostinati with Chorales, ob, pf, 1937;
552 [4 Pieces for Pereira], vn, pf, ?c1938, no.4 inc.; 568 ‡Triad,
tpt, pf, 1939; 597a Ancient Desert Drone, 2 hmn, 1940 [>a:597];
611 ‡Two-Bits, fl, pf, 1941; 649 Carol 1943, 2 rec, 1943 [AP]; 653 Stonecrop,
2 tr insts, 1943; 674 Hymn [of] Hymn and Fuguing Sonata or Suite, vn, pf,
1945 [AP; = movt 1 of g:705]; 676 For Sidney, 2 rec,
1945 [AP]
|
|
700
‡Tom Binkley’s Tune, euphonium, pf, 1946; 701 Family Cowell Duet, a rec, b
rec, 1946 [AP]; 705 ‡Vn Sonata, 1945–6 [movt 1 = g:674,
movt 3 <a:705/3a, e:705/3b];
710 ‡Hymn and Fuguing Tune no.7, va, pf, 1947; 714 122,547th Two Part
Invention, s rec, a rec, 1947 [AP]; 730 Set of Two, vn, pf-str, 1948; 736 ‡4
Declamations with Return, vc, pf, 1949; 756 Duet for Recorders, 1950 [AP];
758 ‡Hymn and Fuguing Tune no.9, vc, pf, 1950 [hymn a:787]
|
|
763
Scherzo, s rec, a rec, 1951 [AP]; 766 Duet for Sidney with Love from Henry,
vn, vc, 1951 [AP]; 773 Two Part Invention, s rec, a rec, 1952 [AP]; 777 11th
Anniversary, s rec, s/a rec, 1952 [AP]; 784 A Set of Four, s rec, a rec,
1952; 791 Duet, s rec, a rec, 1953 [AP]; 793 Merry Christmas to Sidney, 2
rec, 1953 [AP]; 801/6 In Memory of Nehru, (sitar/vī’nā/vn/1v),
(rambura/sanoi/pipes/hmn), 1964, no.6 of [6] Memorial Pieces [see also a:801/1]; 804 Invention, a rec, kbd, 1954 [AP]
|
|
811
Beethoven Birds, 2 rec/pf, 1955 [AP]; 812 Set of Two, vn, hpd, 1955; 815
[Invention], 2 fl/2 rec, 1955 [AP]; 831 Two Part Invention, s rec, a rec,
1956 [AP]; 834 15th Anniversary, 2 tr insts, 1956 [AP]; 835 Sidney Xmas ’56,
vn, pf, 1956 [AP; = g:862]; 840 Love to Sidney, s rec,
a rec, 1957 [AP]; 844 Christmas 1957, s rec, a rec, 1957 [AP]; 845 ‡Homage to
Iran, vn, pf, 1957; 854 Birthday Piece, 2 tr insts, 1958 [AP]
|
|
855
[Duet], 2 tr insts, 1958 [AP]; 857 Introduction and Allegro, va, hpd/pf,
1958; 859 Duet, 2 s insts, 1958 [AP]; 862 Love to Sidney, Christmas 1958, s
inst, pf, 1958 [AP; = g:835]; 866 Duet, 2 vn, 1959
[AP]; 870 Duet, 2 tr insts, 1959 [AP]; 872 Sidney’s Christmas Stretto, 2 tr
insts, 1959 [AP]; 875 ‡Hymn and Fuguing Tune no.13, trbn, pf, 1960; 876
Stretto, 2 tr insts, 1960 [AP]; 880 Love to Sidney, 2 tr insts, 1960 [AP]
|
|
883
Love for Sidney, s rec, a rec, 1960 [AP]; 893 Duet: Hymn and Fuguing Tune
no.15-A, 2 insts, 1961 [AP]; 896 Duet, 2 tr insts, 1961 [AP]; 897 ‡Air and
Scherzo, a sax, pf, 1961 [<b:897a]; 899 ‡Triple
Rondo, fl, hp, 1961; 906 Love Christmas 1962, 2 tr insts, 1962 [AP]; 907
Duet, 2 insts, 1962 [AP]; 914 Sixty with Love, vn, vc, 1963 [AP]; 915 Hymn
and Fuguing Tune no.15-B, vn, vc, 1963; 918 August Duet, 2 vn, 1963 [AP]
|
|
921
‡Hymn and Fuguing Tune no.16, vn, pf, 1963 [<a:921a];
924 Christmas 1963, 2 vn, 1963 [AP]; 928 ‡Hymn and Fuguing Tune no.18, s sax,
cb sax, 1964; 933 Duet, 2 a rec/2 vn/2 fl/2 ob, 1964 [AP]; 936 For Sidney
with Love, s rec, a rec, 1964 [AP]; 937 Stretto for Claflins, 2 insts, 1964;
944 Duet for Sidney, s rec, a rec, 1965 [AP]; 948 Sidney’s Tune, July 1965, s
rec, a rec, 1965 [AP]; 950 Duet for Our Anniversary, vn, va/vc, 1965 [AP];
