Voices in
the Wilderness challenges the widely accepted view of American
musical history that assumes that those American composers who were not
concerned with the Modernist rejection of traditional tonality and tonal
organization or the impact of jazz and other vernacular approaches on American
musical language were simply isolated exceptions of little importance to
the primary trends of American classical music. Instead, Simmons argues
that these "exceptions" included figures of considerable merit and creativity,
whose bodies of work are comparable in expressive power, individuality,
and craftsmanship to the revered masters of the past.
Here, Simmons examines those
composers whose styles maintain continuity with the values and principles
developed during the 19th century, specifically: Ernest Bloch, Howard Hanson,
Vittorio Giannini, Paul Creston, Samuel Barber, and Nicolas Flagello. The
six composers chosen are each presented through a biographical overview,
followed by a comprehensive assessment of their bodies of work. Each composer's
musical output is discussed according to its stylistic origins and affinities
with other composers, phases or periods of development, as well as strengths
and weaknesses. Each chapter concludes with a discography of essential
recordings.
Simmons's book will be useful
to students and scholars who wish to delve beneath the surface of twentieth-century
American musical history, as well as to concert goers and record collectors
who are interested in broadening their knowledge and appreciation of this
aspect of the repertoire. No musical notation is used, and technical terms
are avoided as much as possible but explained when practical.
About The Author
Walter Simmons
is a musicologist and critic. He received the National Educational Film
Festival Award and the ASCAP/Deems Taylor Award for music criticism. He
has contributed to the New Grove Dictionary of American Music, American
National Biography, and scores of publications including Fanfare,
Music Journal, and Musical America.
