Contemplation (The Pool of Kashmir)

Richard Kountz, American composer was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 0n July 8, 1896, and died in New York City on October 14, 1950.

This is the only information that I have about him.

"Contemplation" was published posthumously in 1955 by Galaxy Music Corporation. It appears to be the first work from a "trio" of pieces entitled "The Pool of Kashmir".

Kashmir has an area of about 222,236 sq km (85,806 sq mi). Both India and Pakistan claim all of Kashmir, but the territory has been partitioned between them since 1947. India controls the southern half of Kashmir, which it has organized as the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The work is deeply relaxing and highly atmospheric. The reason I chose the Salisbury Willis was to get maximum "effect" from its famous Solos stops, and you'll hear virtually every stop from the Solo division during the piece, with the exception of the Tuba! :-)

THANKS to Carson Cooman for this and other rare scores.

I have no photos of Richard Kountz, but did attach a photo of the Jhelum-River-Srinagar-India-Jammu-and-Kashmir, as well as an older photograph or painting of the same river.

Sorry, but I can't actually tell if it's a painting or a photo!