David Diamond 1915 – 2005

Just this morning we heard the announcement on news broadcasts of the death of American composer David Diamond. Next month he would have celebrated his 90th birthday. His reputation as one of America’s finest composers is secure. Here at Delos we have had the privilege of working with him on a number of recordings covering a wide range of his finest work.
During the course of preparing these recordings, we at Delos, and especially Amelia Haygood and Carol Rosenberger, became close friends and participants in a continuing dialogue and correspondence, both social and musical, with the composer. His unfailing graciousness, cooperation, intellectual input and whimsical, piquant humor made for music-making and recording on a very high level.
A survey of the Delos catalog reveals the current availability of a number of Diamond’s finest and most representative works. While the actual recordings were accomplished from 1990 to 1994, the pieces themselves range from early 1940 to 1993 when Diamond was a very active 78.
On Delos DE 3708 Great American Composers Collection you can find Diamond’s masterful Music from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet of 1947, a suite many consider one of his finest romantic works, and also his Concerto for Small Orchestra of 1940, a tightly organized composition for strings and winds, “made of the finest musical materials” as Virgil Thomson noted. Gerard Schwarz leads the New York Chamber Symphony in both selections.
Diamond’s special love of chamber music shines through on Delos DE 3088 American Chamber Music. The Chamber Music Northwest group and David Shifrin, clarinet, play Diamond’s 1950 Quintet for Clarinet, Two Violas and Two Violoncellos. As Diamond commented, “the instrumental choice… was made to capture a quality of Rembrandtian, Brahmsian, even Regerish autumnal richness of texture and emotion. Many decades of admiration for Brahms and Reger chamber works surely influence the glow of my work. This admiration remains constant today.”
This work is in strong contrast to the 1989 Concert Piece for Flute and Harp written for the Glorian Duo, Wendy Kerner Lucas, harp, and Donna Milanovich, flute, which received its premiere recording on Delos DE 3143 Sounds of the Seine. It reveals another facet of Diamond’s talents, music inspired by the French composer Albert Roussel, whom Diamond admired… lyrical, songful, sparkling and sophisticated.
Finally, the competitive “anything you can do, I can do” Diamond shows up in the Two Barcarolles for Piano of 1993. During a meeting with Amelia Haygood and Carol Rosenberger, Diamond learned that Carol was recording an album of piano barcarolles, mostly by famous composers of the past. Diamond offered to add two new compositions of his own to the list and followed through with two contrasting pieces, one gentle and reflective, the other strong and passionate, dedicated respectively to Carol and Amelia. These can be found on Delos DE 3172, Singing on the Water and add a touching contribution to our Delos portrait of David Diamond and his long relationship with Delos both as recording artist and valued friend.
The obituaries are already piling up. One and all seem to recognize that this man and his brand of American music, often called “20th Century Romantic Classicism,” represent the music which will survive in this new century, sounding better all the time.