Short bio Ruth Crawford Seeger
Full biography Ruth Crawford Seeger
Ruth Crawford Seeger was an American composer, born on July 3, 1901, in East Liverpool, Ohio. She was one of the most innovative and experimental composers of her time, pioneering the use of dissonant harmonies and unconventional instrumentation in her music.
Crawford Seeger began her formal music education at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. She was quickly recognized as a talented composer and received several awards for her work. These included the W. A. Clark Prize and a Guggenheim Fellowship.
She moved to New York City in the 1920s, where she became involved in the city's vibrant avant-garde music scene. During this time, she began to experiment with new and unconventional techniques, such as creating music based on the rhythms of spoken words and using dissonant harmonies to create striking effects.
Crawford Seeger's most well-known works include "String Quartet 1931" and "Prelude No. 14," which exemplify her unique style and innovative approach to composition. She also worked as a musicologist, transcribing and recording traditional folk music from around the world.
Crawford Seeger was a member of the Communist Party during the 1930s and was involved in left-wing politics throughout her life. She married Charles Seeger, a fellow musician and musicologist, and the couple had three children, including the folk singer Pete Seeger.
Ruth Crawford Seeger died on November 18, 1953, in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Her groundbreaking work and contributions to American music have inspired countless composers and continue to be celebrated today.
Compositions featuring Ruth Crawford Seeger
| # | Name | Duration | Genre | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suite, for wind quintet | 10:29 min | Chamber Music | 1952 |
| 2 | Rissolty, Rossolty, an American fantasy for orchestra | 2:59 min | Orchestral | 1939 |
| 3 | Andante, for string orchestra (arranged from 3rd movement of String Quartet 1931) | 4:05 min | Orchestral | 1938 |
| 4 | Nineteen American Folk Tunes (22), for piano | Keyboard | 1936 | |
| 5 | Two Ricercare, for voice and piano | 8:59 min | Vocal Music | 1932 |
| 6 | Diaphonic Suite No. 4, for oboe (or viola) & cello | 7:04 min | Chamber Music | 1931 |
| 7 | String Quartet 1931 | 11:14 min | Chamber Music | 1931 |
| 8 | Piano Study in Mixed Accents, for piano | 1:33 min | Keyboard | 1930 |
| 9 | Prayers of Steel, for voice & chamber orchestra (Three Songs on Poems by Carl Sandburg No. 2) | 1:50 min | Vocal Music | 1930 |
| 10 | Rat Riddles, for voice & chamber orchestra (Three Songs on Poems by Carl Sandburg No. 1) | 3:30 min | Vocal Music | 1930 |
| 11 | Three Chants, for women's chorus | 9:23 min | Choral | 1930 |
| 12 | In Tall Grass, for voice & chamber orchestra (Three Songs on Poems by Carl Sandburg No. 3) | 4:07 min | Vocal Music | 1930 |
| 13 | Three Songs on Poems by Carl Sandburg, for voice, oboe, piano & percussion with optional orchestral ostinati | 8:51 min | Vocal Music | 1930 |
| 14 | Diaphonic Suite No. 3, for 2 clarinets | 3:55 min | Chamber Music | 1930 |
| 15 | Diaphonic Suite No. 2, for bassoon & cello | 5:29 min | Chamber Music | 1930 |
| 16 | Diaphonic Suite No. 1, for oboe solo (or flute) | 5:05 min | Chamber Music | 1930 |
| 17 | Suite No. 2, for four strings & piano | 10:47 min | Chamber Music | 1929 |
| 18 | White Moon, song for voice & piano (Five Songs to Poems by Carl Sandburg No. 2) | 2:28 min | Vocal Music | 1929 |
| 19 | Home Thoughts, song for voice & piano (Five Songs to Poems by Carl Sandburg No. 1) | 2:49 min | Vocal Music | 1929 |
