Harrison: Violin Concerto / Grand Duo / Double Music

Lou Harrison was a composer far ahead of his time. A protean innovator, he espoused ‘world music’ before it had a name, and this recording documents his pioneering rôles as a composer for percussion and as an integrator of Western and Indonesian idioms. The Concerto for Violin and Percussion, both intimate and vigorous, demonstrates his experimental enthusiasm in the use of non-pitched percussion. The Grand Duo for Violin and Piano is a remarkable example of gamelan-infused chamber music while Double Music, co-composed with Harrison’s friend John Cage, is a well-known product of their celebrated San Francisco percussion concerts.