Lou Harrison
Lou Harrison (1917–2003) was an American composer and music theorist renowned for his innovative integration of Western classical traditions with non-Western musical idioms, particularly those of Indonesia. His work, which spans orchestral, chamber, vocal, and experimental genres, is characterized by tunings and scales drawn from diverse musical cultures, rhythmic inventiveness, and the use of unconventional instruments. Harrison is recognized as a central figure in twentieth-century American experimental music and a pioneer in cross-cultural composition.
Early Life and Education
Lou Silver Harrison was born on May 14, 1917, in Portland, Oregon. He displayed musical aptitude from an early age, studying piano and theory. Harrison pursued formal studies at the University of Oregon and later at Harvard University, where he studied composition under Walter Piston and explored contemporary developments in American music. He also studied with Henry Cowell and became associated with the experimental music community in California, where Cowell’s interests in non-Western and microtonal music profoundly influenced his aesthetic.
Career
Harrison’s career encompassed composition, pedagogy, instrument building, and music theory. He was active in the West Coast experimental music scene alongside figures such as John Cage and Lou Harrison’s longtime collaborator, Bill Colvig. Harrison’s compositions reflect a philosophy of inclusivity, blending Western contrapuntal techniques with Asian musical structures, gamelan-inspired tunings, and indigenous instruments.
Harrison’s teaching career included positions at Mills College, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and the University of California, Berkeley, where he influenced several generations of composers and performers. His work extended beyond academic settings, encompassing collaborations with experimental ensembles, community music projects, and public performances of gamelan-inspired compositions.
Major Works
Orchestral and Ensemble Music
Harrison composed extensively for large ensembles, often employing alternative tuning systems and non-Western instruments. Works such as Concerto for Pipa and String Orchestra (1970) demonstrate his interest in integrating traditional Chinese instruments with Western orchestral textures. His La Koro Sutro (1972), a choral symphony setting the Heart Sutra in Esperanto, combines Western chorus with gamelan ensemble, reflecting his interest in spiritual and linguistic universality.
Harrison also composed gamelan music inspired by his studies of Balinese and Javanese musical traditions. He built instruments in collaboration with Bill Colvig, creating ensembles tuned to just intonation and exploring microtonal relationships in both chamber and orchestral contexts.
Chamber Music
Harrison’s chamber works, including numerous string quartets, wind quintets, and percussion ensembles, frequently explore non-standard tunings, polyrhythms, and extended techniques. Pieces such as Suite for Violin and American Gamelan (1974) demonstrate his integration of Western and non-Western timbres, and his experiments with pentatonic and other modal scales influenced the development of contemporary experimental chamber music.
Vocal and Choral Music
Harrison’s choral compositions often reflect philosophical and spiritual themes. He frequently set texts in multiple languages, including Esperanto, Sanskrit, and English, emphasizing universalist ideals. Works like Canticle of the Sun (1975) and Mass in G (1971) illustrate his lyrical melodic writing and imaginative approach to ensemble color.
Musical Style
Harrison’s music is distinguished by:
Polyrhythmic and polymetric structures: layered rhythmic textures influenced by gamelan and other world music traditions.
Alternative tuning systems: extensive use of just intonation, pentatonic scales, and microtonal intervals.
Cross-cultural synthesis: blending Western classical forms with Asian, indigenous, and experimental techniques.
Instrumental innovation: creation and use of new instruments and ensembles to explore timbral and tuning possibilities.
Harrison’s aesthetic reflects both a rigorous compositional methodology and a humanist philosophy emphasizing music’s communal and spiritual dimensions.
Influence and Legacy
Lou Harrison is recognized as a foundational figure in American experimental music and cross-cultural composition. His work inspired subsequent generations of composers interested in microtonality, gamelan, and the integration of non-Western musical traditions into contemporary classical music. Harrison’s collaborations with instrument builders, his advocacy for just intonation, and his pedagogical contributions helped expand the expressive possibilities of Western music.
Harrison died on February 2, 2003, in Aptos, California. His legacy endures through performances of his compositions, the continued use of his instrument designs, and his influence on composers exploring intercultural and experimental music practices. His work remains a testament to a vision of music as a universal and integrative art form.