I realize that I am writing about two living American composers consecutively but can’t resist the urge to write about Bolcom’s Ghost Rags this month. I hope you enjoy listening to them!
Photo by Neven Krcmarek via unsplash
William Bolcom
”I was trained as a classical musician all my life, but I was always interested in popular music. According to my teachers it wasn’t as good, but I loved it anyway.” - William Bolcom
B. 1938 in Seattle, William Bolcom is an American composer and pianist. He entered the University of Washington at age 11, studied with Darius Milhaud at Mills College and at the Paris Conservatoire, and completed his doctorate in composition at Stanford University in 1964. His compositional approach is influenced by diverse musical traditions that help to create his unique style, which marries pop and western classical music. Bolcom writes for a wide range of musicians, from piano solo to full symphonies and operas. His piano rags occupy a special place in the repertoire, and he explains...
"When I discovered ragtime, I discovered music which I could relate to in every way. I got knocked out by Scott Joplin. I think he’s one of the greatest guys of all time. He interested me because he was the first American who was able to take all of these various music sources and synthesize them… "
In his own rags, Bolcom is able to combine classic American rag and stride piano techniques with the compositional techniques of 19th century composers, such as Schumann and Chopin. Bolcom became a leading pianist in the ragtime revival of the 1960s. He has received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Arts, a Grammy Award and was named 2007 Composer of the Year by Musical America. He taught composition at the University of Michigan from 1973 until 2008.
Ghost Rags
Bolcom’s Ghost Rags were completed in a converted garage next to a graveyard in Newburgh, New York in the early 1970s. Ghost Rag No. 1, which is the most popular of the three, is titled “Graceful Ghost.” He dedicated this piece to his father, whose benign spirit was felt by Bolcom when he played his piano at night. Ghost Rag No. 2, titled “Poltergeist”, is dedicated to Tracey Sterne, who pursued a career as a concert pianist in her youth and later became a record producer with Nonesuch records and was responsible for assembling their diverse catalog of world music. Ghost Rag No. 3, “Dream Shadows”, was described by Bolcom as a rag that evoked “the era of white telephones, pianos and was written on the white keys of C Major”. He dedicated this rag to his fellow composer William Albright, his colleague at the University of Michigan.
Ghost Rag No. 1
Ghost Rag No. 2
Ghost Rag No. 3
For Further Information
https://www.williambolcom.com/
https://keisersouthernmusic.com/composers/william-bolcom
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