Canadian Composers, eh?

[snyprrr]

Take off! I couldn't resist, eh?

Claude Vivier is doing quite nicely on his own thread, which seems to leave R. Murray Schafer as tied, or runner up, to Canada's greatest composer.

Also, I stumbled across Charles Jones, who appears to be Canada's Elliott Carter (simply in terms of the sound of his music), who was active from the '40s-'70s, I believe.

Wasn't Colin McPhee a Canoooker?

What a hoser, eh? Take off, Geddy! Yes, I WILL nominate Rush as Canada's greatest "composer"! So there!!! And Max Webster's "Battle Scar" as it's national anthem!

Please feel free to regale us with more Canadian turns-of-phrase! Eh?

[Dr. Dread]

Aren't there enough composers to keep track of without dragging Canadians into it?

[UB]

Ever since I was introduced to his music by listening to 440, I have always enjoyed R. Murray music - especially his later string quartets, Wolf Music, and the Harpsichord Concerto.

Just this week I listened to the premiere of his Dream-E-Scapes that I found OK but not as engaging as some of his other music.

[Dundonnell]

I would love to hear Healey Willan's Symphony No.2 Ok...he was born in London but he settled, worked and died in Canada.

[Lethevich]

Kaljo Raid could be Canada's greatest symphonist, although I am unsure how many of his were composed before he moved there.

[Dundonnell]

Kaljo Raid could be Canada's greatest symphonist, although I am unsure how many of his were composed before he moved there.

Raid's first symphony was written in Estonia in 1944, his second in Stockholm in 1946(it is called the 'Stockholm Symphony'), the third and fourth in Canada in 1995 and 1997 respectively.

[Lethevich]

Raid's first symphony was written in Estonia in 1944, his second in Stockholm in 1946(it is called the 'Stockholm Symphony'), the third and fourth in Canada in 1995 and 1997 respectively.

Coolie - do you know whether the last two are as good as the first? That one is pretty amazing by any standard...

[Dundonnell]

Coolie - do you know whether the last two are as good as the first? That one is pretty amazing by any standard...

No I don't, I am afraid. I only know No.1 from the Chandos cd...although I have only five minutes ago ordered No.2 on a deleted Koch cd from a dealer in the USA(thanks!). No.4 is described on the Raid website as 'postmodern' whatever that actually means in reality!

http://kaljoraid.org/

http://www.musiccentre.ca/apps/index.cfm?fuseaction=composer.FA_dsp_biography&authpeopleid=11608&by=R

[Dundonnell]

Oh....postscript with much more info' on Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4-

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2004/Nov04/Eller_Raid.htm

[Lethevich]

Thanks! Those capsule descriptions are very welcome. It's a shame that it looks as though the 4th will probably be his final symphony, given the time passed since its completion... Still, I'm hoping for it to at least be recorded (I'm thinking Naxos or CPO? Chandos and BIS seem more conservative nowadays) - hopefully 3 and 4 could fit on a single disc.

[Dundonnell]

Thanks! Those capsule descriptions are very welcome. It's a shame that it looks as though the 4th will probably be his final symphony, given the time passed since its completion... Still, I'm hoping for it to at least be recorded (I'm thinking Naxos or CPO? Chandos and BIS seem more conservative nowadays) - hopefully 3 and 4 could fit on a single disc.

Well, yes...No.4 will indeed be his final symphony. He died in 2005

[vandermolen]

Just discovered Colin McPhee Symphony No 2 - very enjoyable.

[ChamberNut]

The only one I've heard more than one work:  John Estacio

[UB]

If you want to know about Canadian Composers and listen to some of their music, I suggest you register at the Canadian Music Center. There is a fairly complete list of composers and for many of them there are 'on demand' recordings of their music that you can listen to.

[Sean]

I've tried music by these, none of it first-rate; the electronic stuff by Westerkamp was nice, reflecting the great open plains.

GOULD, Glen (1932-82 Canadian)
GLICK, Srul Irving (1934-2002 Canadian)
FORSYTH, Malcolm (1936-  South African/ Canadian)
MCPHEE, Colin (1901-64 Canadian/ American)
MOZETICH, Marjan (1948- Italian/ Canadian)
SOMERS, Harry (1925-99 Canadian)
WESTERKAMP, Hildegard (1946-  Canadian)

[Lethevich]

Well, yes...No.4 will indeed be his final symphony. He died in 2005

Eek, a very bad oversight on my part...

[secondwind]

Some years ago (before 2002, evidently) at the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, I attended a recital of the music of Srul Irving Glick, who was present for the recital.  I enjoyed some of the chamber pieces very much and got a cd at the time, which seems to have wandered away in the interim.  There is a website for his music at, what else, www.srulirvingglick.com.  When I explored his website I found that he had also composed a lot of Jewish liturgical music, which I also liked. 

[Sean]

The Glick Divertimento for strings is pleasant and tonal but a bit mawkish.

[snyprrr]

Just discovered Colin McPhee Symphony No 2 - very enjoyable.

I have that on a CBC disc. "The" Tropical Symphony, to be sure.

[violinconcerto]

I love the Srul Irving Glick violin concerto very much! A great work!