Composer: AMY BEACH; CHARLES GRIFFES; FATS WALLER; JAMES P. JOHNSON; COPLAND; ROY HARRIS; GEORGE CRUMB; DANIEL BARTA (1953- )

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Clipper Erickson explores the almost incredible variety of American piano styles from the rich 19th century romanticism of Amy Beach to the bold and fresh music of Daniel Barta. Along the way is heard the unique impressionism of Charles Griffes and the frenetic stride music of Johnson and Waller from the 1920’s. America’s coming of age during the depression and World War II is reflected in the striving and yearning of Aaron Copland’s “Four Piano Blues”. Roy Harris captures the strength and confidence of the post-war period in his brilliant “Toccata”. A new unconventional spirituality and colorful mysticism growing out of the 1960’s is the essence of George Crumb’s fantastic piano writing. Daniel Barta shows that wonderful new music continues to be written in our new century; his music combines many different feelings and styles in a quintessentially American eclecticism.