Role

:

Composer  

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

March 11, 1897 in Menlo Park, CA

Death

:

December 10, 1965 in Shady, NY

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

 

Chamber

 

 

Keyboard

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Vocal

 

Henry Cowell was an American composer, pianist, and music theorist who was born on March 11, 1897, in Menlo Park, California. He was the youngest of five children and grew up in a musical family. His mother was a pianist, and his father was a newspaper publisher who also played the violin. Cowell began playing the piano at a young age and showed a natural talent for music. Cowell's musical education began at home, where he received piano lessons from his mother. He also studied with a local piano teacher, and by the age of 10, he was performing in public. In 1912, Cowell began studying with Charles Seeger, a composer and musicologist who would become a significant influence on his music. Cowell's early compositions were influenced by the music of Debussy and Scriabin, but he soon began to develop his own unique style. He was interested in exploring new sounds and techniques, and he experimented with unconventional playing techniques on the piano, such as playing with his fists and forearms. In 1914, Cowell traveled to New York City to study with the composer and pianist Ferruccio Busoni. Busoni was impressed with Cowell's talent and encouraged him to continue exploring new sounds and techniques in his music. Cowell's early compositions were often experimental and avant-garde. He was interested in exploring the possibilities of new instruments and sounds, and he wrote music for a variety of unconventional instruments, including the theremin, the Ondes Martenot, and the prepared piano. One of Cowell's most famous compositions is "The Banshee," which was written in 1925. The piece is scored for solo piano and requires the performer to play inside the piano, creating eerie and otherworldly sounds. "The Banshee" is a prime example of Cowell's interest in exploring new sounds and techniques in his music. Cowell was also interested in folk music, and he traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe, collecting and studying folk songs. He believed that folk music was an important part of American culture and incorporated elements of folk music into his compositions. In addition to his work as a composer, Cowell was also a music theorist and wrote extensively on the subject. He developed a system of notation called "tone clusters," which allowed performers to play multiple notes at once, creating a dense and complex sound. Cowell's theories on music were influential in the development of modern music, and his ideas continue to be studied and discussed today. Cowell's career was not without controversy. In 1936, he was arrested and charged with violating California's "morals code" for having a sexual relationship with a young man. Cowell pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, although he was released after four years. The incident had a significant impact on Cowell's career, and he struggled to find work as a composer and performer in the years that followed. Despite the controversy surrounding his personal life, Cowell continued to compose and perform throughout his life. He wrote music for a variety of instruments and ensembles, including orchestras, chamber groups, and solo performers. His music was often experimental and avant-garde, and he continued to explore new sounds and techniques throughout his career. Cowell died on December 10, 1965, in Shady, New York, at the age of 68.

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