Elliott Carter (1908-2012)
Elliott
Carter is, according to Aaron Copland "one of America's most
distinguished creative artists in any field." Carter was initially
encouraged to become a composer by Charles Ives who had sold insurance
to his parents, later going on to study at Harvard with Walter Piston
and in Paris with Nadia Boulanger. With his explorations into tempo
relationships and texture, Carter's consistently innovative and dynamic
output of works is unmistakably American. Sometimes, in works such as
the String Quartet No. 1, it is reminiscent of the vastness of the
American landscapes; at other times, for example in the Concerto for
Orchestra, his complex counterpoint conjures up the dense and hectic
environment of the big cities. His intricate, mercurial work often
mirrors human interactions and relationships.- Carter Centenary
COMPOSITIONS Carter Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre ~ ~ ~ Carter on Carter
Tarantella, male chorus and orchestra (1936)
Harvest Home, chorus (1937)
Let's Be Gay, female chorus and 2 pianos (1937)
Tell Me Where is Fancy Bred, medium voice and guitar (1938)
Heart Not So Heavy as Mine, chorus (1938)
Pocahontas, ballet (1938-39) [also Pocahontas, suite, orchestra, 1939]
Canonic Suite, 4 alto saxophones or clarinets (1939)
Symphony No. 1, orchestra (1942; rev. 1954)
Dust of Snow, violin and piano (1943)
Voyage, mezzo-soprano or baritone and orchestra (1943)
The Rose Family, voice and piano (1943)
Holiday Overture, orchestra (1944; rev. 1961)
The Harmony of Morning, female chorus and orchestra (1944)
Piano Sonata (1945-46)
Elegy for String Orchestra (1946)
The Minotaur, ballet (1947) [also The Minotaur, suite, orchestra, 1947]
Sonata for Cello and piano (1948)
Woodwind Quintet (1948)
Eight Etudes and a Fantasy, wind quartet (1949)
String Quartet No. 1 (1950)
Sonata for Flute, Oboe, Cello and Harpsichord (1952)
Variations for Orchestra (1955)
String Quartet No. 2 (1959)
Double Concerto, piano, harpsichord and 2 chamber orchestras (1959-61)
Piano Concerto (1964)
Eight Pieces for Four Timpani (1949/1966) [nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8 composed 1949, rev. 1966; nos. 3, 6 composed 1966]
Concerto for Orchestra (1969)
Canon for Three Equal Instruments “In memoriam Igor Stravinsky” (1971)
String Quartet No. 3 (1971)
Duo, violin and piano (1973)
Brass Quintet (1974)
Fantasy about Purcell’s “Fantasia Upon One Note”, brass quintet (1974)
A Mirror on Which to Dwell, soprano and ensemble (1975)
A Symphony of Three Orchestras (1976)
Syringa, guitar, mezzo-soprano, bass-baritone and ensemble (1978)
Three Poems of Robert Frost, baritone and ensemble (1942; orchestrated 1980)
Night Fantasies, piano (1980)
In Sleep, in Thunder, tenor and large ensemble (1981)
Changes, guitar (1983)
Triple Duo, flute/picc, clarinet/Eb/bass cl, percussion, piano, violin and cello (1983)
Canon for 4 – Homage to William, flute, bass clarinet, violin and cello (1984)
