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George Crumb (1929-    )

George Crumb, composerGeorge Crumb's reputation as a composer of hauntingly beautiful scores has made him one of the most frequently performed composers in today's musical world. From Los Angeles to Moscow, and from Scandinavia to South America, festivals devoted to the music of George Crumb have sprung up like wildflowers. Crumb, the winner of a 2001 Grammy Award and the 1968 Pulitzer Prize in Music, continues to compose new scores that enrich the musical lives of those who come in contact with his profoundly humanistic art. George Henry Crumb was born in Charleston, West Virginia on 24 October 1929. He studied at the Mason College of Music in Charleston and received the Bachelor’s degree in 1950. Thereafter he studied for the Master's degree at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana under Eugene Weigel. He continued his studies under Boris Blacher at the Hochschule fr Musik, Berlin from 1954-1955. He received the D.M.A. in 1959 from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor after studying with Ross Lee Finney. George Crumb's music often juxtaposes contrasting musical styles. The references range from music of the western art-music tradition, to hymns and folk music, to non-Western musics. Many of Crumb's works include programmatic, symbolic, mystical and theatrical elements, which are often reflected in his beautiful and meticulously notated scores. A shy, yet warmly eloquent personality, Crumb retired from his teaching position at the University of Pennsylvania after more than 30 years of service.
-  georgecrumb.net

COMPOSITIONS                                                            Crumb  Links     ~ ~ ~     Works by Genre    ~ ~ ~    Crumb on Crumb
Two Duos, flute and clarinet (1944; unpublished)
Four Pieces, violin and piano (1945; unpublished)
Four Songs, voice, clarinet and piano (1945; unpublished)
Sonata, piano (1945; unpublished)
Poem, orchestra (1946; unpublished)
Seven Songs, voice and piano (1946; unpublished)
Trio, violin, cello, and piano (1946; unpublished)
Gethsemane, small orchestra (1947; unpublished)
Prelude and Toccata, piano (1947; unpublished)
Three Early Songs, voice and piano (1947)
Alleluja, chorus (1948; unpublished)
Sonata for Violin and Piano (1949; unpublished)
A Cycle of Greek Lyrics (5 songs), voice and piano (1950; unpublished)
Prelude and Toccata, orchestra (1951; unpublished)
Three Pieces, piano (1951; unpublished)
String Trio (1952; unpublished)
Three Pastoral Pieces, oboe and piano (1952; unpublished)
Sonata for Viola and Piano (1953; unpublished)
String Quartet (1954; unpublished)
Diptych, orchestra (1955; unpublished)
Sonata, solo cello (1955)
Variazioni, large orchestra (1959)
Five Pieces, piano (1962)
Night Music I, soprano, piano/celeste, and two percussionists (1963)
Four Nocturnes (Night Music II), violin and piano (1964)
Madrigals, Books I-II, soprano, vibraphone and double bass (1965)
Eleven Echoes of Autumn (Echoes I), violin, alto flute, clarinet, and piano (1966)
Echoes of Time and the River (Echoes II), orchestra (1967)
Songs, Drones, and Refrains of Death, baritone, elec. gtr, elec. db, amp. pf/hpcd and perc. (1968)
Night of the Four Moons, alto, alto flute/piccolo, banjo, electric cello, and percussion (1969)
Madrigals, Books III-IV, soprano, vibraphone and double bass (1969)
Black Angels (Images I), electric string quartet (1970)
Ancient Voices of Children, mezzo-soprano, boy soprano, ob, mandolin, hp, amp. & toy pf and perc. (1970)
Vox Balaenae (Voice of the Whale), electric flute, electric cello, and amplified piano (1971)
Lux Aeterna, soprano, bass flute/soprano recorder, sitar, and percussion (two players) (1971)
Makrokosmos, Volume I, amplified piano (1972)
Makrokosmos, Volume II, amplified piano (1973)
Music for a Summer Evening (Makrokosmos III), two amplified pianos and percussion (1974)
Dream Sequence (Images II), violin, cello, piano, percussion and off-stage glass harmonica (1976)
Star-Child, soprano, children's voices, male speaking choir, bell ringers, large orchestra (1977)
Celestial Mechanics (Makrokosmos IV), amplified piano (four hands) (1979)
Apparition, soprano and amplified piano (1979)
A Little Suite for Christmas, A.D. 1979, piano (1980)
Gnomic Variations, piano (1981)
Trio for Strings (1982)
Pastoral Drone, organ (1982)
Processional, piano (1983)
The Sleeper, soprano and piano (1984)
A Haunted Landscape, orchestra (1984)
An Idyll for the Misbegotten (Images III), amplified flute and percussion (three players) (1986)
Federico's Little Songs for Children, soprano, flute/piccolo/alto flute/bass flute, and harp (1986)
Zeitgeist (Tableaux Vivants), two amplified pianos (1988)
For the Whales, TV film score (1989)
Easter Dawning, carillon (1991)
Quest, guitar, soprano saxophone, harp, double bass, and percussion (two players) (1994)
Mundus Canis (A Dog's World), guitar and percussion (1998)
Unto the Hills, soprano, piano and percussion quartet (2001) [American Songbook I]
A Journey Beyond Time, soprano, piano and percussion quartet (2002) [American Songbook II]
Eine Kleine Mitternachtmusik, solo piano (2002)
Otherwordly Resonances, two pianos (2003)
River of Life, soprano, piano and percussion quartet (2003) [American Songbook III]
Death Valley Diary, film score (2003)
Winds of Destiny, soprano, piano and percussion quartet (2004) [American Songbook IV]
Voices from a Forgotten World, soprano, baritone, percussion quartet and piano (2007) [American Songbook V]
Voices from the Morning of the Earth, soprano, baritone, percussion quartet and piano (2008) [American Songbook VI]
The Ghosts of Alhambra (7 songs), baritone, guitar and percussion (2009) [text: Federico Garcia Lorca]


