Ears tuned, at last, to Bolcom

William Bolcom, one of America’s most eclectic and versatile composers, has finally gotten his Grammy due at age 67.

Bolcom’s monumental setting of William Blake’s “Songs of Innocence and Experience” took 25 years to get a recording, so outrageously elaborate is it, requiring a large orchestra, 10 vocal soloists, a rock band, a giant chorus, harmonica and fiddle soloists, madrigal singers and more -- much more. But Naxos’ long-awaited disc garnered nominations for best classical album, choral performance and contemporary composition. (Producer Tim Handley also got a nod.)

In addition, a Naxos disc of Bolcom songs received nominations for best vocal performance, by Carol Finley, and for engineering -- a Grammy peculiarity given that the inventive songs are hootily sung and presented in harsh sound.

The other classical musicians most celebrated this year are the Emerson String Quartet, which received three nominations for a Mendelssohn set, and conductor Mariss Jansons, whose performance of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 13 received two. Jeff von der Schmidt is twice-nominated for the third volume of the Southwest Chamber Music series devoted to composer Carlos Chavez. The pianist Martha Argerich chalked up two nominations for performances at the Lugano Festival in Switzerland.