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CD43

CD43: Horn Music of
                      Silvio Coscia

Richard O. Burdick, horns

Horn music of Silvio Coscia(Silvius, C.)

This Cd has two
different work on it:

1) Concert Suite for
four French horns in “F”
in three character moods

2) 22 Duets for Horns

On this CD:
Tracks 1 - 3 - Concert Suite for four French horns in “F”
Tracks 4 - 25  - 22 Duets for Horns

Released: August 8, 2019

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Program Notes:

About the Music:

1) Concert Suite for four French horns in “F”
in three character moods;

With titles and legend for a psychological interpretation as an aid in the developing and applying the interpretative faculties of the serious artist of student.

First Mood: Unresigned, resignation
(The key for the psychological interpretation of the first and third moods contradictory titles, is given in the legend of the second mood.)

Second Mood: Bells
Bells! Ringing bells for those who are about to die or to be born: sending vibrational thanks or prayers, traveling an infinitum in the interstellar spaces, trying to reach our Maker . . . .but can He hear,  or be moved? . . . . If it is so, why not then ring bells of thanks for events that bring about the blessing of a birth of something lofty and beautiful within our consciousness,  or why not ringing mourning bells for mercy and grace, when this beautiful something is slowly killed, but refuses to die, by mocking outside fatal forces? ! . . . .

Third Mood: Consideration
Bells! For someone our Legend of the Ringing Bells Will appear somewhat confusing and open to different interpretation: this is exactly what we meant in order to make people think. For those who have not the time nor the patience to do so, may state that, if for us the interpretation of the legend is important, we realize that it may not appear essential to others . . . therefore they can dispense to bother about it . . . .humbly trusting and hoping that the music will, after all, speak to them by itself.
Published by M. Baron Co. © 1953

About the Composer:

Silvio Coscia played principal horn for the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra he was a member of the orchestra for 36 years from 1928-64, Sharing principal duties with Gunther Schuller for 13 years. Silvius C.'s 200+ compositions are very expressive, innovative & full of contrast; very enjoyable!

Silvio Coscia (1899-1977) came from a family of professional singers, including his father and his brother. At the age of eight, Coscia was accepted as a cantor at the St Ambrigio Cathedral in Milan.  In 1910, Coscia entered the Municipal School of Singing, where he completed the regular three-year. In 1913, he entered the Royal Conservatory of Music in Milan where he earned his degree and became proficient in piano, organ, French horn, and composition. 

In 1924, Coscia immigrated to the United States where he played horn in symphonic organizations. Subsequently, in 1928, Coscia joined the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra as its youngest member and remained there through 1964. While performing with the Met orchestra, Coscia also served as a vocal coach to well known artists such as Renata Tebaldi, Lily Pons, and Jerome Hines. During this time Coscia also began composing serious works for orchestra, symphonic band, winds, and voice.

Also while in New York, Coscia worked as an arranger for the Goldman Band and performed with the New York Symphony Band. Coscia’s compositions have been performed by the New York Symphony, the Halifax Symphony, the New England Conservatory Symphony, the Municipal Band of Venice, the Detroit Concert Band, the Santa Fe Chamber Orchestra and the Goldman Band. In additions, Coscia’s songs have been performed at the Santa Fe festival, and in recital by Giuseppe Valdengo and Cesare Siepe. Coscia’s music has been published by Barron, Fox, and Ricordi. He is sometimes referred to as Silvius C.

After retiring from the Metropolitan orchestra, Coscia returned to Milan for awhile and later returned to the United States, where he was hired by his friend Gunther Schuller to serve on the faculty of New England Conservatory. Coscia taught voice and operatic diction at NEC from 1967-1975. Upon Coscia’s death, his widow Virginia Coscia donated many of his compositions to the library at New England Conservatory.

Coscia was the recipient of The Silver Medal of Merit from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy and was knighted by the President of Italy.

He died in Watertown, Massachusetts on September 15, 1977

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About the Recording:

Duets recorded in the cold months of
January & February 2019

About the Performer:

Richard Burdick as a musician:
French hornist: Richard O. Burdick is the first horn of Regina Symphony Orchestra and the Regina Symphony Chamber Players in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. He is a prolific composer.

His move to Canada in 2003, with his wife Rebecca and his two boys, marked the start of the fourth major period in his musical Career.

In the 1980’s Richard was first Horn of Napa Symphony, a member of a San Francisco based theater orchestra and played lots of chamber music as manager of Trinity Chamber Concerts, a chamber music series in Berkeley California.

Starting in 1990 he played fourth Horn full-time for Sacramento Symphony, which went bankrupt in 1996. He then won auditions for Fresno Philharmonic, Napa & North State Symphonies and played in Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera.

He is a prolific composer and has many self produced CD’s of his own compositions, Bach, his classical natural horn playing and multi-track performances of many of his favorite pieces.

He performs on a variety of horns, a baroque natural horn (1720), a classical era natural horn (1800), a romantic era (1840's) natural horn, a single F horn from the 1880's, his main symphony horn is a Brendan Model Finke triple horn.

He has also done many music related jobs such as arranger for Sacramento Symphony, librarian and personal manager for Sacramento Philharmonic, and manager of Trinity Chamber Concerts (chamber music series) in Berkeley, California for 19 years starting in 1984.

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Tracks List:

Cover Photo © 2019 Richard O. Burdick -
Hoary Marmot in Glacier National Park August 2019

I shot the cover picture of a Hoary Marmot for my newest CD on my second trip to Glacier National Park this summer. This is the first time I visited the Two Medicines area and it was there than I visited with the Marmots. The river below is down 150 foot cliff.

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Bar codes:

0 011711261239

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