WORKS BY GENRE                                                           Crumb  Links     ~ top of page ~
Orchestra
Poem, orchestra (1946; unpublished)
Gethsemane, small orchestra (1947; unpublished)
Prelude and Toccata, orchestra (1951; unpublished)
Diptych, orchestra (1955; unpublished)
Variazioni, large orchestra (1959)
Echoes of Time and the River (Echoes II), orchestra (1967)
Echoes of Time and the River (Echoes II), orchestra (1967)
A Haunted Landscape, orchestra (1984)

Chorus w/Orchestra
Star-Child, soprano, children's voices, male speaking choir, bell ringers, large orchestra (1977)

Choral
Alleluja, chorus (1948; unpublished)

Chamber
Two Duos, flute and clarinet (1944; unpublished)
Trio, violin, cello, and piano (1946; unpublished)
String Trio (1952; unpublished)
String Quartet (1954; unpublished)
Four Nocturnes (Night Music II), violin and piano (1964)
Eleven Echoes of Autumn (Echoes I), violin, alto flute, clarinet, and piano (1966)
Black Angels (Images I), electric string quartet (1970)
Vox Balaenae (Voice of the Whale), electric flute, electric cello, and amplified piano (1971)
Music for a Summer Evening (Makrokosmos III), two amplified pianos and percussion (1974)
Dream Sequence (Images II), violin, cello, piano, percussion and off-stage glass harmonica (1976)
Trio for Strings (1982)
An Idyll for the Misbegotten (Images III), amplified flute and percussion (three players) (1986)
Mundus Canis (A Dog's World), guitar and percussion (1998)

Solo Instrument
Four Pieces, violin and piano (1945; unpublished)
Sonata for Violin and Piano (1949; unpublished)
Three Pastoral Pieces, oboe and piano (1952; unpublished)
Sonata for Viola and Piano (1953; unpublished)
Sonata, solo cello (1955)
Four Nocturnes (Night Music II), violin and piano (1964)
Easter Dawning, carillon (1991)

Piano/Organ
Sonata, piano (1945; unpublished)
Prelude and Toccata, piano (1947; unpublished)
Three Pieces, piano (1951; unpublished)
Five Pieces, piano (1962)
Makrokosmos, Volume I, amplified piano (1972)
Makrokosmos, Volume II, amplified piano (1973)
Music for a Summer Evening (Makrokosmos III), two amplified pianos and percussion (1974)
Celestial Mechanics (Makrokosmos IV), amplified piano (four hands) (1979)
A Little Suite for Christmas, A.D. 1979, piano (1980)
Gnomic Variations, piano (1981)
Pastoral Drone, organ (1982)
Processional, piano (1983)
Zeitgeist (Tableaux Vivants), two amplified pianos (1988)
Eine Kleine Mitternachtmusik, solo piano (2002)
Otherwordly Resonances, two pianos (2003)

Vocal
Four Songs, voice, clarinet and piano (1945; unpublished)
Seven Songs, voice and piano (1946; unpublished)
Three Early Songs, voice and piano (1947)
- Night [text by Robert Southey]
- Let It Be Forgotten [text by Sara Teasdale]
- Wind Elegy [text by Sara Teasdale]
A Cycle of Greek Lyrics (5 songs), voice and piano (1950; unpublished)
Night Music I, soprano, piano/celeste, and two percussionists (1963)
Madrigals, Books I-II, soprano, vibraphone and double bass (1965)
Songs, Drones, and Refrains of Death, baritone, elec. gtr, elec. db, amp. pf/hpcd and perc. (1968)
Night of the Four Moons, alto, alto flute/piccolo, banjo, electric cello, and percussion (1969)
Madrigals, Books III-IV, soprano, vibraphone and double bass (1969)
Ancient Voices of Children, mezzo-soprano, boy soprano, ob, mandolin, hp, amp. & toy pf and perc. (1970)
Lux Aeterna, soprano, bass flute/soprano recorder, sitar, and percussion (two players) (1971)
Star-Child, soprano, children's voices, male speaking choir, bell ringers, large orchestra (1977)
Apparition, soprano and amplified piano (1979)
The Sleeper, soprano and piano (1984)
Federico's Little Songs for Children, soprano, flute/piccolo/alto flute/bass flute, and harp (1986)
Quest, guitar, soprano saxophone, harp, double bass, and percussion (two players) (1994)
Unto the Hills, soprano, piano and percussion quartet (2001) [American Songbook I]
A Journey Beyond Time, soprano, piano and percussion quartet (2002) [American Songbook II]
River of Life, soprano, piano and percussion quartet (2003) [American Songbook III]
Winds of Destiny, soprano, piano and percussion quartet (2004) [American Songbook IV]
Voices from a Forgotten World, soprano, baritone, percussion quartet and piano (2007) [American Songbook V]
Voices from the Morning of the Earth, soprano, baritone, percussion quartet and piano (2008) [American Songbook VI]
The Ghosts of Alhambra (7 songs), baritone, guitar and percussion (2009) [text: Federico Garcia Lorca]

