ABSTRACT
Living abroad often sharpens the sense of nationality. George Antheil spent the 1920s and 30s in France and Germany, exploiting the novelty of jazz to establish his American credentials. A generation later another American, David Diamond, settled in Italy for sixteen years without deviating stylistically from his intrinsic American pastoral, lyrical language. The restless syncopated rhythms of the Dance section of the second movement with its percussion ostinato have a distinctly Latin American flavour. The impact of the dance on Paul Creston music is evident from the titles of the pieces he wrote; ten of them include the word ‘dance’ in the title. There is a strong rhythmic nervous energy in the music which conjures up the image of dance, with a dramatic force that recalls the ballets of Stravinsky. The un-numbered Choral Symphony to Music for tenor, baritone, chorus and orchestra sets poems by John Masefield and Longfellow.
