Catalogue of the Works of Ralph Shapey

Ralph Shapey (b. 1921) is one of the most controversial composers of the twentieth century. His music has been described as searing, terrifying, and altogether extraordinary,highly poetic and very lyrical, and magnificent.epic in its scope, arrestingly original in its utterance. More than sixty of his works have been published and he has received numerous awards and commissions. This catalogue begins with a brief biography. The second section lists the works of the composer, numbered chronologically by date of completion, and includes eleven categories of information: Title, number of movements, duration, instrumental forces, number of pages, catatogue number of publication, dedication, first performance, reviews, and discography. There is also a section that discusses the method of composition Shapey has employed in all his works since 1981, and which he calls The Mother Lode.