Cowell's Hymn and Fuguing Tunes

Synopsis

American composer Henry Cowell lived from 1897 to 1965 and wrote thousands of musical works in a wide variety of styles. As a young boy, he lived near San Francisco’s Chinatown, so Asian influences are as likely to crop up in his music as European models. And among his aggressively experimental works are piano pieces that employ what he called “tone clusters” — chords played with a fist or forearm. Those pieces piqued the interest of European composers like Béla Bartók and Leoš Janáček, but in addition to avant-garde scores, he wrote dozens of conventionally tonal works, often hauntingly beautiful.

In 1941, he discovered Southern Harmony, a collection of evocative 19th century American hymns. These reminded him of even earlier works by 18th century American composer William Billings, who liked to write what he called “fuguing tunes.” Combining these two influences, he came up with his own series of “Hymns and Fuguing Tunes” for various combinations of instruments.

Cowell’s Hymn and Fuguing Tune No. 10 for oboe and strings, for example, was premiered on today’s date in 1955, in Santa Barbara, California, by oboist Bert Gassman and the Pacific Coast Music Festival orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski.

Music Played in Today's Program

Henry Cowell (1897-1965): Hymn and Fuguing Tune No. 10; Humbert Lucarelli, oboe; Manhattan Chamber Orchestra; Richard Auldon Clark, conductor; Koch 7282

On This Day

Births

• 1714 - Italian opera composer Niccolo Jommelli, in Aversa (near Naples). He was known as “the Italian Gluck.”

• 1866 - Swedish violinist and composer Tor Aulin, in Stockholm

• 1875 - Lithuanian composer Mikolajus Ciurlionis, in Varena (Gregorian date: Sept. 22). His birthday is incorrectly listed as Oct. 4 in many reference works.

Deaths

• 1680 - Italian composer Marco Uccellini, 77, in Folimpopoli

Premieres

• 1838 - Berlioz: opera, Benvenuto Cellini, at the Paris Opera

• 1950 - Karl Amadeus Hartmann: Adagio (Symphony No. 2), by the Southwest German Radio Orchestra, Hans Rosbaud conducting

• 1955 - Cowell: Hymn and Fuguing Tune No. 10 for oboe and strings, in the Sunken Gardens of the Spanish Court House in Santa Barbara, California, by oboist Bert Gassman and the strings of the 3rd Annual Pacific Coast Music Festival orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting

• 1971 - Ginastera: opera Beatrix Cenci at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

• 1989 - Peter Maxwell Davies: Symphony No. 4, at a BBC Proms Concert in London’s Royal Albert Hall, by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra conducted by the composer

• 1998 - Joan Tower: Wild Purple, for solo viola, at Lincoln Center in New York, by Paul Neubauer