Crumb, George (1929-2022), was an American composer known for his innovative and highly individual works. Crumb won the 2001 Grammy Award for classical contemporary composition for Star-Child. He also received the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1968 for his orchestral work Echoes of Time and the River (1967). This work incorporates elements of theater. Instrumentalists are asked to march and to whisper and shout various short phrases and magical incantations. In the third movement (section), a xylophone taps out Crumb’s name in Morse code.
Among Crumb’s important works are vocal compositions based on poems by Federico Garcia Lorca of Spain. They include four books of Madrigals (1965-1969); Songs, Drones, and Refrains of Death (1969); and Ancient Voices of Children (1970). The 1970 piece reflects Crumb’s fascination with unusual instruments. The work is written for soprano, boy soprano, and an ensemble including percussion instruments, musical saw, and amplified harp and piano. The trio Vox Balanae (Voice of the Whale, 1971) consists of an electronically amplified cello, flute, and piano played by musicians wearing masks. This composition was inspired by the composer’s hearing recorded sounds of a whale. Makrokosmos (1972) is an important collection of piano studies. Quest (1990, revised 1994) is a chamber work. Crumb composed Otherworldly Resonances (2003) for two pianos. American Songbook (2003-2010) was composed in seven installments for female voice, percussion quartet, and amplified piano.
Crumb was born on Oct. 24, 1929, in Charleston, West Virginia. He taught at the University of Colorado from 1958 to 1965 and at the University of Pennsylvania from 1965 to 1997. Crumb died on Feb. 6, 2022.
