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 8.559192) 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.
Tracklist
Artist details
Cowell, Henry
Homage to Iran
1 I. Andante rubato 06:43
2 II. Interlude (Presto) 01:09
3 III. Andante rubato 03:18
4 IV. Con spirito 03:41
Piece for Piano with Strings
5 Piece for Piano with Strings 03:34
Vestiges
6 Vestiges 02:31
Euphoria
7 Euphoria 00:59
What's This?
8 What's This? 00:35
Élégie
9 Élégie 05:16
The Banshee
10 The Banshee 02:05
Cowell, Henry
Riegger, Catherine - Lyricist
2 Songs
11 Sunset 01:52
12 Rest 02:31
Cowell, Henry
Six Casual Developments
13 I. Rubato 00:51
14 II. Andante 01:11
15 III. Andante 01:57
16 IV. Allegro 00:53
17 V. Adagio cantabile 01:44
18 VI. Allegretto con moto 01:09
Set of Five
19 I. Largo sostenuto 03:21
20 II. Allegro 02:10
21 III. Andante 04:09
22 IV. Presto leggiero 02:20
23 V. Vigoroso 04:31
Total Playing Time: 58:30
