Tower: Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman

Joan Tower (Composer), Marin Alsop (Conductor), Colorado Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Colorado Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Marin Alsop
• Composer: Joan Tower
• Audio CD (September 21, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Koch Int'l Classics
• ASIN: B00000JIND
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #207,391 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, for brass ensemble & percussion No. 1

2. Concerto for Orchestra

3. Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, for four trumpets [No. 5]

4. Second Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, for brass & percussion

5. Fanfare No. 4 for the Uncommon Woman

6. Duets for Orchestra

7. Third Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, for 2 brass quintets

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The title of this extraordinary collection of orchestral gems suggests both parody of and homage to Aaron Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man. But Joan Tower, as always, has her own artistic vision and nothing here is either a parody of or homage to anyone. There are five Fanfares and a tasty Duet for Orchestra. The main work here is a Concerto for Orchestra (1991), a dazzling exhibition of energetic exchanges between various orchestral groups that seems designed, like Paul Hindemith's Concerto for Orchestra (but not Bartók's), for smaller forces. This way the instrumental pairings stand out. But give credit here to Marin Alsop, the conductor, and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra for making these works both lucid and vibrant. This disc clearly belongs in any collection of late-20th-century music. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Speeds your pulse, then lingers in your memory, November 1, 2005

By 

Leo Warren (Aurora, Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tower: Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman (Audio CD)

Joan Tower's music has passion, personality and energy to spare. This album is a fine showcase of her music for orchestra, and though not easy listening, it's certainly among the most approachable and involving serious music of recent decades.

1 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars more fanfares no one needs., March 13, 2005

By 

scarecrow "scarecrow" (Chicago, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Tower: Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman (Audio CD)

I would think those who proclaim the paradigm of feminism would want to chart a territory strickly their own rather than coming to terms with a man's macho world within establishment venues and repertoire;a world of testasterone filled expressions past down through chauvinistic HIS story. Tower with all these numerous "Fanfares" likes to Bop us with her ruler,like Sister Mary Mary(my grade school teacher) over the the head with her presence,and spirit. The Musical Sisterhood is hear to stay,with national organizations to boot; forget macho head games of high modernity dodecaphonic music or worse yet the meta-EGO of Stockhausen's clones and their lot. The reference is obvious to Copland's celebrated "Fanfare for the Common Man" a work for brass and percussion proclaiming in a very small way the Democracies of the West with the fall of tyrannies first Fascism then Soviet Communism, (where is the common man today with corrupt Enron tyrannies stealing pension funds)
Tower's exergue(orientation) here is a bit overextended I think, she should pursue her own musical language not simply "tail-end" the man's repertoire,her early works had dabbled in 12 Tone language in a modest way, it was like a language she didn't feel comfortable in. She feels comfortable in the comfortable with a Eastern Establishment lyricism a la Thompson,Rorem,Schuman,Hansonpouring her spirit tried and tested traditional forms.I though feminism is about innovation and challenge? but the Concerto features moments of brilliant orchestrations,yet not quite original nor innovative enough to sustain interest past one-single hearing.
And Why numerous"Fanfares" isn't one enough?,Well post-modernity is at work here,something unavoidable for either sex the idea of "franchise" if one is good like a McDonald's chain,well do another!!rubber stamp out the fanfares!!, we all need more of it.
Why not write on opera on the struggles of women in the last century or current century women from Rwanda, or Darfur,or Palestine or past HER story Harriet Tubman,Mother Teresa,the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo,or the Armagh Women in Ireland,Rosa Luxemburg.