Samuel (Hans) Adler [1928 - TBA]

Started by Scion7, September 05, 2021, 01:10:28 AM

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Scion7

German Jew born in Mannheim in 1928.  Came from musical family - father was a composer of Jewish religious music.
Family wisely got out in 1939 to America before it was too late.  As an adult, he has lived in Dallas, Tx and later in Rochester, NY in 1966.
He was educated at Boston University, and also at Harvard.
Some of his famous teachers were: Piston, Thompson, Hindemith, and Fine at Harvard (1948-1950); and Copland at Tanglewood (1949, 1950).
He was married to Carol Starker (1960-1989) and currently to conductor Emily Brown Freeman (1991- ).
Besides his memoirs, he is the author of three books about music and has written for many magazines over his years.
A prolific composer, his music covers the ground from serial techniques to "melodic Modern," typically using much orchestral colour.

selected works from New Grove - see full listing at:  https://www.samuelhadler.com/works
instrumental
Orch: Sym. no.1, 1953
Sym. no.2, 1957
Southwestern Sketches, wind, 1960
Sym. no.3 'Diptypch', 1960, rev. 1980
Requiescat in pace, 1963
Sym. no.4 'Geometrics', 1967
Conc., ww, brass, perc, 1968
Org Conc., 1970
Conc. for Orch, 1971
Sym. no.5 'We are the Echoes' (C. Adler, A.J. Heschel, J.R. Oppenheimer, M. Rukeyser, K. Wolfskehl), Mez, orch, 1975
Concertino no.2, 1976
Fl Conc., 1977
Pf Conc., 1983
Sym. no.6, 1985
Conc., ww qnt, orch, 1991
Concertino no.3, 1993
Time in Tempest Everywhere, 1993
Gui Conc., 1994
Vc Conc., 1995
Pf Conc. no.2, 1996
Viola Conc, 1998
Violin Concerto, 2012
c38 other works, incl. c19 works for wind ens, brass

Chbr and solo inst: Sonata, hn, pf, 1948
Str Qt no.3, 1953
Sonata, vn, pf, 1956
Introduction and Capriccio, hp, 1964
Pf Trio no.1, 1964
Sonata no.3, vn, pf, 1965
Sonata, vc, pf, 1966
Cantos I–XV, various insts, 1968–96
4 Dialogues, euphonium, marimba, 1974
Str Qt no.6 (W. Whitman), Mez/Bar, str qt, 1975
Aeolus, God of the Winds, cl, vn, vc, pf, 1977
Pf Trio no.2, 1978
Sonata, fl, pf, 1981
Str Qt no.7, 1981
Gottschalkiana, brass qnt, 1982
Sonata, va, pf, 1984
Sonata, gui, 1985
Sonata, ob, pf, 1985
Str Qt no.8, 1990
A Mediterranean Suite, vn, pf, 1992
c50 other works

keyboards:
Toccata, Recitation and Postlude, org, 1959
Sonata breve, pf, 1963
Pf Sonatina, 1979
Hpd Sonata, 1982
Duo Sonata, 2 pf, 1983

stage
The Outcast of Poker Flat (op, 1, J. Stampfer), 1959, Dallas, April 1961; The Wrestler (op, 1, Stampfer), 1971, Dallas, June 1972; The Lodge of Shadows (musical drama, J. Ramsey), Bar, orch, dancers, 1973, Fort Worth, TX, 1988; The Disappointment (op, A. Barton), 1974 [reconstruction of an early ballad opera]; The Waking (ballet, T. Roethke and others), chorus, orch, 1978

vocal
Shir chadash (Sabbath service), B, SAB, org, 1960; The Vision of Isaiah (Bible), B, SATB, orch, 1962; B'Shaaray tefilah (Sabbath service), B, SATB, org/orch, 1963; Shiru Ladonay (Sabbath service), solo/unison vv, org, 1965; Behold your God (cant., Bible), 1966; The Binding (orat, A. Friedlander, after Bible: Genesis, Midrash), 1967; From out of Bondage (Bible), S, A, T, B, SATB, brass qnt, perc, org, 1968; A Whole Bunch of Fun (cant., G.V. Catullus, Finjan, Moore, O. Nash, Roethke, Dr Seuss), vv, orch, 1969; We Believe (liturgical), mixed vv, 8 insts, 1974; Of Saints and Sinner (I. Feldman, W. Kaufmann, others), medium v, pf, 1976; A Falling of Saints (Rosenbaum), T, B, chorus, orch, 1977; It is to God I shall Sing (Pss), chorus, org, 1977; Of Musique, Poetrie, Nature and Love (R. Herrick), Mez, fl, pf, 1978; Snow Tracks (Amer. poets), high v, wind, 1981; Choose Life, Mez, T, SATB, orch, 1986; 6 other large choral works; numerous smaller sacred and secular choral works; c20 works for solo vv, acc. and unacc.; works for children; arrs.


