ics of Parting’s publication and I haven’t
dug into that story – yet!
Incidentally, there is a wonderful
memorial website about Norman here:
http://www.parfaitole.com/ted_norman/
index.html
that Parting was really intended to be the
first in a series of four pieces. This work,
which I’ve named Four Pieces for Guitar, is
a centerpiece in the repertoire and a truly
impacting piece of Americana.
Do you know anything about the
editor of the work, Theodore Norman,
and his connection to the piece?
I know a little about Theodore Norman and his work. He was, based on what
I’ve read, a truly remarkable man. While
he was absolutely prodigious in his arrangements and publications for the guitar, this work doesn’t seem to even capture
half of his output and focus. I’ve read that
he was an inventor and an advocate for
those with disabilities; he was a concert
violinist and serious composer.
Of course, he produced a remarkable
number of publications for the guitar and
two major recordings (that I know of ) of
major guitar repertoire in the 20th cen-
tury: Schoenberg’s Serenade, Op. 24 and
Boulez’s Le Marteau Sans Maitre.
What I don’t know, and would love to
learn more about, is his relationship with
Parting and with Ernst Bacon. In conversation, Joe Bacon doesn’t recall the specif-
Was it difficult to locate these works
in the Library of Congress?
The order, organization and professionalism of the staff at the Library of Congress is remarkable. (Research librarians