The UC Irvine Libraries support the Chancellor's Distinguished Fellows Series by providing a bibliography of the works of each Fellow. The bibliographies are available in print at the Langson and Science Libraries and at each public event.

1999 - 2000 Series

John Harbison

UC Irvine Chancellor's Distinguished Fellow
A Selective Bibliography: The UC Irvine Libraries
May 18, 2000

Lorelei Tanji, Arts Librarian
The UC Irvine Libraries

• Information about The Great Gatsby
• Other Compositions by Harbison
• Recordings
• Selected works by and about Harbison
• Selected Websites

Information about The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby. Opera in two acts. Music and libretto by John Harbison, after the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Popular song lyrics by Murray Horwitz. Commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the debut of James Levine. World premiere: 20 December 1999, Metropolitan Opera, New York City.

Great Gatsby (full-score): Forthcoming.

Gatsby Songs (piano-vocal score): Main M1508.H255 G3 1999

Great Gatsby (libretto/words). New York: G. Schirmer; Milwaukee: distributed by Hal Leonard, c1999. Main ML50.H37 G7 1999

Synopsis/plot summary.
http://www.schirmer.com/composers/harbison_gatsby_synopsis.html

Production notes and details.
http://www.schirmer.com/composers/harbison_gatsby.html

Questions and answers with the composer about The Great Gatsby.
http://www.schirmer.com/composers/harbison_gatsby_qa.html

Interview with Harbison by Karen Nascembeni, Arts Around Boston
http://www.artsaroundboston.com/features/harbison.html

Online excerpts from major newspaper reviews of The Great Gatsby.
URL: http://www.schirmer.com/composers/harbison_gatsby_press.html

Baker, David J. "The Sound of Gatsby," Opera News, 64/6 (December 1999): 32.

"The Great Gatsby [opera plot/analysis]," Opera News, 64/6 (December 1999): 76

Gates, David. "A Tale of Two Obsessions: Making 'Gatsby' Sing," Newsweek, December 13, 1999, 88.

Lieberman, Paul. " Another Second Act for Gatsby. Green Light for An American Dream," Los Angeles Times [Sunday Calendar], 19 December 1999, 8-9, 103.

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Other Compositions by Harbison

