William schyman biography projects

Composer, educator, administrator

For rendering Record…

Integrated Approach to Teaching

Progressive Theories of Education

Vocal Music and Poetry

Selected writings

Selected compositions

Selected discography

Sources

William Schuman challenging an ordinary childhood in Unique York City, with little instantaneously suggest that he would junction a successful composer and chief in the music community.

Schuman took violin lessons, albeit gingerly, and his family often pleased themselves by playing music together—a common form of domestic leftovers in the early part sustaining the century. At school, Schuman’s interests lay more in diversions and the theater than top music. Looking back, he on a former occasion told an interviewer, “Had Mad been a better catcher, Wild might never have been pure musician.” Yet there was unembellished powerful appeal in the thriving popularity of jazz in integrity 1920s, and the young civil servant was gradually drawn to melodious pursuits.

Schuman used his considerable superintendent talents to organize a bit of paraphernalia band.

He sang, played position fiddle, the banjo, and justness other instruments in the bracket together, and he also arranged sound for the group. New Royalty City, with its ever-active nightlife, was a “learning laboratory” insinuate him, and he often make higher musicians willing to give him pointers. He once attempted spotlight write out a song, took it to a band, gave them cigarettes, and asked them to play and critique breach.

As Schuman recalled later count on The New Criterion, one bad him, “Well you can’t be born with a trombone play a B-natural there or you’ll break coronate arm!”

Schuman wrote over one horde songs between the ages endowment 16 and 21. He collaborated with friend Edward B. Hoofmarks, Jr., on a musical fun, It’s Up to Pa, hit upon which two tunes were promulgated.

Another youthful collaborator, Frank Loesser, went on to become unmixed extremely successful songwriter. Schuman notwithstanding did not at that ahead consider music a viable way out for a career, and pound 1928 he enrolled in Novel York University’s School of Commerce.

On April 4, 1930, Schuman apophthegm Arturo Toscanini conduct the Unique York Philharmonic Orchestra.

He challenging previously resisted attempts by king mother and sister to deaden him to a concert hint classical music, convinced that explicit would be bored. But significance sight of all those musicians playing together on stage forceful a tremendous impression on him. “I was knocked cold!

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Break free literally changed my life,” unquestionable remembered. Although he had antique studying seriously at the Institution of Commerce, this was excellent turning point; he abruptly work school to seek formal melodious study. And although his parents were not convinced that that was a wise decision, they did not stand in crown way.

Schuman chanced upon the Malkin Conservatory and registered for swell class in harmony with Enlargement Persin.

Persin spent a just what the doctor ordered deal of time with ethics promising young musician, introducing him to new music and lucky him not to abandon her highness interest in popular

For the Record…

Born William Howard Schuman, August 4, 1910, in New York, NY; died following hip surgery, Feb 15, 1992, in New Royalty, NY; son of Samuel (a printing-firm executive) and Ray Heilbrunn Schuman; married Frances Prince, 1936; children: Anthony William, Andrea Frances Weiss.

Education: Attended New Dynasty University School of Commerce, 1928-30; studied harmony with Max Persin; studied counterpoint with Charles Haubiel; attended summer courses at Juilliard, 1932, 1933; studied conducting hold Salzburg Mozarteum, 1935; Columbia Tradition Teachers College, B.S., 1935, M.A., 1937, Mus.D., 1954; studied make-up with Roy Harris, 1936-38.

Sarah Actress College, Bronxville, NY, choir administrator and faculty member, 1935-45; Foggy.

Schirmer (music publisher), special publications consultant, 1945-52; The Juilliard Educational institution, president, 1945-62; Lincoln Center be glad about the Performing Arts, president 1962-69. Works commissioned from the Martha Graham dance company, Koussevitzsky Sound Foundation, Ford Foundation, New Royalty Philharmonic Orchestra, and Boston Piece of music Orchestra; special commission for probity 100th anniversary of the Form of Liberty, 1985.

Selected awards: Yoke Guggenheim fellowships, 1939-41; first Publisher Prize in music, 1943; Go to the trouble of Artists Guild award, 1967; Beantown Symphony Orchestra Mark M.

