The Music of Lou Harrison

Lou Harrison - The Music of Lou Harrison

released on CD in 1991, originally released on vinyl in 1971

tracks 1-7 performed by the Oakland Youth Orchestra, Robert Hughes - conductor

tracks 8-11 performed by Beverly Bellows

tracks 12-13 performed by Lou Harrison

tracks 14-16 performed by William Bouton - violin along with Richard Dee - cheng, William Colvig - sheng and fang-hsiang, Lou Harrison - piri, Helen Rifas - harp

Pacifika Rondo

Pacifika Rondo was written for the East-West Center at the University of Hawaii and received its premiere there in May 1963. Each movement refers to a section of the Pacific Basin except for the sixth, which is a protest against the bomb and its contamination and destruction of Pacific Life.
"The Family of the Court" largely refers to Korea and its court life; "Play of the Dolphins" is in a sense mid-ocean music and the sound of the psalteries suggests the movement of waves and the dancing of dolphins.
"Lotus" is a tribute to Buddhism, a 'temple' piece; "In Sequoia's Shade" refers to California, particularly to its colonial days. The fifth movement (an 'Homage to Carlos Chavez') looks to Mexico and Netzahualcoyotl, the Aztec emperor, a king of great wisdom and goodness. "From the Dragon Pool" refers to the Sinitic Area and particularly China in which the dragon is considered benevolent.
I have been told to try several of the ways in which I think classic Asian musics might of themselves, and together, evolve in the future, and have combined instruments of several ethnics directly for musical expression.
In composing Pacifika Rondo I have thought, with love, around the circle of the Pacific.  (Lou Harrison)

Four Pieces for Harp

These are occasional works. The Serenade was written in a letter to Frank Wigglesworth, for him, when he was learning guitar in Rome, and it was originally for that instrument. Beverly's Troubadour Piece was first composed at a party in which Bob Hughes, Jerry Neff and I wrote little pieces for Beverly Bellows to play (at once) on my now troubadour model harp. Again, the harp solo from Music for Bill and Me is from a group of pieces for my friend William Colvig and me to play. Avalokiteshvara is from a larger work celebrating the Amitabha trinity - in it the Bodhisattva is heard as it were in a "nimbus" of bells. (Lou Harrison)

Two Pieces for Psaltery

I composed my Psalter Sonata (my first piece for psaltery) after studying the instrument with Liang Tsai Ping, the great Chinese chong-master, to whom the piece is dedicated. One actually could see "one and a quarter moons" in the sky of Mars, and this piece was written to entertain Robert Hughes.  (Lou Harrison)

Music for Violin with Various Instruments
European, Asian & African

Composed for Gary Beswick, who gave its first performance at San Jose State College in 1967. The whole round world of musics and instruments lives around us. I am interested in a "transethnic," a planetary music.  (Lou Harrison)

Tracklisting:

1. Pacifika Rondo: The Family of the Court  {5:18}

2. Pacifika Rondo: A Play of Dolphins  {4:12}

3. Pacifika Rondo: Lotus  {2:52}

4. Pacifika Rondo: In Sequoia's Shade  {2:26}

5. Pacifika Rondo: Netzahuaucoyoti Builds a Pyramid  {2:22}

6. Pacifika Rondo: A Hatred of the Filthy Bomb  {2:53}

7. Pacifika Rondo: From the Dragon Pool  {4:03}

8. Four Pieces for Harp: Serenade for Frank Wigglesworth  {1:54}

9. Four Pieces for Harp: Beverly's Troubador Piece  {1:32}

10. Four Pieces for Harp: From Music for Bill and Me  {3:21}

11. Four Pieces for Harp: Avalokiteshvara  {2:23}

12. Two Pieces for Psaltery: Psalter Sonata  {2:32}

13. Two Pieces for Psaltery: The Garden at One and a Quarter Moons  {2:40}

14. Music for Violin with Various Instruments: Allegro Vigoroso  {3:17}

15. Music for Violin with Various Instruments: Largo  {4:19}

16. Music for Violin with Various Instruments: Allegro Moderato  {3:08}

(1)