(b. 13 April 1938, Westfield, Massachusetts – d. 26 June 2021, Montiano, Magliano in Toscana).
American composer, resident in Belgium and Italy, of mostly chamber, vocal and piano works that have been performed throughout the world; he was also active as a pianist.
Prof. Rzewski studied music privately with Charles Mackey in Springfield, Massachusetts as a child and studied composition with Walter Piston, counterpoint with Randall Thompson and orchestration with Claudio Spies at Harvard University from 1954–58. He studied composition with Milton Babbitt and Roger Sessions and the music of Richard Wagner with Oliver Strunk at Princeton University from 1958–60, where he also studied literature and philosophy from Greece. In addition, he studied composition privately with Luigi Dallapiccola in Rome in 1960.
As a pianist, he frequently performed with the flautist Severino Gazzelloni in the 1960s. He then co-founded with Alvin Curran and Richard Teitelbaum the improvisational and live electronic ensemble Musica Elettronica Viva in Rome in 1966 and performed with it from 1966–71. He was thereafter active as a pianist, primarily in performances of his own pieces and music by other contemporary composers.
He taught at the Conservatoire royal de musique in Liège from 1977–2003, where he was Professeur de Composition from 1983–2003. He gave lectures in Germany, the Netherlands and the USA.
COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS
STAGE:
The Persians – Les Perses – Die Perser (music-theatre work, text by the composer, after Æschylus), 4 soloists, 5 actors, bass clarinet (+ contrabass clarinet, sopranino saxophone), trombone, double bass (+ bass guitar), piano, 2 percussion, 1985
The Triumph of Death (staged oratorio, text by Peter Weiss), 4 voices, string quartet, 1987–88
ORCHESTRAL:
Nature Morte, small orchestra (winds, French horn, trumpet, harp, piano, organ, 5 percussion, violin, cello), 1964
A Long Time Man, piano, orchestra, 1979
Satyrica, guitar, double bass, piano, synthesizer, vibraphone, percussion, symphonic band, 1983
Una breve Storia d'Estate, 3 flutes, orchestra, 1983
Scratch Symphony, 1997
Movable Types, 1999
Concerto, piano, orchestra, 2012
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Speculum Dianæ, any 8 improvisational players, 1964
Selfportrait, any player, 1964
Prose Pieces, improvisational ensemble, 1967–68
Les Moutons de Panurge, any number of melody instruments, 1968
Last Judgment, trombone/any number of unison trombones, 1969
Second Structure, improvisational ensemble, 1972
Song and Dance, flute, bass clarinet, double bass, vibraphone, 1976
Thirteen Instrumental Studies, variable ensemble, 1972–77
Moonrise with Memories, bass trombone, ensemble (any 6 instruments in the soprano range), 1978
Three Pieces, soprano saxophone, trombone, piano, 1979
Aria, flute, 1981
Pennywhistlers, recorder, 1981
Wails, bass clarinet (+ sopranino saxophone), piano, 2 percussion, 1984
Lost and Found (percussionist also speaks), percussion, 1985
To the Earth (percussionist also speaks), percussion, 1985
Spots, any 4 players, 1986
Don't Have it Today (double bassist also speaks), double bass, 1986
The Lost Melody, clarinet, piano, 2 percussion, 1989
Roses, flute, clarinet, trumpet, tuba, violin, cello, accordion, percussion, 1989
Aerial Tarts, flute, clarinet/saxophone, violin, cello, piano, 2 percussion, 1990
Whangdoodles, hammered dulcimer (+ mallet instruments ad libitum), violin, piano, 1990
Shtick, clarinet/soprano saxophone, 1990
Knight, cello, 1992
Holes, any 4–8 players, 1993
Crusoe, any 4–12 players, 1993
Histories, 4 saxophones, 1993
Whimwhams, marimba, string quartet, 1993