952 A Melodie for Charlie, love from Henry, vn, vc, 1965; 962 For Vn, vn, pf,
?1924–6; 968 A Cowell Cleistogamy, vn, vc; assembled 1979 by Sidney Robertson
Cowell from 12 APs†
|
Cowell, Henry: Works
h: solo instrumental
|
280
For Unacc. Vc, 1919; 418 [Presto], vn, c1925; 621 Love to Sidney from
Henry, melody, 1941 [AP]; 626 Birthday 1942 by Henry for Sidney with Love,
melody, 1942 [AP]; 699 ‡The Universal Fl, shakuhachi, 1946; 798 Hymn and
Fuguing Tune no.10, carillon, ?1952–3, fuguing tune not composed [not =b:813]; 849 Henry’s Hornpipe, tr inst, 1958; 852 Andrée’s
Birthday, tr inst, 1958; 853 Lullaby for Philio, tr inst, 1958; 856 Wedding
Rondo, cl, 1958
|
|
868
‡Iridescent Rondo in Old Modes, accordion, 1959; 871 [Birthday Greeting to Dr
Alvin S. Johnson], melody, 1959; 877 ‡Perpetual Rhythm, accordion, 1960,
orig. version, 1949, lost; 884 Merry Christmas for Blanche [Walton], tr inst,
1960; 895 Birthday Melody for Blanche [Walton], tr inst, 1960; 911 Rondo
1962, tr, inst, 1962; 913 To my Valentine, 1963 [AP]; 922 ‡Gravely and
Vigorously, in memory of President John F. Kennedy, vc, 1963 [= Hymn and
Fuguing Tune no.17]; 927 Solo for Alto Rec, 1964 [AP]; 931 The Birthday
Child, a Day Late, a rec, 1964; 934 Solo for Alto Rec, a rec, t rec ad lib,
1964 [AP]; 967 Tune for Alexa Hershaw, melody, 1959†
|
Cowell, Henry: Works
i: keyboard
pf solo unless otherwise stated
|
5
Waltz, c1910; 9 The Wierd Night, c1910–11; 10 The Night Sound:
a Sonata, 1910–11; 15 Rippling Waters, Waltz, c1911; 22 Ghoul’s
Gallop, ?1912; 27 Op.1 for Pf, 1912: 1 School March, 2 Tarantelle, 3 Lullaby,
4 Flashes of Hell Fire: a Dance of Devils, 5 The Cloudlet, 6 The Frisk, 7
Imaginings, 8 The Last Match, 9 The Lotus, 10 Scherzo, 11 Etude, 12 Sonatine,
all lost except nos.2 and 4; 29 Nocturne, 1913; 30 Freak de concert, 1913 [=
no.13 of j:70]; 31 Polish Dance, 1913
|
|
32
Prelude no.2, 1913 [= no.1 of j:70]; 33 Prelude [no.1]
after the Style of Bach, 1913 [= no.2 of j:70]; 34 Valse
lente, 1913 [= no.3 of j:70]; 35 Bersuse, 1913 [= no.6
of j:70]; 36 Fairys Dance no.3 in a Popular Style, 1913
[= no.7 of j:70]; 37 Invention quasi Bach, a tre voce,
1913 [= no.8 of j:70]; 38 Brownie’s Dance, 1913 [=
no.10 of j:70]; 40 Savage Suite, 1913: 1 Savage Dance,
2 Savage Music, 3 War Dance, 4 Sad Fragment, 5 Melodie, 6 Fire Dance, 7
Funeral March of Natives, 8 Joy Dance, inc., 9 A Savage Rhythm, 10 A War,
inc. [no.8 = no.16 of j:70]
|
|
41
A Fragment, 1913; 42 Etude-cadenza, 1913; 43 Lullaby, 1913; 44 Hunting Song,
1913; 45 The Awakening, 1913; 46 Message from Mars, 1913; 47 Quasi Mozart,
1913; 48 Largo, 1913; 51 Etude, d, 1913; 54 Wrinkle Rag, 1913 [= no.4 of j:70]; 55 Love Dance (Valse), 1913 [= no.14 of j:70]; 56 3 Sonatas, 1913: 1 Sonata, A, ?inc., 2 Sonate, E, 3 Sonate, B; 57
Romance, 1913 [= no.11 of j:70]; 58 Dirge, 1913
|
|
59
Adventures in Harmony (A Novelette), 1913; 60 Sounds from the Conservatory, 2
pf, 1913; 61 Melodie, 1913; 63 Album Leaflet, 1913; 64 Hash, 1913; 65 Mist
Music no.1, 1913 [= no.17 of j:70]; 66 Mist Music no.2,
1913; 73 The Anaemic Rag (A Burlesque), 1913 [= no.9 of j:70];
