Unique and Visionary Approach
Dale A. Olsen, in "Reflections On American Music, The Twentieth Century and the New Millennium," a collection of essays presented in honor of The College Music Society, co-edited by James R. Heintze and Michael Saffle, published in 2000, looked at the compositional styles of five American composers of art music. David Ward-Steinman was cited by Olsen as one of five representative global, cultural, and/or transcultural American composers for the twenty-first century.
"Ward-Steinman has unique and visionary approaches to scholarship, teaching, and composition, making him a profound communicator interested in bridging cultures." Ward-Steinman has composed a number of works for what he calls "fortified piano," a term distinguishing the style from Cage's "prepared piano." The sounds achieved in such compositions as Sonata for Piano Fortified (1972) and Intersections II: "Borobudur" for Fortified Piano and Percussion (1989-1990) are strongly reminiscent of Balinese and Javanese gamelan orchestras. Night Winds requires five musicians to play many other instruments from non-Western cultures such as bamboo flute, clay ocarina, didjeridu, Aboriginal rhythimic sticks (Cuban claves), and other sound makers and whistles. "The effect of this composition is one of globalization (cultural blending, at the end of the globalization continuum) rather than transculturation because many different sounds from a variety of cultures are blended together to create an atmosphere rather than provide a conduit from one culture to another."
"Ward-Steinman has unique and visionary approaches to scholarship, teaching, and composition, making him a profound communicator interested in bridging cultures." Ward-Steinman has composed a number of works for what he calls "fortified piano," a term distinguishing the style from Cage's "prepared piano." The sounds achieved in such compositions as Sonata for Piano Fortified (1972) and Intersections II: "Borobudur" for Fortified Piano and Percussion (1989-1990) are strongly reminiscent of Balinese and Javanese gamelan orchestras. Night Winds requires five musicians to play many other instruments from non-Western cultures such as bamboo flute, clay ocarina, didjeridu, Aboriginal rhythimic sticks (Cuban claves), and other sound makers and whistles. "The effect of this composition is one of globalization (cultural blending, at the end of the globalization continuum) rather than transculturation because many different sounds from a variety of cultures are blended together to create an atmosphere rather than provide a conduit from one culture to another."
"Millennium Dances"
Ward-Steinman's "Millennium Dances" was featured in the Connoisseur Series at Copley Symphony Hall on May 25, 26, and 27, 2001, by the San Diego Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Jung-Ho Pak.
The occasion was reviewed by Valerie Scher classical music critic for the San Diego Union-Tribune, Monday, May 28, 2001. Scher commented that the program "featured the pleasing world premiere of San Diego composer David Ward-Steinman's 'Millennium Dances.' …Those wary of modern music had little to fear from Ward-Steinman's 78-page score. It's the kind of thing that might appeal to conductor Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops, if they were especially interested in music influenced by other cultures.
"What was most striking about the 21-minute-long work was its blending of exotic and orchestral instruments and its transformation of folk material into mainstream fare… It was fun even without the dance segment that had to be dropped for logistical reasons.
"The opening movement, 'Ireland: Dublin Down,' was powered by jaunty melodies reminiscent of Riverdance while 'Bali: Pelog-jam' evoked the alluring tone colors of a balinese gamelan ensemble. And 'Africa: Kenya Dance?' included a perky tune for tin whistle and dynamic displays of drumming.
"Millennial Dances" is a milestone for the composer who has taught on and off at San Diego State University since 1961. Though a variety of his works have been performed by the orchestra, this is the first one Ward-Steinman has written specifically for the ensemble. Call it "An American in Ireland, Bali, and Aftrica."
In a previous piece, Scher wrote "'Millennial Dances'...dances to a multicultural beat." (May 24, 2001)
In "Music from a San Diego Treasure Will Conclude Symphony Season," in San Diego Jewish Press Heritage, Eileen Wingard reported, thehe program featured the pleasing world premiere of San Diego composer David Ward-Steinman's 'Millennium Dances,' commissioned by the symphony and involving six percussionists playing an exotic array of instruments from African drums to the Irish bodhran... Intermingling jazz elements and themes from western music in the three dances, "Millennium Dances" symbolizes America's assimilation of musical traditions from around the world." (May 25, 2001)
The occasion was reviewed by Valerie Scher classical music critic for the San Diego Union-Tribune, Monday, May 28, 2001. Scher commented that the program "featured the pleasing world premiere of San Diego composer David Ward-Steinman's 'Millennium Dances.' …Those wary of modern music had little to fear from Ward-Steinman's 78-page score. It's the kind of thing that might appeal to conductor Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops, if they were especially interested in music influenced by other cultures.
"What was most striking about the 21-minute-long work was its blending of exotic and orchestral instruments and its transformation of folk material into mainstream fare… It was fun even without the dance segment that had to be dropped for logistical reasons.
"The opening movement, 'Ireland: Dublin Down,' was powered by jaunty melodies reminiscent of Riverdance while 'Bali: Pelog-jam' evoked the alluring tone colors of a balinese gamelan ensemble. And 'Africa: Kenya Dance?' included a perky tune for tin whistle and dynamic displays of drumming.
"Millennial Dances" is a milestone for the composer who has taught on and off at San Diego State University since 1961. Though a variety of his works have been performed by the orchestra, this is the first one Ward-Steinman has written specifically for the ensemble. Call it "An American in Ireland, Bali, and Aftrica."
In a previous piece, Scher wrote "'Millennial Dances'...dances to a multicultural beat." (May 24, 2001)
In "Music from a San Diego Treasure Will Conclude Symphony Season," in San Diego Jewish Press Heritage, Eileen Wingard reported, thehe program featured the pleasing world premiere of San Diego composer David Ward-Steinman's 'Millennium Dances,' commissioned by the symphony and involving six percussionists playing an exotic array of instruments from African drums to the Irish bodhran... Intermingling jazz elements and themes from western music in the three dances, "Millennium Dances" symbolizes America's assimilation of musical traditions from around the world." (May 25, 2001)
"Fragments from Sappho" Re-issued on New Worlds-CRI CD, 2010
David Ward-Steinman’s composition, Fragments From Sappho, has just been reissued on CD by New World Records, NY. Originally released on LP in 1969, it featured Phyllis Curtin (soprano), Samuel Baron (flute), David Glazer (clarinet), and David Ward-Steinman (piano). This previously-unavailable CRI LP title has been carefully transferred from the original tapes but has not been remastered—i.e. it is a “flat” transfer.
The critic for High Fidelity magazine called the recording “one of the great finds of the year. To begin with, he has a marvelous translation by Mary Barnard which is full of kittenish intensity and is a bit of a masterpiece in its own right. The setting is for voice, with very important obbligato parts for flute and clarinet ricochets off this text in brilliant fashion, and the performance by Curtin, Baron, and Glazer is equally brilliant. This is the best setting of old Greek texts since Debussy’s Chasons de Bilitis. [A.F. in High Fidelity, November 1969]
The critic for High Fidelity magazine called the recording “one of the great finds of the year. To begin with, he has a marvelous translation by Mary Barnard which is full of kittenish intensity and is a bit of a masterpiece in its own right. The setting is for voice, with very important obbligato parts for flute and clarinet ricochets off this text in brilliant fashion, and the performance by Curtin, Baron, and Glazer is equally brilliant. This is the best setting of old Greek texts since Debussy’s Chasons de Bilitis. [A.F. in High Fidelity, November 1969]