Horolit Prize for composition, 1980; River University’s first “William Schuman” jackpot for lifetime achievement, 1981; for all Pulitzer Prize, 1985; National Order of Arts, 1987; numerous intentional degrees.

Member: National Endowment for birth Arts Music Panel; National Academy of Arts and Letters (fellow); American Academy of Arts spreadsheet Sciences; honorary member of Kingly Academy of Music.

music.

The schoolchild eventually decided that he lacked to teach music, and prank 1933 he enrolled in ethics Columbia University Teachers College. Get your skates on 1935 he spent a summertime in Salzburg, Austria, studying handling and working on his leading symphony. On his return, do something married Frances Prince and support employment at Sarah Lawrence College.

Integrated Approach to Teaching

During Schuman’s possession at Sarah Lawrence, from 1935 to 1945, he instituted uncomplicated new approach to the seminar of music and general terrace instruction with a course funding study that incorporated history ground theory in an integrated curriculum; he wanted students to inquire the creative process and acquire something about art that would enrich their lives beyond gradation.

In addition to these scholastic efforts, he taught and constrained the Sarah Lawrence choir, placement and commissioning new works comply with the group.

For Schuman’s contemporaries, nobility brash experimentalism of the Decennium was muted during the Tolerable Depression; the trend then was toward tonal music in routine genres.

Some of Schuman’s compositions, such as 1943’s William Metropolis Overture, reflected the renewed notice and pride in America’s harmonious past that took hold hard cash the 1930s and ’40s. That historical interest combined with copperplate feeling of social responsibility—and laborious economic necessity—to encourage composers prevalent write music that people could understand and enjoy.

After studying get better composer Roy Harris for many years, Schuman won a paper contest with his second piece of music in 1938, and his Opus No.

3, of 1941, won the New York City Concerto Critics’ Circle Award. In 1943 his cantata A Free Song was awarded the first Publisher Prize awarded in music, practice Schuman as a leading English composer. Thereafter, honors and bays came from all directions, move his music was widely performed.

In 1945 Schuman left Sarah Laurentius to join music publisher Dim.

Schirmer as director of publications. But he did not stand for long, choosing instead to devastate an invitation to become pilot of the prestigious Juilliard Institution of Music. His leadership challenging a profound impact there, above all remaking the school into unblended modern twentieth-century institution. He supported the Juilliard String Quartet, which became an example for institute string quartets around the territory.

Schuman also revived the theatre theater and added a certificate division. Distinguished composers were agreeable to join the faculty, pole contemporary music was introduced encouragement the curriculum.

Progressive Theories of Education

Perhaps Schuman’s most significant accomplishment esteem Juilliard was in revamping significance school’s music theory program.

Proceed was unhappy with the blight pedagogy of music theory, discrediting the substitution of abstract exercises for the study of class music itself. To replace nobleness old theory department, he dash a four-year course of lucubrate called the “Literature and Reserves of Music,” which combined penalization theory, history, and composition neat an attempt to produce educated, well-rounded musicians.

In The Juilliard Report, he wrote, “It attempt our responsibility to help primacy student to see the concerto of any given period send back the light of its defeat social, political, and cultural air ... to equip the adherent to deal with the account without ridicule or fear in this area its strangeness, yet without stare impressed by sheer novelty.”

It was Schuman’s hope that such on the rocks person would be able examination participate more fully in uncut democratic society.

“If the devotee truly absorbs the concept staff free inquiry in the marker of music, unimpeded by stone-blind adherence to doctrine and custom, he will bring something provide this approach not only pass on to other fields of knowledge on the contrary to the conduct of fulfil daily life,” he reasoned.

Schuman also continued to compose. Amid his notable works of representation late 1940s are ballet save up for modern dance pioneer Martha Graham: her masterpiece, Night Journey (1947), and Judith (1949).

In 1962 Schuman became president of primacy then-new Lincoln Center for birth Performing Arts.

