Gunnar Johansen: Compositions

Short List of Compositions:

Two previously published lists of the compositions exist. The first is a catalogue of the Johansen cassette series published in Fanfare, January/February, 1986, Volume 9, Number 3. This excludes the numerous works that Johansen did not release on the series. The second is a summary list in Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Music and Musicians (8th edition) by Nicholas Slonimsky. A few small errors and omissions in the latter are here corrected. Notated sonatas are numbered in Roman numerals, improvised sonatas with Arabic numerals.

Published Works (for piano except where noted):

By Carl Fischer

Danish Folk Song (1932)

The Song of the Reaper (1932)

Toccata in the Phrygian Mode (1933) (These now out of print.)

By Sikesdi Press

Volume I of the Complete Works (1990, revised 1993):

Affection
Vocalise for voice (or oboe) and piano
Atonal Sonatina I
Sonata II "Pearl Harbor, December 6, 1941"
Violin Sonata No. 1
Lullaby for Lorraine
Canzona II
"a la fontenele"

Volume II of the Complete Works (1995):

Ballade for Lorraine
Mother's Lullaby
Franklin Delano Roosevelt In Memoriam April 12, 1945
String Quartet (1937)
Prelude and Mini-Fugue
Paul Bunyan Stalk
Sonata XXIII
2nd Atonal Sonatina
Suite (1929) Barcarola, Polichinelle, Poëm
Wedding Bells

Only two volumes of a planned 20 were ever published.

Works:

Dates are provided for only some works, based on availability of manuscript verification. A complete catalogue of Johansen's works is in preparation by the author.
1. Piano Concertos:

No. 1 (1930)
No. 2 (1949) for piano, three recorders, and orchestra
No. 3 (1969-71)

2. Orchestral:

Variations, Disguises and Fugue on a Merry Theme of Cyrus McCormick (1937)

3. Choral/Instrumental:

East-West Cantata (1943) for piano, choir, and small ensemble (full score lost)

4. Piano works:

Sonatas 1-31 (1940-1951)
Toccatas
Numerous Suites
Many shorter works
Atonal Sonatinas (1943 and 1944)
Transcriptions, embellishments, elaborations of works by a number of composers
Cadenzas to various works

5. Chamber music:

3 Violin Sonatas
String Quartet (1937)
Four Pieces for String Quartet (incomplete)
Oboe Sonata (1943) (third movement only)
Triptique for cello and piano (ca. 1984)

6. Vocal Music:

Songs on texts by Wilde, Longfellow and others.
Sonata 160 for voice and piano (wordless singing)
Vocalise for voice and piano (1975) (wordless singing or any suitable solo instrument, particularly effective for flute or oboe with piano)

7. Improvisations:

Improvised Sonatas numbered 32 - 550 (1953-ca.1990)
Improvisations after the Psalms of David (1-41)
Miscellaneous Improvisations, some from live performances.

Some of the Improvised Sonatas are available on the Johansen compositions series. Most remain stored at the Blue Mounds Archive and a duplicate series up to approximately Sonata 360 is stored at the University of Wisconsin.


	Compositions Short List of Compositions: Two previously published lists of the compositions exist. The first is a catalogue of the Johansen cassette series published in Fanfare, January/February, 1986, Volume 9, Number 3. This excludes the numerous works that Johansen did not release on the series. The second is a summary list in Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Music and Musicians (8th edition) by Nicholas Slonimsky. A few small errors and omissions in the latter are here corrected. Notated sonatas are numbered in Roman numerals, improvised sonatas with Arabic numerals. Published Works (for piano except where noted): By Carl Fischer Danish Folk Song (1932) The Song of the Reaper (1932) Toccata in the Phrygian Mode (1933) (These now out of print.) By Sikesdi Press Volume I of the Complete Works (1990, revised 1993): Affection Vocalise for voice (or oboe) and piano Atonal Sonatina I Sonata II "Pearl Harbor, December 6, 1941" Violin Sonata No. 1 Lullaby for Lorraine Canzona II "a la fontenele" Volume II of the Complete Works (1995): Ballade for Lorraine Mother's Lullaby Franklin Delano Roosevelt In Memoriam April 12, 1945 String Quartet (1937) Prelude and Mini-Fugue Paul Bunyan Stalk Sonata XXIII 2nd Atonal Sonatina Suite (1929) Barcarola, Polichinelle, Poëm Wedding Bells Only two volumes of a planned 20 were ever published. Works: Dates are provided for only some works, based on availability of manuscript verification. A complete catalogue of Johansen's works is in preparation by the author. 1. Piano Concertos: No. 1 (1930) No. 2 (1949) for piano, three recorders, and orchestra No. 3 (1969-71) 2. Orchestral: Variations, Disguises and Fugue on a Merry Theme of Cyrus McCormick (1937) 3. Choral/Instrumental: East-West Cantata (1943) for piano, choir, and small ensemble (full score lost) 4. Piano works: Sonatas 1-31 (1940-1951) Toccatas Numerous Suites Many shorter works Atonal Sonatinas (1943 and 1944) Transcriptions, embellishments, elaborations of works by a number of composers Cadenzas to various works 5. Chamber music: 3 Violin Sonatas String Quartet (1937) Four Pieces for String Quartet (incomplete) Oboe Sonata (1943) (third movement only) Triptique for cello and piano (ca. 1984) 6. Vocal Music: Songs on texts by Wilde, Longfellow and others. Sonata 160 for voice and piano (wordless singing) Vocalise for voice and piano (1975) (wordless singing or any suitable solo instrument, particularly effective for flute or oboe with piano) 7. Improvisations: Improvised Sonatas numbered 32 - 550 (1953-ca.1990) Improvisations after the Psalms of David (1-41) Miscellaneous Improvisations, some from live performances. Some of the Improvised Sonatas are available on the Johansen compositions series. Most remain stored at the Blue Mounds Archive and a duplicate series up to approximately Sonata 360 is stored at the University of Wisconsin. Home This site and all contents © 2009 The Gunnar and Lorraine Johansen Charitable Trust, except where otherwise specifically indicated. All rights reserved. No re-use without permission.