Walter Piston, Symphony no. 3

A third kind of American musical composition is the subject of this program. Contrasted with the strongly emotional and nationalistic music of Harris, or the attempts at a resolution of the national-universal conflict in the music of Copland, is the music of Walter Piston, which, the composer explains, is "not intended to convey other than musical ideas." Professor Woodworth uses Piston's comment as a key to understanding his music, and shows by the use of visual aids and recordings how Piston has contrived to write a classical symphony in modern idiom. The use of orchestration, tonality and rhythm supports his efforts to write vital and dramatic music devoid of representational elements, says Professor Woodworth, and he demonstrates these points by examples drawn from Piston's Third Symphony.