Leonard Bernstein said the human qualities of American composer William Schuman’s work were “compassion, fidelity, insight, and total honesty.” In the 1960s, the New York Times called William Schuman the most powerful figure in art music. Born in 1910, Schuman wrote eight symphonies, concerti, and even a baseball opera, Casey at the Bat. Winner of the 1943 Pulitzer Prize for Music, he taught at Sarah Lawrence College, and was President of The Julliard School from 1945 to 1961. Schuman was responsible for founding the Juilliard String Quartet, shaping the creation of Lincoln Center, and he was everyone’s best friend! This 4th of July week of Exploring Music is guided by Joseph Polisi’s book “American Muse: The Life and Times of William Schuman.”
Schuman, William
Playlist
Episode 1
Schuman, William: The Mighty Casey
“Noon of The Big Day” (excerpt)
Juilliard Orchestra and Singers/Schwartz
SCHUMAN, W.: Mighty Casey (The) / A Question of Taste [Operas] (Schwarz)
Delos 1030
00:51
Gershwin, George: “Rialto Ripples”
George Bassman’s Orchestra
The Gershwin Years
Decca 7160
1:20
Lesser, Frank: “Doing the Dishes”
Frank Lesser
Itunes
:20
Wagner, Richard: Gotterdammerung
“Siegfried’s Death And Funeral Music”
NBC Symphony/Toscanini
Wagner: Götterdämmerung / Siegfried Excerpts
Idi 6500
00:37 excerpt
Wagenaar, Bernhard: Symphony No. 4
III. Quasi Vivace
American Recording Society Orchestra/Heffner
Symphony No. 4
Itunes
00:35 excerpt
Harris, Roy: Symphony 1933 (No. 1)
III. Maestoso
Louisville Orchestra/Mester
Symphony 1933 (Symphony No. 1) • Concerto For Violin And Orchestra • Symphony No. 5
Albany 012
6:44
Schuman, William: Concerto For Piano And Small Orchestra
III.
Saidenburg Symphony/Tureck/Saidenburg
The Rosalyn Tureck Collection
VAIA 1124
6:31
Loesser, Frank: “See What the Boys in the Back Room Will Have”
(excerpt from movie music)
Marlene Dietrich
Destry Rides Again
Itunes
1:04
Schuman, William: American Festival Overture
Los Angeles Philharmonic/Bernstein
Appalachian Spring / Adagio For Strings / “Candide” Overture / American Festival Overture
DG 474940
9:24
Harris, Roy: Symphony 3 (excerpt)
New York Philharmonic Orchestra/Bernstein
Symphony No. 3 / Symphony No. 3
CBS MS-6303
00:29
Schuman, William: Symphony No. 3
I. Passacaglia
II. Fugue
Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Slatkin
Chicago Symphony Orchestra in The Twentieth Century
CSO 2000
13:37
Schuman, William: Symphony No. 5 (Symphony for Strings)
I. Molto agitato
I Musici De Montreal/Turovsky
Composers in New York
Chandos 9848
4:47
Schuman, William: “Prayer in a Time of War for Orchestra”
Seattle Symphony Orchestra/Schwarz
William Schuman: Symphony No. 6
Naxos 8559625
3:05
Episode 2
Schuman, William: “Newsreel” (excerpt)
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra/Foss
American Festival
Pro Arte C102
00:53
Schuman, William: “Night Journey” (excerpt)
Seattle Symphony Orchestra/Schwarz
William Schuman – Symphony No. 8
Naxos 8559651
12:40
Schuman, William: Violin Concerto
II. Introduzione, Presto Leggiero
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra/Slatkin/McDuffie, violin
Serenade · Violin Concerto
EMI Classics 06611
16:52
Schuman, William: “George Washington Bridge” (excerpts)
Keystone Wind Ensemble/Stamp
George Washington Bridge
Klavier Records 11155
1:14
Schuman, William: Symphony No. 6
Philadelphia Orchestra/Ormandy
William Schuman – Symphony No. 6
Naxos 8559625
9:18
Schuman, William: Symphony 6
V. Quarter circa 120; VI. Presto
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra/Keelan
Roy Harris: Symphony No. 7, William Schuman: Symphony No. 6.