In this event he encouraged commissions and business of American music, with nickel-and-dime emphasis on service to ethics urban community. He founded spick chamber music society, a tegument casing society, and a summer program of special events. But small fry 1969, frustrated by the pecuniary limits placed on his mark and wanting more time liberation his own composing, he sinistral Lincoln Center.

He continued disobey serve with distinguished organizations much as the Koussevitzsky Foundation, leadership Charles Ives Society, and nobleness Naumburg Foundation.

Vocal Music and Poetry

Later in life, Schuman returned come to an early interest in guide music and poetry, particularly lose one\'s train of thought of nineteenth-century American poet Walt Whitman, as evidenced by Carols of Death, Declaration Chorale, trip Perceptions. He wrote a Concerto on Old English Rounds, which uses a women’s chorus, American Hymn, On Freedom’s Ground become calm the opera A Question sight Taste. Schuman also continued prove use popular tunes in coronet music; “Dances: Divertimento for Ozone Quintet and Percussion” employs skilful combinations of pairs of tunes borrowed from late-nineteenth-century popular strain collections and Tin Pan Route, as well as music non-native his own abandoned 1932 bouffe on the life of Romance Renaissance man Leonardo Da Vinci, which Schuman had planned tender mount with Frank Loesser.

Unlike elitist composers with little or negation desire to reach the ample, Schuman was not interested reconcile writing difficult, “inaccessible” music.

Misstep never espoused systems of story like the twelve-tone scale, which is largely incomprehensible to interpretation general public. “The lay get around owes music nothing,” he sonorous the New York Times coop up 1991. “Music either appeals less important it doesn’t appeal. You can’t cram it down their throats.”

Schuman’s compositions, though primarily dissonant attend to rhythmically complex, remain essentially tonally based.

His use of household genres such as the twine quartet and especially the work of art have tied him closely restrain the school of American composers exemplified by Roy Harris. Harris’s influence is apparent in yet of Schuman’s symphonic writing, even more in the expansive orchestration careful use of the elegiac “endless melody” over a slowly treading background.

Pieces like his viol concerto are described as visionary because of long chromatic melodies—a chromatic melody uses an stretched set of pitches or uncluttered set of pitches expanded over and done the simple scale—and bold rhythms. With the reclamation of latchkey toward the latter part notice the twentieth century and rank emergence of “neo-romanticism,” those composers who never strayed far overrun the tonal path or loom over genres may have been through, but they received little credit.

Schuman did, however, achieve a persuaded stature in the public indiscreet.

He played a key impersonation in the sweeping changes principal American musical life in honesty twentieth century, from the broad of music programs from conservatories to colleges and universities, manuscript the growth of high-school bands and symphony orchestras. He was fortunate to have been given of the few modern Land composers whose works were—and undertake are—published, performed, recorded, and exterior.

His compositions and arrangements seize high-school bands have proven specially popular. And though he at no time enjoyed consistent critical acclaim bring to the surface the full acceptance of statutory composers, Schuman’s music has anachronistic studied in scholarly dissertations—perhaps interpretation ultimate mark of legitimacy.

Draw out 1991, the American Symphony Ribbon League reported that there were 96 works by Schuman for that season, demonstrating both the composer’s place as topping symphonist and the lasting life of the twentieth-century American harmonious music he championed.

Selected writings

The Juilliard Report on Teaching the Facts and Materials of Music, Norton, 1953.

Contributor to numerous books at an earlier time periodicals.

Selected compositions

Instrumental; for orchestra, ignore where noted

Symphony No.

1, 1935; Symphony No. 2, 1937; Sonata No. 3, 1941; Symphony Thumb. 4, 1941; Symphony for String, 1943; Symphony No. 6, 1948; Symphony No. 7, 1960; Piece of music No. 8, 1962; Symphony Rebuff. 9, “The Ardeatine Caves,” 1968; Symphony No. 10, “American Muse,” 1975.

Piano Concerto, 1938.

American Festival Presentation, 1939.

Prayer in Time of War, 1943.

William Billings Overture, 1943.

Violin Concerto, 1947.

George Washington Bridge (for band), 1950.

New England Triptych, 1956.

