List of jazz-influenced classical compositions

The following is a list of jazz-influenced classical compositions. Classical music has often incorporated elements or material from popular music of the composer's time. Jazz has influenced classical music, particularly early and mid-20th-century composers, including Maurice Ravel. "While Western classical music emphasizes structure, written scores, and faithful interpretation, jazz thrives on improvisation, spontaneity, and individual expression."^[1] Classical music is "more refined and structured", "complex and intricate"; whereas jazz music is "more spontaneous and free-flowing", "upbeat and lively."^[2]

Composer	Date	Work
George Antheil	1922 1925 1948	Jazz Sonata, for piano A Jazz Symphony Piano Sonata No. 4 "Jazz"
Malcolm Arnold	1954 1959 1974	Concerto for Harmonica and Orchestra, Op. 46 Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra, Op. 67 Concerto No. 2 for Clarinet and Orchestra, Op. 115
Larry Austin	1960 1961 1971	Fantasy on a Theme by Berg, for jazz orchestra: 5 saxs, 5 tpts, 4 trbns, perc set, pno, db Improvisations for Orchestra and Jazz Soloists (tpt or alt sax; perc set, db) Agape Set, for jazz orchestra: 5 saxs, 5 tpts, 4 trbns, perc set, pno, db
Milton Babbitt	1957	All Set
Leonardo Balada	2007	Caprichos No. 4 "Quasi Jazz", for solo contrabass and chamber orchestra
Don Banks	1962	Trio for horn, violin and piano
Leonard Bernstein	1941–42 1944 1948–49/1965 1949 1954 1957 1995	Sonata for Clarinet and Piano Fancy Free Symphony No. 2, The Age of Anxiety Prelude, Fugue and Riffs Serenade after Plato's "Symposium" West Side Story West Side Story Suite
Harrison Birtwistle	1995	Panic, for alto saxophone, jazz drum kit and orchestra
Boris Blacher	1946 1958 1966 1972 1972	Concerto for Jazz Orchestra Die Gesänge des Seeräubers O'Rourke und seiner Geliebten Sally Brown, beide auf das Felseneiland En Vano Anhelar verschlagen, Op. 56 Plus Minus One for string quartet and jazz ensemble Blues, Espagnola und Rumba philharmonica for 12 cellos Stars and Strings, for jazz ensemble and string orchestra
Marc Blitzstein	1936–37 1946–48	The Cradle Will Rock Regina
Claude Bolling	1975 1975 1977 1978 1980 1981 1983 1984 1987 1989	Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio Concerto for Guitar and Jazz Piano Trio Suite for Violin and Jazz Piano Trio California Suite Picnic Suite for Guitar, Flute and Jazz Piano Trio Toot Suite Suite for Chamber Orchestra and Jazz Piano Trio Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano Trio Suite No. 2 for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio Sonatas for Two Pianists
Aaron Copland	1920–21 1925 1926 1946 1947–48 1949 1961	Three Moods for piano Music for the Theater Concerto for Piano and Orchestra Danzón cubano Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra Four Piano Blues Something Wild, film score
Valeri Ibrahimovitsj Saparov	2010	24 Jazz Preludes for piano^[3]
Claude Debussy	1905	"Reflets dans l'eau"
Andrei Eshpai	1969	Thee Prelude Jazz Melodie for Piano
Harold Farberman	1980–83	Concerto for Jazz Drummer and Orchestra
George Gershwin	1922 1924 1925 1926 1928 1931 1932 1933–34 1935 1937	Blue Monday Rhapsody in Blue Concerto in F Three Preludes An American in Paris Second Rhapsody Cuban Overture Variations on "I Got Rhythm" Porgy and Bess Hoctor's Ballet
William Gillock	1968	Three Jazz piano preludes (for solo piano)
Morton Gould	1934 1938 1938 1941	Chorale and Fugue in Jazz American Symphonette No. 2 Boogie Woogie Etude (for solo piano) Boogie the Woogie (for solo piano)
Hans Werner Henze	1951 1956–57 1968	Boulevard Solitude Ondine Versuch über Schweine
Paul Hindemith	1922	Suite für Klavier
Arthur Honegger	1921–22 1924 1929	Sonatine, for clarinet (or cello) and piano Concertino for Piano and Orchestra Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
John Ireland	1930	Piano Concerto
James P. Johnson	1927	Yamekraw, a Negro Rhapsody
Scott Joplin	1903 1911	A Guest of Honor Treemonisha
Ernst Krenek	1926	Jonny spielt auf, opera
Constant Lambert	1927 1927 1928–29 1930–31 1949	Elegiac Blues The Rio Grande Piano Sonata Concerto for Piano and Nine Players Trois pièces nègres pour les touches blanches
Rolf Liebermann	1954	Concerto for Jazzband and Symphony Orchestra
Frank Martin	1940 1956	Ballade for trombone and piano Études for string orchestra ("Pour le pizzicato")
