I love Hayden Wayne's Music

OK, I'm coming out of the closet here, to say that I love Hayden Wayne's music.  No, you may not have heard of him, and I've seen mistaken references to him in a music magazine as Wayne Hayden, the occupation hazard of having a first name that many people assume to be a surname and a surname that is commonly used these days as a first name.  (A condition with which I identify.)  I don't think his music has been performed a lot in the NYC area, although he seems to have had plenty of performances in his adopted home in the Czech Republic, where there is a family farm called Nuzerov.  He and his family usually reside in New York State, I think -- the notes on his home-produced CD's can be maddeningly ambiguous at times.

Anyway, many years ago, a musical friend played me some of an LP of one of his symphonies, but the occasion was rushed and I didn't get to focus on it, other than to note that my friend, a very critical listener, thought highly of the piece.  But he said the disc wasn't available in stores.  Then much more recently I saw a review for a recent release of his music, his Africa Symphony (No. 5), and decided to do some exploring.  Googling the name on-line got me eventually to his own record label, www.newmillenniumrecords.com (yes, spelled that way, if you do it with one n rather than two in millenium you get somebody else's website), and took a flyer on ordering some of the stuff.  It was so good that I went back and ordered everything else available, so now I have CD's of 4 of his 5 symphonies (the first is not available), all but the first two of his Nuzerov String Quartets (the first two are not available), and some of his other chamber music.  It's all of a piece, in any event.

Mr. Wayne writes good, old-fashioned, tonal, melodic, developed music.  He sometimes puts popular genre names on particular movements and pieces, but the genre references are lightly-worn, and the music is solidly in the classical format mainstream.  It is wonderful to hear, with rich harmonies, infectious melodies, and that organic quality that marks out real music from the stiff imitation of music that can be produced by third-rate composers. 

I think little other than current critical fashion can explain why our orchestras are not playing his symphonies and our string quartets are not touring with his string quartets.  I can guarantee as a listener that concert listeners would respond enthusiastically to this music, the way concert audiences in Albany, for example, responded enthusiastically when the Albany Symphony Orchestra rescued George Lloyd's music from the forgotten heap and played and recorded it to great acclaim.  And yet, we don't hear Lloyd played at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, just as we don't hear Wayne.  Our major performing organizations seem to believe that they will lose all credibility of they play modern music that people might enjoy on first hearing--no, it has to be hard work to sit through.  (I can think of a few honorable exceptions to this - like Kernis and much of John Adams' music - but if you're in Boston these days, you know what I mean - you take your Wuorinen and Carter and you "like it" the way you like spinach, and hope that your esteemed music director will "backslide" just a little, to program Gershwin's Concerto in F for a change.  Oh, and I do recognize that Peter Lieberson's music has some purchase on the repertory in Boston as well, are you listening NY Philharmonic?)

Sure, I like my occasional dose of thorny modern music.  I've sat through several performances of Carter's Concerto for Orchestra (but usually losing interest before the end), and went out of my way to hear Boulez conduct his Le Marteau sans Maitre, and I enjoy the eclectic modern programing of Alarm Will Sound and 8th Blackbird.  But I'd also like to see more attention paid to composers like Hayden Wayne.  And I would heartily recommend to anybody seeking a pleasurable music experience to check out his works.

Comments

[Art Leonard]

Thanks for your comments. Since I received them, the composer has himself written to me, and I can correct a factual assertion I made - the Nuzerov Quartets 1 & 2 are available, it's just that they are not named as such, but are rather The Rosenberg Variations and The Romantic, works for string quartet that I have heard on Mr. Wayne's CD label. He informed me that there are additional works, including his First Symphony and various other pieces, awaiting recording once he has lined up some financial sponsorship. (Recording is expensive; you need to pay an orchestra for rehearsing, and there is studio time, and there are conductors and soloists to pay as well, in addition to the costs of program book design and manufacturing and selling the stuff as well.)

I hope the sponsors/patrons emerge, because I'd love to hear more of his music.

[ptr chelsea]

Wonderful! It is truly about time that someone noticed and remarked on Hayden's Talent. I have had the pleasure of witnessing Hayden Wayne progress from Glam rocker with the Late Jobriath to the fine composer that he has become. Once again may I say thank you for your review hopefully it will help to finally bring this talent into the public eye.