Riconoscenza 'per Goffredo Petrassi', violin (1984) [Laud No. 2 from Four Lauds]
Penthode, large ensemble (1985)
Esprit Rude/Esprit Doux, flute and clarinet (1985)
String Quartet No. 4 (1986)
Birthday Flourish, 5 trumpets or brass quintet (1988)
Enchanted Preludes, flute and cello (1988)
Oboe Concerto (1986-87)
Three Occasions, orchestra (1986-89)
- A Celebration of some 150x100 notes, orchestra (1986)
- Remembrance, orchestra (1988)
- Anniversary, orchestra
Violin Concerto (1990)
Con Leggerezza Pensosa - Omaggio a Italo Calvino, clarinet, violin and cello (1990)
Quintet, oboe, clarinet/Eb cl, bassoon, horn and piano (1991)
Scrivo in Vento, flute (1991)
Trilogy, oboe and harp (1992)
- Bariolage, harp (1992)
- Inner Song, oboe (1992)
- Immer Neu, oboe and harp (1992)
Inner Song, oboe (1992)
Gra [Polish: "to play"], clarinet (or trombone) (1993)
Of Challenge and of Love, soprano and piano (1994)
Esprit Rude/Esprit Doux II, flute, clarinet and marimba (1994)
Fragment No. 1, string quartet (1994)
90+, piano (1994)
Figment, cello (1994)
String Quartet No. 5 (1995)
Symphonia: Sum Fluxae Pretiam Spei, orchestra (1993-96)
- Partita, orchestra (1993)
- Adagio Tenebroso, orchestra (1994)
- Allegro Scorrevole, orchestra (1996)
Clarinet Concerto, clarinet and large ensemble (1996)
A 6 Letter Letter, English horn (1996)
Luimen, trumpet, trombone, vibraphone, mandolin, guitar and harp (1997)
Quintet, piano and string quartet (1997)
Shard, guitar (1997)
What Next, opera (1997-98)
Glock Birthday Fanfare, 3 trumpets and vibraphone (chimes) (1998)
Tempo e Tempi, soprano, oboe/English horn, clarinet/bass cl, violin and cello (1998-99)
Two Diversions, piano (1999)
Fragment No. 2, string quartet (1999)
Fantasy, violin (1999) [Laud No. 4 from Four Lauds]
Statement, violin (1999) [Laud No. 1 from Four Lauds]
ASKO Concerto, large ensemble (2000)
Retrouvailles, piano (2000)
Cello Concerto (2000)
Rhapsodic Musings, violin (2001) [Laud No. 3 from Four Lauds]
Four Lauds, violin (1984-2001)
- Statement, violin (1999)
- Riconoscenza 'per Goffredo Petrassi', violin (1984)
- Rhapsodic Musings, violin (2001)
- Fantasy, violin (1999)
Oboe Quartet, oboe, violin, viola and cello (2001)
Hiyoku, 2 clarinets (2001)
Figment II (No. 2), cello (2001)
Steep Steps, bass clarinet (2001)
Boston Concerto (2002)
Of Reawakening, mezzo-soprano and orchestra (2002)
Au Quai, bassoon and viola (2002)
Retracing, bassoon (2002)
Dialogues, piano and large ensemble (2003)
Call, 2 trumpets and horn (2003)
Three Illusions, orchestra (2002-04)
- Micomicón, orchestra (2002)
- Fons Juventatis, orchestra (2004)
- More's Utopia, orchestra (2004)
Mosaic, harp and ensemble (2004)
Réflexions, large ensemble (2004)
Soundings, piano and orchestra (2005)
Intermittences, piano (2005) [No. 2 of "Two Thoughts About the Piano", 2008]
Caténaires, piano (2006) [No. 1 of "Two Thoughts About the Piano", 2008]
In the Distances of Sleep, mezzo-soprano and large ensemble (2006)
Horn concerto (2006)
Interventions, piano and orchestra (2007) [???]