| 20 | Joy (II), song for voice & piano (Five Songs to Poems by Carl Sandburg No. 3) | 1:26 min | Vocal Music | 1929 |
| 21 | Mr. Crow and Miss Wren Go for a Walk, for piano ("a little study in short trills"} | 0:50 min | Keyboard | 1928 |
| 22 | Preludes, for piano, Nos. 6-9 | Keyboard | 1927 | |
| 23 | Suite No. 1, for five wind instruments & piano | 9:33 min | Chamber Music | 1927 |
| 24 | Jumping the Rope, for piano | 0:57 min | Keyboard | 1927 |
| 25 | Music for Small Orchestra | 8:51 min | Orchestral | 1926 |
| 26 | We Dance Together, for piano | 0:56 min | Keyboard | 1926 |
| 27 | Sonata for violin & piano | 14:21 min | Chamber Music | 1926 |
| 28 | The Adventures of Tom Thumb, for piano & narrator | 13:24 min | Keyboard | 1925 |
| 29 | Caprice, for piano | 2:17 min | Keyboard | 1924 |
| 30 | Whirligig, for piano | 0:58 min | Keyboard | 1924 |
| 31 | Five Canons, for piano | 5:24 min | Keyboard | 1924 |
| 32 | Kaleidoscopic Changes on an Original Theme, Ending with a Fugue, for piano | 10:07 min | Keyboard | 1924 |
| 33 | Little Lullaby, for piano | 0:51 min | Keyboard | 1924 |
| 34 | Preludes (9) for piano | 23:44 min | Keyboard | 1924 |
| 35 | Theme and Variations, for piano | 7:29 min | Keyboard | 1923 |
| 36 | Sonata for piano (in one movement) | 5:51 min | Keyboard | 1923 |
| 37 | Nocturne, for violin & piano | 2:43 min | Chamber Music | 1923 |
| 38 | Little Waltz, for piano | 1:29 min | Keyboard | 1922 |
Albums featuring Ruth Crawford Seeger
| # | Сover | Name album | Year | Music label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Australian Chamber Orchestra, Richard Tognetti - Bryce Dessner / George Walker (4) / Ruth Crawford Seeger – Homeward(File, AAC, EP) | 2023 | ABC Classics |
| 2 |  |
John J. Becker, Ernst Toch, Ruth Crawford, Stefan Wolpe, Peggy Glanville-Hicks, Robert Erickson, Kenneth Gaburo, Pauline Oliveros, John McCaughey, The Astra Choir – Unsettled Choruses: A Terrain Of Humming And Phonetics 1930-74(CD, ) | 2023 | New World Records |
| 3 |  |
Bernstein, Barber, Crawford, Ives - James Gaffigan, Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, Paul Jacobs (7) – Americans(CD, Album) | 2021 | Harmonia Mundi |
| 4 |  |
Beach, Crawford, Ives, Margaret Mills (2) – A Celebration Of Early American Composers(CD, Album) | 2017 | Cambria |
| 5 |  |
JACK Quartet - Rodericus / Carter / Crawford Seeger / Haas – Angelorum Psalat Tripudium / String Quartet No 3 / String Quartet / String Quartet No 8(CDr, Album, Blu-ray-R, Album) | 2015 | Bmn Audiophil |
| 6 |  |
Steffen Schleiermacher, Dane Rudhyar, Ruth Crawford, Carl Ruggles, Henry Cowell – American Ultramodernists 1920-1950(CD, ) | 2005 | MDG |
| 7 |  |
Ruth Crawford, Johanna Beyer, Sarah Cahill – 9 Preludes(CD, Album) | 2001 | New Albion |
| 8 |  |
Ruth Crawford Seeger - Jenny Lin, Timothy Jones (2) – The World Of Ruth Crawford Seeger(CD, Album) | 2001 | BIS |
| 9 |  |
Ruth Crawford Seeger - Pellegrini Quartet · Ensemble Aventure – String Quartet · Chamber Works(CD, ) | 2000 | cpo |
| 10 |  |
Henry Cowell, Lou Harrison, Wallingford Riegger, Ruth Crawford Seeger, John J. Becker – Quartet Romantic(CD, Compilation, Remastered) | 1998 | New World Records |
| 11 |  |
Ruth Crawford Seeger - Oliver Knussen, Lucy Shelton, Reinbert de Leeuw, New London Chamber Choir, James Wood (4), Schönberg Ensemble – Portrait(CD, Album) | 1997 | Deutsche Grammophon |
| 12 |  |
The New Music Consort Pulse: Works By John Cage • Lou Harrison • Henry Cowell • Ruth Crawford Seeger – Pulse (Works For Percussion And Strings)(LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo) | 1997 | New World Records |
| 13 |  |
Walter Piston, Ruth Crawford Seeger, Noël Lee, Elliott Carter – Contemporary Music From America(CD, Album) | 1996 | Victoria (2) |
| 14 |  |
