Leo Sowerby (1895–1968)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Cedille Records CDR 90000 039 LLEOEO SSOWERBYOWERBY Symphony No. 2 Passacaglia, Interlude & Fugue Concert Overture All on a Summer’s Day Chicago Sinfonietta Czech National Symphony Orchestra Paul Freeman,Freeman, conductor DDD Absolutely Digital CDR 90000 039 FIRST TIME ON COMPACT DISC LEO SOWERBY (1895–1968) 1 Concert Overture* (7:51) 2 Passacaglia, Interlude and Fugue* (16:12) 3 All On a Summer’s Day (12:21) 4 - 6 Symphony No. 2*† (24:00) 4 I. Sonatina: Sprightly (9:42) 5 II. Recitative: Very Slowly** (7:25) 6 III. Fugue: Not fast; with dignity (6:43) Czech National Symphony Orchestra †Chicago Sinfonietta **John Fairfield, solo horn Paul Freeman, conductor *World Premiere Recording TT: (60:51) The Chicago Classical Recording Foundation wishes to thank the friends of the Leo Sowerby Foundation for their generous support of this project. Cedille Records is a trademark of The Chicago Classical Recording Foundation, a not- for-profit foundation devoted to promoting the finest musicians and ensembles in the Chicago area. The Chicago Classical Recording Foundation’s activities are supported in part by grants from the WPWR-TV Channel 50 Foundation and the Illinois Arts Coun- cil, a state agency. LEO SOWERBY: THE CRUCIAL PIECE OF THE PUZZLE AT LAST Notes by Francis Crociata “Some philanthropist should buy up every it was snake. Sowerby record in the world, smash them However, the most malevolent notice Sowerby all, destroy them, burn all the scores, oblit- actually received never quite surpassed the fic- erate the name of Sowerby from the face of tional one put in the mind of the protagonist of the earth.” Divine Inspiration, the 1993 novel by Jane Lang- — Alan Starr in Jane Langton’s ton (©1993 Jane Langton, publ. Viking/Penguin) Divine Inspiration in her elegant “Homer Kelly” detective series. The The composer of 550 works for every medium Kelly stories deal with artistic and literary prem- except opera, Leo Sowerby (1895-1968) received ises, this one the world of concert organists and his fair share of negative reviews. In 1921, sub- organ builders. And for her purpose, Langton scribers of the San Francisco Symphony protested could not have chosen a more appropriate irri- the “dissonant modernism” of A Set of Four— tant: the voice on tape of the suspected murderer Ironics for Orchestra. By the 1940s, critics tended is inaudible due to the “background noise” of an to dismiss Sowerby as a hopeless romantic reac- organ recording — playing Sowerby! Her organ- tionary. As late as 1963, New York Times critic, ists and builders were the organ world’s equiva- Harold C. Schonberg, reported the flight of sev- lent of the “original instruments” movement. Leo eral handfuls of mostly elderly patrons attending Sowerby, both in his music and the romantic-era the Philadelphia Orchestra’s first visit to Lincoln “symphonic pipe organs” he wrote for, embodied Center’s “Philharmonic Hall” as if “pursued by the “excesses” they set out to reform. the assembled hordes of Berg, Webern, Schoen- Even as late as 1993, it would not have required berg, middle-period Bartok, accompanied by the an excessively wealthy philanthropist to work Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.” The bemused Langton’s hero’s wish; nor would “every Sowerby Schonberg returned to the incident in a charming record in the world” have made much of a bon- Sunday meditation entitled “A Portion of Fryed fire. But Ms. Langton was right on one count: Snake.” The refugees, he posed, had reacted not Sowerby’s published music and recordings would to the music (Sowerby’s Organ Concerto in C, have comprised mainly organ literature. Only an “a thoroughly romantic affair — with cadenzas organist would have been in a position to make and everything”), but to the appearance of Leo’s an informed judgment, intemperate or otherwise, unfamiliar name, much like the 18th century about Leo Sowerby. Anyone venturing an opin- Jesuit who observed that he might have enjoyed ion of his symphonic, instrumental, and song lit- his “portion of fryed snake” had he not been told erature would have, of necessity, formed a judg- ment based upon the scantiest possible evidence: a single performance of a single work, hearsay or, contemporaries — be they “friends” like Hanson, worst of all, exposure to the most widely available Creston, Gershwin, Diamond, and Barber, or recording of Sowerby’s orchestral music. This figures less sympathetic to Sowerby, such as Cop- contained the tone poems Prairie and From the land and Thomson. Northland, in a 1953 sight-reading by the Vienna I have been continually amazed by the extreme Symphony and an acoustic atmosphere redolent reactions evoked by the mere mention of the of a cardboard box. name, “Leo Sowerby.” Few Sowerby performances The appearance of this disc changes everything. I have attended over the past thirty years have The release of Leo Sowerby: Symphony No. 2, on