Gunther Schuller (1925 -2015)

Gunther Sculler was born in Queens New York of German immigrant


====parents. Starting off as a French Horn and Flute player at age 15, he was already playing as part of the American Ballet Theater and went on to play in a number of Orchestras. he was a High school drop out and never obtained a degree and continued as a self taught composer. He eventually went on to hold positions at Yale University, Berkshire Music Center in Tanglewood,and '''The New England Conservatory. '''His interest in Jazz and Classical music sparked a number of academic innovations such as establishing the first jazz program degree at a major conservatory, (The New England Conservatory), demanding that students are able to play and study not only Classical works but modern and abstract works of music and composition. He was also responsible for coining the phrase "The Third Stream", when talking about elements of European classical and jazz musics in the 1950's.====

Piece for Something and Something (1971)
This work is ... and was performed on May 29 in Alba etc.

[here you put details of the music you heard and researched]

Comparisons
====His works span across the breadth of musical categorization from Ragtime, vocal, chamber music, film, opera, and ballet to name a few. Known as an educator in his later years. His works are categorized by his own words as "Third Stream" in that much of his work incorporates Jazz rhythms and sensibilities with Classical scope of instrumentation and form. He wrote concertos for instruments generally not thought of to be lead instruments in a concerto repertoire such as the alto saxophone, bassoon, contrabassoon, organ, and double bass.====

Observations
His work has a large sound! Even in the smallest of phrasing there is a grandeur to his work that resonates within the smallest of ensembles to the obvious large orchestral pieces. The 2 pieces I contrast are his "Dreamscape for orchestra" written in 2012, (only 3 years before his death in 2015) and his earlier forays into The Third Stream with "Jazz Abstractions for Nine instruments" in 1961. The melding of jazz sensibility of rhythm and pulse melded with the Classical grandiosity and use of alternate composing techniques such as 12 Tone or more traditional classical forms creates a wholly original and big sound.