Xun Pan, piano; Gregory Charnon, percussion; Ronald Borror, trombone; Stephen Paysen, vibraphone; Ruotao Mao, violin; Harvey Sollberger, flute; Sophie Sollberger Quest, flute; Macalester Concert Choir; Dale Warland, Conductor; Harold Chaney, harpsichord
"Nicolas Roussakis served the cause of new music in America with a devotion and sincere interest that makes his loss to the community an extremely serious one. It was not enough for him to write first class music of a very personal and vivid character. He also represented musical citizenship of the highest order." - Francis Thorne, 1995
Nicolas Roussakis was born in Athens, Greece in 1934 and spent his early years in Estonia, Italy and Switzerland. He came to the United States at the age of fifteen and became an American citizen at twenty-one. He attended Columbia University (B.A. 1956) and the Graqduate Faculties of Columbia University (M.A. 1960). In 1961 he received a Fulbright Grant for study in Germany and attended the Staatliche Hochschule fur Musik in Hamburg and the Ferienkurse fur Neu Musik in Darmstadt (1961-63). Upon his return to the united States, Mr. Roussakis began his career as a composer and spent time at several artists' colonies -- MacDowell, Yaddo, and Ossabaw. In 1968 he returned to Columbia University where he taught (1968-77) and obtained a doctorate from the School of the Arts (D.M.A. 1975). He served on the music faculty at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey from 1977 through 1994.
Nicolas Roussakis became associated with the Group for Contemporary Music in 1970 as administrator, and later became its executive director from 1971 to 1985. From 1975 to 1981 he was president of the American Composers Alliance, a national service organization for composers, supported by Broadcast Music, Inc. He was also one of the co-founders (together with Francis Thorne, Dennis Russell Davies and Paul Lustig Dunkel) of the American Composers Orchestra in 1976. His creative work has been recognized by an Award from the National Institute of Arts and Letters, commissions from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts, as well as two fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
A number of Nicolas Roussakis' works have been recorded and are available on the CRI label: the symphonic poem Fire and Earth and Water and Air (1983) performed by the American Composers Orchestra (NWCR552). Hymn to Apollo (1989) for small orchestra performed by the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble and Ephemeris for string quartet (1979) (NWCR624). On October 29, 1995 the American Composers Orchestra performed the world premiere of Mr. Roussakis' final work, To Demeter.
This title, originally issued on the CRI label, is now available as a burn-on-demand CD (CD-R) or download in MP3/320, FLAC or WAV formats. CD-Rs come in a protective sleeve; no print booklet or jewel case included. Liner notes are accessible via the link above.
Nicolas Roussakis: Chamber & Solo Works
| MP3/320 | $9.99 | |
| FLAC | $9.99 | |
| WAV | $9.99 | |
| CD-R | $9.99 |
A *.pdf of the notes may be accessed here free of charge.
Track Listing
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Mi e Fa: I. Misterioso
Nicolas Roussakis
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Mi e Fa: II. Impetuoso
Nicolas Roussakis
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Mi e Fa: III. "essercizio" sulla Fuga del Gatto di Domenico Scarlatti
Nicolas Roussakis
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Mi e Fa: IV. Fantastico
Nicolas Roussakis
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Mi e Fa: V. Affrettato
Nicolas Roussakis
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Trigono
Nicolas Roussakis
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Pas de Deux
Nicolas Roussakis
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Six Short Pieces for Two Flutes: I. Dotted quarter note = 108
Nicolas Roussakis
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Six Short Pieces for Two Flutes: II. Quarter note = 96
Nicolas Roussakis
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Six Short Pieces for Two Flutes: III. Quarter note = 72
Nicolas Roussakis
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Six Short Pieces for Two Flutes: IV. Dotted quarter note = 132
Nicolas Roussakis
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Six Short Pieces for Two Flutes: V. Quarter note = 60
Nicolas Roussakis
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Six Short Pieces for Two Flutes: VI. Quarter note = 120
Nicolas Roussakis
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Night Speech
Nicolas Roussakis
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Sonata for Harpsichord: I. In a Grandiose, Festive Manner
Nicolas Roussakis
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Sonata for Harpsichord: II. Merrily
Nicolas Roussakis
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Sonata for Harpsichord: III. With Grace. Burlesque
Nicolas Roussakis
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Sonata for Harpsichord: IV. Calm, Becoming Agitated, Then Calm Again
Nicolas Roussakis
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Sonata for Harpsichord: V. Lively
Nicolas Roussakis
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