COWELL, Henry
b Menlo Park, California, 11 March 1897
d Shady, New York, 10 December 1965, aged sixty-eight
He began studying the violin at the age of three and gave it up because of ill health at the age of eight. As a composer he was largely self-taught until he went to the University of California in 1913. In 1919 he wrote a book called New Musical Resources. From 1931 to 1932 he worked on oriental music at the University of Berlin, and from 1956 to 1957 he went to Asia under a Rockefeller grant to study Indian music at the Academy of Music, Madras. He also studied Japanese and Iranian music, and wrote books and articles promoting the works of other composers.
1914-20 (17-23)
Vestiges, for orchestra
1918 (21)
Symphony No 1
1920 (23)
Communication, for orchestra
1922 (25)
The Building of Banba, ballet
1924 (27)
Ensemble, for chamber orchestra
192G (29)
Atlantis, ballet
Seven Paragraphs, for chamber ensemble
1927 (30)
Some Music, for orchestra
Suite for violin and piano 1
928 (31)
Sinfonietta for chamber orchestra
1929 (32)
Irish Suite, for chamber orchestra
1930 (33)
Polyphonica, for twelve instruments
Exultation, for ten stringed instruments
Reel No 1, for orchestra
Suite for woodwind quintet
1931 (34)
Synchrony, for orchestra
Rhythmicana, for orchestra
Havana Hornpipe, for orchestra
Competitive Sport, for chamber orchestra
Steel and Stone, for chamber orchestra
Heroic Dance, for chamber orchestra
1932 (35)
Jig, for orchestra
Reel No 2, for orchestra
1933 (36)
Four Casual Developments, ballet
Scherzo for orchestra
Four Continuations, for chamber orchestra
String Quartet No 2, 'Mosaic'
1934 (37)
Movement for instruments
1935 (38)
Six Casual Developments, for chamber orchestra
1936 (39)
String Quartet No 4, 'United'
1937 (40)
Immediate Tragedy, ballet
Deep Song, ballet
Old American Country Set, for orchestra
Chrysanthemums, for soprano, two saxes and four strings
Sarabande, for oboe, clarinet and percussion
Three Ostinati with Chorales for oboe or clarinet and piano
1939 (42)
Symphony No 2, Anthropos
Shipshape, overture
Symphonic Set, for orchestra
American Melting Pot, for orchestra
Celtic Set, for orchestra
1940 (43)
Pastorale and Fiddler's Delight, for orchestra
Voxhumana, for orchestra
Ancient Desert Drone, for orchestra
Concerto Piccolo, for piano and orchestra
1941 (44)
Schoonthree, for orchestra
Tales of our Countryside, for orchestra
Two Bits, for flute and piano
Grinnell Fanfare, for organ and brass
1942 (45)
Symphony No 3, Gaelic
Trickster Coyote, for flute and percussion
1943 (46)
American Pipers, for orchestra
Little Concerto for piano and orchestra
Action in Brass, for horn, two trumpets and two trombones
This is America, for brass ensemble
Improvisation on a Persian Mode, for orchestra
1944 (47)
United Music, for orchestra
Animal Magic, for wind band
1945 (48)
Philippine Return, for orchestra
Big Sing, for orchestra
Fanfare, for wind band
Two Appositions, for wind band
Grandma's Rumba, for wind band
Triad, for trumpet and piano
Violin Sonata No 1
Hymn, for string orchestra
1946 (49)
Symphony No 4, Short Symphony
Festival Overture for two orchestras
Saxophone Quartet
1947 (50)
Tune Takes a Trip, for five clarinets
1948 (51)
Symphony No 5
Festive Occasion, for orchestra
Tall Tale, for brass ensemble
Saturday Night at the Firehouse, for orchestra
1949 (52)
O'Higgins of Chile, opera
Four Declamations with Return, for cello and piano
The Sax-happy Quartet
Congratulations, for strings
A Curse and a Blessing, for wind band
Overture for orchestra
1951 (54)
Symphony No 6
1952 (55)
Symphony No 7
Fiddler's Jig, for violin and string orchestra
Fantasie, for wind band
Four Trumpets for Alan, for four trumpets and piano
1953 (56)
Symphony No 8 for chorus and orchestra
Symphony No 9
Symphony No 10 for chamber orchestra
Symphony No 11, Seven Rituals of Music
Rondo for orchestra
Towards a Bright Day, for orchestra
Singing Band, for brass
1955 (58)
Ballad for strings
1955-6 (58-9)
Symphony No 12
Set of Two, for violin and piano
Set of Four, for harpsichord
Set of Five, for violin, piano and percussion
String Quartet No 5
Septet, for five wordless voices, clarinet and keyboard
1956 (59)
Variations for orchestra
A Thanksgiving Psalm, for male chorus
1956-7 (59-60)
Persian Set, for orchestra
1957 (60)
Music for orchestra
Ongaku, for orchestra
1957-8 (60-1)
Symphony No 13, Madras
1958-9 (61-2)
Antiphony, for divided orchestra
1959 (62)
Concerto for percussion
Mela Fair, for orchestra
Characters, for orchestra
Homage to Iran, for violin and piano
1960 (63)
Symphony No 14
Concerto Brevis, for accordion and orchestra
Thesis, for orchestra
Variations on thirds for orchestra
Introduction and Allegro for viola and harpsichord
Prelude and Allegro for violin and harpsichord
1961 (64)
Chiaroscuro, for orchestra
1962 (65)
Symphony No 15, Thesis
Quartet for flute, oboe, cello and harp
1963 (66)
Symphony No 16, Icelandic
Symphony No 17, Lancaster
Symphony No 18
1964 (67)
Concerto for koto and orchestra
1965 (68)
Symphony No 19
Cowell also wrote sixteen hymn-and-fuguing-tunes for various combinations,
many choral works, songs and piano works.