Elizabeth Vercoe (1941- )
A
native of Washington, D.C., Elizabeth Vercoe has been called "one of
the most inventive composers working in America today" by her hometown
newspaper (The Washington Post). She has worked as a composer in the
U.S. and abroad: at the Civitella Ranieri Center in Italy, the St.
Petersburg Spring Music Festival in Russia, the Cité International des
Arts in Paris, and the MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire. She has
written works on commission for Wellesley College, Austin Peay State
University, the Pro Arte Orchestra, and the First National Congress on
Women in Music. Her awards include grants from the the National
Endowment for the Arts, Meet the Composer, the Artists Foundation, and
the Massachusetts Arts Council. Described by Gardner Read as "an
exceptionally gifted composer with a fine technical command and a keen
sensitivity to sound materials," she has attended concerts of her music
in London, Paris, Bangkok, New York, and San Francisco, including
international festivals in Russia and Alaska and collaborative programs
of music and dance with the Beth Soll Dance Company. Following her
doctoral degree at Boston University, she promoted women's music as a
board member of the International League of Women Composers, Director
of the Women's Music Festival/85, and author of articles on the
subject. In 2003 she held the Acuff Chair of Excellence at Austin Peay
State University and she continues to teach at Regis College outside of
Boston.COMPOSITIONS Vercoe Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre
Pasticcio: Pattern & Imagery from Paul Klee, cello and piano (1965)
Three Studies, piano (1973) [for students; easy to intermediate]
Balance: Duo for Violin and Cello (1974)
Fantasy, piano (1975)
Herstory I: a song cycle (7 songs) soprano, piano and vibraphone (1975)
Rhapsody, violin and orchestra (1977)
Herstory II: 13 Japanese Lyrics, soprano, piano and percussion (1979)
Sonaria, cello (1980)
Persona, piano (1980)
Irreveries from Sappho, female chorus and piano (1981)
Fanfare, 3 trumpets and timpani (1981)
Irreveries from Sappho (3 songs), mezzo-soprano or soprano and piano (1981)
Fantavia, flute and percussion (1982)
Parodia sopra "Lasciate mi morire", harp (1983)
Suite française, violin (1983)
Despite our differences #1, violin, cello and piano (1984)
Pour Christine, piano (1984)
A la fin-tout seul, mandolin (and opt. piano) (1985)
Herstory III: Jehanne de Lorraine, a monodrama, mezzo-soprano or soprano and piano (1986)
Nine Epigrams from Poor Richard, voice and tape (1986) [text: Benjamin Franklin]
Echo Jive, chorus and piano (1987)
Despite our differences #2, piano and chamber orchestra (1988)
Elegy, viola and piano (1989)
In the Storm (4 songs), mezzo-soprano, clarinet and piano (1989) [text: Ingeborg Bachmann]
A Dangerous Man, a monodrama on the life of John Brown, baritone, piano and tape (1990)
[text: from John Brown, Frederick Douglass, Thoreau, DuBois, newspaper clippings, and other sources]
Changes, orchestra (1991)
Blow the Trumpet, trumpet, chorus and organ (1991)
Holman Suite, cello (or oboe) and piano (1991)
Four Humors, clarinet and piano (1992)
Supplication, piano (1994) [for students; easy to intermediate]
Varieties of Amorous Experience (4 songs), soprano and piano (1994)
God Be In My Head, female or mixed chorus and keyboard (1995)
Duos, 2 clarinets (2 flutes; or 2 oboes) (1996)
Herstory IV (2 songs), mezzo-soprano or soprano and mandolin/or marimba (1997)
Umbrian Suite, piano 4-hands or 2 pianos (1998)
American Fancy, 2 pianos (2000)
This is my letter to the World (6 songs), soprano, flute and piano (2001) [text: Emily Dickinson]
Kleemation, flute and piano (2003)
To Music, flute (2003)
Five Inventions, horn and piano (2005)
Eating Democrats, voice and guitar (2005) [also included in "Five True Remarkable Occurrences", 2008]
Corollaries for Solo Horn (2007)
Five True Remarkable Occurrences, voice and guitar (2008)
Butterfly Effects, flute (or oboe) and harp (2008-09)
WORKS BY GENRE Vercoe Links ~ top of page ~
Orchestra
Changes, orchestra (1991)
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Rhapsody, violin and orchestra (1977)
Despite our differences #2, piano and chamber orchestra (1988)
Choral
Irreveries from Sappho, female chorus and piano (1981)
Echo Jive, chorus and piano (1987)
Blow the Trumpet, trumpet, chorus and organ (1991)
God Be In My Head, female or mixed chorus and keyboard (1995)
Chamber
Balance: Duo for Violin and Cello (1974)
Fanfare, 3 trumpets and timpani (1981)
Fantavia, flute and percussion (1982)
Despite our differences #1, violin, cello and piano (1984)
Duos, 2 clarinets (2 flutes; or 2 oboes) (1996)
Instrument and Piano/or Harp
Pasticcio: Pattern & Imagery from Paul Klee, cello and piano (1965)
A la fin-tout seul, mandolin (and opt. piano) (1985)
