MP3-Beispiel

If you like Bartok and Varese, Kraft's music should appeal.

William Kraft was appointed to the Dorothy and Sherrill C. Corwin Chair in Music Composition at the University of California at Santa Barbara in September, 1991, in recognition of his long and distinguished career as a composer, conductor and teacher. He served as percussionist and timpanist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 1955-1981 and he was the Orchestra's first composer-in-residence. He also served as regular guest conductor and was assistant conductor for three seasons. His music has been performed by every major American Orchestra and he has won numerous awards. Established in 1969 by music director Richard Pittman, the Boston Musica Viva is one of the oldest, most distinguished new music ensembles in the United States. With rare exceptions, a new work is premiered at each one of their concerts, usually from an American composer. Jane Manning has long been established internationally as a leading exponent of contemporary music, with more than 300 premieres to her credit. Her extensive discography includes works by Messiaen, Schoenberg and Ligeti, with conductors such as Boulez and Rattle. It is a pleasure for Albany Records to bring you such a distinguished group of performers giving us Mr. Kraft's music. All the works recorded here are world premieres.

CONTENTS:

William Kraft, composer Settings from Pierrot Lunaire Jane Manning, soprano, Renee Krimsier, flute, Diane Heffner, clarinet, Nancy Cirillo, violin, viola, Ronald Lowry, cello, Dean Anderson, percussion, Hugh Hinton, piano, Richard Pittman, conductor William Kraft, composer Concerto for Percussion & Chamber Ensemble Dean Anderson, percussion, Renee Krimsier, flute, Diane Heffner, clarinet, Nancy Cirillo, violin, viola, Ronald Lowry, cello, Hugh Hinton, piano, Richard Pittman, conductor William Kraft, composer Episodes Ronald Copes, violin, Jeremy Haladyna, piano William Kraft, composer Gallery 4-5 Diane Heffner, clarinet, Nancy Cirillo, violin, Ronald Copes, viola, Ronald Lowry, cello, Hugh Hinton, piano, Richard Pittman, conductor

REVIEW:

William Kraft (b. 1923) has become one of the grand old men of American music. When I began reviewing, he was one of the most colorful writers of serial music, and, judging by the opening piece for the same instrumentation as Schoenberg's famous setting plus percussion, he still wields an effective pen in that idiom. He was originally a percussionist, and his sense of color is bright and ear-tickling. Luckily, his ear also hears the color potential in other instruments and his Episodes of 1987 for violin and piano - a 13-minute work in two movements - shows as imaginative a sonic palette and holds the musical attention as well as the more outwardly colorful scores.This is all music written since 1985 and shows us that the hand of Kraft has by no means lost its cunning." (American Record Guide)