(1898 - 1990)
Ernst Bacon was one of that pioneering generation of composers, along with Thomson, Copland, Harris, and others who found a voice for American music. He was born in Chicago on May 26, 1898; his Austrian mother gave him a love of song and an early start on the piano. Although his varied career included appearances as pianist and conductor, along with teaching and directing positions, his deepest preoccupation was always composing. His musical awards included a Pulitzer Fellowship in 1932 for his Symphony in D Minor, and three Guggenheim Fellowships. Bacon was largely self-taught in composition, except for two years study with Karl Weigl in Vienna. While there, he experienced the depression of post-war Europe first hand and concluded that the European avant-garde movement, reflecting the pessimism of that era and locale, was not appropriate to America. Returning to Chicago, he set out to write music that expressed the vitality and affirmation of our own country.
Ernst Bacon Composition Timpani and Percussion Requirements
Ford's Theatre: A few Glimpses...1865
Timpani + 3 percussion + celeste
Triangle, suspended cymbal, clash cymbals, snare drum, orchestral bass drum, glockenspiel, tubular bells, celeste
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Smoky Mountain Scherzo
Timpani + 2 percussion + celeste
Glockenspiel, triangle, suspended cymbal (shared), xylophone, wood block
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Symphony No 2
Timpani + 2 percussion + celeste
Triangle, clash cymbals, orchestral bass drum, snare drum, wood block, xylophone, glockenspiel
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The Enchanted Isle
2 Timpani + 3 percussion + celeste
Orchestral bass drum, tubular bells, bongos, suspended cymbal, triangle x 2, tambourine, clash cymbals, vibraphone, guiro, snare drum, cowbell, flyswatter, xylophone, gong, glockenspiel, sandpaper blocks, wood block
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The Muffin Man
Timpani + 3 percussion + celeste
Triangle, xylophone, snare drum, wood block, cowbell, orchestral bass drum, tambourine, clash cymbals, suspended cymbal, castanets, celeste
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