75 Etude [no.2], C, 1913; 76 Valse, 1913; 78a The Cauldron, ?1913–18 [arr.
from lost pf piece]; 81 Sprites’ Dance, 1913 [= Wind Spirits’ Dance, no.15 of
j:70]
|
|
82
[Christmas-Thoughts Pieces], 1913: 1 Etude-chimes, 2 Xmas Thoughts for Baby,
3 Reindeer Dance, 4 Xmas Bells, 5 Xmas Stocking Dance, 6 Watching for Santa,
7 The Tin Soldier, 8 The Xmas Tree, 9 Valse, 10 Tarantelle, 11 March, 12 For
Phyllis, 1913, nos.9–12 lost; 83 Sonate progressive, 1913: 1 Classic, 2
Romantic, 3 Modern, 4 Humoreske (Bogie); 84 Orchestra Stucke, 1913 [?>lost
orch work]; 86 Descriptive Piece, 1913; 87 The Battle Sonata, 1913; 91
[Andante], A, ?c1913
|
|
94
Theme [with 3 variations], 1914; 97 In the Tropics, 1914; 98 Sea Picture,
1913 [= no.5 of j:70]; 99 Etude no.3, 1914; 102 Piece,
1914; 104 [Musical Letters to Mrs. Veblen], 1914: 2 Dance, 3 Maid and Hero, 4
Theme, 5 Tango, 6 ‡Anger Dance (Mad Dance), 7 Modern Stucke, lost, 12 (Etude)
Classic, 13 Etude no.4 (The Winds), 14 Themelet, 15 Valse, 16 Snake Piece
[for no.1, see g:104/1, for nos.8–11, see d:104/8–11]
|
|
105
Vio doloroso, 1914; 108 Imitations in Style of Various Composers: Chopin,
Brahms, Schumann, Grieg, 4 pieces, 1914; 109 Popular Melodie, 1914; 114
Sonate [Movt], F, 1914; 115 Sonate [Movt], f, 1914; 119 Sonate [Movt], c , 1914;120 Resumé in 10
Movts, 1914: 1 Savage [Music], 2 Choral [Music], 3 Contrapuntal [Music], 4
Classic Sonate, 5 Folk Music, lost, 6 Romantic, 7 Operatic, 8 Oriental, 9
Modern, 10 Futurist; 139 Skylight, 1914
|
|
213
[Dynamic Motion and encores]: 1 ‡Dynamic Motion, 1916, 2 ‡What’s This?, 1st
encore, 1917 [<a:213/2a], 3 ‡Amiable Conversation,
2nd encore, 1917, 4 ‡Advertisement, 3rd encore, 1917, 5 ‡Antinomy, 4th
encore, 1917, 6 ‡Time Table, 5th encore, 1917; 214 The Rogues’ Gallery:
Portraits, 1916, 8 pieces, all lost except no.6 Mrs. Bartlett; 217 Letter [to
J.O. Varian], ?1915–16; 219/1 ‡The Tides of Manaunaun, ?1917 [= no.1 of j:219, no.1 ofi:354; b:605]
|
|
224
6th Etude (A Tragedy), 1917; 225 Sonate, d, 1917, movt 4 inc.; 227 Prelude
and Canon, 1917; 229 Olive, 1917; 234 Antique Dance, 1917; 239 Development, ?c1916–17;
240 Prelude, ?c1916–17; 241 [quasi ‘chorale’], ?c1916–17; 243
Telegram, ?c1916–17; 262 Child’s Song, 1918–19; 269 [Waltz], ?1918–19;
273 Sonate, c, 1919
|
|
279
Prelude interrhythmique, 1919; 281 Sonate Movt, B, 1919; 292 [Expressivo], c1919;
294 Mrs. Barrett, ?1917–19; 295 ‡One Moment, Please, ?1917–19; 298 Prelude
specifique, 1920; 300 Fugue, A, 1920
|
|
302
Fugue, c, 1920; 303 Double Fugue, c, 1920; 305 ‡Vestiges, 1920 [<a:305a]; 307 ‡Fabric, 1920; 308 The New Born, 1920; 310
Prelude diplomatique, 1920; 312 For Xmas ’20 An Idiosyncrasy: for Xmas 1920,
1920; 315 Episode, b,
1920; 323 ‡Episode [no.2], d, 1921; 324 ‡Episode [no.3], g, 1921; 326 Singing Waters, 1921;
327 Romance, E,
1921; 328 ‡Exultation, 1921 [<e:328a, b:605]; 335 Xmas 1921, 1921
|
|
336
Tom’s Waltz, for Tom Moss to Play, 1921; 342 March, c1920–21; 350
Dance Obsequious, 1922; 353 [Ings]: 1 ‡Floating, ?1922, 2 ‡Frisking, ?1922, 3
‡Fleeting, 1917, 4 ‡Scooting, 1917, 5 ‡Wafting [no.1], 1917, 6 ‡Seething, 1917,
7 ‡Whisking, 1917, 8 ‡Sneaking, 1917, 9 ‡Swaying, 1924, 10 Sifting, 1917,
lost, 11 Wafting no.2, 1917, 12 Landscape no.3; Trickling, 1917, 13 Whirling,
?1930, lost, 14 Rocking, 1955 [nos. 1–6 orig. pubd as series, Six Ings, repr.
