C. Mingus "Epitaph"

  • gherop

    gherop

    ACA Member

    Copy-Paste From C. Mingus Official Site.
    Nearly 18 years after its world premiere at Lincoln Center in 1989, "Epitaph" was performed in a series of concerts in Spring 2007 to coincide with Charles Mingus's 85th birthday year. It was again conducted by Gunther Schuller, at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Tri-C Jazz Festival, and Chicago's Sympony Center. Considered the most important and prophetic jazz composition since Ellington's extended works, "Epitaph" was composed by Mingus over several decades. After his death in 1979, musicologist Andrew Homzy discovered the missing 500-page score in an old trunk in the home of his widow Sue MIngus while cataloging the Mingus collection now housed at the Library of Congress. Constructed as a suite of 19 movements for 31 musicians, and running well over two hours, "Epitaph" is a history of jazz, encompassing musical forms characteristic of Mingus's orchestral composition: echoes of Ellington and gospel, extended classical forms, abrupt rhythmic shifts, lyrical passages that explode into dissonant choruses, and high register solos underscored by ostinato refrains on basses and trombones. Adapted and conducted by Gunther Schuller, "Epitaph" has been performed at festivals and concert halls throughout the United States, including Tanglewood, Wolf Trap, Cleveland Symphony Hall, San Francisco Symphony Hall, Chicago Jazz Festival and in all the major capitals of Europe. The full score of Epitaph is now available for the first time from Hal Leonard, at your favorite music dealer. (Currently at SheetMusicPlus, Stanton Sheet Music, Compumusic, Music Forte, Andy's Music Online, and more.)

    On July 25, 2008 NPR will broadcast the Walt Disney Concert Hall performance of Epitaph which will remain available on the website.

    REVIEWS OF EPITAPH:

    “Among the most important, prophetic, creative statement in the history of jazz.” Gunther Schuller

    The New York Times: Premiere of a Boisterous Jazz Overview by Mingus; June 5, 1989
    by Jon Pareles “Epitaph was heard for the first time Saturday night at Alice Tully Hall at a concert that ranks with the most memorable jazz events of the decade.”

    For more details, see link

    1  30 Nov 2010  
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