Elliott Carter, 1908-2012

The Dean of American composers, Elliott Carter, has died at the age of 103. Winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, he was one of the last links to a much earlier era, as he was a protege of early American composer Charles Ives and French composition teacher Nadia Boulanger. He was a contemporary of Copland and Bernstein, and he continued to write music until his death. He wrote more than 40 pieces in his nineties, and 12 since becoming a centenarian. His last work was completed in August, and the Seattle Symphony will premiere another recent work, Instances next February. His music is decidedly modernist, full of dissonance and thorny passages, but the intrepid listener will find it to be tightly constructed and starkly beautiful.

Here is a Spotify playlist of many of his pieces. Check out Shard, Eight Pieces for Four Timpani, the Woodwind Quintet, and Two Controversies and a Conversation. There are also a number of solo pieces for wind instruments--click around and try to find your instrument.

Here is NPR's piece on Carter's career. There is also a video of his last interview, where he speaks to a young cellist about his cello sonata.