Carl Ruggles (1876-1971)
Carl
Ruggles was born to a New England farming family and received his first
musical instruction from his mother, who died when he was 14. Ruggles
studied violin with Walter Spaulding and Felix Winternitz, theory with
Josef Claus, and composition with Harvard educator John Knowles Paine.
In 1899-1901 Ruggles published several songs for voice and piano,
though only three titles survive; Ruggles had a lifelong habit of
destroying older compositions. In 1907, Ruggles settled in Winona, MN,
founding a symphony orchestra that still exists. Starting in 1912,
Ruggles concentrated his efforts on an opera, The Sunken Bell. Despite acceptance of The Sunken Bell
for performance at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Ruggles never
completed it, discarding the score around 1960. He neglected to dispose
of a number of sketches relating to this work, and these reveal Ruggles
arrived at his mature style during the years he devoted to its
composition. In 1922, Ruggles joined the International Composers'
Guild, founded by Edgard Varèse and Carlos Salzedo to promote the works
of avant-garde composers in New York. Also in the late 1920s
Ruggles began to paint. Whereas Ruggles' musical reputation rests on
only a dozen works, he created more than 300 paintings that were avidly
purchased by museums and private individuals. Ruggles' pieces were
subject to years-long gestation periods, the final result produced
through a painstaking process of trial and error. Ruggles' music is
built out of "crooked" individual lines, frequent dissonances resulting
from places where these lines intersect. Rhythmically his work is not
complex, but in some respects is difficult to decipher, particularly in
manuscripts, which involve sketches written on paper that is of every
conceivable shape or size. Throughout his life, Ruggles would rely on
the advice of musical friends to assist him with the knotty problems
resulting from his style and method, including Varèse, Cowell, pianist
John Kirkpatrick, and composer-musicologist Charles Seeger. Seeger
first coined the phrase "dissonant counterpoint" in an attempt to
describe Ruggles' approach. In 1935-1942 Ruggles enjoyed his only
position as teacher at the University of Miami in Florida. In
1957, Charlotte Ruggles died, and he paid tribute to her in his final
piece, Exaltation (1958) a
hymn setting for wordless chorus and organ based on "God Our Help in
Ages Past." Ruggles took up residence in a nursing home in 1966, and
died five years later at the age of 95.- Uncle Dave Lewis/AllMusic
COMPOSITIONS Ruggles Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre
O how can I be blythe and glad?, voice and piano (1899) [text: Robert Burns]
Ich fühle deinen Odem (Thy Presence Ever Near Me), voice and piano (1901) [text: Friedrich Bodenstadt; trans. by A. H. Evans]
Mood, violin and piano (sketches 1918, edited and realized by John Kirkpatrick, 1975)
Toys, soprano and piano (pub. 1918) [text: Carl Ruggles]
April (Sonnet), [voice and piano] (sketch June 1921, unfinished)
Angels, 5 trumpets and 1 bass trumpet (1921) [?1920; rev. 1943]
- Angels, muted brass [4 tpt, 3 trom]; or strings [4 vln and 3 vc] (1921; rev. 1938) [originally for 6 trumpets]
- also arr. for piano solo by John Kirkpatrick, 1946
Men, orchestra (1921) [different work from the mvt "Men" in "Men and Mountains", 1924]
Windy Nights, voice and piano (1921; edited by John Kirkpatrick) [text: Robert Louis Stevenson]
Sea Pattern, [voice and piano] (sketches 1921-23, unfinished)
The Sunken Bell, opera (1912-23; incomplete - destroyed except for sketches) [libretto: C. H. Meltzer]
Vox Clamans (in Deserto) (3 songs), mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra (1923) [originally 7 songs]
- Parting at Morning [text: Robert Browning]
- Son of Mine [text: C.H. Meltzer]
- A Clear Midnight [text: Walt Whitman]
Prayer, voice and piano (c. 1924; edited by John Kirkpatrick) [text: John Galsworthy]
Sonnet, [voice and piano] (sketches 1924, unfinished) [text: John Keats - "Bright star! Would I were steadfast as thou art..."]