failed to make a positive connection with the May 1, 1998 — Sowerby’s 102nd birthday — audience (so rare — four out of several hundred together with the release last year of its companion — that I recall each vividly). Yet more often than disc, Prairie: Tone Poems by Leo Sowerby, offers the not, the eyes of conductors I have approached first opportunity to survey a broad and representa- seem to glaze over at the mention of his name. Did tive portion of Sowerby’s orchestral repertory. it evoke an unpleasant aural memory, perhaps the Thanks to a committed, capable, and sympathetic turgid LP recording of that ephemeral masterpiece musician, conductor Paul Freeman (who includes of “Midwestern impressionism,” Prairie? Sir Georg Sowerby champion Howard Hanson among his Solti’s single Sowerby effort: Comes Autumn Time early mentors), and a skilled and enterprising played in the manner of The Ride of the Valkyries? record producer, James Ginsburg (whose label, An overmatched choir or organist attempting one Cedille Records, concentrates on the estimable of the big anthems or cantatas? contributions of Chicago’s musical voices), one Even those naturally attracted to the Sowerby can hear the first recording of any of Sowerby’s repertory — usually through the organ works five orchestral symphonies in the context of a or one or another of the anthems — can be thoughtfully chosen cross-section of some of dismissive of the symphonic and chamber works. Sowerby’s strongest works spanning the years For years I quarreled with a great organist and 1916 to 1954. teacher, Indiana University’s Robert Rayfield, Less than ten percent of Sowerby’s secular music who dismissed Sowerby’s secular music. A former is as yet recorded. Nevertheless, it can no longer Sowerby student, he has always been a wonderful be said that there is insufficient information from and persuasive Sowerby interpreter. When we which to form a judgment about his music. For finally met, I learned that the reason for his rejec- the first time since the mid-1940s, Sowerby’s tion was simple: Rayfield knew only the organ music can be accessed on something approaching works! The symphonic music was unplayed, the equal footing with the most prominent of his instrumental works unpublished. “Leo never mentioned them. I just assumed Leo wanted it supposed to resemble. He was a friendly that way.” pedagogue. A more provocative example is the composer and Sowerby’s music was another story, clouded and diarist Ned Rorem. In his early diaries, Rorem mysterious in Rorem’s recollection. Rorem men- barely mentions the first notable figure to treat tions regular attendance at Chicago Symphony his creative gifts with understanding and respect: concerts at the end of Frederick Stock’s long reign his theory teacher at Chicago’s American Conser- as conductor. Stock’s commitment to American vatory. Until recently, Rorem’s only relevant entry music was as significant as that of the legendary was a note from the day of Sowerby’s death, July “champions of American music,” Koussevitsky 7, 1968, that Sowerby was the first estimable fig- and Stokowski; and Sowerby was, by far, the ure to take him seriously as a composer. Sowerby American composer Stock loved best and played as a figure comparable in stature to Rorem’s viv- most. The young Ned Rorem’s musical con- idly-drawn mentors, Virgil Thomson and Aaron sciousness was formed in the final years of the Copland, had yet to appear. quarter-century Stock/Sowerby partnership, dur- Since 1980, memories of his early teacher have ing which Sowerby was the Chicago Symphony’s figured more prominently in Rorem’s medita- de facto composer-in-residence. Yet Rorem’s early tions, with the fullest treatment to date appearing impressions of Sowerby’s music seem to evoke in his recent book Knowing When to Stop (©1994 the prevailing wisdom of the years following Ned Rorem; publ. Simon & Schuster). Rorem’s Stock’s (and Koussevitsky’s) death, when one first impression of Sowerby, dating from 1938, might have thought a malevolent philanthropist can hardly be improved upon: had, indeed, intentionally set out to “obliterate Leo Sowerby was, with John Alden Carpen- the name of Sowerby from the face of the earth” ter, the most distinguished composer of the (and — excepting the organ works, anthems, Comes Autumn Time Middle West . Of my parents’ generation, and — nearly succeeded). a bachelor, reddished complexioned . Nevertheless, I can hardly quarrel with the recol- and milky skinned, chain smoker of Fatima lection Rorem does offer: cigarettes, unglamorous and nonmysterious, As to Leo’s music, I was shy of it. That he likable with a perpetual worried frown, over- served as organist and choirmaster of Saint weight and wearing rimless glasses, earthy, James’ Church on Rush Street (between two practical, interested in others even when gay bars, though he wouldn’t have known), they were talentless, a stickler for basic train- and excelled in sacred music, was stuffy ing.