(1921 - 2010)
Jack Beeson studied at Eastman School and with Bartók in New York City. Since 1950 he has composed ten operas in the American vernacular tradition. Beeson's stage works combine a keen sense of irony and with a penetrating psychological insight. His style is wide-ranging, with musical language adapting to realise a distinctive mood and character or emotion. Most of his operas are based on American history and literature and his wit and lyrical gifts come to the fore in operatic numbers, songs and choral works. Jack Beeson taught at Columbia University for five decades
Jack Beeson Composition Timpani and Percussion Requirements
Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines - Opera
Timpani + 1 percussion + celeste
Orchestral bass drum, clash cymbals, snare drum, 4 tom toms, tambourine, glockenspiel, 2 triangles, 2 suspended cymbals, (s & l), xylophone, celeste
__________________________________________________________________________________
Cyrano - Baritone and Orchestra
Timpani + 3 percussion + celeste
Glockenspiel, xylophone, snare drum, tenor drum, orchestral bass drum, clash cymbals, 3 suspended cymbals, tam tam, triangle, wind machine, celeste
__________________________________________________________________________________
Cyrano - Opera
Timpani + 3 percussion + celeste
Glockenspiel, xylophone, tubular bells, snare drum, tenor drum, orchestral bass drum, roto toms x 4, clash cymbals, suspended cymbals, x 3, tam tam, triangle, bell tree, glass wind chimes, wood block, slapstick, tambourine, mounted castanets, celeste
__________________________________________________________________________________
Doctor Heidegger's Fountain of Youth
Timpani + 1 percussion + celeste
Glockenspiel, triangle, tom tom x 4, tam tam, bamboos (percussionist also plays piano strings), celeste
__________________________________________________________________________________
Hello Out There
Timpani + 1 percussion
Suspended cymbal, tambourine, orchestral bass drum, snare drum
__________________________________________________________________________________
Jonah
Timpani + 1 percussion
Suspended cymbal, tambour militaire, snare drum, triangle, xylophone, orchestral bass drum
__________________________________________________________________________________
Lizzie Borden
Timpani + 2 percussion
Xylophone, snare drum, small and large suspended cymbal, tam tam, field drum, tambourine, glockenspiel, orchestral bass drum, tenor drum, triangle
__________________________________________________________________________________
My Heart's in the Highlands
Timpani + 1 percussion + celeste
Suspended cymbal, glockenspiel, xylophone, tam tam, tubular bells, snare drum, orchestral bass drum, bongos, triangle, celeste
__________________________________________________________________________________
Sorry Wrong Number
Timpani + 1 percussion
Orchestral bass drum, large tom tom, small tom tom, triangle, wood block, suspended cymbal, tubular bell, 2 octaves crotales
__________________________________________________________________________________
Symphony No.1 in A
Timpani + 3 percussion + celeste
Orchestral bass drum, snare drum x 2, clash cymbals, suspended cymbal, tam tam, triangle, tambourine, 2 glockenspiel, 2 xylophones, celeste
__________________________________________________________________________________
The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze
No Timpani + 1 percussion
Snare drum, triangle
__________________________________________________________________________________
The Sweet Bye and Bye
Timpani + 1 percussion + celeste
Orchestral bass drum, snare drum, suspended cymbal, xylophone, tambourine, glockenspiel, clash cymbals, tam tam
__________________________________________________________________________________
Transformations
Timpani + 2 percussion
Orchestral bass drum, snare drum, suspended cymbal, triangle, glockenspiel
__________________________________________________________________________________
Two Pieces
Timpani + 1 percussion
Suspended cymbal, triangle
__________________________________________________________________________________