Family Scenes, flute, 3 saxophones, French horn, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, bass trombone, double bass/bass guitar, piano, 1995
When the Wind Blows, flute, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, flügelhorn, trombone, guitar, double bass/bass guitar, piano, 1996
Spiritus, 4 recorders, percussion, 1997
ForHanns, flute, clarinet, cello, piano, 1998
Trio, violin, cello, piano, 1998
Main Drag, any 9 players, 1999
Cradle Rock, flute, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, flügelhorn, trombone, guitar, double bass/bass guitar, piano, 1999
Pocket Symphony, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion, 2000
96 (canon), 5 players, 2003
CHORAL:
Requiem, Part 1, speaker, male chorus, jaw harp, piano, organ/electronic simulation, tubular bells, bull-roarer, woodblock, radio, 1963–67
Struggle Song, mixed chorus, 1973 (version by Gregory Rose of vocal work)
Le Silence des Espaces Infinis (text by Blaise Pascal), children's chorus/female chorus, any player, orchestra in 7 groups, fixed media, 1980
Stop the War!, mixed chorus, 1995
Stop the Testing!, mixed chorus, 1995
VOCAL:
Jefferson (text by Thomas Jefferson), voice, piano, 1970
Freud, voice, 1970
Coming Together, speaker, variable ensemble, 1971
Attica, speaker, variable ensemble, 1972
Struggle Song, voice, variable ensemble, 1973 (also version by Gregory Rose for mixed chorus)
The Price of Oil, 2 voices/2 choruses, 8 amplified ensembles of bagpipes, any 2 similar ensembles, 1980
Snacks, voice, mixed chorus ad libitum, any ensemble ad libitum, 1981
Antigone-Legend (text by Bertolt Brecht [translated by Judith Malina]), voice, piano, 1982
Songs, voice, piano, 1973–83
Mayakovsky, speaker, piano, string quartet, 1984
Mary's Dream, soprano, contrabass clarinet, cello, piano, percussion, 1984
Force, 2 speakers, any wind instrument/any 2 wind instruments, any plucked instrument/any 2 plucked instruments, noisemaker/2 noisemakers, weigher ad libitum, 1985
The Waves, speaker, variable ensemble, 1988
Tinkleberries (collection of ditties), voice, any number of players, 1980–90
The Burghers of Rostock, voice, piano, 1992
Snippets, speaker, piano, 1994
Logique (text by Paul Verlaine), voice, flute, cello, piano, 1997
PIANO:
Chain of Thought, 1953
Tabakrauch, 1954
Preludes, 1957
Poem, 1958
Introduction and Sonata, 2 pianos, 1959
Study 2 (Dreams), 1961
Falling Music, 1971 (also version for amplified piano, fixed media, 1971)
No Place to Go but around, 1974
36 Variations on 'The People United Will Never Be Defeated!', 1975
Four Pieces, 1977
Squares, 1978
North American Ballads, 1978–79 (its four sections may be performed separately: Dreadful Memories; Which Side are You on?; Down by the Riverside; Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues [also version for 2 pianos, 1980])
A Machine, 2 pianos, 1984
Eggs, 1986
Steptangle, 1986
The Turtle and the Crane, 1988
Mayn Yingele, 1988
Fantasy, 1989
Bumps, 1990
Ludes, 1990–91
Sonata, 1991
De Profundis, 1991–92
Andante con Moto, 1992
A Life, 1992
Night Crossing with Fisherman, 2 pianos, 1994
Fougues, 1994
Turns (The Road, Part 1), 1995
Tracks (The Road, Part 2), 1996
Tramps (The Road, Part 3), 1997
Stops (The Road, Part 4), 1998
A Few Knocks (The Road, Part 5), 1999
Travelling with Children (The Road, Part 6), 1999
Final Preparations (The Road, Part 7), 1999–2002
The Big Day Arrives (The Road, Part 8), 2002–03
Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier, 2003
Cadenza, 2003
Dust, 2003
HARPSICHORD:
The Housewife's Lament, 1980
ELECTROACOUSTIC:
Zoologischer Garten, fixed media, 1965
TV PRODUCTION:
Chains (12 operas for TV), voice, 6 players, 1986
DISCOGRAPHY (as composer)
