Henry Cowell was one of the most remarkable figures in American music. A startlingly innovative composer, an inimitable piano virtuoso who outraged or delighted his audiences, a brilliant writer, teacher, lecturer and organizer, Cowell almost single-handedly laid the foundations for American compositional life. This second Continuum Portrait of Cowell’s music ( Volume 1 is available on Naxos 8559192) includes further examples of his most experimental piano pieces, calling for strumming and plucking the strings, as well as using forearms to produce tone clusters. Other compositions fuse Asian and Western idioms in striking new blends. Yet, however advanced his ideas, or multifaceted his output, Cowell’s music remains immediately accessible.
REVIEW:
This is even more fascinating than the first volume. As previously, there is both commitment and panache from the performers and a decent recording. A well-documented and worthy addition to the American Classics series. Cowell was a prolific composer who wrote twenty symphonies and much else besides. Hopefully Naxos will give us the opportunity to explore his music further.