with nos.7–9 as Nine Ings]
|
|
354
‡3 Irish Legends: 1 The Tides of Manaunaun, ?1917, 2 The Hero Sun, 1922, 3
The Voice of Lir, 1920 [no. 1 = i:219/1, b:605]; 355 ‡It isn’t It, 1922, pubd as Scherzo; 361 Scherzo,
1922; 362 Seven and One Fourth Pounds, 1922; 367 ‡The Sword of Oblivion,
pf-str, c1920–22; 369 ‡The Vision of Oma, 1923; 370 ‡The Aeolian Harp,
pf-str, c1923; 371 Love Song, ?c1923; 377 A Rudhyar, 1924; 378
Xmas Greetings for Olive, 1924
|
|
381
‡Exuberance, 1924; 382 ‡The Fire of the Cauldron, 1924; 384 ‡The Harp of
Life, 1924 [b:605]; 388 March of the Feet of the
Eldana, 1924; 389 2 Movts for Pf, 1924: 1 ‡Piece for Pf with Strings, 2
Allegro maestoso–Largo–Con moto, inc.; 390 Paragraph, 1924; 395 ‡The Snows of
Fuji-Yama, 1924; 399 ‡The Trumpet of Angus Og (The Spirit of Youth), 1918–24;
401 Chromatic Inst Fugue, ?1924; 403 ‡March of the Fomer, ?c1924
|
|
405
‡The Banshee, pf-str, 1925 [b:452]; 406/2a ‡Duett to
St. Cecilia, pf-str, 1925 [>movt 2 of e:406]; 409
‡Prelude for Org, 1925; 412 The Battle of Midyar, ?c1925; 415 ‡Irish Jig,
?c1925 [<a:415a]; 422 [?F.L.] D. on Birthday,
?c1920–25; 426 ‡Domnu, the Mother of Waters, 1926; 429 ‡Maestoso
[Marked Passages], 1926 [a:443]; 433 ‡The Sleep Music
of the Dagna, pf-str, 1926; 435 ‡How Come?, 1927
|
|
442
When the Wind Chases You, 1928; 446 [10 children’s pieces for piano], 1928: 1
‡The Nimble Squirrel, 2 ‡An Irish Jig, 3 ‡The Spanish Fiesta, 4 ‡In Colonial
Days, 5 ‡The Hand Organ Man, titles of nos.6–10 unknown, nos.1–5 pubd as by
Henry Dixon; 447 ‡The Fairy Bells, pf-str, by 1928 [b:452];
448 The Leprechaun, pf-str, 1928 [b:452]; 449 ‡I Wish I
had an Ice Cream Cone, 1928; 451 ‡2 Woofs, 1928; 453 ‡The Fairy Answer,
pf-str, 1929; 454 ‡Euphoria, 1929; 456 Next to Last, ?pf, ?1919–29
|
|
462
‡Sinister Resonance, 1930; 463 ‡Dve piesy [2 pieces]: 1 V ritme ‘rilya’,
irlandskǐ, tanets, 1928 [Lilt of the reel], 2 Tigr [Tiger], 1930 [no.1
<a:463/ 1a and b, no.4 of b:605;
no.2 >inc. pf piece]; 469 March of Invincibility, 1930; 470 ‡Whirling
Dervish, 1930; 473 ‡For a Child, ?1920–30; 479 [Gig], 1931; 484b 2
Appositions, 1932 [>a:484]; 487 Rhythm Study, 1932;
489 Expressivo, ? 1928–32; 496 On the 8th Birthday of the Princess (Magic
Music): a Measure for Each Year, ?1930–33
|
|
497/3
Move Forward!, no.3 of Proletarian Songs and a March, d:497,
?1930–33, inc.; 514 ‡The Harper Minstrel Sings, 1935; 515 ‡The Irishman
Dances, 1935; 530 Back Country Set: Reel, Jig, Hornpipe, 1937; 543b ‡Celtic
Set (1941) [>a:543]; 543c ‡Celtic Set, 2pf (1941)
[>a:543]; 549 ‡Set of 2 Movts, 1938: 1 Deep Color, 2
High Color, 1938; 550 Wedding March, 1938 [arr. band, 550a, lost]; 557
‡Rhythmicana, 1938; 560 [Jig], ?pf, ?c1938; 564 ‡Amerind Suite, 1939:
1 The Power of the Snake, 2 The Lover Plays his Flute, 3 Deer Dance
|
|
607
Christmas Duet (Noel), pf 4 hands, 1940; 613 Granny O’Toole’s Hornpipe, 1941;
614 ‡Homesick Lilt, 1941; 618 Wedding Hymn [pf], 1941 [AP]; 619 Wedding Tune
[pf], 1941 [AP]; 631 ‡Square Dance Tune, 1942; 635 ‡Processional, org, 1942;
646 2nd Anniversary, 1943 [AP]; 651 ‡Hymn and Fuguing Piece, 1943 [<a:651a]; 658 ‡Mountain Music, 1944; 660a ‡Hymn and Fuguing
Tune no.3, c1948 [AP; >a:660]; 667 ‡Kansas
Fiddler, 1944: 1 Fiddle Air, 2 Fiddle Jig, 3 Fiddle Hornpipe, 4 Fiddle Reel;
