In this Book

summary
Music's inclusivity--its potential to unite cultures, disciplines, and individuals--defined the life and career of Lou Harrison (1917-2003). Beyond studying with avant-garde titans such as Henry Cowell and Arnold Schoenberg, he conducted Charles Ives's Pulitzer Prize-winning Third Symphony, staged high-profile percussion concerts with John Cage, and achieved fame for his distinctive blending of cultures--from the Chinese opera, Indonesian gamelan, and the music of Native Americans to modernist dissonant counterpoint.

Leta E. Miller and Fredric Lieberman take readers into Harrison's rich world of cross-fertilization through an exploration of his outspoken stance on pacifism, gay rights, ecology, and respect for minorities--all major influences on his musical works. Though Harrison was sometimes accused by contemporaries of "cultural appropriation," Miller and Lieberman make it clear why musicians and scholars alike now laud him as an imaginative pioneer for his integration of Asian and Western musics. They also delve into Harrison's work in the development of the percussion ensemble, his use of found and invented instruments, and his explorations of alternative tuning systems. An accompanying compact disc of representative recordings allows readers to examine Harrison's compositions in further detail.

Table of Contents

restricted access Download Full Book
  1. Cover
  2. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Title Page, Copyright
  2. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Contents
  2. pp. v-vi
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Acknowledgments
  2. pp. vii-viii
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 1. Prelude
  2. pp. 1-8
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 2. Portrait: A Life in Music
  2. pp. 9-35
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 3. Percussion Music and Instrument Building: More than Just Noise
  2. pp. 36-47
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 4. Passion for Asia: Inspirations from China, Korea, and Indonesia
  2. pp. 48-68
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 5. Purely in Tune: Exploring Just Intonation Systems
  2. pp. 69-80
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 6. Processes of Synthesis: Coherence and Variety
  2. pp. 81-93
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 7. Politics and Society: Activist Art, Activist Arguments, Activist Acts
  2. pp. 94-107
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 8. Peroration: System, Syncretism, and Style
  2. pp. 108-116
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Notes
  2. pp. 117-122
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Selected works
  2. pp. 123-128
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. For further reading
  2. pp. 129-130
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Suggested listening
  2. pp. 131-132
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Compact disc contents
  2. pp. 133-136
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Index
  2. pp. 137-148
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. About the Author, Publication Information, CD Track Listing
  2. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
Back To Top

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Without cookies your experience may not be seamless.