10/29/2016

TamsinWaleyCohenchampionsanunderappreciatedViolinConcerto.|ClassicalMusic.com

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TamsinWaleyCohenchampionsan
underappreciatedViolinConcerto.
ViolinistTamsinWaleyCohenexplainswhyshebelievesRoyHarrissViolin
Concertoshouldrankamongthegreats
29September201612:00am

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Submittedby:Elinor.Cooper
A

TamsinWaleyCohen(credit:PatrickAllen)

Ibelievetherearetworeasonswelistentomusic.Firstly,forenjoyment,purepleasure,the
upliftingeuphoriathatmusiccanbring.Secondly,tounderstandsomethingmoreprofoundabout
ourselves:whoweare,whywearethewayweare,toexploreindepthacertainexperience,ora
momentintimeorhistory.Music,byitsnaturethemostabstractofthearts,isalsoabletobethe
mostemotionallypreciseandlucid.
RoyHarrissViolinConcertoof1949fulfillsbothoftheserequirements.Hismusicisjoyfuland
expansive,andfullofbeauty.HealsoencapsulatesaspecifickindofAmericanism,ofhope,
freedom,generosityofspirit,andinclusiveness,andwehearthisinhismusic.
BorntoapoorfamilyinOklahoma,andraisedontheruralfarmlandsofCalifornia,Harrisinmany
waysencapsulatestheAmericandream,ofhardwork,success,anddutytogivebacktothe
community.HegrewuponthegreatAmericanplains,andthehugevistasandendlesshorizons
musthavebeeningrainedinhispsychewecancertainlyheartheminhismusic.
Virtuallyselftaughttillhisearly20s(hismothertaughthimtheclarinetandthepiano),Harris
maintainedastronginterestinfolkmusicthroughouthislife,includingjazzandNativeAmerican
music,whichissublimatedinhismusicallanguageandwoventhroughouttheconcerto,inthe
melodies,therhythmicgames,andunusualuseofmodalityinhisrichharmoniclanguage.Wecan
hearthegreatplainsofhischildhoodinthemusic,intherhapsodic,expansivemelodies,the
senseofjoyandfreedomimbuedthroughout,unfetteredbytheconstraintsofEuropeantradition,
despitehisstudiesinPariswithNadiaBoulanger,whichhelargelyrejected.Perhapsinpartdue
tohismodestbeginnings,throughouthislifehewasachampionofequalityandequalopportunity.
Hisfinalsymphonyaddressesthemesofslaveryandthecivilwar.

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10/29/2016

TamsinWaleyCohenchampionsanunderappreciatedViolinConcerto.|ClassicalMusic.com

Manyofthemotifsintheconcertoarederivedfromfolkmusic,enhancedbyHarrissbrilliant
orchestration.Theviolinisnotalwaystreatedpurelyasasoloist.Sometimes,itisindialoguewith
anotherinstrument,sometimespartoftheorchestraltexture.Harriscoaxesakaleidoscopic
palettefromtheorchestra,usingunusualharmonicsinthestrings,collegno,andpunchy
polyphonictextures.Throughouttheconcerto,theoverwhelmingfeelingisofjoyandoptimism,
thisismusicofendlesspossibility.
RoyHarriss3rdsymphonyisfirmlyestablishedintheUSAasoneofthegreatAmerican
symphonies,championedparticularlybyLeonardBernstein.YetmanyEuropeanshavenever
heardit.BorninLondontoanEnglishfatherandNewYorkermother,Ihavealwayshadastrong
interestinexploringmyAmericanculturalheritage.However,whileweinEuropemayaccuse
Americaofbeingculturallyisolationist,perhapsthesamecouldbesaidofus.Surely,inour
modernglobalsociety,listeningtoeachothersmusicisvitalwaytounderstandeachotherbetter
andtoexploreoursharedexperiences,aswellasourdifferentoutlooks.

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