Lukas Foss

[Balthazar]

I've been listening to a lot of the fascinating music by Lukas Foss (1922-2009), a composer and educator who was well-regarded for his knowledge of a wide range of musical styles as well as his willingness to incorporate new techniques. Curtis Institute classmate Leonard Bernstein called him an "authentic genius," and his music certainly was unique.

His vibrant Capriccio for Cello and Piano (1948):



Time Cycle (1960) sounds like the post-nuclear Pierrot Lunaire:



The neoclassical Renaissance Concerto (1985) for flute and orchestra:

[Mambo]

i'm quite familiar with Lukas Foss.
used to hear a lot of him on the radio; and have some tapes off of it.
do not have too much on recordings (because he was
frequently radio broadcast (free!) )