Sigma Alpha Iota

Winter 2019 34 PAN PIPES LIBBY LARSON: COMPOSING AN AMERICAN LIFE Denise Von Glahn. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, August 28, 2017. 368 pg. In her introduction, Denise Von Glahn states that the challenge of biographers is "… unearthing the relationships between the life, the time and the achievements…and then to shape them, to suggest some kind of coher- ence…" Libby Larson: Composing an American Life, a product of seven years of conversations, intense musical study, and reading of count- less correspondence, is Von Glahn's attempt to take up this challenge on behalf of one of the most important American composers of the late 20th century. Unlike most biographies that follow a strict retelling of linear events, Von Glahn organizes her material around the major topics discussed with Dr. Larson. These top- ics are what Dr. Larson considers to be the main influences on her life and music: family, religion, nature and place, the academy (aca- demia), gender, and technology. She main- tains a rough chronology in that each topic is featured in a chapter that covers several years (e.g. the chapter about religion focuses primarily on her Catholic school education), but the impact of each of these themes re- curs in subsequent chapters. In addition to illustrating the impact of these subjects on Dr. Larson's life, Von Glahn also discusses several important compositions that are impacted by these influences. The concluding chapters illuminate Dr. Larson through the opinions of her collaborators, critics, and family members in an attempt to confirm whether her public persona matches her private one. Von Glahn's writing is highly incisive. Her opening chapter details some of the major events of 1950-1968 (Sputnik, Vatican II, Viet- nam) in such a way that their influence on Dr. Larson during her formative years strikes with an immediate impact. This type of writing is consistent throughout the book and illus- trates Von Glahn's commitment to connect- ing Dr. Larson's life to the time and culture in which she works. Those with an interest in contemporary composers will thoroughly enjoy this book. Robert Bruns is a Bandmaster in the United States Army and an SAI Friend of the Arts. He received his Bachelor and Master in Music Education degrees at Ithaca College. REVIEWS RUSSIAN TRUMPET SONATAS Works by: Chichkov, Platonov, Aleksandrov, Milman, Lyubovsky, Okunev, Baryshev, and Isakova Performed by: Iskander Akhmadullin, trumpet and Natalia Bolshakova, piano MSR Classics (1697) Russian Trumpet Sonatas is a collection of eight contemporary works for piano and trumpet. The first work SONATINA for Trumpet and Piano is by Yuri Chichkov (1929- 1990). This work was written during his time studying at the Military Conductors Institute and was published in 1953. Chichkov wrote a wealth of music in many genres, and was best known for his compositions of children's songs. This style can be felt somewhat in his Sonatina, which features an energetic march- like tune with exciting conversation between the trumpet and piano. SONATA for Trumpet and Piano by Nikolai Platonov (1894-1967) is presented in three dramatic and enticing movements. Throughout the piece the listener is taken through a series of ups and downs, hearing the Romantic influence in Platonov's composing, and is left wanting more at the ends of the first and second movements. There is a mysterious air throughout, and the end finally seems to answer our thoughts with a grand and dramatic declaration by the trumpet. Yuri Mikhailovich Aleksandrov (1914- 2001) fought for several months with the 8 th Moscow Volunteers' Rifle Division in 1941 before returning to Moscow with other artists and eventually evacuating to Saratov. After the war he joined the Composers' Union and worked for the Muzgiz publishing house for over 30 years. Aleksandrov's SONATA for Trumpet and Voice was written in the early 1960s and published in 1965. The first two movements show various compositional techniques of counterpoint and harmony. The third is quite exciting as a rush of triplet eighth notes shows the technical mastery of trumpeter Iskander Akhmadullin. The final work of the album, SONATA for Trumpet and Piano, was written by female composer Aida Petrovna Isakova (1940-2012). Isakova was a concert pianist and composer. After teaching at the Alma-Ata State Conservatory in Kazakhstan, she returned to Moscow in 1994 and joined the faculty of Ippolitov-Ivanov State Music Institute. The sonata was written in 1986 for the trumpet professor at the conservatory where she worked at the time; however, it was not published until 23 years later in 2009. The first movement presents a slow and somber melody, with pedal-like accompaniment in the piano. The second movement has an almost jazz-like feel. The final movement is lively with shifting meters that add to the whimsy of the piece, and a great challenge for both instrumentalists. The piece literally ends on a high note as the trumpet ascends wildly to a high C to finish off this exciting work. Audrey Garvey is president of the Wichita Alumnae Chapter and former Theta B Province Officer. She teaches elementary music in Wichita Public Schools and is an active member of the Wichita music community.

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