Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Arkansas' Fort Smith Symphony and its conductor, John Jeter, have done yeoman's work in popularizing the music of Florence Beatrice Price, and her orchestral works are now played by major orchestras. Now they turn to the Native American composer Louis W. Ballard, perhaps even more obscure; before this album appeared in 2023, fewer than ten of his works had been recorded, although he was quite prolific over his long life, was honored with several major awards, and is consistently named as an influence by the next generation of Native American composers. The music of Ballard, of Quapaw and Cherokee descent, is of considerable interest. He grew up with Native American music; the opening work, Devil's Promenade, refers to his birthplace in Oklahoma and to a nearby Native American gathering place where traditional music would have been heard despite the best efforts of Whites to stamp it out. It provides a good introduction to Ballard's style, beginning with Native American percussion rhythms that persist in a layer, to a greater or lesser degree, all the way through the 11-minute piece. Ballard's style is eclectic, drawing on various 20th century traditions in addition to tribal ones. To a degree, it is as if Bartók had heard Native American music during his stay in the U.S., but Ballard's palette is wide and even includes serialist passages, a legacy of his teacher, Béla Rósza, a student of Schoenberg. Hear the music for the ballet The Four Moons, which includes Shawnee, Choctaw, Osage, and Cherokee "Variations." The best is saved for last; Scenes from Indian Life consists of four short movements, the first three of which (sample "Two Indians: One Navajo, One Taos") are humorous in nature and invite listeners into a world of which they know little. The Fort Smith Symphony punches well above its weight for an ensemble in a Southern U.S. city of 90,000, and it seems entirely conceivable that Jeter here will accomplish something like what he did with Florence Price.
© James Manheim /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From £10.83/month
ManuScript, MusicPublisher - John Jeter, Conductor, MainArtist - Fort Smith Symphony, Orchestra, MainArtist - Louis W. Ballard, Composer
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
John Jeter, Conductor, MainArtist - Fort Smith Symphony, Orchestra, MainArtist - Louis W. Ballard, Composer
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
John Jeter, Conductor, MainArtist - Fort Smith Symphony, Orchestra, MainArtist - Louis W. Ballard, Composer - The New Southwest Music Publications, MusicPublisher
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
John Jeter, Conductor, MainArtist - Fort Smith Symphony, Orchestra, MainArtist - Louis W. Ballard, Composer - The New Southwest Music Publications, MusicPublisher
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
John Jeter, Conductor, MainArtist - Fort Smith Symphony, Orchestra, MainArtist - Louis W. Ballard, Composer - The New Southwest Music Publications, MusicPublisher
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
John Jeter, Conductor, MainArtist - Fort Smith Symphony, Orchestra, MainArtist - Louis W. Ballard, Composer - The New Southwest Music Publications, MusicPublisher
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
John Jeter, Conductor, MainArtist - Fort Smith Symphony, Orchestra, MainArtist - Louis W. Ballard, Composer - The New Southwest Music Publications, MusicPublisher
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
John Jeter, Conductor, MainArtist - Fort Smith Symphony, Orchestra, MainArtist - Louis W. Ballard, Composer - The New Southwest Music Publications, MusicPublisher
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
John Jeter, Conductor, MainArtist - Fort Smith Symphony, Orchestra, MainArtist - Louis W. Ballard, Composer - The New Southwest Music Publications, MusicPublisher
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
John Jeter, Conductor, MainArtist - Fort Smith Symphony, Orchestra, MainArtist - Louis W. Ballard, Composer - The New Southwest Music Publications, MusicPublisher
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
John Jeter, Conductor, MainArtist - Fort Smith Symphony, Orchestra, MainArtist - Bourne Co. Music Publishers, MusicPublisher - Louis W. Ballard, Composer
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
John Jeter, Conductor, MainArtist - Fort Smith Symphony, Orchestra, MainArtist - Bourne Co. Music Publishers, MusicPublisher - Louis W. Ballard, Composer
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
John Jeter, Conductor, MainArtist - Fort Smith Symphony, Orchestra, MainArtist - Bourne Co. Music Publishers, MusicPublisher - Louis W. Ballard, Composer
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
John Jeter, Conductor, MainArtist - Fort Smith Symphony, Orchestra, MainArtist - Bourne Co. Music Publishers, MusicPublisher - Louis W. Ballard, Composer
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
Album review
Arkansas' Fort Smith Symphony and its conductor, John Jeter, have done yeoman's work in popularizing the music of Florence Beatrice Price, and her orchestral works are now played by major orchestras. Now they turn to the Native American composer Louis W. Ballard, perhaps even more obscure; before this album appeared in 2023, fewer than ten of his works had been recorded, although he was quite prolific over his long life, was honored with several major awards, and is consistently named as an influence by the next generation of Native American composers. The music of Ballard, of Quapaw and Cherokee descent, is of considerable interest. He grew up with Native American music; the opening work, Devil's Promenade, refers to his birthplace in Oklahoma and to a nearby Native American gathering place where traditional music would have been heard despite the best efforts of Whites to stamp it out. It provides a good introduction to Ballard's style, beginning with Native American percussion rhythms that persist in a layer, to a greater or lesser degree, all the way through the 11-minute piece. Ballard's style is eclectic, drawing on various 20th century traditions in addition to tribal ones. To a degree, it is as if Bartók had heard Native American music during his stay in the U.S., but Ballard's palette is wide and even includes serialist passages, a legacy of his teacher, Béla Rósza, a student of Schoenberg. Hear the music for the ballet The Four Moons, which includes Shawnee, Choctaw, Osage, and Cherokee "Variations." The best is saved for last; Scenes from Indian Life consists of four short movements, the first three of which (sample "Two Indians: One Navajo, One Taos") are humorous in nature and invite listeners into a world of which they know little. The Fort Smith Symphony punches well above its weight for an ensemble in a Southern U.S. city of 90,000, and it seems entirely conceivable that Jeter here will accomplish something like what he did with Florence Price.
© James Manheim /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 14 track(s)
- Total length: 00:57:01
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: Fort Smith Symphony John Jeter
- Composer: Louis W. Ballard
- Label: Naxos
- Genre: Classical
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.
Playlists