Peter Mennin / Richard Yardumian-Split Release (1971)

Today is the birthday of Peter Mennin, who died 29 years ago- in 1983, at 60 years of age.
Notes excerpted from the back cover (enclosed):

Born in Erie Pennsylvania, May 17, 1923, Mennin attended the Oberlin Conservatory briefly before serving in the Air Force, later resuming his studies at Eastman School of Music. In 1947 he joined the composition department at the Juilliard School. As a result of awards and grants Mennin spent the year 1957-58 in Europe, during which he was appointed Director of Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. In 1962 he returned to New York as President of Juilliard.

The Concerto for Piano and Orchestra was commissioned be The Cleveland Orchestra in honor of the 40th anniversary of the founding. The premiere took place in Severance Hall on February 27, 1958, with Eunice Podis as soloist and George Szell conducting. The same forces gave the work its first New York performance, at Carnegie Hall, on March 7 of that year.
The concert is a virtuoso piece in three movements, with the solo instrument pitted against the orchestra. The intricate writing of the piano part requires a performer with extraordinary technical ability.

The music has the typical Mennin characteristics - enormous pulsating drive, expressive power and naturalness of harmonic and contrapuntal flow - and unifying all of these is a lofty, poetic grandiloquence. The Concerto was recorded in the presence of the composer and under his supervision.

Richard Yardumian, whose music Leopold Stowkowski described as "beautiful and effortlessly original" was entirely self-taught until his early twenties.

The Passacaglia, Recitatives and Fugue was composed in 1957, and had its premiere in Philadelphia on January 3, 1958, with Rudolf Firkusny, for whom it was written, as soloist and Eugene Ormandy conducting. It is a work that has been described as "Logical, brilliant in concept...built with skill, purpose and deep regard...for solo instrument and orchestra."
The first movement, which has 20 variations, was inspired by a performance of Bach's great Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor. Its piano writing is molded along Lisztian lines, and it is based on a theme of the traditional eaight measures in triple meter. The Recitatives movement, dialogues between the piano and various instruments, is poetic and introspective. The Finale is a glowing regal march, its intricate contrapuntal treatment, with numerous canons and inversions, typical of the composer's noble style.

Side One:

Peter Mennin: Concerto For Piano And Orchestra (1958)
I: Maestoso; Allegro (10:33)
II: Adagio religioso (8:28)
III: Allegro vivace  (6:04)
 
Side Two:

Richard Yardumian: Passacaglia,Recitatives and Fugue (1958)
I: Passacaglia  (8:22)
II: Recitatives; III: Fugue  (9:24)

John Ogdon, Piano
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Igor Buketoff, conductor

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Various Artists: AMERICAN STRING QUARTETS VOL 2: 1900-1950

American String Quartets Vol.2: 1900-1950
(Vox Box SVBX 5305) Released in 1974From the Booklet (enclosed):

This set is the last album in a three-volume survey of American string quartet literature. The two previous released companion albums are titled "The Early American String Quartet" (Vox Box SVBX 5301) and "The Avant Garde String Quartet in the U.S.A." (Vox Box 5306). The first album contains works historically ranging from a string quartet attributed to Benjamin Franklin to works by such early twentieth-century American composers as George Chadwick and Charles Griffes, and are all performed by the the Kohon String Quartet. The second album released contains works written since 1950, and is illustrative of the manifold approaches to structure, the presence (or absence) of various types of controls, and the use of a variety of musical materials which have, for the most part, occurred since the end of the Second World War. The earliest work represented in that album is John Cage's String Quartet In Four Parts (1950) and the most recent is George Crumb's Black Angels (1970). These works are performed by the Concord String Quartet. In this third, and concluding, album of the series the Kohon String Quartet returns to perform works spanning from the early decades of this century through the early 1960's.These, too, are illustrative of the wide range of styles that flourished during that period.
In his notes for the album containing the avant garde works, Lejaren Hiller states that "Stylistic heterogeneity and healthy eclecticism have always been characteristic traits of American music..." and the works contained in this album no less confirm the validity of that observation.The composers represented here possess strongly independent personal styles, and they all show a manifold desire to explore new melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic materials in their individual ways.For the most part, however, they do so within the confines of traditional homophonic and polyphonic forms.
The composers represented in this album are also indicative of the coming of age of American music.(...)

Note:
"The Avant Garde String Quartet in the U.S.A." can be found in The Closet.
"The Early American String Quartet" will be posted in the near future.

