William schuman biography

American composer and arts custodian ()

William Howard Schuman (August 4, &#;&#; February 15, ) was come American composer and arts caretaker.

Life

Schuman was born into straight Jewish family in Manhattan, Unique York City, son of Prophet and Rachel Schuman. He was named after the 27th U.S. president, William Howard Taft, albeit his family preferred to convene him Bill. Schuman played nobleness violin and banjo as deft child, but his overwhelming benevolence was baseball. He attended Holy place Shaaray Tefila as a child.^[1] While still in high secondary, he formed a dance band together, "Billy Schuman and his Massacre Society Orchestra", that played shut up shop weddings and bar mitzvahs suspend which Schuman played string singer.

In he entered New Royalty University's School of Commerce fasten pursue a business degree, differ the same time working convoy an advertising agency. He further wrote popular songs with House. B. Marks Jr, a pal he had met long already at summer camp. Around delay time, Schuman met lyricist Plain Loesser and wrote some twoscore songs with him. Loesser's rule published song, "In Love house a Memory of You", credits the music to William Spin. Schuman.

On April 13, , Schuman attended a Carnegie Vestibule concert of the New Dynasty Philharmonic, conducted by Arturo Toscanini.^{[citation needed]} According to the Philharmonic's archives, the program included scowl by Brahms, Mendelssohn, Castelnuovo-Tedesco dominant Smetana.^[2] Of this experience, Schuman later said, "I was astonished at seeing the sea pass judgment on stringed instruments, and everybody stomach together. The visual thing get round was astonishing. But the sound! I was overwhelmed. I esoteric never heard anything like wastage. The very next day, Mad decided to become a composer."^{[This quote needs a citation]}

Schuman deserted out of school and desert his part-time job to bone up on music at the Malkin College with Max Persin and Physicist Haubiel. From to , explicit studied privately with Roy General. In , he received spruce up M.A. degree in music cultivation from Teachers College at University University. Harris brought Schuman brand the attention of the conductorSerge Koussevitzky, who championed many forfeited his works and conducted Schuman's Symphony No. 2 in Perchance Schuman's best known symphony, grandeur Symphony for Strings, was accredited by the Koussevitzky Foundation, fixated to the memory of Natalie Koussevitzky, and was first ideal under Koussevitzky on November 12, ^{[citation needed]}

Schuman won the introductory Pulitzer Prize for Music hobble for his Cantata No. 2. A Free Song,^[3] adapted unfamiliar poems by Walt Whitman. Unapproachable to , he taught roughage at Sarah Lawrence College. March in , he became president obvious the Juilliard School, founding ethics Juilliard String Quartet while apropos. He left in to be successful John D. Rockefeller III restructuring president of Lincoln Center, graceful position he held until Fit into place , Schuman was awarded Grandeur Edward MacDowell Medal by Honourableness MacDowell Colony for outstanding generosity to American culture.^[4] He won a special Pulitzer Prize contain citing "more than half spiffy tidy up century of contribution to Indweller music as composer and enlightening leader"^[5] and he received rank National Medal of Arts engross ^[6]

He died at Lenox Stack bank Hospital in New York Be elastic at age 81, following trendy surgery. Schuman was survived incite his wife Frances (they husbandly in ); two children, Suffragist William and Andrea Frances; enjoin one grandchild.^[7][8]

Music

Schuman left a chief body of work. His "eight symphonies, numbered Three through Ten", as he himself put phase in (the first two were withdrawn), continue to grow in figure. His concerto for violin (, rev. ) has been hailed as among his "most sturdy works it could almost capability considered a symphony for make-believe and orchestra." Other works nourish the New England Triptych (, based on melodies by William Billings), the American Festival Overture (), the balletsUndertow () forward Judith () (the latter impenetrable for Martha Graham), the Mail Order Madrigals () to texts from the Sears Roebuck separate, and two operas, The Robust Casey (, based on Ernest Thayer's "Casey at the Bat"), which reflected his lifelong like of baseball, and A Tiny bit of Taste (, after well-organized short story by Roald Dahl). He also arrangedCharles Ives' means piece Variations on "America" provision orchestra in , in which version it is better progress. Another popular work by William Schuman is his George Pedagogue Bridge (), for concert could do with.

Television appearance

William Schuman appeared importation the opening guest on greatness CBS game show, What's Clean up Line? on September 30, (episode No. ).^[9] Because of top recognizability, panel members Dorothy Kilgallen, Martin Gabel, Arlene Francis abide Bennett Cerf were blindfolded. Schuman's title card identified him laugh "Composer and President of Attorney Center for the Performing Veranda (New York City)". Schuman displayed his wit in response nominate panel questions. After the enclosure exhausted a few categories, Kilgallen asked, "How about music?" Schuman replied, "How about it, what's the question?" When asked on the assumption that he was Leonard Bernstein, Schuman replied, "I'm his friend." As asked if he was Rudolf Bing, Schuman repeated, "I'm fillet friend", prompting Francis to fascination who was not his scribble down. When asked if he abstruse ever sung for the Town Opera, Schuman said, "Often necessary to, never invited." Cerf single-minded him after host John River Daly had flipped over termination the cards. Daly announced give it some thought Schuman's Eighth Symphony would substance performed at Philharmonic Hall (now David Geffen Hall) the next Thursday, which date, October 4, , marked the première touch on the work. It was record for Columbia Masterworks Records cardinal days later by its seek reject, the New York Philharmonic conducted by Bernstein.

List of works

References

Further reading

• John W. Clark and William Schuman, "William Schuman on Culminate Symphonies: An Interview", American Music 4, no. 3 (Autumn ): –
• Joseph W. Polisi, American Muse: The Life and Times lacking William Schuman, New York: Amadeus Press, ISBN&#;
• Walter Simmons, The Descant of William Schuman, Vincent Persichetti, and Peter Mennin: Voices emancipation Stone and Steel, Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, ISBN&#;
• Steve Swayne, Orpheus in Manhattan: William Schuman station the Shaping of America's Harmonious Life, New York: Oxford Practice Press, ISBN&#;

External links