670 ‡Elegie for Hanya Holm, ?1941–4
|
|
678
For Sidney Christmas 1945, 1945 [AP]; 683 Lookit! I’m a Cowboy, ?c1945;
685 Playing Tag is Keen, ?c1945; 686 [bagatelle], ?1940–45;696 Hymn
and Fuguing Tune no.6, kbd, 1946 [AP; fuguing tune a:697,
part <i:711]; 703 Irish Epic Set, pf-str, 1946; 711
6th Two Part Invention for Sidney, 1947 [AP; part >i:696];
718 Invention for Sidney, ?kbd, 1948 [AP]; 720 ‡All Dressed Up, 1948; 724 7th
Two-part Invention, 1948 [AP]; 725 ‡The Good Old Days, 1948
|
|
726
Two Part Invention, 1948 [AP]; 735 Two Part Invention, kbd/2 rec, 1949 [AP];
738 ‡Pa Jigs them all Down (Perpetual Jig), 1949; 739 ‡Pegleg Dance, 1949;
740 Two Part Invention, 1949 [AP]; 749 Two Part Invention, kbd, 1950 [AP];
751 Two Part Invention, kbd, 1950 [AP]; 752 Two Part Invention with [pedal
point on] G, 1950 [AP]; 754 ‡Two Part Invention in 3 Parts, 1950 [AP]; 755
Improvisation, 1950; 764 10th Anniversary, 1951 [AP]; 780 Invention, 1952
[AP]; 799 ‡Toccatina, 1954
|
|
801/2
Chorale to the Memory of Marie K. Thatcher, org, 1954, no.2 of [6] Memorial
Pieces [see also a:801/1]; 801/4 Used in Org Piece for
Allen McHose’s Mother-in-law, org, 1961, no.4 of [6] Memorial Pieces [see
also a:801/1]; 817 Ground and Fuguing Tune, org, 1955;
822 ‡Bounce Dance, 1956, 828 ‡Sway Dance, 1956; 841 Wedding Music (Rugg),
1957; 847 Wedding Piece for Krissi and Davy, 1957; 860 Jim’s B’day, 1958; 886
‡Set of Four, pf/hpd, 1960; 889 Perpetual Motion, 1961 [AP]; 900 ‡Hymn and
Fuguing Tune no.14, org, 1962; 905 September 27, 1962, 1962 [AP]; 920 The
Twenty-Second, pf/(vn, vc), 1963 [AP]; 949 Tune for Avery, July 27, 1965,
pf/(vn, vc), 1965; 953 Polyphonicas nos.1 and 2, 1916; 956 Clusteriana no.1,
?1916–17
|
Cowell, Henry: Works
j: music for dance and drama
|
70
|
Music
for Creation Dawn (incid music, T. Kanno), 27 pieces, pf, 1913: nos.1–17
composed separately [see i:32, 33, 34, 54, 98, 35, 36,
37, 73, 38, 57, g:71/2, i:30, 55,
81, 40/8, 65], 18 Sunset Music, 19 Fairy’s Dance [no.2], 20 Thy lily bells,
21 Extacy, 22 Sad Music, 23 Music for Saavashi, 24 Dance Music for Sagano, 25
Sleepy Music, 26 Extra Music: Melodie, 27 Moonlight Music [the finale];
Cowell, Carmel, CA, 16 Aug 1913
|
|
184
|
Red
Silence (incid music, Jap. drama, F.L. Giffin), 10 pieces, spkr, fl, vn, vc,
pf, 1915, no.7 inc., no.8 lost; San Francisco, 20 Jan 1916
|
|
219
|
The
Building of Bamba (Irish mythological op, 14 scenes, Varian), solo vv, mixed
chorus, pf, 1917, inc., Halcyon, CA, 18 Aug 1917; rev. 1930, 219a, lost,
cond. Cowell, Halcyon, 7 Aug 1930 [scene 1 = i:219/1,
no.1 of i:354 b:605]
|
|
423
|
Atlantis
(ballet, 9 movts), S, A, Bar, pf, orch, ?1926–31; cond. M. Tilson Thomas, San
Francisco, 1996
|
|
457
|
Men
and Machines (dance music, E. Findlay), pf, 1930; Brooklyn, NY, 27 Feb 1930
|
|
476
|
Steel
and Stone (dance music, C. Weidman), ?pf, 1931, lost, New York, 4 Feb 1931;
arr. as Dance of Work, 10 insts, 476a, cond. A. Weiss, New York, 5 Jan 1932
|
|
482
|
‡Dance
of Sport (dance music, Weidman), orig. entitled Competitive Sport, pf, also
arr. fl, ob, cl, bn, str, 482a, 1931; New York, 5 Jan 1932
|
|
483
|
Heroic
Dance (dance music), 10 insts, ?1931 [ded. M. Graham]; ‡arr. pf, 483a, ?1931
pubd as Danza Heroica
|
|
491a
|
Six
Casual Developments (dance music, Graham), chbr orch, 1934, lost; cond. L.