American String Quartets Vol.2: 1900-1950
(Vox Box SVBX 5305) Released in 1974
The Kohon Quartet:
Harold Kohon: 1st Violin
Isadora Kohon: 2nd Violin
Eugene Dengel: Viola
W.Ted Hoyle: Cello


Side 1:
Peter Mennin: String Quartet No.2 (1951)
1: Allegro ardentemente (7:45)
2: Prestissimo (2:20)
3: Adagio semplice (4:03)
4: Allegro focosamente (3:15)

Aaron Copland: Two Pieces For String Quartet (1923-28)
1: Lento molto (5:04)
2: Rondino (3:55)



side 2:
Walter Piston: String Quartet No.5 (ca.1962)
1: Allegro (4:35)
2: Adagio (7:35)
3: Allegro (4:25)

George Gershwin: Lullabye For String Quartet (ca.1920) (11:35)



side 3:
Virgil Thomson: String Quartet No.2 (1932)
1: Allegro moderato (6:21)
2: Tempo di Valse (3:54)
3: Adagio sostenuto (4:52)
4: Allegretto (6:58)

Charles Ives: Scherzo For 2 Vioins, Viola and Cello (1903-14) (1:44)



side 4:
William Schuman: String Quartet No.3 (1939)
1: Introduction and Fugue (7:37)
2: Intermezzo (7:38)
3: Rondo-Variations (8:21)



side 5:
Roger Sessions: Second String Quartet (1951) (beginning) (27:16)
1: Lento;
2: Allegro appassionata Alla breve;
3: Andante tranquillo;
4: Presto



side 6:
Roger Sessions: Second String Quartet (conclusion)
5: Adagio (5:21)

Howard Hanson: Quartet In One Movement,Opus 23 (ca.1927) (17:50)
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Eastmontage

various artists compilation - Eastmontage

released in 1969

To be honest, the first track "Eastmontage" is the main reason I am posting this album. "Eastmontage" is a musique concrete piece by Hilton Keaton Jones who was a student at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester and graduate assistant at the time he created "Eastmontage". "Eastmontage" is the entire first side of the LP. The second side of the LP includes performances by student groups. Half of the second side has works by Eastman alumni including notably Chuck Mangione and the other half is by big names such as Bach, Rachmaninoff and Strauss.
It's not that there's anything wrong with the classical favorites, but side two maybe would be more interesting if there were works by the likes of Earle Brown and Luciano Berio for example or at least include only works by the alumni. Some of my visitors would undoubtedly enjoy side two more than I would. Anyway, this LP was primarily for Eastman alumni which would explain the variety of styles.

The Eastman School of Music has a reputation as one of the top music schools in the United States. Here's the liner notes that explain the purpose of this album: Since you spent some of the most important years of your life at the Eastman School of Music, you will have a special appreciation for many of the sounds included in Hilton Jones' composition which was written especially for this recording. These are the sounds of Eastman today: sounds of busy, talented music students and dedicated teachers. The short performances by several of our outstanding student ensembles are sound evidence that the traditional excellence identified with Eastman performers for nearly half a century is alive and well ... and living in Rochester [New York].
Today's Eastman School student is a part of a strong tradition of excellence in every area of music education. He is selected from an impressive number of applicants drawn from all over America. He studies in an atmosphere of intense dedication to his art. His curriculum includes broad opportunities in the humanities in addition to applied music study and sound theoretical training. Among his listeners are artist performers and scholars internationally known for their contributions to the world of music.
Like every educational institution, Eastman is undergoing change: new additions to the faculty and administrative staff, new efforts in the public relations and development areas, new and revised programs of instruction, new facilities for study and research, new opportunities for the study of contemporary music and the never-ending search for improvement of our curricula are some of these areas of change.
Through this recording, prepared especially for Eastman School Alumni, we sincerely hope that a bit of the excitement of the School will help to convey our enthusiasm for the important task of educating the musician of tomorrow here at the Eastman School of Music.


Tracklisting:

Side One

1. Hilton Kean Jones - Eastmontage {13:31}

Side Two

1. Peter Mennin - Canzona {4:42}
performed by Eastman Wind Ensemble

2. Gordon Peters - The Swords of Moda-Ling {6:02}
performed by Eastman Percussion Ensemble

3. Johann Strauss - Champagne Song from "Die Fledermaus" {2:34}
performed by Eastman Opera Theatre and Eastman School Symphony Orchestra

4. Chuck Mangione - Boy with Toys {2:43}
performed by Eastman Jazz Ensemble

5. J. S. Bach - Contrapunctus XIV from "Die Kunst der Fuge" {3:18}
performed by Eastman Trombone Choir

6. Sergei Rachmaninoff - conclusion of Mvt. IV (Allegro Vivace) from the Symphony No. 2 in E Minor, Opus 27 {5:42}
performed by Eastman Philharmonia

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