Charles Ives, Carl Ruggles, Ruth Crawford Seeger – Ives: Three Places in New England, Orchestral Set No. 2; Ruggles: Sun-treader, Men and Mountains(CD, ) | 1995 | Decca |
| 15 |  |
Ruth Crawford Seeger - Continuum (4), Cheryl Seltzer, Joel Sachs (2) – American Visionary | 1993 | Musical Heritage Society |
| 16 |  |
Music Of Ruth Crawford(CD, ) | 1993 | Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI) |
| 17 |  |
Music By Ruth Crawford Seeger(LP, Reissue) | 1988 | Musical Heritage Society |
| 18 |  |
Boston Musica Viva, Richard Pittman - Ruth Crawford Seeger, Joyce Mekeel, Thea Musgrave – Premiere Performances By Boston Musica Viva(CD, Album) | 1987 | Delos |
| 19 |  |
James Ostryniec - Witold Lutoslawski / Ralph Shapey / Ruth Crawford Seeger / Charles Ives / Otto Luening – Epitaph / Sonata / Three Songs / Adagio Sostenuto / Legend(LP) | 1984 | Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI) |
| 20 |  |
Ruth Crawford Seeger, Irving Fine – Sonatas For Violin And Piano(LP, Stereo) | 1984 | Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI) |
| 21 |  |
Rolla / Crawford-Seeger / Sydeman / Loeb / Fricker - Virginia Christensen, Otto Eifert, Roy Christensen – Concertino A Tre / Diaphonic Suite No. 2 / Variations / Suite / Three Arguments(LP) | 1981 | Gasparo |
| 22 |  |
Fine Arts Quartet, John Downey, Ben Johnston, Ruth Crawford - Seeger – String Quartet No.2, String Quarter No.4, String Quartet (1931) | 1980 | Gasparo |
| 23 |  |
James Ostryniec - Rochberg / Seeger / Shapey / Schuller / Julian / Singer – Music For Oboe (La Bocca Della Verita / Diaphonic Suite No. 1 / Rhapsodie / Trio / Wave Canon / Work)(LP, Album) | 1980 | Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI) |
| 24 |  |
Henry Cowell, Wallingford Riegger, John J. Becker, Ruth Crawford Seeger – Works By: Henry Cowell / Wallingford Riegger / John J. Becker / Ruth Crawford Seeger(LP, Album) | 1978 | New World Records |
| 25 |  |
Boston Musica Viva, Richard Pittman - Ruth Crawford Seeger, Joyce Mekeel, Thea Musgrave – Premiere Performances By Boston Musica Viva(LP) | 1975 | Delos |
| 26 |  |
Ruth Crawford Seeger / George Perle / Milton Babbitt - The Composers Quartet – String Quartet / String Quartet No. 5 / String Quartet No. 2 | 1973 | Nonesuch |
| 27 |  |
Karl Korte / Ruth Crawford Seeger / Julian Orbon – Matrix / Suite for Wind Quintet / Partita no. 2(LP) | 1969 | Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI) |
| 28 |  |
Dane Rudhyar / Ruth Crawford Seeger – Paeans / Stars / Granites / Piano Works(LP) | 1969 | Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI) |
| 29 |  |
Finney / Seeger / The Stanley Quartet / Amati String Quartet (2) – Piano Quintet / String Quartet 1931 | 1960 | Special Service Records |
| 30 |  |
Ross Lee Finney / Ruth Crawford Seeger – Piano Quintet / String Quartet, 1931(LP, Album, Reissue) | - | Columbia Special Products |
| 31 |  |
Rosemary Platt / Ruth Crawford / Ruth Lomon – Music By Women Composers Vol. II(LP, Stereo) | - | Coronet Recording Company |
| 32 |  |
Marion Bauer, Ruth Crawford Seeger, Virginia Eskin, Arnold Steinhardt, Charleston String Quartet – Untitled(CD, Stereo) | - | Albany Records |
Videos featuring Ruth Crawford Seeger
Crawford Seeger: String Quartet 1931 - 4. Allegro possibile
Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group
Crawford Seeger: String Quartet 1931 - 4. Allegro possibile · Marijke van Kooten · Helen Hulst · Karin Dolman · Hans Woudenberg
Ruth Crawford Seeger: Music for Small Orchestra; Study in Mixed Accents; Thr
Leggiero
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
Leggiero · Ruth Crawford · Johanna Beyer · Sarah Cahill
Crawford -9 Preludes (Cahill)
℗ 2001, New Albion Records, Inc.