Men and Angels, symphonic suite (????) [first version of "Men and Mountains"?]
- Men [for original see Vocal: "Vox clamans in deserto", no. 3 "Son of mine"]
- Angels [exists in several arrangements; published for 6 trumpets as "Angels", 1921]
- Sun-treader [later revised as "Men" in "Men and Mountains"] [different work from "Sun-treader", 1931]
Men and Mountains (3 mvts), orchestra (1924; rev. 1941; 1949-51)
- Men, rhapsodic proclamation [revison of "Sun-treader", from "Men and Angels"] [different work from "Men", 1921]
- Lilacs [7-part string orchestra]
- Marching Mountains
Portals, string orch in 12 parts (1927; rev. 1929) [Whitman:"What are those of the known but to ascend and enter the unknown?"]
Sun-Treader, orchestra (1931) [after Browning: "Sun-treader, light and life be thine forever"]
Evocations (4 pieces), piano (1937-41/1943; rev. 1954) [orig. vers: mvts 1, 2 & 4; mvt 3 added, 1943] [also arr. for orchestra]
- Largo (1937)
- Andante con fantasia (1941)
- Moderato appassionato (1943)[added to original 3 mvt version; first printed as no. 4, New Music Edition, v. 18, no. 2, Jan. 1945]
- Adagio sostenuto (1940) [first printed as no. 3, New Music Edition, v. 16, no. 3, Apr. 1943]
- [Evocation No. 5 - several works called this at various times: Affirmations, or [Visions]; never published]
March, piano (sketches 1940-43, unfinished; edited and realized by John Kirkpatrick, 1980)
Serenade, [orchestra?] (sketches 1943?, unfinished)
Fugue, orchestra (1933-1945; sketches, unfinished)
Parvum Organum, piano (sketches 1945-47, unfinished; edited and realized by John Kirkpatrick, 1980)
Organum, orchestra (1944) [arr. by CR for 2 pianos, 1946; ?also arr. for piano by John Kirkpatrick, 1944-47]
[Visions], piano (sketches 1935-50, unfinished; edited and realized by John Kirkpatrick, 1980) [see also "Evocation No. 5"]
Valse Lente, piano (sketches 1945-50, unfinished; edited and realized by John Kirkpatrick, 1980)
Affirmations, [piano?; orch?] (1957-; sketches, unfinished) [orig. title (1922): "Symphonia Dialectica"; retitled?(1926): "Celestial Mechanics"]
Exaltation, congregation [unison voices] and organ (and/or brass) (1958) [in memory of Ruggles' wife]
The Pine Tree, [orchestra?] (sketch, n.d. )
Flowers, [piano?] (sketches n.d., unfinished)
- Catalpa
- Delphinium
- Violet
- possibly others?
One last kiss, [voice and piano] (sketches n.d., contained in sketchbook for "The Sunken Bell"]
Psalm 137, [voice and piano] (sketch n.d., unfinished)
Sunset, [voice and piano] (sketch n.d., unfinished)
WORKS BY GENRE Ruggles Links ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
The Sunken Bell, opera (1912-23; incomplete - destroyed except for sketches) [libretto: C. H. Meltzer]
Orchestra
Men, orchestra (1921) [different work from the mvt "Men" in "Men and Mountains", 1924]
Men and Angels, symphonic suite (????) [first version of "Men and Mountains"?]
- Men [for original see Vocal: "Vox clamans in deserto", no. 3 "Son of mine"]
- Angels [exists in several arrangements; published for 6 trumpets as "Angels", 1921]
- Sun-treader [later revised as "Men" in "Men and Mountains"] [different work from "Sun-treader", 1931]
Men and Mountains (3 pieces), orchestra (1924; rev. 1941; 1949-51)
- Men, rhapsodic proclamation [revison of "Sun-treader", from "Men and Angels"] [different work from "Men", 1921]
- Lilacs [7-part string orchestra]
- Marching Mountains
Portals, string orch in 12 parts (1927; rev. 1929) [Whitman:"What are those of the known but to ascend and enter the unknown?"]
