Classic Ross Amico

Tag: Joseph Schwantner

MLK Day Rediscovering Schwantner’s Lost Masterpiece

On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, once again I’ll be spinning this neglected contemporary classic from vinyl. This world premiere – and preferred – recording of “New Morning for the World: Daybreak of Freedom” has, inexplicably, never appeared on compact disc.

These are the forces that introduced the piece on January 15, 1983 (King’s birthday), at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. The texts were compiled from King’s speeches. The narrator is former Pittsburgh Pirate Willie Stargell. Composer Joseph Schwantner was the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1979 for his work “Aftertones of Infinity.”

You can learn more about Stargell here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Stargell

That such a beloved figure would have been subjected to discrimination and harassment in the still recent past should make us realize how short history is, and how pertinent was King’s life’s work.

Tune in today, between 4 and 7 p.m. EST to hear “New Morning for the World,” among my featured offerings, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

January 15, 2018
MLK Day Hear Inspiring Black Composers on WWFM

Martin Luther King Day.

Pulitzer Prize winner Joseph Schwantner’s “New Morning for the World (Daybreak of Freedom),” on a text drawn from King’s speeches, still not available on CD? In this fine recording? Why?

Hear it today, on glorious vinyl, alongside music rendered by pioneering African-American composers and performers, including Marian Anderson, Harry T. Burleigh, Natalie Hinderas, Florence Price, William Grant Still and George Walker, from 4 to 7 p.m. EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and at wwfm.org.

January 16, 2017
MLK Day Schwantner’s New Morning CD Still MIA?

Martin Luther King Day. Joseph Schwantner’s “New Morning for the World (Daybreak of Freedom),” on a text drawn from King’s speeches, still not available on CD? In this fine recording? Why?

Schwantner was awarded the Pultizer Prize for Music, for his “Aftertones of Infinity,” in 1979. “New Morning for the World” dates from 1982. Here’s a review of a concert performance of the piece in the New York Times. Sorry they didn’t record the Piston symphony!

http://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/18/arts/concert-willie-stargell-and-eastman-orchestra.html

The work received its world premiere in 1983 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on King’s birthday, January 15. This was followed by performances at Carnegie Hall, Philadelphia’s Academy of Music, Pittsburgh’s Heinz Hall, and Rochester’s Eastman Theater.

The album also includes Aaron Copland’s “A Lincoln Portrait” and “An Eastman Overture” by George Walker. Copland and Walker too are Pulitzer Prize winners. Pittsburgh Pirate Willie Stargell hits it out of the park.

There is a recording of “New Morning for the World” on compact disc (on Koch International Classic), but the narrator wouldn’t exactly earn a Stargell Star. The LP, with the Eastman Philharmonia, is still the one to beat.

January 18, 2016
MLK Day Willie Stargell & Freedom’s Song

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Here’s Willie Stargell in Joseph Schwantner’s “New Morning for the World (Daybreak of Freedom),” from 1982, the text compiled from speeches of MLK.

These are the forces which gave the piece its premiere on January 15, 1983 (King’s birthday), at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. For my money, it is still the preferred recording of the work. Why has this never been issued on compact disc?

In fact, there don’t appear to be any recordings of the piece currently in print! Schwanter was the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1979 for his work, “Aftertones of Infinity.”

More about Stargell here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Stargell

It makes me realize how naive and complacent I am that I am surprised by the episodes of discrimination and harassment against such a beloved figure. It also makes me realize just how short history is.

January 19, 2015

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