Bohuslav Martinů	1927 1928	La revue de cuisine Jazz Suite
Darius Milhaud	1920 1922 1923	Caramel Mou, Op. 68, for piano Trois rag caprices, Op. 78, for piano La création du monde^[4]
Robert Morris	1973	Not Lilacs
Krzysztof Penderecki	1971	Actions, for free-jazz orchestra
Walter Piston	1954	Symphony No. 5
Sergei Prokofiev	1921 1944	Piano Concerto No. 3 (2nd mvt) Symphony No. 5 (2nd mvt)
Maurice Ravel	1923–27 1929–31 1929–31	Sonata No. 2 for Violin and Piano Piano Concerto for the Left Hand Piano Concerto in G
Sergei Rachmaninoff	1934	Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Erwin Schulhoff	1921 1927 1935	Suite for Chamber Orchestra Violin Sonata No. 2 H.M.S. Royal Oak
Gunther Schuller	1959 1960 1962	Concertino for jazz quartet and orchestra Variants for jazz quartet and orchestra Journey into Jazz for jazz quintet and chamber orchestra
Mátyás Seiber	1929 1932 1959	Jazzolette No. 1, for 2 saxophones, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass, and drums Jazzolette No. 2, for 2 saxophones, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass, and drums Improvisations for Jazz Band and Orchestra (with John Dankworth)
John Serry Sr.	1955 1964	American Rhapsody for solo accordion, revised for piano in 2002 Concerto for Free Bass Accordion for solo accordion, revised for piano in 2002
Dmitri Shostakovich	1927 1934 1938	"Tahiti Trot" (based on "Tea for Two") Suite No. 1 for Jazz Orchestra Suite No. 2 for Jazz Orchestra
Elie Siegmeister	1956	Clarinet Concerto
William Grant Still	1924 1927 1930 1930 1930 1934 1935 1935 1936 1937 1937 1940 1941 1945 1947 1948 1957 1958 1963	Darker America La Guiablesse Sahdji Africa Symphony No. 1 "Afro-American" Blue Steel Kaintuck Three Visions Troubled Island Symphony No. 2 "Song of a New Race" Lenox Avenue Miss Sally's Party A Bayou Legend Symphony No. 5 "Western Hemisphere" Symphony No. 4 "Autochthonous" Miniatures The American Scene Symphony No. 3 "The Sunday Symphony" Highway 1 USA
Karlheinz Stockhausen	1950 1951 1951 1955–57 1959 1959 1958–60 1965 1974–75 1983	Drei Lieder Sonatine for violin and piano Kreuzspiel Gruppen Zyklus Refrain Kontakte Mikrophonie II Tierkreis Luzifers Tanz
Igor Stravinsky	1917–18 1918 1919 1936–37/53 1944 1945	Ragtime for 11 instruments L'Histoire du soldat Piano-Rag-Music Praeludium Scherzo à la russe Ebony Concerto
Dana Suesse	1931 1932 1933 1941 1955	Jazz Nocturne Concerto in Three Rhythms Symphonic Waltzes Concerto for two pianos Jazz Concerto
Michael Tippett	1970–72	Symphony No. 3
Mark-Anthony Turnage	1993–96 1996–2001	Blood on the Floor, for jazz quartet and large ensemble Scorched, for jazz trio and orchestra
William Walton	1922 1925	Façade Portsmouth Point (overture)
Kurt Weill	1928	The Threepenny Opera
Earl Wild	1973	Virtuoso Etudes after Gershwin
Alec Wilder	1939–41	Octets
Stefan Wolpe	1950	Quartet for trumpet, tenor saxophone, percussion, and piano
Bernd Alois Zimmermann	1954 1967	Trumpet Concerto: "Nobody knows de trouble I see" for trumpet in C and jazz orchestra Die Befristeten for jazz quintet

References

^ Staff (2024). "A Guide to Understanding the Difference Between Western Classical Music and Jazz". SerenadeMagazine.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
^ Brooks, Sylvia (September 15, 2022). "How Is Jazz Music Different From Classical Music?". SylviaBrooks.net. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
^ Jazz Pieces by Uzbek Composers: Analysis of Jazz Techniques in 24 Preludes by V. Saparov
^ "Classical Arts". Center for Jazz Arts. Archived from the original on 2012-02-09. Retrieved 2013-10-06.

External links

Jazzy Classical Music - Click To Listen on the ClassicalMusicOnly WebSite

[SM-2024-1] Staff (2024). "A Guide to Understanding the Difference Between Western Classical Music and Jazz". SerenadeMagazine.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024.

[SB-20220915-2] Brooks, Sylvia (September 15, 2022). "How Is Jazz Music Different From Classical Music?". SylviaBrooks.net. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024.

[3] Jazz Pieces by Uzbek Composers: Analysis of Jazz Techniques in 24 Preludes by V. Saparov

[4] "Classical Arts". Center for Jazz Arts. Archived from the original on 2012-02-09. Retrieved 2013-10-06.

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