Happy Birthday Mr. Diamond

[antongould]

Breakfast this morning marked the 100th birthday of David Diamond - yet another composer I know little/nothing of. CBH played a movement from his 3rd symphony - I sure someone will say far from his best but sounded fine to me ...... Perhaps a day of exploring further .......

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The only music I ever recall hearing by David Diamond was a snippet of his incidental music for Romeo & Juliet.

[antongould]

The only music I ever recall hearing by David Diamond was a snippet of his incidental music for Romeo & Juliet.

I could say all the more reason to listen to CBH - but I'd better not - just finishing off a grandchildren interrupted listen to the 3rd symphony, and I am impressed and would suggest that IMVVHO they played the wrong movement ......

[teamsaint]

I could say all the more reason to listen to CBH - but I'd better not - just finishing off a grandchildren interrupted listen to the 3rd symphony, and I am impressed and would suggest that IMVVHO they played the wrong movement ......

An auspicious day indeed. lets hope the board experts get their finger out and point us towards some gems.

In the meantime, you want to be listening to this, AG and EA.

Most excellent work, IMUO.

[Pulcinella]

A few pieces on the shelves here in Casa Pulcinella.

Symphony 1, Violin concerto 2, The enormous room: Seattle Symphony, Schwarz (originally Delos, now Naxos)
Symphony 4: NYPO, Bernstein (Sony)
Symphony 8, Suite from the ballet TOM, This sacred ground: Seattle Symphony and Chorale, Schwarz (Delos)
Rounds for string orchestra: LACO, Schwarz (Apex)

Working through them today in honor (sic) of his centenary!

[Pabmusic]

I have the 1st, 2nd and 4th Symphonies, 2nd violin concerto, Concerto for Small Orchestra, The Enormous Room (all Schwartz/Seattle, with Iikka Talvi), and the clarinet quintet (Long Island Camber Ens/ Laurence Sobol). All very enjoyable.

[Roehre]

Another composer whose (11) symphonies are direly in need of a complete recording
The umpteenth Mahler/Beethoven/Bruckner/Shostakovich is seemingly more profitable....
Most of the time something of his music is played it's the Rounds for strings

[antongould]

Another composer whose (11) symphonies are direly in need of a complete recording
The umpteenth Mahler/Beethoven/Bruckner/Shostakovich is seemingly more profitable....
Most of the time something of his music is played it's the Rounds for strings

From what I've heard of 3 and 8 I would agree - the teamsaint recommended 2 yet to come ............

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

An auspicious day indeed. lets hope the board experts get their finger out and point us towards some gems.

In the meantime, you want to be listening to this, AG and EA.

Thanks TS. I could easily become a fan.

[Pulcinella]

Another composer whose (11) symphonies are direly in need of a complete recording
The umpteenth Mahler/Beethoven/Bruckner/Shostakovich is seemingly more profitable....
Most of the time something of his music is played it's the Rounds for strings

I wonder if Delos were planning to do just that?
The S8 recording mentioned above (now on Naxos, I see) is credited as Vol. IV.

[gurnemanz]

I discovered his Fourth via the bumper Bernstein Symphony box. A very attractive and succinct work (only 19 minutes), including solo piano sonorities. If asked to listen blind, I would probably have said: Sounds English.

[antongould]

I discovered his Fourth via the bumper Bernstein Symphony box. A very attractive and succinct work (only 19 minutes), including solo piano sonorities. If asked to listen blind, I would probably have said: Sounds English.

Yes I have to say to my tin ear all I've heard this morning sounds British ......

[Beef Oven!]

One Saturday afternoon in the early '90s I was captivated by some awesome music on Radio 3 that I'd missed the presenter's spoken introduction to. It sounded European and Mahlerian to me.

At the end of the work, I was pleased to hear the name of a composer that was completely new to me, David Diamond (the work was symphony #2), and I was surprised by his nationality (although there were snatches of Copland (to my ears)).

I'd recommend symphony #2, violin concerto #2, symphony #8 and The Enormous Room (a favourite).

[Suffolkcoastal]

I have about half of Diamond's large output, but sadly after a promising start 20 years ago recordings have dried up again. Albany have recorded the String Quartets, the greatest cycle to come out of the USA IMO. The 3rd is a masterpiece and immensely moving (I've just been playing it). In recent years however Albany have been recording music by utter non-entities who clearly must have some influence with their Board, as it so bad it would never get recorded on merit alone. The Diamond symphony cycle has still not been recorded in its entirety when those of far lesser composers have. I have copies of them all except for the complete No 11. The rest of his output is large and wide ranging and from what I've heard always well crafted and thoughtful and recognisably his own, with a superb command of counterpoint. His earliest music, composed in the late 1930s is rather severe, in the 1940's his music is at its most approachable. In the 1950 & 60's when he lived in Italy for much of the time his music became more demanding flirting with serialism but always still recognisably the work of Diamond. In later years some of the complexity of the works from the 50s & 60s remained but was married to the more approachable idiom of his earlier music.
As a person Diamond suffered from Mental Health difficulties and encountered some problems over his sexuality which was one of the reasons he largely stayed away from America during the 50s & 60s. In his later years he became a champion for Gay rights in America, teaching & living in Rochester New York.

The chief influences on Diamond are actually French, notably Ravel and above all Roussel, you can hear this in the scoring and in the fastidious attention to contrapuntal detail. As well as the pan-diatonic manner of Copland in his works of the 1940s.

[Beef Oven!]

I must go back to symphony #3 and give it more of a try. I really enjoy the slow movement (2nd IIRC), but the rest of the music seems quite light and doesn't move me like some of his other works. Lots of people cite it as his best symphony, but not for me.

Edit: I'm now listening to it on Apple Music and it's the andante second movement that I remember liking, the adagio is the finale. Perhaps I'm just not moved by the first and third movements!