Elegy, viola and piano (1989)
Holman Suite, cello (or oboe) and piano (1991)
Four Humors, clarinet and piano (1992)
Kleemation, flute and piano (2003)
Five Inventions, horn and piano (2005)
Butterfly Effects, flute (or oboe) and harp (2008-09)
Solo Instrument
Sonaria, cello (1980)
Parodia sopra "Lasciate mi morire", harp (1983)
Suite française, violin (1983)
A la fin-tout seul, mandolin (and opt. piano) (1985)
To Music, flute (2003)
Corollaries for Solo Horn (2007)
Piano
Three Studies, piano (1973) [for students; easy to intermediate]
Fantasy, piano (1975)
Persona, piano (1980)
Pour Christine, piano (1984)
Supplication, piano (1994) [for students; easy to intermediate]
Umbrian Suite, piano 4-hands or 2 pianos (1998)
American Fancy, 2 pianos (2000)
Vocal
Herstory I: a song cycle (7 songs) soprano, piano and vibraphone (1975)
- Noon walk on the asylum lawn [text: Anne Sexton]
- Her Kind [text: Anne Sexton]
- Side by side [text: Adrienne Rich]
- For a Child: The Crib [text: Adrienne Rich]; Morning song [text: Sylvia Plath]
- Mirror [text: Sylvia Plath]
- Old [text: Anne Sexton]
- Sleep [text: Pam White]
Herstory II: 13 Japanese Lyrics, soprano, piano and percussion (1979)
- Lady Murasaki Shikibu [text: Kenneth Rexroth after Lady Murasaki Shikibu]
- Lady Kasa [text: Kenneth Rexroth after Lady Kasa]
- Lady Kasa (II) [text: Kenneth Rexroth after Lady Kasa]
- Lady Otomo No Sakanoe [text: Kenneth Rexroth after Lady Otomo No Sakanoe]
- Lady Suo [text: Kenneth Rexroth after Lady Suo]
- Lady Horikawa [text: Kenneth Rexroth after Lady Horiwaka]
- Lady Ukon [text: Kenneth Rexroth after Lady Ukon]
- Lady Otomo No Sakanoe (II) [text: Kenneth Rexroth after Lady Otomo No Sakanoe]
- Lady Akazome Emon [text: Kenneth Rexroth after Lady Akazome Emon]
- The Mother of the Commander Michitsuna [text: Kenneth Rexroth after Michitsuna no Haha]
- The Poetess Ono No Komachi [text: Kenneth Rexroth after Ono no Komachi]
- Lady Izumi Shikibu [text: Kenneth Rexroth after Lady Izumi Shikibu]
- Lady Izumi Shikibu (II) [text: Kenneth Rexroth after Lady Izumi Shikibu]
Irreveries from Sappho (3 songs), mezzo-soprano or soprano and piano (1981)
- Andromeda Rag
- Older Woman Blues
- Boogie for Leda
Herstory III: Jehanne de Lorraine, a monodrama, mezzo-soprano or soprano and piano (1986)
Nine Epigrams from Poor Richard, voice and tape (1986) [text: Benjamin Franklin]
In the Storm (4 songs), mezzo-soprano, clarinet and piano (1989) [text: Ingeborg Bachmann]
- Aria I
- Fire
- Aria II
- Deluge
A Dangerous Man, a monodrama on the life of John Brown, baritone, piano and tape (1990)
[text: from John Brown, Frederick Douglass, Thoreau, DuBois, newspaper clippings, and other sources]
Varieties of Amorous Experience (4 songs), soprano and piano (1994)
- Qui bien aime a tard oublie [text: Geoffrey Chaucer]
- An Appeal to Cats in the Business of Love [text: Thomas Flatman]
- How Like a Winter [text: Shakespeare]
- The Kiss [text: Coventry Patmore]
Herstory IV (2 songs), mezzo-soprano or soprano and mandolin/or marimba (1997)
- The Key to Everything [text: May Swenson]
- All That Time [text: May Swenson]
This is my letter to the World (6 songs), soprano, flute and piano (2001) [text: Emily Dickinson]
- This is my letter to the World
- Bee!
- Snow
- Title Divine
- A Spider sewed at Night
- I taste a liquor never brewed
Eating Democrats, voice and guitar (2005) [also included in "Five True Remarkable Occurrences", 2008]
Five True Remarkable Occurrences, voice and guitar (2008)
- Eating Democrats (2005)
- Mrs. Czermak's Descent (2008)
- Traffic (2008)
- Wheeler-Peelers (2008)
- Other Engagements (2008)
VERCOE LINKS Works by Genre ~ top of page ~
[under construction]
Elizabeth Vercoe: Composing Her Story (Jennifer Rebecca Capaldo, OhioLINK ETD)
Composer's website . . . contact Elizabeth Vercoe: here
Vercoe @ Wikipedia
Vercoe @ American Music Center
Vercoe @ Anything Piano
Vercoe @ Classical Composers Database
Vercoe @ Facebook also here
Vercoe @ InstantEncore
Vercoe @ The Laurels Project
Vercoe @ Leonarda Records
Vercoe @ LinkedIn
Vercoe @ The New York Times
Vercoe @ Noteworthy Sheet Music, LLC
Vercoe @ REC Music Foundation /The Lied and Art Song Texts Page
Vercoe @ Regis College
Vercoe @ Society of Composers
Publisher
Vercoe @ Composer's website/publisher listings
Vercoe @ Arsis Press
Vercoe @ Certosa Verlag
Vercoe @ Composer Facsimile Edition
Vercoe @ League-ISCM, Boston, Piano Book
Vercoe @ Noteworthy Sheet Music, LLC
Vercoe @ Plucked String Editions
Vercoe @ Society of Composers
Streaming Audio
Vercoe @ Composer's website
Recordings
Vercoe @ Composer's website
Vercoe @ Amazon.com
Vercoe @ ArkivMusic
Vercoe @ Capstone Records also here and here
Vercoe @ Centaur Records - search "Vercoe"
Vercoe @ Discogs
Video
Vercoe @ YouTube
Vercoe @ Google Video
Vercoe @ Vimeo
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