American Five

The American Five was a group of modernist American composers consisting of Charles Ives, John J. Becker, Wallingford Riegger, Henry Cowell, and Carl Ruggles.^[1] It was known for its modernist and often dissonant compositions which broke away from European compositional styles to create a distinctly American style.^[2] The name was coined in imitation of the group of Russian composers called The Five.^[3]

References

1. Chase, Gilbert. "American Music: From the Pilgrims to the Present." Music & Letters, Vol. 69, No. 4 (Oct., 1988), pp. 542-545.
2. New York Public Library Guide to the John J. Becker Papers
3. USD Symphony Program Notes