36 Variations on 'The People United Will Never Be Defeated!'. Ursula Oppens, piano (Vanguard Classics: 8056, 1993)
North American Ballads. Kathleen Supové, piano (Composers Recordings, Inc.: CRI 653, 1993)
Coming Together; Attica. Group 180 (Hungaroton: 12545, 1993)
36 Variations on 'The People United Will Never Be Defeated!'. Stephen Drury, piano (New Albion Records: NA 063, 1994)
Spots; Wails; The Lost Melody; Crusoe. Zeitgeist (OOdiscs: 15, 1995)
De Profundis; Four Pieces (excerpt); Sonata; Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues. Anthony de Mare, piano (OOdiscs: 16, 1995)
Moonrise with Memories. David Taylor, bass trombone; Louise Schulman/ensemble (New World Records: 80494-2, 1996)
To the Earth. Dame Evelyn Glennie, voice, percussion (BMG/RCA: 68195, 1996)
Jefferson; Antigone-Legend. Carol Plantamura, soprano; Frederic Rzewski, piano (Composers Recordings, Inc.: CRI 747, 1997)
Night Crossing with Fisherman; Ludes; Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues (version for 2 pianos). Ursula Oppens, piano; Frederic Rzewski, piano (Music & Arts: 988, 1997)
Turns (The Road, Part 1); Tracks (The Road, Part 2); Whangdoodles; To the Earth. Frederic Rzewski, piano; Abel–Steinberg–Winant Trio (Music & Arts: 1000, 1997)
Scratch Symphony. Michael Gielen/SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg (col legno: WWE 3CD 20026, 1999)
36 Variations on 'The People United Will Never Be Defeated!'; North American Ballads (excerpts). Marc-André Hamelin, piano (Hyperion Records: 67077, 1999)
Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues. Emanuele Arciuli, piano (Stradivarius: STR 33555, 2000)
Turns (The Road, Part 1) (excerpt). Marcel Worms, piano (NM Classics: 98014, 2000)
Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues. James Lent, piano (The Orchard: 8575, 2001)
Down by the Riverside. Lara Downes, piano (Postcards: 2002, 2001)
Coming Together. Frederic Rzewski, speaker; Talujon Percussion Quartet (Capstone Records: CPS-8681/88, 2001)
36 Variations on 'The People United Will Never Be Defeated!'; Turns (The Road, Part 1); Tracks (The Road, Part 2); Tramps (The Road, Part 3); Stops (The Road, Part 4); Fantasia; Sonata; Mayn Yingele; Fougues; A Life; North American Ballads; The Housewife's Lament; De Profundis. Frederic Rzewski, piano, harpsichord (Nonesuch Records: 79623-2, 2002)
North American Ballads. Lisa Moore, piano (Cantaloupe Music, 2003)
North American Ballads. David Jalbert, piano (Endeavour: END 1001, 2004)
36 Variations on 'The People United Will Never Be Defeated!'. Igor Levit, piano (Sony Classical: 88875 06096 2, 2016)
36 Variations on 'The People United Will Never Be Defeated!'. Yuji Takahashi, piano (ALM Records: ALCD-19)
36 Variations on 'The People United Will Never Be Defeated!'. Frederic Rzewski, piano (Hat Hut: ART 6066)
North American Ballads; Squares. Frederic Rzewski, piano (Hat Hut: ART 6089)
Sonata; De Profundis. Frederic Rzewski, piano (Hat Hut: ART 6134)
Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues. Christina Petrowska Quilico, piano (JLH: 1002)
Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues (version for 2 pianos). Quattro Mani (Klavier: 11106)
Mayn Yingele. Ursula Oppens, piano (Music & Arts: 4862)
Bumps; Andante con Moto; The Turtle and the Crane. Frederic Rzewski, piano (Newport Classic)
North American Ballads. Paul Jacobs, piano (Nonesuch Records)
Song and Dance. (Nonesuch Records)
Coming Together. (Opus One Music)
Four Pieces (no. 4). Lisa Moore, piano (Sony Classical)
Four Pieces. Frederic Rzewski, piano (Vanguard Classics)
The Turtle and the Crane. Christina Petrowska Quilico, piano (Welspringe Productions: WEL001)