Joan Tower’s Purple Rhapsody premiered in 2005 by the Omaha Symphony Orchestra with violist Paul Neubauer, to whom the work is dedicated. The piece is roughly twenty minutes long and consists of one continuous composition; unlike a concerto, Rhapsody does not have individual movements. It is one of Tower’s more recent works, though it was […]
Joan Tower
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Joan Tower scores a hit with Strike Zones
I’m a percussionist by training. And I’m an admirer of Joan Tower’s music. So a disc featuring Tower’s compositions for Evelyn Glennie was a must-review for me. Glennie is one of the foremost percussionists in the world. Her innovative technique is only matched, by her drive to enrich the repertoire. To that end, she has […]
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#ClassicsaDay Revisits #NAFTAclassics – Week 1
The Classics a Day team is made up of American and Canadians. The month of July has important national holidays for both countries. And so the theme for July is the music of North America. (Mexico doesn’t have a major holiday in July, but we decided to be inclusive). In my posts for #ClassicsaDay I […]
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July 4th Classical Music – Moving 1776 beyond 1812
For Independence Day celebrations, there few classical works that make the cut. You can usually count on hearing a John Philip Sousa march. Perhaps Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man,” And, if the presenters have the budget and/or a National Guard armory nearby, Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture.” Time for a change I get it. “1812” […]
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#ClassicsaDay #NAFTAclassics Week 3
We have an international mix of contributors to the #ClassicsaDay feed. July has significant holidays for two of the three countries in North America. So, at the suggestion of a Canadian contributor, July became #NAFTAclassics, marking Canada Day (July 1) and Independence Day (July 4). Mexico doesn’t have a July holiday, but we decided to […]
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Joan Tower – Violin Concerto
This new release serves up three outstanding orchestral works by American composer Joan Tower. Stroke is a 2010 musical portrait of a stroke, and the disruptive effect it has on the victim. Tower’s music upends itself early on, and over the course of the piece moves through several violent emotions before settling on serene acceptance […]