Happy Birthday Mr. Diamond

[Pulcinella]

The chief influences on Diamond are actually French, notably Ravel and above all Roussel, you can hear this in the scoring and in the fastidious attention to contrapuntal detail. As well as the pan-diatonic manner of Copland in his works of the 1940s.

A consequence of studying with Boulanger in Paris, presumably?

[Suffolkcoastal]

A consequence of studying with Boulanger in Paris, presumably?

I would actually say far less so than many other Americans who studied with her. His distinct style is already evident in works written before studying with Boulanger later in 1937 and he had been in France earlier encountering Ravel and Roussel and became friends with Gide, so French culture was already in his blood before he met Boulanger.

[Suffolkcoastal]

Beefy, the 3rd is my favourite, it does sound like the movements don't fit together initially, but they do. They are thematically tightly linked like presenting four differing sides to an individual's personality.

[antongould]

I think the slow movement of the 3rd is wonderful - cynics might suggest this morning "they" played the shortest movement ....

[Beef Oven!]

Suffolk coastal, I've just finished listening to it on Apple Music (I have the CD somewhere) and I agree that the movements appear not to hang together, but I'll go with what you say that they will/do on further listening, what with you being a composer and will get these things sooner than I would!

My favourite remains #2, but we'll see.

[Beef Oven!]

I think the slow movement of the 3rd is wonderful.......

[Pulcinella]

I would actually say far less so than many other Americans who studied with her. His distinct style is already evident in works written before studying with Boulanger later in 1937 and he had been in France earlier encountering Ravel and Roussel and became friends with Gide, so French culture was already in his blood before he met Boulanger.

Thanks for your observations/comments SC.
Looks like I have to get to know (or at least hear) S2 and S3, too, from other comments!

PS! Delighted, then disappointed, to find this on Amazon!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Diamond-Symphonies-London-Philharmonic-Orchestra/dp/B006QL0Z7A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436452656&sr=8-1&keywords=diamond+symphony

[maestro267]

I've just remembered this anniversary today, so I'm giving his Symphony No. 2 a spin. Really enjoyable work, and yet another composer who could do with a complete symphony cycle on disc.

[Beef Oven!]

I've just remembered this anniversary today, so I'm giving his Symphony No. 2 a spin. Really enjoyable work, and yet another composer who could do with a complete symphony cycle on disc.

[Suffolkcoastal]

Finished the day with the 3rd Symphony perfect - thankyou for your music David, it has given me such great pleasure these past 25 years since I first heard it. Happy Centenary.

[EdgeleyRob]

The String Quartets are worth exploring.
What a superb cycle,3 and 10 the stand out works for me.
The American equivalent of the LvB's ?

[Roehre]

The String Quartets are worth exploring.
What a superb cycle,3 and 10 the stand out works for me.
The American equivalent of the LvB's ?

More DSCH's

[EdgeleyRob]

More DSCH's

Russian LvBs ?

Do all the great string quartet cycles owe a debt to Beethoven ? or maybe Haydn ?
It's the most perfect musical form IMVHO.
Pity RVW didn't write more.

[antongould]

The String Quartets are worth exploring.
What a superb cycle,3 and 10 the stand out works for me.
The American equivalent of the LvB's ?

Symphonies keeping me going at present ER but I will certainly move on to the SQs ....

[richardfinegold]

I explored his output a bit, as my lending library had many of the Schwartz recordings. I found it interesting but not very compelling compared to Piston, Schuman, Hanson or Harris, let alone non American Composers.