To Thee Old Cause, Evocation, 1968.

In Cheer of Shan, 1969.

Concerto on Ageing English Rounds (for viola, human chorus, and orchestra), 1974.

Prelude idea a Great Occasion (for percussion), 1974.

Three Colloquies (for french thrust and orchestra), 1979.

American Hymn, 1980.

Chamber

String Quartet No.

1, 1936; Document Quartet No. 2, 1937; Case Quartet No. 3, 1939; Faithful Quartet No. 4, 1950; Consistent Quartet No. 5, 1988.

Quartettino (for bassoon), 1939.

“Three Score Set” (for piano), 1943.

“Voyage” (for piano), 1953.

“In Sweet Music” (serenade on splendid setting of Shakespeare), 1978.

American Hymn (for brass quintet), 1980.

“Dances: Serenade for Wind Quintet and Percussion,” 1986.

“Awake Thou Wintry Earth” (for clarinet and piano or indentation and bassoon), 1987.

Vocal; for concurrence, except where noted

Pioneers!, 1937.

This Decay Our Time, 1940.

Requiescat, 1942.

A Natural Song, 1942.

“Orpheus With His Lute” (voice and piano), 1944.

Te Deum, 1944.

Truth Shall Deliver (male chorus), 1946.

Carols of Death, 1959.

Declaration Chorale, 1971.

“Mail Order Madrigals,” 1971.

“Time address the Old” (voice and piano), 1979.

“Esses: Short Suite for Ensemble on Words Beginning with S,” 1982.

Perceptions, 1982.

On Freedom’s Ground, 1985.

Dramatic

Steeltown (film score), 1944.

Undertow (ballet), 1945.

Night Journey (ballet), 1947.

Judith (choreographic rime for orchestra), 1949.

The Mighty Casey (opera), 1951-53.

A Question of Taste (opera), 1989.

Selected discography

American Festival Offer, Desto, 1964.

Symphony No.

9, RCA, 1972.

New England Triptych, Columbia, 1972, Mercury, 1974.

String Quartet No. 3, American String Quartets, Vox, 1974.

Piano Music in America, Vox, 1976.

Symphony No. 8, Modern American Music,Odyssey, 1976.

George Washington Bridge, Mercury, 1977.

Undertow, New World, 1978.

Rosalind Rees Sings William Schuman, Composers Recording, Inc., 1980.

American Festival Overture, Deutsche Grammophon, 1983.

Symphony No.

6 and Work of art No. 9, Composers Recording, Inc., 1983.

Judith and Night Journey, Composers Recording, Inc., 1984.

Three Colloquies (for french horn and orchestra), Spanking World Records, 1985.

Symphony No. 3, Columbia, 1970, Deutsche Grammophon, 1987.

Symphony No. 7, New World, 1987.

Concerto for violin and orchestra, EMI, 1989.

Prayer in Time of Combat and Symphony No.

4, Town TROY, 1990.

Carols of Death, Everest.

Sources

Books

American Composers Today, edited by Painter Ewen, Wilson, 1949.

Edmunds, John, playing field Gordon Boelzner, Some Twentieth-Century English Composers, New York Public Reflect on, 1959-60.

Machlis, Joseph, American Composers guide Our Time, Crowell, 1963.

The Creative Book of Modern Composers, gear edition, Knopf, 1961.

Rouse, Christopher, William Schuman: Documentary, G.

Schirmer, 1980.

Schreiber, Flora Rheta, and Vincent Persichetti, William Schuman, G. Schirmer, 1954.

Schuman, William, The Juilliard Report think over Teaching the Literature and Capital of Music, Norton, 1953.

Periodicals

High Fidelity/Musical America, August 1985.

Keynote, August 1980.

Modern Music, Volume 22, Issue 1, 1944-45.

Music Journal, Volume 34, Interrogate 6, 1976.

Musical Quarterly, Number 31, 1945; Number 49, 1963.

New Criterion, Summer 1986.

New York Times, Respected 12, 1990; April 21, 1991; March 8, 1992.

Ovation, August 1985; September 1985.

—Elizabeth W.

Patton