HBHH, oboe (2007) [fp 5/27/2007]
Figment III, doublebass (2007) [June 2007]
Figment IV, viola (2007)
Sound Fields, string orchestra (2007) [~8/1/07]
Mad Regales, 6 solo voices (2007) [~8/1/07]
Matribute, piano (2007) [fp 8/27/2007]
La Musique, soprano solo (2007)
Clarinet Quintet, clarinet and string quartet (2007) [10/7/07]
Flute Concerto (2008) [Mar 2008]
Duettino, violin and cello (2008) [5/11/08]
Wind Rose, large ensemble (2008) [8/8/08]
Tintinnabulation, percussion sextet (2008)
Poems of Louis Zukofsky, mezzo-soprano and piano (2008)
Fratribute, piano (2008)
Sistribute, piano (2008)
On Conversing with Paradise, baritone and chamber orchestra (2008)
Tre Duetti, violin and cello (2008-09) [Duettone; Adagio; Duettino]
Concertino, bass clarinet and chamber orchestra (2009)
Nine by Five, wind quintet (2009)
Figment V for marimba (2009)
Retracing II, horn (2009)
Retracing III, trumpet (2009)
What Are Years, soprano and chamber orchestra (2009)
A Sunbeam's Architecture, tenor and chamber orchestra (2010)
Two Controversies and a Conversation, piano, percussion and chamber orchestra (2010–11)
Trije glasbeniki, flute, bass clarinet and harp (2011)
String Trio (2011)
Double Trio, trumpet, trombone, percussion, piano, violin and cello (2011)
Rigmarole, cello and bass clarinet (2011)
Retracing IV, tuba (2011)
Retracing V, trombone (2011)
Mnemosyné, violin (2011)
Three Explorations, bass-baritone, winds and brass (2011)
Dialogues II, piano and chamber orchestra (2012)
Instances, chamber orchestra (2012)
Twelve Short Epigrams, piano (2012)
WORKS BY GENRE Carter Links ~ ~ ~ Carter on Carter ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
Pocahontas, ballet (1938-39) [also Pocahontas, suite, orchestra, 1939]
The Minotaur, ballet (1947) [also The Minotaur, suite, orchestra, 1947]
What Next, opera (1997-98)
Orchestra
Pocahontas, suite, orchestra (1939) [from ballet]
Symphony No. 1, orchestra (1942; rev. 1954)
Holiday Overture, orchestra (1944; rev. 1961)
Elegy for String Orchestra (1946)
The Minotaur, suite, orchestra (1947) [from ballet]
Variations for Orchestra (1955)
Concerto for Orchestra (1969)
A Symphony of Three Orchestras (1976)
Three Occasions, orchestra (1986-89)
- A Celebration of some 150x100 notes, orchestra (1986) [No. 1 of "Three Occasions", orchestra, 1986-89]
- Remembrance, orchestra (1988) [No. 2 of "Three Occasions", orchestra, 1986-89]
- Anniversary, orchestra (1989) [No. 3 of "Three Occasions", orchestra, 1986-89]
Symphonia: Sum Fluxae Pretiam Spei, orchestra (1993-96)
- Partita, orchestra (1993)
- Adagio Tenebroso, orchestra (1994)
- Allegro Scorrevole, orchestra (1996)
Boston Concerto, orchestra (2002)
Three Illusions, orchestra (2002-04)
- Micomicón, orchestra (2002)
- Fons Juventatis, orchestra (2004)
- More's Utopia, orchestra (2004)
Sound Fields, string orchestra (2007)
Instances, chamber orchestra (2012)
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra or Ensemble
Double Concerto, piano, harpsichord and 2 chamber orchestras (1959-61)
Piano Concerto (1964)
Oboe Concerto (1986-87)
Violin Concerto (1990)
Clarinet Concerto, clarinet and large ensemble (1996)
Cello Concerto (2000)
Dialogues, piano and large ensemble (2003)
Mosaic, harp and ensemble (2004)
Soundings, piano and orchestra (2005)
Horn Concerto (2006)
Interventions, piano and orchestra (2007)
Flute Concerto (2008)
Concertino, bass clarinet and chamber orchestra (2009)
Two Controversies and a Conversation, piano, percussion and chamber orchestra (2010–11)
Dialogues II, piano and chamber orchestra (2012)
Chorus w/Orchestra
Tarantella, male chorus and orchestra (1936)
The Harmony of Morning, female chorus and orchestra (1944)
