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John R. Cowell
Composer/Pianist
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COMPOSITIONS
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| Date of Composition |
Clip 
Score* |
Title of Work |
Description / Notes |
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Washington Centennial Suite: 4 American Scenes for solo piano
1. Centennial Day Jamboree
2. Night Piece, "Night Camp—the nocturnal forest world..."
3. Dawn Piece, "The perfect summer fisherman’s dawn..."
4. Toccata - Finale, "Speed run" (on snow - on water?)
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Composed for Centennial Composers Competition, Peninsula United Music Association
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| 1952 |
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Puyallup Fair: Suite for Piano
(Also available: Piano 4-hand and full orchestral score)
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Local ballet school portrays their day at the Western Washington State Fair. Composed for the Seattle Ballet Academy. Scored for full orchestra in 1962, performed by the Seattle Symphony, conducted by Milton Katims. Revised for piano solo in 1984
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| 1956 |
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Sonata in Db
1. Rhapsody
2. Evocation II "Waltz vs. Blues"
3. Scherzo; Toccata
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| 1960 |
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Chaconne and Mystic Dance |
Composed originally for New York Town Hall recital in 1960 as "Introduction, Chaconne and Rhapsodic Dance." Edited and revised for performance at "Arkansas Day" in the bi-centennial Parade of States in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall in Washington DC in May 1976.
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| circa 1960 |
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Choral works
Psalm 103 Praise the Lord, O my Soul (SATB)
Psalm 121 I will lift mine eyes unto the Hills (SATB):
Versions 1 and 2
Psalm 130 Lord from the Depths, Medium Voice (also available for High Voice and Duet)
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| 1972 |
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Four Songs of Innocence (Medium Voice; also available for High Voice)
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
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| 1983 |
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Homage to Emily |
Choral work for mixed voices unaccompanied on three selected poems of Emily Dickinson (1830-1886).
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Evocation |
Two solo piano compositions. Originated from a Seattle Ballet Academy commission “Dance Symphony” in 1954, 2nd movement. Later refashioned as 2nd movement of Trio for clarinet, horn, piano (1999), and as Trio for clarinet, cello, piano (1978), and as Trio for viola, cello, piano.
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Suite for Piano: The Harmonious Piano (with notes by the composer)
Prelude 1 a/b
Exsultate/Threnody
Prelude 2
Air with Variations
Toccata
Prelude 1 (harpsichord)
Sarabande
Prelude 2
Air with Variations
Toccata
Chaconne and Mystic Dance for Piano
Chaconne and Mystic Dance for Harpsichord
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7 Mysterious Canons and an Encore
1 Ancient Stones, Ancient Bones
2 Echoing Wind Chimes, Carillons
3 Ancient Temple Garden
4 Celestial Orbits
5 Blue Ice, Crevasses, Caves
6 Labyrinth–There and Back ("Crab Canon")
7 Whole Tone, Tritone, Augmented Triad
8 Encore (Answering Harness Bells–Frost Poem)
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Originated from a choreographic commission by the Seattle Ballet Academy in 1958. Never fulfilled as a ballet. Transformed into a concert piece for piano as part of doctoral dissertation and later made into a one movement piano concerto. Many performances. Extensive revision in 2003.
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* All compositions are the property of the Estate of John R. Cowell. Feel free to use the scores, but as a courtesy to Dr. Cowell's family, please notify them of the time and place of any performance of his works by emailing his daughter, Edna Martin, at ecmartin2@hotmail.com. It will be much appreciated.
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