Horst, New York, 25 Feb 1934 [>g:491]
|
|
495
|
Three
Dances of Activity (dance music, S. Delza), fl, pf, perc, 1933, lost: 1
Labor, 2 Play, 3 Organization; New York, 10 Dec 1933
|
|
500
|
The
Trojan Women (dance music, R. Radir), chbr orch, 1934
|
|
513
|
Fanati
(incid music, prol., 5 scenes, R.E. Welles), vv, pf, perc, 1935, lost; Palo
Alto, CA, 7 June 1935
|
|
516
|
Salutation
(dance music, H. Holm), fl, pf, perc, 1935, lost; Millbrook, NY, 28 Feb 1936
|
|
534
|
Sarabande
(dance music, Graham), ob, cl, perc, 1937, lost; cond. Horst, Bennington, VT,
30 July 1937
|
|
537
|
Deep
Song (dance music, Graham), ww, perc, 1937, lost; cond. Horst, New York, 19
Dec 1937
|
|
539
|
Ritual
of Wonder (dance music, M. Van Tuyl), pf, perc, 1937; Oakland, CA, May 1938
|
|
563
|
‡Les
mariés de la Tour Eiffel (incid music, J. Cocteau), pf, perc, 1939: 1
Hilarious Curtain-Opener, 2 Ritournelle, 3 Two Ritournelles, 4 The Train
Finale; Seattle, 24 March 1939, pf, dir. J. Cage
|
|
596
|
Fanfare
[Chaconne] (dance music, Van Tuyl), theme with 7 variations, 1940, 7th
variation lost; Oakland, CA, 27 July 1940
|
|
606
|
King
Lear (incid music, W. Shakespeare), male chorus, pf, orch, 1940; dir. E. Piscator,
New York, 14 Dec 1940
|
|
609
|
‡Trickster
(Coyote) (dance music, E. Hawkins), ww, perc, 1941; New York, 20 April 1941
|
|
622
|
Hanya
Holm Music (dance music, Holm), pf, 1941, inc., New York, 17 March 1941
|
|
624
|
Woman
in War (dance music, S. Chen), pf, 1942, lost; New York, 23 April 1942
|
|
627
|
Mr.
Flagmaker (film score, M.E. Bute), SAATB, wind, ?pf, str, 1942
|
|
630
|
Banners:
a Choreographic Chorale (dance music, 2 scenes, W. Whitman), S, chorus, chbr
ens, 1942
|
|
644
|
Chinese
Partisan Fighter (dance music, Chen), pf, 1943, lost; Redlands, CA, 27 Aug
1943
|
|
654
|
Fabric
Ending (Finale) (dance music, Chen), pf, ?1943
|
|
666
|
Derwent
and the Shining Sword (incid music, radio play, Bute), 1944
|
|
680
|
Hamlet
(incid music, Shakespeare), male vv, inst ens, 1945
|
|
721
|
‡Diedre
of the Sorrows (dance music, G. Lippincott), pf, 1948
|
|
734
|
Madman’s
Wisp (dance music, Lippincott), pf, 1949
|
|
743
|
O’Higgins
of Chile (op, 3, Harald), 1949, not orchd
|
|
753
|
A
Full Moon in March (dance music, Lippincott, W.B. Yeats), male v/hn/vc/trbn,
pf, 1950; Fargo, ND, 1 Dec 1950
|
|
761
|
Clown
(dance music, Hawkins), pf, 1951
|
|
768
|
The
Morning of the Feast (incid music, M. Connelly), solo vv, inst ens, 1952
|
|
805
|
Changing
Woman (dance music, J. Erdman), pf, drums, hmn, 1954; San Francisco, 18 Dec
1954
|
|
836
|
Music
for Ploesti (film score), ?1955–6, inc.
|
|
885
|
Here
by the Water’s Edge (film score, C. Pratt, L. Hurwitz), cl, bn, tuba, str,
1960, inc.
|
Cowell, Henry: Works
k: arrangements
|
525
|
‡C.
Ives: Calcium Light Night, 6 wind, 2 drums, 2 pf, arr. and ed., 1936
|
|
572
|
J.S.