Choral
Harvest Home, chorus (1937)
Let's Be Gay, female chorus and 2 pianos (1937)
Heart Not So Heavy as Mine, chorus (1938)
Mad Regales, 6 solo voices (2007)
Large Ensemble
Penthode, large ensemble (1985)
ASKO Concerto, large ensemble (2000)
Dialogues, piano and large ensemble (2003)
Mosaic, harp and ensemble (2004)
Réflexions, large ensemble (2004)
Wind Rose, large ensemble (2008)
Chamber
Canonic Suite, 4 alto saxophones or clarinets (1939)
Woodwind Quintet (1948)
Eight Etudes and a Fantasy, wind quartet (1949)
String Quartet No. 1 (1950)
Sonata for Flute, Oboe, Cello and Harpsichord (1952)
String Quartet No. 2 (1959)
Canon for Three Equal Instruments “In memoriam Igor Stravinsky” (1971)
String Quartet No. 3 (1971)
Duo, violin and piano (1973)
Brass Quintet (1974)
Fantasy about Purcell’s “Fantasia Upon One Note”, brass quintet (1974)
Triple Duo, flute/picc, clarinet/Eb/bass cl, percussion, piano, violin and cello (1983)
Canon for 4 – Homage to William, flute, bass clarinet, violin and cello (1984)
Esprit Rude/Esprit Doux, flute and clarinet (1985)
String Quartet No. 4 (1986)
Birthday Flourish, 5 trumpets or brass quintet (1988)
Enchanted Preludes, flute and cello (1988)
Con Leggerezza Pensosa - Omaggio a Italo Calvino, clarinet, violin and cello (1990)
Quintet, oboe, clarinet/Eb cl, bassoon, horn and piano (1991)
Trilogy, oboe and harp (1992)
- Bariolage, harp (1992)
- Inner Song, oboe (1992)
- Immer Neu, oboe and harp (1992)
- Inner Song, oboe (1992)
Esprit Rude/Esprit Doux II, flute, clarinet and marimba (1994)
Fragment No. 1, string quartet (1994)
String Quartet No. 5 (1995)
Luimen, trumpet, trombone, vibraphone, mandolin, guitar and harp (1997)
Quintet, piano and string quartet (1997)
Glock Birthday Fanfare, 3 trumpets and vibraphone (chimes) (1998)
Fragment No. 2, string quartet (1999)
Oboe Quartet, oboe, violin, viola and cello (2001)
Hiyoku, 2 clarinets (2001)
Au Quai, bassoon and viola (2002)
Call, 2 trumpets and horn (2003)
Mosaic, harp and ensemble (2004)
Clarinet Quintet, clarinet and string quartet (2007)
Duettino, violin and cello (2008)
Tintinnabulation, percussion sextet (2008)
Tre Duetti, violin and cello (2008-09) [Duettone; Adagio; Duettino]
Nine by Five, wind quintet (2009)
Trije glasbeniki, flute, bass clarinet and harp (2011)
String Trio (2011)
Double Trio, trumpet, trombone, percussion, piano, violin and cello (2011)
Rigmarole, cello and bass clarinet (2011)
Solo Instrument
Dust of Snow, violin and piano (1943)
Sonata for Cello and piano (1948)
Eight Pieces for Four Timpani (1949/1966) [nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8 composed 1949, rev. 1966; nos. 3, 6 composed 1966]
Changes, guitar (1983)
Riconoscenza 'per Goffredo Petrassi', violin (1984) [Laud No. 2 from Four Lauds, 1984-2001]
Scrivo in Vento, flute (1991)
Bariolage, harp (1992)
Inner Song, oboe (1992)
Inner Song, oboe (1992)
Gra [Polish: "to play"], clarinet (or trombone) (1993)
Figment, cello (1994)
A 6 Letter Letter, English horn (1996)
Shard, guitar (1997)
Fantasy, violin (1999) [Laud No. 4 from Four Lauds, 1984-2001]
Statement, violin (1999) [Laud No. 1 from Four Lauds, 1984-2001]
Rhapsodic Musings, violin (2001) [Laud No. 3 from Four Lauds, 1984-2001]
Four Lauds, violin (1984-2001) [Statement; Riconoscenza; Rhapsodic Musings; Fantasy]
Figment II (No. 2), cello (2001)
Steep Steps, bass clarinet (2001)
Retracing, bassoon (2002)
HBHH, oboe (2007)
Figment III, doublebass (2007)
Figment IV, viola (2007)
Figment V for marimba (2009)
Retracing II, horn (2009)
Retracing III, trumpet (2009)
Retracing IV, tuba (2011)
Retracing V, trombone (2011)
Mnemosyné, violin (2011)
Piano
Piano Sonata (1945-46)