Released on: 2001-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Ruth Crawford Seeger , George Perle, Milton Babbitt - The Composers Quartet (1972)
*DISCLAIMER* NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO MUSIC IN THIS VIDEO. I DO NOT MONETIZE THIS VIDEO. If you own copyright to this music please contact me first I will take down immediately!
Crawford Seeger: String Quartet 1931 - 3. Andante
Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group
Crawford Seeger: String Quartet 1931 - 3. Andante · Marijke van Kooten · Helen Hulst · Karin Dolman · Hans Woudenberg
Ruth Crawford Seeger: Music for Small Orchestra; Study in Mixed Accents; Three Songs;
VI
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
VI · Sarah Cahill · Johanna Beyer
Crawford -9 Preludes (Cahill)
℗ 2001, New Albion Records, Inc.
Released on: 2001-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Crawford Seeger: Andante for Strings
Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group
Crawford Seeger: Andante for Strings · Schönberg Ensemble · Oliver Knussen
Ruth Crawford Seeger: Music for Small Orchestra; Study in Mixed Accents; Three Songs; Three Chants; String Quartet; Two Ricercari;
Crawford - Prelude No. 2
Prelude No. 2 "Allegro giocoso"
Dissonant Counterpoint--I
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
Dissonant Counterpoint--I · Sarah Cahill · Johanna Beyer
Crawford -9 Preludes (Cahill)
℗ 2001, New Albion Records, Inc.
Released on: 2001-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Andante Tranquillo
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
Andante Tranquillo · Sarah Cahill · Ruth Crawford
Crawford -9 Preludes (Cahill)
℗ 2001, New Albion Records, Inc.
Released on: 2001-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Ruth Crawford-Seeger - Diaphonic Suite #1 (Oboe)
Diaphonic Suite No. 1 for Flute or Oboe (1930)
Joseph Ostryniec - Oboe
CRI American Masters - Music of Ruth Crawford
CRI CD 658
1. 0:00
2. 0:36
3. 3:14
4. 4:08
Liner notes from a different CD (CPO 999 670-2):
The four Diaphonic Suites of 1930 and 193
Crawford Seeger: Suite (1952) - 1. Allegretto
Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group
Crawford Seeger: Suite (1952) - 1. Allegretto · Schönberg Ensemble · Oliver Knussen
Ruth Crawford Seeger: Music for Small Orchestra; Study in Mixed Accents; Three Songs; Three Chants; String Quartet; Two R
Crawford Seeger: Rissolty Rossolty
Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group
Crawford Seeger: Rissolty Rossolty · Schönberg Ensemble · Oliver Knussen
Ruth Crawford Seeger: Music for Small Orchestra; Study in Mixed Accents; Three Songs; Three Chants; String Quartet; Two Ricercari; A
Crawford Seeger: String Quartet 1931 - 2. Leggiero
Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group
Crawford Seeger: String Quartet 1931 - 2. Leggiero · Marijke van Kooten · Helen Hulst · Karin Dolman · Hans Woudenberg
Ruth Crawford Seeger: Music for Small Orchestra; Study in Mixed Accents; Three Songs;
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