Bach: Christ lag in Todesbandenbwv278, arr. band, 1939
|
folksong arrangements
|
612
|
‡The
Lost Jimmie Whalen (American trad.), 4vv, 1941
|
|
623
|
La
Valenciana (Iberian trad.), S, A, mixed chorus, fl, bn, 2 gui, castanets, tap
dancer, 1942
|
|
633
|
Ballynure
Ballad (Irish trad.), chorus, bagpipe, 1942
|
|
671
|
‡United
Nations: Songs of the People (various trad.), vv, pf, 1945
|
|
672
|
‡The
Irish Girl (Irish trad.), SATB, pf, 1945
|
|
742
|
‡Lilting
Fancy (Nickelty, Nockelty) (Irish trad.), SATB, 1949
|
|
782
|
The
Golden Harp (spiritual), 4-pt boys’ chorus, 1952
|
|
794
|
‡Garden
Hymn for Easter, SATB, 1953
|
|
795
|
‡Granny
does your dog bite?, SATB, 1953
|
|
Principal publishers: Associated, Boosey & Hawkes, C.
Fischer, Peer-Southern, Peters, Presser, G. Schirmer
|
|
Cowell, Henry
WRITINGS
(selective list)
‘The Process of Musical
Creation’, American Journal of Psychology, xxxvii (1926), 233–6
‘Our Inadequate Notation’, MM, iv/3 (1926–7), 29–33
‘The Impasse of Modern Music:
Searching for New Avenues of Beauty’, Century, cxiv (1927), 671–7
‘New Terms for New Music’, MM, v/4 (1927–8), 21–7
‘Four Little-Known Composers
[Chávez, Ives, Slonimsky, Weiss]’, Aesthete, i/3 (1928), 1, 19–20
‘The Joys of Noise’, New Republic (31 July 1929)
‘Conservative Music in Radical
Russia’, New Republic, no.59 (1929), 339–41
New Musical Resources (New York, 1930/R)
‘Music of and for the Records’, MM, viii/3 (1931), 32–4
‘Towards Neo-Primitivism’, MM, x/3 (1932–3), 149–53
ed.: American
Composers on American Music (Stanford, CA, 1933/R)
‘“Useful” Music’, New Masses, xvii/5 (1935), 26–7
‘Relating Music and Concert
Dance’, Dance Observer, iv/1 (1937), 1 only,
7–9
‘Drums Along the Pacific’, MM, xviii/1 (1940–41), 46–9
with S.R. Cowell: ‘Our Country Music’, MM, xx/4 (1942–3), 243–7
‘Shaping Music for Total War’, MM, xxii/4 (1945), 223–6
‘New Horizons in Music’, New Horizons
in Creative Thinking: a Survey and Forecast, ed. R.M. MacIver (New York, 1954), 87–93
with S.R. Cowell: Charles Ives
and his Music (New York, 1955, rev. 3/1983)
‘Composing with Tape’, Hi-Fi Music at
Home, ii/6 (1956), 23 only, 57–9
‘From Tone Clusters to
Contemporary Listeners’, Music Journal, xiv/1 (1956), 5–6
‘The Composer's World’, Music in Ghana, ii (1961), 36–49
‘Freedom for Young Composers’, Music Journal, xx/3 (1962), 29–30, 70
Unpubd: The Nature of
Melody, c1936–7; Rhythm, c1936–40
Cowell, Henry
BIBLIOGRAPHY
L. Terman: The
Intelligence of School Children (Boston, 1919), 246–51
P. Rosenfeld: ‘Cowell’, By Way of Art:
Criticisms of Music, Literature, Painting, Sculpture and the Dance (New York, 1928),
77–80
N. Slonimsky: ‘Henry Cowell’, American
Composers on American Music, ed. H. Cowell (Stanford, 1933/R), 57–63
O. Cowell: Henry
Cowell: a Record of his Activities (MS, 1934; US-Stu, BEm)
P. Rosenfeld: ‘Cowell’, Discoveries of
a Music Critic (New York, 1936), 273–81
C. Seeger: ‘Henry Cowell’, Magazine
of Art, xxxiii (1940), 288–9, 322–3
P. Yates: ‘Parsley for Henry’, Arts
and Architecture, lxvii/10 (1950), 45–9
E. Gerschefski: ‘Henry Cowell’, American
Composers Alliance Bulletin, iii/4 (1953), 3–4, 18–19
H. Brant: ‘Henry Cowell: Musician and Citizen’, The Etude, lxxv (1957), Feb, 15 only, 47 only, 58–9; March, 20 only, 60–61; April, 22
only, 60–61
M. Kagel: ‘Tone-clusters, Attacks, Transitions’, Die Reihe, v (1959), 40–55
H.C. Schonberg: ‘Henry Cowell: Champion of the Avant-Garde’, Hi-Fi Systems, iv (1959), 6–14
H. Weisgall: ‘The Music of Henry Cowell’, MQ, xlv (1959), 484–507
J. Cage: ‘History of Experimental Music in the United States’, Silence
(Middletown, CT, 1961/R),
67–75
