Otto Luening

When Otto Luening passed away in 1996 at age 96, both the century and an important era of twentieth century American music were drawing to a close. Luening was the very last of a generation of composers born around the turn of the century, that first defined and shaped the voice of our American music and honed its direction worldwide. He was an advocate for the promotion of American composers as well. During the 1930s Luening was involved with Henry Cowell's New Music, which published and recorded works of American composers that mainstream publishers wouldn't touch. Luening helped to found organizations such as the American Composers Alliance (1938), the American Music Center (1940), and later, Composers Recordings Inc. (1954). These organizations gave representation and exposure to American composers where little previously existed. Finally in the 1950s Luening became one of the first to pioneer the development of electronic music.

On May 24th the newly formed Otto Luening Trust presented a concert at Columbia University's Miller Theater to honor the centennial of his birth. The program's very first piece, Three Nocturnes for solo flute and electronic delay, set the tone for the evening. The concert was not only a salute to Luening the composer, but also to Otto the warm human being, whose enthusiasm and support for composers and American music touched and influenced so many during his long productive life.

As a composer, Luening was not a stylistic pioneer, as were others of his generation, concerned with defining a style that would be truly American. Rather, it might be said that Otto was an American quilt. He simply wrote what he felt at the moment, often combining disparate material in bold and unique ways, never afraid to try out new things. The results were changeable fluid music, not unlike the eclectic 1940s style of fellow composer Henry Cowell. Luening covered an enormous amount of ground in his works and this concert illustrated that well. His Suite for Cello and Piano (1946) was performed beautifully by Michael Finckel, cello and Christopher Oldfather, piano. This is lovely passionate music with a bit of cat and mouse thrown in, and woven with touches of Americana, perhaps borrowed, briefly, from that generous self-appointed godfather of musical Americana, Virgil Thomson.

Often with just a single musical twist, or an exquisitely timed elision, Luening transformed stylistic oddities into surprising and profound statements. Nowhere was this more evident than in the solo piano works performed beautifully by Marc Peloquin. (A recording of Luening's piano music, performed by Mr. Peloquin, is forthcoming on the CRI label). Luening's Six Preludes for piano (1935-51) span the heart of a career and the depths of the soul. As these preludes progressed, Otto's presence in the music was felt in the unusual juxtaposition of material, and in the overall inviting sweep, and unfolding of sounds. Luening quietly filled the music with subliminal echoes of other composers. Chopin came to mind for a moment, but no, it was Otto himself with a reverential twist that gently turns the music inside out until we have Chopin in the style of Otto Luening! A richly rewarding experience.

Luening's presence was perhaps most keenly felt in the new work by one of Luening's former assistants and composer, Dan Cooper. Cooper's Suite for solo flute (2000) was beautifully executed and performed with just enough theatrical aplomb by Margaret Lancaster. Each of the five movements presented something different, but each of them, inspired by Luening's own works, showed a similar spirit of Luening's originality, verve, and humor, now being passed on to a new generation. The work's final movement, an elegy, was clearly a fond farewell to Otto, who has touched so many and whose presence in the hall was surely felt by all.