Night Fantasies, piano (1980)
90+, piano (1994)
Two Diversions, piano (1999)
Retrouvailles, piano (2000)
Intermittences, piano (2005) [No. 2 of "Two Thoughts About the Piano", 2008]
Caténaires, piano (2006) [No. 1 of "Two Thoughts About the Piano", 2008]
Matribute, piano (2007)
Fratribute, piano (2008)
Sistribute, piano (2008)
Twelve Short Epigrams, piano (2012)
Vocal
Tell Me Where is Fancy Bred, medium voice and guitar (1938)
Voyage, mezzo-soprano or baritone and orchestra (1943)
The Rose Family, voice and piano (1943)
A Mirror on Which to Dwell, soprano and ensemble (1975)
Syringa, guitar, mezzo-soprano, bass-baritone and ensemble (1978)
Three Poems of Robert Frost, baritone and ensemble (1942; orchestrated 1980)
In Sleep, in Thunder, tenor and large ensemble (1981)
Of Challenge and of Love, soprano and piano (1994)
Tempo e Tempi, soprano, oboe/English horn, clarinet/bass cl, violin and cello (1998-99)
Of Reawakening, mezzo-soprano and orchestra (2002)
In the Distances of Sleep, mezzo-soprano and large ensemble (2006)
Mad Regales, 6 solo voices (2007)
La Musique, soprano solo (2007)
Poems of Louis Zukofsky, mezzo-soprano and piano (2008)
On Conversing with Paradise, baritone and chamber orchestra (2008)
What Are Years, soprano and chamber orchestra (2009)
A Sunbeam's Architecture, tenor and chamber orchestra (2010)
Three Explorations, bass-baritone, winds and brass (2011)
CARTER LINKS Works by Genre ~ ~ ~ Carter on Carter ~ top of page ~
99 Years of Elliott Carter's Masterpieces in 5 Days (Roderick Nordell, The Christian Science Moniter)
100-Year-Old Composer Elliott Carter Parties Like It’s 1939 (Justin Davidson, New York Magazine)
A Busy Quiet: Elliott Carter’s Flute Concerto (Matthew Guerrieri, Faster Times)
Celebrating the Elliott Carter Centennial (Petzold Book Blog)
Composer Elliot Carter - 100 and Still Blooming (Scott Barry Kaufman, Psychology Today)
Composer Elliott Carter is Much Admired But Not Easy To Love (Karl Gehrke, Minnesota Public Radio)
The Composer in Cambridge: Carter Looks Back (Matthew Guerrieri, The Boston Globe)
Creativity and Aging (Anna Kuchment, Newsweek)
Elliott Carter - 100 Years at New Music Connoisseur
Elliott Carter: 100 Years Old, and Still Writing Deliciously Hummable Tunes (Damian Thompson, Telegraph Blogs)
Elliott Carter at 90+ (John F. Link, ISAM Newsletter)
Elliott Carter at 95 (John Warnaby, MusicWeb International)
Elliott Carter at 100 (Vitro Nasu)
Elliott Carter Comes to Aldeburgh (Michael Church)
Elliott Carter Explains It All For You (Matthew Guerrieri, The Faster Times)
Elliott Carter: Horn Concerto (2006) (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
Elliott Carter, John Cage and The Emperor's New Clothes (Chandler Branch's Blog)
Elliott Carter Manuscripts (Library of Congress)
Elliott Carter on the Big Screen (Grant Chu Covell, La Folia)
Elliott Carter/Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Aldeburgh Festival (Michael Church, The Independent)
Elliott Carter’s First Hundred Years (Kaufman Center)
Elliott Carter's Flute Music (Leonard Garrison, University of Idaho)
Elliott Carter Speaks at the Aldeburgh Festival 2009 (Anne Ozorio, The Classical Music Source)
Elliott Carter’s Seventies (1979 – 1988) (Petzold Book Blog)
Elliott Carter: The Five String Quartets/Pacifica Quartet (Gene Gaudette, The Classical Source)
Elliott Carter Turns 100 (Josef Woodard, The Santa Barbara Independent)
Elliott Carter – What Next? (Walter Horn, Bagatellen)
Happy 100th Birthday Elliott Carter! (Uncle Dave Lewis, The Allmusic Blog)
Late Bloomer: Nonagenarian Elliott Carter in His Most Productive Period (Mark Stryker, Andante.com)
A Life in Music: Elliott Carter (Nicholas Wroe, The Guardian)