Film
Death Valley Diary, film score (2003)
For the Whales, TV film score (1989)


CRUMB  LINKS                                                            Works by Genre      ~ top of page ~
The Arts Desk Q&A: George Crumb (Igor Toronyi-Lalic, The Arts Desk)
Composer George Crumb's 80th Birthday Celebrated at CU (Wes Blomster, Camera Classical)
Crumb’s Graphic Scores (Roger Bourland)
Downward Movement (Andrew Herst, Panopticist)
George Crumb and Black Angels (Peter Burwasser, New Music Connoisseur)
George Crumb & Black Angels (Joseph Klein)
George Crumb Annotated Bibliography (University of Indiana)
George Crumb Interview (Telegraph.co.uk)
George Crumb Interview with Bruce Duffie (bruceduffie.com)
George Crumb: "Night of the Four Moons" - The Element of Sound (Stephen Chatman, informaworld)
George Crumb Tribute Rattles the Rafters (Sabine Kortals, The Denver Post)
George Crumb Turns 80 (Broad Street Review)
An Interview with George Crumb (Marc Medwin, MusicWeb International)
Interivew with Georg Perle, George Crumb & David Diamond (American Composers Orchestra)
An Intrepid Pianist Puts the Spotlight on George Crumb (David Patrick Stearns, andante.com)
Modern Works Tell of Timeless Emotions (Steve Smith, The New York Times)
The Radical Compositional Approach of George Crumb in Madrigals, Book I (Rachaele LaManna)
Total Immersion: George Crumb (Ivan Hewett, Telegraph.co.uk)
Vocal Effects in George Crumb’s Ancient Voices of Children (Talea Schroeder, Nebraska Wesleyan)
Vox Balaenae - A Study Module (lunanova.org)

Composer's website

Crumb @ Wikipedia
Crumb @ Answers.com
Crumb @ Art of the States
Crumb @ Boston Modern Orchestra Project
Crumb @ Brain-Juice
Crumb @ Bridge Records
Crumb @ Carnegie Hall
Crumb @ Classical Archives
Crumb @ Classical Composers Database
Crumb @ Classical Net
Crumb @ ClassicalSource.com
Crumb @ ClassicsToday
Crumb @ composition:today
Crumb @ Dayton Philharmonic
Crumb @ DePauw University
Crumb @ Dilettante Music
Crumb @ douban
Crumb @ Dr. Estrella's Incredibly Abridged Dictionary of Composers
Crumb @ Facebook
Crumb @ George Crumb Mailing List (Yahoo)
Crumb @ IMDb (Internet Movie Database)
Crumb @ Infoplease
Crumb @ InstantEncore
Crumb @ IRCAM
Crumb @ Karadar Classical Music
Crumb @ Klassika
Crumb @ Lori Kennedy's Webpage
Crumb @ Los Angeles Philharmonic
Crumb @ Mode Records
Crumb @ Music Academy Online
Crumb @ MusicWeb International
Crumb @ MySpaceMusic
Crumb @ Naxos
Crumb @ New World Records
Crumb @ The New York Times
Crumb @ NNDB
Crumb @ Nonesuch Records
Crumb @ W.W. Norton
Crumb @ NPRmusic
Crumb @ The Other Music
Crumb @ Edition Peters
Crumb @ REC Music Foundation /The Lied and Art Song Texts Page
Crumb @ Utah Symphony/Utah Opera Blog
Crumb @ Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary

Publisher
Crumb @ Edition Peters

Streaming Audio
Crumb @ Art of the States
Crumb @ Bridge Records
Crumb @ Classical Archives
Crumb @ eighthblackbird
Crumb @ Internet Archive
Crumb @ last.fm
Crumb @ MySpaceMusic
Crumb @ NewMusicBox
Crumb @ NPRmusic

Recordings
Crumb @ ArkivMusic
Crumb @ Bridge Records
Crumb @ ClassicsOnline
Crumb @ Discogs
Crumb @ Mode Records
Crumb @ Nonesuch Records
Crumb @ Verge Music

Video
Crumb @ YouTube
Crumb @ Google Video
Crumb @ Vimeo


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Crumb on Crumb: Interview with West Virginia Public Broadcasting _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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