Author: (Cowell, Henry; editor). Ornstein, Leo; and Weisshaus, Imre [aka Paul Arma].
Title: New Music. A Quarterly of Modern Compositions. Volume I, No. 3. April 1928. ["This Issue Contains Works for Voice by Leo Ornstein and by Imre Weisshaus"].
Description: San Francisco, CA: The New Music Society of California, 1928. 1928. - Folio, 14 inches high by 10-1/2 inches wide. Softcover, bound in stapled purple wraps, titled and decorated in green on the front cover. The edges of the covers are faded and creased with stains to the corners. 22 & [1] pages. The top front corners of the pages are dampstained. Good.

First edition of the third issue of Henry Cowell's important periodical. Through "New Music" Cowell, an important composer himself, published scores by modern composers who would otherwise have little opportunity to see their works distributed through the mainstream.

This issue contains "The Corpse for Voice and Piano by Leo Ornstein" and "Six Pieces for Solo Voice by Imre Weisshaus".

A leading American experimental composer and pianist of the early twentieth century Leo Ornstein (1895-2002) performed works by avant-garde composers as well as his own innovative and shocking compositions. He was a cause celebre in both Europe and the Americas. Ornstein made extensive use of the tone cluster, and was recognized as the first significant composer to do so. Born in Kremenchug in Southwest Russia, Ornstein studied in Petrograd before moving to the lower East side of New York City. Quoting from the brief biography printed at the end of the score: "His first works are extremely conventional in mode, but as early as 1913, when modern music was quite rare, he broke with great suddenness into a highly dissonant and individual style.."

The Hungarian-French pianist, composer, and ethnomusicologist Imre Weisshaus (1905-1987) later composed under the pseudonym of Paul Arma. Quoting from the biography printed following the score: "From 1921-1924 he was a pupil of Bela Bartok in the Budapest Academy of Music. As well as being a composer, Mr. Weisshaus is a pianist, and tours constantly, to spread a knowledge of modern Hungarian works. Outside of the 'Six Pieces for Solo Voice,' none of Mr. Weisshaus' works is published. His unpublished compositions include the following: Pieces for Large Orchestra (1926); Two 'Recitatives' for Violin Solo (1925); Pieces for the Piano (1925-1927); 'Skizzen' for the Piano (1926-1927); Sonate for the Piano (1927), etc." Weisshaus left Hungary in 1930, settling in Paris in 1933 at which time he likely took on the pseudonym of Paul Arma.

Weisshaus' "Six Pieces for Solo Voice" are wordless. However, vowels are prescribed for piece no. 4. The composer provides performance directions in English and Hungarian. Good .

Keywords: MUSIC; CLASSICAL; MODERN; MODERNIST; NEW MUSIC; A QUARTERLY OF MODERN COMPOSITIONS; VOLUME 1, NUMBER 3; APRIL 1928; HENRY COWELL; COMPOSER; WORKS FOR VOICE; THE CORPSE FOR VOICE AND PIANO BY LEO ORNSTEIN; SIX PIECES FOR SOLO VOICE BY IMRE WEISSHAUS; PAUL

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