Sun-Treader, orchestra (1931) [after Browning: "Sun-treader, light and life be thine forever"]
Evocations (4 pieces), piano (1937-41/1943; revised 1954) [orig. vers: mvts 1, 2 & 4; mvt 3 added, 1943] (also arr. for orchestra)
Serenade, [orchestra?] (sketches 1943?, unfinished)
Fugue, orchestra (1933-1945; sketches, unfinished)
Organum, orchestra (1944) [arr. by CR for 2 pianos, 1946; ?also arr. for piano by John Kirkpatrick, 1944-47]
Affirmations, [piano?; orch?] (1957-; sketches, unfinished) [orig. title (1922): "Symphonia Dialectica"; retitled?(1926): "Celestial Mechanics"]
The Pine Tree, [orchestra?] (sketch, n.d. )
Choral
Exaltation, congregation [unison voices] and organ (and/or brass) (1958) [in memory of Ruggles' wife]
Chamber
Mood, violin and piano (sketches 1918, edited and realized by John Kirkpatrick, 1975)
Angels, 5 trumpets and 1 bass trumpet (1921) [rev. 1938 for muted brass/4 tpt, 3 trom; or strings [2 vln, 2 va, 2 vc]
- Angels, muted brass [4 tpt, 3 trom]; or strings [4 vln and 3 vc] (1921; rev. 1938) [originally for 6 trumpets]
Piano
Angels, 5 trumpets and 1 bass trumpet (1921) [also arr. for piano solo by John Kirkpatrick, 1946]
Evocations (4 pieces), piano (1937-41/1943; revised 1954) [orig. vers: mvts 1, 2 & 4; mvt 3 added, 1943] (also arr. for orchestra)
- Largo (1937)
- Andante con fantasia (1941)
- Moderato appassionato (1943)[added to original 3 mvt version; first printed as no. 4, New Music Edition, v. 18, no. 2, Jan. 1945]
- Adagio sostenuto (1940) [first printed as no. 3, New Music Edition, v. 16, no. 3, Apr. 1943]
- [Evocation No. 5 - several works called this at various times: Affirmations, or [Visions]; never published]
March, piano (sketches 1940-43, unfinished; edited and realized by John Kirkpatrick, 1980)
Parvum Organum, piano (sketches 1945-47, unfinished; edited and realized by John Kirkpatrick, 1980)
Organum, orchestra (1944) [arr. by CR for 2 pianos, 1946; also arr. for piano by John Kirkpatrick, 1944-47]
[Visions], piano (sketches 1935-50, unfinished; edited and realized by John Kirkpatrick, 1980) [see also "Evocation No. 5"]
Valse Lente, piano (sketches 1945-50, unfinished; edited and realized by John Kirkpatrick, 1980)
Affirmations, [piano?; orch?] (1957-; sketches, unfinished) [orig. title (1922): "Symphonia Dialectica"; retitled?(1926): "Celestial Mechanics"]
Flowers, [piano?] (sketches n.d., unfinished)
- Catalpa
- Delphinium
- Violet
- possibly others?
Vocal
O how can I be blythe and glad?, voice and piano (1899) [text: Robert Burns]
Ich fühle deinen Odem (Thy Presence Ever Near Me), voice and piano (1901) [text: Friedrich Bodenstadt; trans. by A. H. Evans]
Toys, soprano and piano (pub. 1918) [text: Carl Ruggles]
April (Sonnet), [voice and piano] (sketch June 1921, unfinished)
Windy Nights, voice and piano (1921; edited by John Kirkpatrick) [text: Robert Louis Stevenson]
Sea Pattern, [voice and piano] (sketches 1921-23, unfinished)
Vox Clamans (in Deserto), mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra (1923) [originally 7 songs]
- Parting at Morning [text: Robert Browning]
- Son of Mine [text: C.H. Meltzer]
- A Clear Midnight [text: Walt Whitman]
Prayer, voice and piano (c. 1924; edited by John Kirkpatrick) [text: John Galsworthy]
Sonnet, [voice and piano] (sketches 1924, unfinished) [text: John Keats - "Bright star! Would I were steadfast as thou art..."]
