New American Works: 1990

Notes on the Program

by Steven Blier and Michael Barrett

Today’s concert is our first program of new American works. William Bolcom, who is approaching middle age is the senior composer represented, with two songs from his latest work. Casino Paradise had is premiere in Philadelphia, April 9th of this year. Casino marks Bolcom’s return to the theater after a hiatus of over twenty years; he first came to prominence with Dynamite Tonight in the sixties. Subsequently, he has received acclaim for serious concert music , such as the Pulitzer prize-winning Piano Etudes, five symphonies, assorted concertos, as well as his Cabaret Songs and Piano Rags. Bolcom’s fearless versatility owe much to the eclectic careers of Kurt Weill, Marc Blitzstein, and Leonard Bernstein. Likewise, Bolcom serves as a beacon for the latest generation of composers trying to make their way in the music world. His art music is informed with his masterful command of popular idioms while his “popular” music is rhythmically and harmonically sophisticated. This blurring of musical class lines is indicative of the state of American music today. Composers no longer enlist in the “serial” or “tonal” camp. Pop composers try their hand at serious writing (Remember Frank Zappa?). Increasingly gifted, trained young Americans are drawn to the theater, and what the best of them all seem to share is a complete absorption of their musical heritage (think of Tin Pan Alley, Jazz, Big Band, Rock, and Rap for starters, then Ives Copland, Barber, etc.). The songs on today’s program about the 1939 World’s Fair were commissioned by the American Musical Theater Festival (the same organization which presented Casino) for Sitting on the Edge of the Future, a musical taking places at the ’39 fair. Composers and lyricists were asked to capture and recreate the futuristic sound and atmosphere – from a 1939 viewpoint. None were daunted by the task and most fulfilled their assignments with aplomb. This bodes well for the future of musical theater.

For the complete text of these program notes, please e-mail us at: info@nyfos.org.