[Harbison's works are published by Associated Music Publishers and McGinnis & Marx Publishers]
Amazing Grace (1972). Oboe.
Autumnal (1965)
Ave Maria (1959). Women's chorus. Main M2099.L16 H37 1991
Ave Verum Corpus (1991). Main M2082.H33 M67 1995
Bermuda Triangle (1970)
Between Two Worlds (1991)
Book of Hours and Seasons (1975)
Chorale Cantata (1995)
Christmas Concerto (1987)
Christmas Vespers. Narrator; brass quintet. Main M557.4.H357 C4 1989
Communion Words (1994)
Concerning Them Which Are Asleep (1994). Main M2082.H33 M67 1995
Concerto for Cello (1993). Arrangement for violoncello and piano reduction - Main M1017 .H26 1996
Concerto for Double Brass Choir and Orchestra (1988). Main M1040 .H295 1992
Concerto for Flute (1995).
Concerto for Oboe (1991). Arrangement for oboe and piano reduction - Main M1023.H37 C6 1996
Concerto for Oboe, Clarinet and Strings (1985)
Concerto for Piano (1978). Arrangement for two pianos - Main M215 .H27 C6, 1983
Concerto for Viola (1989). Arrangement for viola and piano reduction - Main M1015.H36 A87 1993
Concerto for Violin (1980/87). Arrangement for violin and piano reduction - Main M1013.H37 C6 1998
Confinement (1965)
David's Fascinating Rhythm Method (1991)
Deep Potomac Bells (1983). 250 tubas.
Descant-Nocturne (1976)
Diotima (1976)
Due Libri (1981, rev. 1991)
Dumbshows (1974) from "Winter's Tale"
Duo (1961). Flute and piano. Main M242.H343 D8 1989
Elegiac Songs (1974).
Emerson (1995)
Exequien for Calvin Simmons (1982)
Fanfare for Foley's (1986).
Fanfares and Reflection (1990). 2 violins.
Fanfare for the Free Man (19971). 3 oboes, 3 bassoons.
Fantasy Duo (1988). Violin and piano. Main M221.H35 F36 1989
Five Songs of Experience on Poems of William Blake. Vocal score - Main M1533.H294 S6 1987
The Flight into Egypt. Sacred Ricercar (1986). Vocal score - Main M2020.H2 F62 1986
The Flower-Fed Buffaloes (1976)
The Flute of Interior Time (1992)
Four More Occasional Pieces (1987-90)
Four Preludes (from December Music). [Being cataloged]
Four Psalms (1999)
Four Songs of Solitude (1985). Violin. Main M42.H367 S6 1994
Fourteen Fabled Folksongs (1992)
Full Moon in March (1997). Opera in one act. Vocal score - Main M1503.H32 F8 1983
He Shall Not Cry (1959). Women's chorus. Main M2033.H37 H4 1991
Im Spiegel (1988)
Inventions for a Young Pianist (1992)
Juste Judex, from "Requiem of Reconciliation" (1995)
Die Kürze (1970)
Little Fantasy (1988)
Magnum Mysterium (1987). Brass quintet.
The Merchant of Venice (Incidental Music) (1971). Main M1510.H37 I5 1989
Mirabai Songs (1982). Main M1621.4.H37 M5 1983
Moments of Vision (1975)
The Most Often Used Chords (Gli Accordi Piu Usati) (1993). Concerto for chamber orchestra. [On order]
Mottetti di Montale (1980). Main M1621.4.H37 M6 1981
Music for 18 Winds (1986). Main M985.H289 M8 1986
Music When Soft Voices Die (1966). Main M1552.H255 M9 1990z
The Natural World (1987)
Nocturne (1989)
November 19, 1828 (1988). [On order]
Nunc Dimittis (1975). Main M2030.H37 N8 1982
O Magnum Mysterium (1992). Chorus a capella. Main M2082.H33 M67 1995
I, II, III, IV, V: Fantasia on a Ground (1993). [Being cataloged]
Olympic Dances (1996)
Organum for Paul Fromm (1981)
Overture: Michael Kohlhaas (1982)
Parody Fantasia (from December Music)(1968). Main M25.H25 P37 1980
Piano Quintet (1981). Main M512 .H25 1993
Piano Trio (1969)
La Primavera di Sottoripa (1998)
Quintet for Winds (1979). [Being cataloged]
The Reawakening (1991)
Recordare, from "Requiem of Reconciliation" (1995)
Remembering Gatsby (Foxtrot for Orchestra)(1985, 1990). Main M1048.H37 R4 1988
Rot und Weiss (1987)
Samuel Chapter (1978)
San Antonio (1994). Alto saxophone and piano. Main M269.H365 S2 1997
Serenade (1968)
Simple Daylight (1988). Soprano and piano. Main M1621.H38 S55 1995
Sinfonia (1963)
Shakespeare Series (1965)
Snow Country (1979)
Sonata No. 1 (1987). Piano. Main M23 .H26 no.1 1994
String Quartet No. 1 (1985). Main M452 .H3155 no.1, 1989
String Quartet No. 2 (1987). Main M452 .H3155 no.2, 1992
String Quartet No. 3 (1993)
Suite (1993). Violoncello. Main M52.H33 S85 199
Symphony No. 1 (1981). Main M1001 .H24 no.1, 1987
Symphony No. 2 (1987). Main M1001 .H24 no.2, 1993
Symphony No. 3 (1991)
Three City Blocks (1993). Main M957.H34 C5 1993
Three Harp Songs (1975)
Three Occasional Pieces (1978)
The Three Wise Men (1988)
Trio Sonata (1994). This work can be performed in various instrumental configurations:
--Soprano, alto, baritone saxophones - Main M357.2.H37 T74 1996
--Oboe, english horn, bassoon - Main M357.2.H37 T75 1996
--Keyboard - Main M23.H26 T7 1996
--Two B-flat clarinets and bass clarinet - Main M357.2.H37 T7 1996
--Violin, viola, cello - Main M357.2.H37 T7 1995
Twilight Music (1985). Horn, violin, and piano. Main M322.H3 T9 1990
Two Chorale Preludes for Advent (1987)
Two Emmanuel Motets (1990). Main M2082.H33 M67 1995
Ulysses (1983). Ballet in two acts. 1) Ulysses' Bow. 2)Ulysses' Raft.
Variations (1982). Clarinet, violin, and piano. Main M322.H3 V4 1987
Variations (1992). String quartet.
Verses (1964)--Withdrawn.
Waltz - Passacaglia.
Winter's Tale (1974, rev. 1991). Opera in two acts.
Words from Paterson (1989). Baritone and chamber ensemble. Main M1613.3.H255 W8 1993

