Rhymes with "simmer"
I've added a new one to the Composer's Reading Project list at right: Lou Harrison's Music Primer. A composer I had a coaching with last summer recommended the 50 page paperback, and it is dripping with fascinating, humorous insights. It is now, officially, recommended reading for everyone. You'll be damned if you can find a copy to buy online (Amazon on has one listed, and for $75 at that). Your best luck may be to investigate your local library, or better yet the music library at your local institution of higher learning. Hopefully, it will be there, covered in dust. The back jacket on the one I read, from NEC's music library, showed that my borrowing was only the seventh in 25 years (and I got it 'till December, so eat me).
My knowledge palette now has Lou Harrison's colors on it, and I feel silly for not having come in contact with him before (well, its a big world, and I started late). But honestly, I never heard him mentioned over the JohnCageSteveReichMiltonBabbitElliotCarteret.al. top-of-the-lungs-hollering. So in venturing out in the free music that I can scrounge up on the internet I came across these little gems - bit of a cross section, but nothing new to my ears has ever struck me as fast and as hard as these, especially the Harp Suite (played here on guitar).
posted by Frank Pesci, Jr. @ 10/09/2006 10:58:00 PM
2 Comments:
Glad you've discovered Lou Harrison. I'm co-writing the next biography, which we hope to complete next year. I can point you to plenty of articles about him, many of which I wrote for various journalistic outlets. His work is performed and recorded often, most recently in a terrific series by the Pacific Symphony last spring. And you can order the Music Primer directly from Peters (the music publisher) for $22: http://www.edition-peters.com/php/main_search.php?composer=HARRISON&restrict=CW
I normally would not publish anonymous comments, but I really appreciate you being so helpful! Thanks for reading!
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