Steve Schwartz wrote:

>Interestingly enough, this concept began in New Orleans with a businessman
>named Edward Benjamin, who commissioned modern composers to compose
>"restful" music.  None of the works he commissioned actually satisfied him;
>apparently, he disliked *all* climaxes and *any* increase in tension.  It's
>all tonal, some of it neo-classical, some post-Romantic.  "Pursell" is
>William Pursell, born in 1926.

There is actually a book on the subject.  As an interesting aside...I
may have my story mixed up but I recall hearing that the Rosza Hungarian
Nocture (a beautiful piece) was commissioned by Benjamin.  There is a
wonderful highpoint in the piece.  After the work was over Benjamin, I
guess upset over the crescendo, said something like, "the composers just
don't understand." It seems he like to have the music on while he worked in
his office and he didn't want to be distracted.

As another aside, one of the composer featured, Martin Mailman, recently
passed away.  He wrote some wonderful music, symphonies etc, which are not
played.  While his band music turns up on programs every now and them, the
major works are never heard.  While I don't care for some of his late
stuff, the early works are quite fine.

Karl