Exaltation, congregation [unison voices] and organ (and/or brass) (1958) [in memory of Ruggles' wife]
One last kiss, [voice and piano] (sketches n.d., contained in sketchbook for "The Sunken Bell"]
Psalm 137, [voice and piano] (sketch n.d., unfinished)
Sunset, [voice and piano] (sketch n.d., unfinished)
RUGGLES LINKS Works by Genre ~ top of page ~
American Mavericks (edited by Susan Key and Larry Rothe, San Francisco Symphony)
An Analytic Overview of the Music of Carl Ruggles (Paul Thomas Orkiszewski, Rice University)
A Brief History of "The Sunken Bell," Carl Ruggles' Unfinished Opera (Robert Young McMahan, American Music)
Carl Ruggles and the University of Miami (Marilyn J. Ziffrin, ex-tempore.org)
Carl Ruggles's Paintings (American Mavericks)
Carl Ruggles, Pioneer - As Seen by a Fellow Modernist (Rudhyar Archival Project)
The Chronological Development of Carl Ruggles' Melodic Style (James Tenney, PNM, digitalmusic.dartmouth.edu)
Ives and Ruggles (Donald Berman)
A Study of Harmonic Interrelationships and Sonority Carl Ruggles' "Angels" (Stephen Dombek, scholarworks.iu.edu)
The Uncovered Ruggles (New World Records) liner notes here
Wayward Compositional Practice in the Music of Carl Ruggles (Stephen Slottow, Institute for Studies in American Music)
Composer website . . . inquire about Carl Ruggles: here
Ruggles @ Wikipedia
Ruggles @ American Composers Orchestra
Ruggles @ American Mavericks
Ruggles @ American Music Center
Ruggles @ Answers.com
Ruggles @ Ars Sacra
Ruggles @ Art of the States
Ruggles @ Boston Modern Orchestra Project
Ruggles @ Carl Ruggles Pages (herlin.org)
Ruggles @ Carnegie Hall
Ruggles @ Classical Archives
Ruggles @ Classical Composers Database
Ruggles @ Classical Net
Ruggles @ The Classical Review
Ruggles @ ClassicsToday (via Google Advanced Search)
Ruggles @ Dr. Estrella's Incredibly Abridged Dictionary of Composers
Ruggles @ Facebook
Ruggles @ High Score New Music Center
Ruggles @ Infography
Ruggles @ Infoplease
Ruggles @ InstantEncore
Ruggles @ Klassika
Ruggles @ Modern Classical
Ruggles @ Music of the Twentieth-Century Avant-garde: A Biocritical Sourcebook (Larry Sitsky)
Ruggles @ MusicWeb International
Ruggles @ The New York Times
Ruggles @ Rathbun-Rivera Duo
Ruggles @ REC Music Foundation /The Lied and Art Song Texts Page
Ruggles @ San Francisco Symphony
Ruggles @ The Spectrum Singers
Ruggles @ Universalium
Ruggles @ University of Miami/Carl Ruggles Collection
Ruggles @ Wind Repertory Project
Ruggles @ Yale University/The Carl Ruggles Papers also here
Publisher
Ruggles @ American Music Editions
Ruggles @ New Music Edition
Ruggles @ The New Music Society of California
Ruggles @ Theodore Presser
Streaming Audio
Ruggles @ American Mavericks
Ruggles @ American Mavericks Listening Room
Ruggles @ Art of the States
Ruggles @ Carnegie Hall
Ruggles @ Classical Archives
Ruggles @ Internet Archive/Avant Garde Project
Ruggles @ last.fm
Ruggles @ PRX (Public Radio Exchange)
Ruggles @ Rhapsody.com
Ruggles @ UbuWeb
Ruggles @ UbuWeb/AGP 167
Ruggles @ WFMT/Critical Thinking: Music of Carl Ruggles, Part 1 (Andrew Patner) Part 2 here
Recordings
Ruggles @ Amazon.com
Ruggles @ ArkivMusic
Ruggles @ CD Universe
Ruggles @ ClassicsOnline
Ruggles @ Discogs
Ruggles @ itunes
Video
Ruggles @ YouTube
Ruggles @ Google Video
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