Long Live Elliott Carter! An Operatic Double-Bill? (CultureGrrl)
Long-Range Polyrhythms in Elliott Carter's Recent Music (John F. Link)
Music is a Whole World (Andrew Clements, The Guardian)
Music is Imaginary, Says Acclaimed Composer Elliott Carter (Deutsche Welle)
Music We've Been Missing: Elliott Carter (Tim Smith, The Baltimore Sun)
Nearly 100 (mph) (Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times)
Prodigies vs. Late Bloomers: Wolfgang Mozart or Elliott Carter? (Ira Rosofsky, Psychology Today)
Slideshow: Elliott Carter at 99 (The Juilliard Journal Online)
Turning 100 at Carnegie Hall, With New Notes (Daniel Wakin, The New York Times)
Twelve-Tone Composition and the Music of Elliott Carter (Andrew Mead, books.google.com)
Books
Elliott Carter: A Guide to Research (John F. Link, Garland Pub, books.google.com)
The Music of Elliott Carter (David Schiff, Cornell Univ Pr, books.google.com)
Composer's website (at G. Schirmer) . . . inquire about Elliott Carter: here or here
Elliott Carter Centenary
Carter @ Wikipedia
Carter @ ANABlog
Carter @ Answers.com
Carter @ Art of the States
Carter @ BBC Radio 3/John Tusa Interview with Elliott Carter
Carter @ Boosey & Hawkes
Carter @ Classic Cat
Carter @ Classical Archives
Carter @ Classical Composers Database
Carter @ Classical Net
Carter @ Classics Today
Carter @ Collage New Music
Carter @ composition:today
Carter @ composition:today/Overview
Carter @ Daniel Barenboim
Carter @ davethehat.com
Carter @ Dr. Estrella's Incredibly Abridged Dictionary of Composers
Carter @ Ensemble Sospeso
Carter @ Facebook
Carter @ IMDb (Internet Movie Database)
Carter @ InstantEncore
Carter @ Ionarts
Carter @ IRCAM (translated from the french by google)
Carter @ Karadar Classical Music
Carter @ Library of Congress
Carter @ Mode Records
Carter @ MusicWeb International
Carter @ musicianguide.com
Carter @ MySpaceMusic
Carter @ Naxos
Carter @ New World Records
Carter @ The New York Review of Books/David Levine Gallery
Carter @ The New York Times
Carter @ Nonesuch Records
Carter @ NPRmusic
Carter @ G. Schirmer
Carter @ REC Music Foundation /The Lied and Art Song Texts Page
Carter @ Sigma Alpha Iota
Publisher
Carter @ Boosey & Hawkes
Carter @ G. Schirmer
Streaming Audio
Carter @ American Public Media/American Mavericks
Carter @ Art of the States
Carter @ BBC Radio 3/John Tusa Interview with Elliott Carter
Carter @ Carnegie Hall
Carter @ Classical Archives
Carter @ Counterstream OnDemand: Elliott Carter and Phil Lesh
Carter @ Internet Archive/radiOM/Elliott Carter: A Life In Music
Carter @ last.fm
Carter @ London Sinfonietta
Carter @ Music & Vision
Carter @ MySpaceMusic
Carter @ Naxos Blog/An Interview with Elliott Carter
Carter @ NPR/All Things Considered - Elliott Carter's Century Of Music
Carter @ NPRmusic
Carter @ radiOM/A Life in Music: Elliott Carter
Carter @ Rhapsody
Carter @ WQXR/Evening Music: Carter @ 100
Recordings
Carter @ Amazon.com
Carter @ ArkivMusic
Carter @ Bridge Records (via google)
Carter @ CD Universe
Carter @ ClassicsOnline
Carter @ Discogs
Carter @ itunes
Carter @ Mode Records
Carter @ Naxos
Carter @ Nonesuch Records
Video
Carter @ YouTube
Carter @ Charlie Rose
Carter @ Google Video
Carter @ Vimeo (via Google Advanced Search)
~ top of page ~
Carter on Carter: Interview w/Frank J. Oteri
Carter on Carter: A Conversation with Steven Stucky (part 1)
Carter on Carter: A Conversation with Steven Stucky (part 2)
Carter on Carter: A Conversation with Steven Stucky (part 3)
Carter on Carter: A Conversation with Steven Stucky (part 4)
Carter on Carter: His 100th Birthday Celebrations @ Southbank Centre
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