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Recordings

Recordings of his works appear on various labels: New World Records, Koch International, Archetype Records, Aca Digital, Centaur, Arizona University Recordings, Bridge, etc.

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Selected works by and about Harbison

Bond, Victoria. "Towards Creating a Composer-friendly Environment." Journal of the Conductors' Guild, 11/3-4 (Summer-Fall 1990): 89-95.

----------. "A Double Life." Symphony, 47/1 (Jan.-Feb. 1996):18-24, 64-68.

Bonous-Smit, Barbara. John Harbison: His Life and Works with Piano. Ph.D. dissertation, New York University, 1996.

Davis, William. "Wind Quintets by Twenty-two Celebrated American Composers." NACWPI Journal, 45/1 (Fall 1996):17-19.

Hallowell, M. "Textural Notes," Boston Phoenix, 23 October 1979, 2.

Harbison, John. "Facing Rock Reality", Contemporary Music Review, 1990.

----------. "Six Tanglewood Talks (1,2,3)." Perspectives of New Music, 23/2 (Spring-Summer 1985): 12-22.

----------. "Six Tanglewood Talks (4,5,6)." Perspectives of New Music, 24/1 (Autumn-Winter 1985):46-60.

----------. "Symmetries and the 'New Tonality'". Contemporary Music Review, 6/2 (1992):71-80.

Isenberg, Barbara. "Courting the Muse in the 20th Century," Los Angeles Times, April 22, 1990, Calendar p. 5.

Larson, Linda Louise. Realistic Song in Recent American Opera. D.M.A. dissertation, University of Texas, Austin, 1996.

Markoch, Jerome R. "Analysis: 'Music for Eighteen Winds,' by John Harbison." Journal of Band Research, 30/2 (Spring 1995):1-26.

Oestreich, James R. "Portrait of a Composer as Man and Musician." The New York Times, Feb. 5, 1998: E1, E3.

Peyser, J. "Harbison's Continuing Ascent," The New York Times, 16 August 1981, 2.

Pollack, Howard. Harvard Composers: Walter Piston and His Students, from Elliott Carter to Frederic Rzewski. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1992.

Schwartz, Lloyd. "Music: Hard-Won Directness," Atlantic Monthly, 253/3 (1984): 116.

Seabrook, Mike. "John Harbison and his Music." Tempo, 197 (July 1996):7-11.

Spittal, Robert Joseph. Three City Blocks by John Harbison. D.M.A. dissertation, University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, 1995.

Stanger, Claudia. "The Semiotic Elements of a Multiplanar Discourse: John Harbison's Setting of Michael Fried's Depths." In Music and Text: Critical Inquiries, ed. Steven Paul Sher. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992.

Swed, Mark. "American Composer: John Harbison." Chamber Music, 14/3, (June 1997):12-13.

Tassel, J. "A Homecoming for John Harbison," Boston Globe Magazine, 26 February 1984.

Ulrich, A. "The Trials of a Hot Composer," San Francisco Examiner, 20 October 1981, 2.

Walsh, M. "Composer With a Hot Hand," Time, 118/8 (1981), 64.

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Selected websites

John Harbison - G. Schirmer Inc./Associated Music Publishers http://www.schirmer.com/composers/harbison_bio.html Contains a list of his works, a biography, an essay on Harbison by David St. George, various composer's notes and reviews of his works, and a list of upcoming performances of his works.

John Harbison - Metropolitan Opera News http://www.metopera.org/news/990301-harbison.html

John Harbison - Heinz Award Recipient 1997 http://www.awards.heinz.org/harbison.html

Canon. By John Harbison - MIT Rosalind Denny Lewis Music Library website. http://libraries.mit.edu/music/canon.html