American Mavericks - Musical Visionaries, Pioneers, Iconoclasts

In June 2000, MTT and the SFS stunned the music world with their American Mavericks festival, showcasing the music of composers with uniquely radical views. The festival was a defining event in the musical life of the Bay Area and the country. Now, from the University of California Press, comes American Mavericks: Visionaries, Pioneers, Iconoclasts, the story of the sweep of radical music in 20th century America, from the turn of one century to the turn of another, as exemplified by the composers spotlighted in the American Mavericks festival.

American Mavericks provides a permanent record of the Symphony's vision for audiences, scholars, and educators and tells a fascinating story—not about one individual or one institution, but about a cultural phenomenon that crosses geographic, chronological, and ethnic boundaries. The mavericks were as disparate in personality and musical style as the American landscape, but, as Michael Tilson Thomas says, "what these composers all have in common is their enormous excitement in the experience of sound itself."

This book presents an abundance of commentary from performers and a wealth of primary material—interviews, photographs, and rare performances. The voices of those who have experienced the music "from within" provide unique insight that complements the historical and analytical material. Among the artists considered in this volume are Charles Ives, Ruth Crawford Seeger, Duke Ellington, Aaron Copland, Lou Harrison, John Cage, Morton Feldman, Earle Brown, Meredith Monk, and Frank Zappa.

Contributors to this volume include MTT, composer John Adams, critic Alan Rich and SFS program annotator James Keller and contributing writer Michael Steinberg. Edited by American Mavericks festival coordinator Susan Key and SFS Publications Editor Larry Rothe, the book is generously illustrated and includes a companion CD with excerpts of music performed at the festival.

See what the reviewers have to say...

CD Track List

1. Charles Ives: Quarter-tone Piano Piece No. 2, Allegro
2. Michael Tilson Thomas and Lou Harrison: in conversation, June 9, 2000
3. Henry Cowell: Opening of Piano Concerto
4. George Antheil: Opening of Ballet Méchanique
5. Lou Harrison: introducing his Concerto for Organ with Percussion Orchestra
6. Lou Harrison: Allegro from Concerto for Organ with Percussion Orchestra
7. Michael Tilson Thomas: introducing Cage's Credo in Us
8. John Cage: Credo in Us
9. Michael Tilson Thomas: introducing Feldman's Piece for 4 Pianos
10. Morton Feldman: Piece for 4 Pianos
11. Michael Tilson Thomas and Lukas Foss: in conversation June 9, 2000
12. Michael Tilson Thomas and Lukas Foss: in conversation June 9, 2000
13. Michael Tilson Thomas and John Adams: in conversation June 21, 2000
14. Michael Tilson Thomas and David del Tredici: in conversation June 16, 2000
15. David del Tredici: Opening of Adventures Underground
16. Meredith Monk: on her stylistic development, June 9, 2000
17. Michael Tilson Thomas and Steve Mackey: in conversation June 20, 2000
18. Steve Mackey: "Intrigue" from Tuck and Roll