Leslie Bassett is a 20th-century composer, lecturer, university professor, and winner of many awards, including a Pulitzer Prize. He is unique among contemporary composers because he has written for many categories of music: brass, band and wind ensemble, chamber, choral, solo voice, instrumental solo, orchestra, organ, and piano. A favorite with students, he has also endeared himself as a guest composer at festivals and symposia in many states for over 30 years. This volume collects for the first time the widely scattered source materials on Bassett and thus documents his preeminence in the history and development of contemporary American music.
The biographical section of this volume first sketches Bassett's life and career and then gives an evaluative description of the progression of his musical compositions. To give a feeling for his music, illustrations of selected scores accompany some of the discussion. Next is a classified list of works arranged in alphabetical order and divided into 11 categories of performance, followed by a discography. The bibliography is annotated; there is a separate section for reviews of performances and concerts. Also included is an appendix that gives a chronological list of guest composer appearances, featuring festivals, symposia, and major educational events. Three other appendices round out the thorough coverage of source materials that have until now been difficult to see as a whole. Here they are readily accessible; thus, the book becomes a ready reference for the study of this acknowledged master of music.
