Don Gillis: Twinkletoes; Rhapsody; Encore Concerto; Short Overture to an unwritten opera (2008)

Don Gillis was a mid-century American composer whose work was steeped in a populist vein and shot through with the inspiration of his beloved, native land of Texas. Naturally, Gillis' unabashed populism did not endear him to the academic community, who viewed him as a throwback to the days of radio; a style of composition considered fundamentally dead by 1970, the date of the Rhapsody for trumpet and orchestra included on this fine Albany disc, Don Gillis: Encore Concerto. It features the Sinfonia Varsovia conducted by Ian ... Read More

Don Gillis was a mid-century American composer whose work was steeped in a populist vein and shot through with the inspiration of his beloved, native land of Texas. Naturally, Gillis' unabashed populism did not endear him to the academic community, who viewed him as a throwback to the days of radio; a style of composition considered fundamentally dead by 1970, the date of the Rhapsody for trumpet and orchestra included on this fine Albany disc, Don Gillis: Encore Concerto. It features the Sinfonia Varsovia conducted by Ian Hobson, who also appears as the soloist in the title work, which served as Gillis' first piano concerto of two. Overall, this collection embodies some of the finest elements in Gillis' orchestral output; its centerpiece, Short Overture to an Unwritten Opera (1945) is certainly one of his finest creations; bright, addicting, and even featuring a surprise quotation from Ary Barroso's pop tune "Brasil." Perhaps the weakest thing on the disc is Twinkletoes (1956), a four-minute bit from... Read Less

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2008, Albany Music UPC: 034061100027 SACD See All