Hits and Misses
by Sedgwick Clark
William Schuman at 100
We celebrate the centennials of two major American composers this year: Samuel Barber this month and William Schuman in August. The first is permanently enshrined in music history by dint of his Adagio for Strings, and he composed much other music that deserves to be played more often. The second, alas, has suffered the undeserved oblivion accorded many composers and performers upon their deaths.
Schuman was best known as a symphonist, and several of his ten are among the finest written by an American. But his major exponent during his lifetime, Leonard Bernstein, has been dead for 20 years. Only Gerard Schwarz, our current generation’s tireless champion of American music and Musical America‘s Conductor of the Year in 1994, has picked up the ball and recorded the symphonies with his Seattle Symphony for Naxos. With the release of the Eighth Symphony this month, they are now all available—all, that is, except Nos. 1 and 2, which the composer withdrew from performance. Recently Schwarz related to me over lunch how he studied those early symphonies in the Library of Congress and approached Schuman’s son, Tony, to allow him to record the works. After consideration, Tony decided to honor his father’s wishes. So the cycle stands at Nos. 3 through 10.
Nearly 70 years after its premiere, the Third is unquestionably Schuman’s finest symphony and among the top ten of American symphonies. The work’s brooding lyricism and propulsive energy retain their power, and the wild outburst of timpani in the first-movement Fugue and rim shots on the snare drum in the concluding Toccata never fail to produce goose bumps. There are two Bernstein recordings and the new Schwarz, but there’s nothing like hearing it live. Leonard Slatkin, another distinguished proponent of Schuman’s music, will conduct the Juilliard Orchestra in the Third Symphony at an all-Schuman concert on Thursday (4/1) at Avery Fisher Hall. Also on the program are the Circus Overture and the Violin Concerto. Don’t miss it!
Fans of American music also shouldn’t miss Joseph W. Polisi’s American Muse: The Life and Times of William Schuman (Amadeus Press). Polisi—protégé, friend, and successor once removed to Schuman as president of the Juilliard School—was given exclusive access to his papers and the family archives, and it’s doubtful that there will ever be a more authoritative and sympathetic account of his life and music. Polisi’s vivid discussion of Schuman’s years as president of Lincoln Center and how his artistic vision for the center clashed with the financial concerns of John D. Rockefeller 3rd and the Trustees is far more candid and detailed than Lincoln Center’s own published official histories–and was of great interest to one whose first job in New York, 41 years ago, was at the Repertory Theater of Lincoln Center (now Lincoln Center Theater).
A Bartók Soirée à la Soros
The financier and philanthropist George Soros hosted a dinner party at his home on Monday night (3-22) to boost sister violinists Angela and Jennifer Chun and their new Harmonia Mundi CD of the 44 Bartók Duos, just released. They played some of the Duos and a movement from Prokofiev’s Two-Violin Sonata. It’s refreshing to know that someone still believes in recorded CDs (the distinction needs to be made in this case) and in Bartók, his countryman, whose music still seems thorny to some listeners.
Ross on Gelb and the Met
Don’t miss Alex Ross’s progress report on Peter Gelb’s tenure at the Metropolitan Opera (“A bumpy season at the Met”) in this week’s New Yorker (3-29). Wonder of wonders, it’s Alex’s second piece in as many weeks—a trend that can’t be encouraged too much.
Ravel Revel at CMS
Damn! For the second time in a month, I’ll be out of town for an enticing Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center program. First it was a pair of Finnish-music offerings last week, and there’s an all-Ravel program on April 18. I can’t go, but you can, and I’ll list the delicious works to show why you should:
Introduction and Allegro for Flute, Clarinet, String Quartet, and Harp
Shéhérazade for Mezzo-Soprano, Flute, and Piano
Sonata for Violin and Cello
Cinq melodies populaires grecques for Mezzo-Soprano and Piano
Piano Trio in A minor
Looking Forward
My week’s scheduled concerts:
3/25 Carnegie Hall. San Francisco Symphony/Michael Tilson Thomas; Christian Tetzlaff, violin. Works by Kissine, Tchaikovsky, Ravel, Liszt.
3/25 Zankel Hall. So Percussion. Works by Reich, Mackey, Trueman.
3/26 Carnegie Hall. San Francisco Symphony/Michael Tilson Thomas. Mahler: Symphony No. 2 (“Resurrection”).