E. Helm: ‘Henry Cowell: American Pioneer’, Musical America, lxxii/4 (1962), 32 only
R.F. Goldman: ‘Henry Cowell (1897–1965): a Memoir and an Appreciation’, PNM, iv/2 (1965–6), 23–8
various
authors: ‘Henry Cowell: a Dancer's Musician’, Dance Scope, ii/2
(1966), 6–15
P. Dickinson: ‘Henry Cowell: Extreme Experimenter and Naive Nationalist’, Composer,
xxiii/spr. (1967), 10–13
J. Godwin: The Music of
Henry Cowell (diss., Cornell U., 1969)
D.L. Roote: ‘The Pan American Association of Composers (1928–1934)’, Yearbook for Inter-American Musical
Research, vii (1972), 49–70
O. Daniel: ‘American Composer Henry Cowell’, Stereo Review, xxxiii/6 (1974), 72–82
B. Saylor: The Writings
of Henry Cowell: a Descriptive Bibliography (Brooklyn, 1977)
B. Silver: ‘Henry Cowell and Alan Hovhaness: Responses to the Music of India’, Contributions to Asian Studies, xii (1978), 54–79
R.H. Mead: Henry
Cowell's New Music, 1925–1936 the Society, the Music Editions and the
Recordings (Ann Arbor, MI, 1981)
M. Fürst-Heidtmann: ‘Henry Cowell und die experimentelle Klaviermusik’, Neuland, ii (1982), 255–63
M.L. Manion: Writings
about Henry Cowell: an Annotated Bibliography
(Brooklyn, 1982)
F. Koch: Reflections
on Composing – Four American Composers: Elwell, Shepherd, Rogers, Cowell (Pittsburgh, 1983)
R.H. Mead: ‘The Amazing Mr Cowell’, American Music, i/4 (1983), 63–89
H.W. Hitchcock: ‘Henry Cowell's “Ostinato Pianissimo”’, MQ, lxx/1 (1984), 23–44
B. Saylor: ‘The Tempering of Henry Cowell's “Dissonant Counterpoint”’, Essays on Modern Music, ii/1–3 (1985), 5–11
W. Lichtenwanger: The Music of
Henry Cowell: a Descriptive Catalog (Brooklyn, 1986)
S. Cowell: ‘The Cowells and the Written Word’, A Celebration of American Music, ed. R.
Crawford, R.A. Lott, C.J. Oja (Ann Arbor, MI, 1990), 79–91
D. Nicholls: American
Experimental Music, 1890–1940 (Cambridge, 1990), 79–91
M. Hicks: ‘The Imprisonment of Henry Cowell’, JAMS, xliv (1991), 92–119
M. Hicks: ‘Cowell's Clusters’, MQ, lxxvii (1993), 428–58
S. Johnson: ‘Henry Cowell, John Varian, and Halcyon’, American Music, xi/1 (1993), 1–27
D. Nicholls: ‘Henry Cowell: a Call for Restitution’, Newsletter of the Institute for Studies in American Music, xxiv/1 (1994), 1–2,
15 only
D. Nicholls: ‘Henry Cowell's “United Quartet”’, American Music, xiii/2 (1995), 195–217
R.L. O'Neel: ‘Pitch Organization and Text Setting in Songs of Charles Seeger, Ruth
Crawford Seeger, and Henry Cowell’ (diss., U. of Texas,
Austin, 1996)
J.S. Brown: ‘An American Original: the Published San Quentin Wind Band Works of
Henry Dixon Cowell’, Journal of
the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles,
iv (1997), 59–85
D. Nicholls, ed.: The Whole
World of Music: a Henry Cowell Symposium (Amsterdam, 1997)
C.J. Oja and R. Allen, eds.: Henry
Cowell's Musical Worlds (New York, 1997) [Institute for Studies in American Music,
Brooklyn College, CUNY; programme book]
J. Wickelgren: ‘The Tone-Cluster and String-Piano Music of Henry Cowell’ (diss., Peabody Institute, John Hopkins U., 1997)
A. Kopp: ‘Elastic Form. Henry Cowell's “ganze Welt der Music”’ (diss., Technical U. Berlin, 1998)
S. Feisst: ‘Henry Cowell und Arnold Schönberg: eine unbekannte Freundschaft’, AMw, l (1998), 57–71
D. Higgins: ‘Cowell's Lost “Fanati”’, MQ, lxxxii/2 (1998), 232–50
L. Miller: ‘The Art of Noise: John Cage, Lou Harrison, and the West Coast
Percussion Ensemble’, Essays in
American Music 3, ed. M. Saffle (forthcoming)
M. Hicks: Henry
Cowell: The Bohemian Years (forthcoming)
G. Boziwick: ‘Henry Cowell at the New York Public Library: a Whole World of Music’, Notes, lvii/1
(forthcoming)
J. Sachs: Henry
Cowell: Making a Musical World (forthcoming)