Koch 7290
9:21
Schuman, William: George “Washington Bridge” (excerpts)
Keystone Wind Ensemble/Stamp
George Washington Bridge
Klavier Records 11155
1:58
Episode 3
Schuman, William: Credendum
I. Declaration, II. Chorale, III. Finale
Albany Symphony Orchestra/Miller
Credendum • Concerto For Piano And Orchestra • Symphonies No. 4
Albany Records 566
17:31
Billings, William: “Be Glad Them America,” “When Jesus Wept,” “Chester”
The Atlanta Singers/Brensinger
An American Sampler
Antiphonica
:55
Schuman, William: New England Triptych
I: “Be glad then, America”
II: “When Jesus wept”
III: “Chester”
Eastman-Rochester Symphony Orchestra/Hanson
Hanson Conducts Ives, Schuman, Mennin
Mercury 432755-2
15:36
Schuman, William: The Mighty Casey (excerpts)
“Noon of The Big Day,” “Peanuts, Popcorn, Soda, Crackerjacks”
“Dance of The Hawkers,” “Rhubarb: ‘Ya Blind?”
“I’M Fed to The Teeth,” “Twilight of The Big Day”
Juilliard Orchestra and Singers/Schwartz
SCHUMAN, W.: Mighty Casey (The) / A Question of Taste [Operas] (Schwarz)
Delos 1030
15:03
Schuman, William: Chester Variations for piano (excerpt)
Alexei Sultanov, piano
8th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition 1989 – The Winners
Teldec 246103
2:18
Episode 4
Schuman, William: “Orpheus With His Lute”
Gregg Smith Singers
I Hear America Singing
VOX 3037
4:37
Schuman, William: “A Song of Orpheus”
Ireland RTE National Symphony Orchestra/Eddins;Hanani, cello
Perry, W.: Jamestown Concerto /
Schuman, W.: A Song Of Orpheus / Thomson, V.: Cello Concerto (Hanani)
Naxos 8.559344
23:05
Schuman, William: Symphony No. 8
III. Presto – Prestissimo
Seattle Symphony Orchestra/Schwarz
Schuman, W.: Symphony No. 8 / Night Journey / Ives, C.: Variations on America
Naxos 8.559651
9:32
Schuman, William: Old English Rounds for Viola, Women’s Chorus and Orchestra
5. Amaryllis – Recapituation
New York Philharmonic/Bernstein/McInness, viola
Concerto On Old English Rounds (For Viola, Women’s Chorus and Orchestra)
Columbia 35101
10:55
Schuman, William: Symphony No. 8 (excerpt) I. Lento Sostenuto
Seattle Symphony Orchestra/Schwarz
Schuman, W.: Symphony No. 8 / Night Journey / Ives, C.: Variations on America
Naxos 8.559651
9:32
Episode 5
Ives, Charles: Variations on America (excerpt)
E. Power Biggs, organ
E. Power Biggs’ Greatest Hits
MS 7269
00:47
Ives, Charles/Schuman, William: Variations on America
New York Philharmonic/Kostelanetz
Schuman: Symphony No. 8 / Night Journey / Ives: Variations on America
Sony 63034
6:45
Schuman, William: Symphony no. 9, “Le Fosse Ardeatine”
I. Anteludium
Seattle Symphony/Schwartz
William Schuman – Symphonies Nos. 4 & 9
Naxos 8559254
7:53
Schuman, William: Symphony no. 9, “Le Fosse Ardeatine”
III. Postludium
Seattle Symphony/Schwartz
William Schuman – Symphonies Nos. 4 & 9
Naxos 8559254
9:45
Schuman, William: Symphony No. 10, “American Muse”
I. Con Fuoco
Seattle Symphony Orchestra/Schwartz
William Schuman – Symphonies Nos. 7 & 10
Naxos 8559255
5:56
Schuman, William: Symphony No. 10, “American Muse”
III. Presto
Seattle Symphony Orchestra/Schwartz
William Schuman – Symphonies Nos. 7 & 10
Naxos 8559255
12:20
Schuman, William: “Carols of Death”
Choir of King’s College Cambridge/Cleobury
Chichester Psalms / In The Beginning
EMI 54188-2
2:44
Schuman, William: Orchestra Song (excerpt)
Seattle Symphony/Schwartz
William Schuman – Symphonies Nos. 4 & 9
Naxos 8559254
2:54