March 11 - Henry Cowell; Astor Piazzolla (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Henry Cowell (11 March 1897 –10  December 1965) was an American composer. music theorist, pianist, teacher, publisher, and biographer of Charles Ives. 

[Previous posts for March 11th may be found here:  Carl Ruggles (2019) and Lawrence Welk.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Musical Paradox; or, Ways and Means  1

When Henry Cowell writes tonal clusters

   Played with fist, or palm, or arms,

For all the racket that it musters

   It rarely rankles or alarms.

While on the page it bangs and blusters,

   When played and heard it merely charms.

 

 

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪ 

 

Astor Piazzolla (11 March 1921 – 4 July 1992) was an Argentine Tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh What a Tango Web We Weave; or, Ways and Means 2

By using the rhythmical trance

Of the Argentine national dance,

The great Piazzolla

Learned how to control a

Meandering formal expanse.

 

 

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