When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

Scion7

When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

Karl Henning

Quote from: Scion7 on September 05, 2021, 01:10:28 AM
German Jew born in Mannheim in 1928.  Came from musical family - father was a composer of Jewish religious music.
Family wisely got out in 1939 to America before it was too late.  As an adult, he has lived in Dallas, Tx and later in Rochester, NY in 1966.
He was educated at Boston University, and also at Harvard.
Some of his famous teachers were: Piston, Thompson, Hindemith, and Fine at Harvard (1948-1950); and Copland at Tanglewood (1949, 1950).
He was married to Carol Starker (1960-1989) and currently to conductor Emily Brown Freeman (1991- ).
Besides his memoirs, he is the author of three books about music and has written for many magazines over his years.
A prolific composer, his music covers the ground from serial techniques to "melodic Modern," typically using much orchestral colour.

instrumental
Orch: Sym. no.1, 1953
Sym. no.2, 1957
Southwestern Sketches, wind, 1960
Sym. no.3 'Diptypch', 1960, rev. 1980
Requiescat in pace, 1963
Sym. no.4 'Geometrics', 1967
Conc., ww, brass, perc, 1968
Org Conc., 1970
Conc. for Orch, 1971
Sym. no.5 'We are the Echoes' (C. Adler, A.J. Heschel, J.R. Oppenheimer, M. Rukeyser, K. Wolfskehl), Mez, orch, 1975
Concertino no.2, 1976
Fl Conc., 1977
Pf Conc., 1983
Sym. no.6, 1985
Conc., ww qnt, orch, 1991
Concertino no.3, 1993
Time in Tempest Everywhere, 1993
Gui Conc., 1994
Vc Conc., 1995
Pf Conc. no.2, 1996
Viola Conc, 1998
c38 other works, incl. c19 works for wind ens, brass

Chbr and solo inst: Sonata, hn, pf, 1948
Str Qt no.3, 1953
Sonata, vn, pf, 1956
Introduction and Capriccio, hp, 1964
Pf Trio no.1, 1964
Sonata no.3, vn, pf, 1965
Sonata, vc, pf, 1966
Cantos I–XV, various insts, 1968–96
4 Dialogues, euphonium, mar, 1974
Str Qt no.6 (W. Whitman), Mez/Bar, str qt, 1975
Aeolus, God of the Winds, cl, vn, vc, pf, 1977
Pf Trio no.2, 1978
Sonata, fl, pf, 1981
Str Qt no.7, 1981
Gottschalkiana, brass qnt, 1982
Sonata, va, pf, 1984
Sonata, gui, 1985
Sonata, ob, pf, 1985
Str Qt no.8, 1990
c50 other works

keyboards:
Toccata, Recitation and Postlude, org, 1959
Sonata breve, pf, 1963
Pf Sonatina, 1979
Hpd Sonata, 1982
Duo Sonata, 2 pf, 1983

stage
The Outcast of Poker Flat (op, 1, J. Stampfer), 1959, Dallas, April 1961; The Wrestler (op, 1, Stampfer), 1971, Dallas, June 1972; The Lodge of Shadows (musical drama, J. Ramsey), Bar, orch, dancers, 1973, Fort Worth, TX, 1988; The Disappointment (op, A. Barton), 1974 [reconstruction of an early ballad opera]; The Waking (ballet, T. Roethke and others), chorus, orch, 1978

vocal
Shir chadash (Sabbath service), B, SAB, org, 1960; The Vision of Isaiah (Bible), B, SATB, orch, 1962; B'Shaaray tefilah (Sabbath service), B, SATB, org/orch, 1963; Shiru Ladonay (Sabbath service), solo/unison vv, org, 1965; Behold your God (cant., Bible), 1966; The Binding (orat, A. Friedlander, after Bible: Genesis, Midrash), 1967; From out of Bondage (Bible), S, A, T, B, SATB, brass qnt, perc, org, 1968; A Whole Bunch of Fun (cant., G.V. Catullus, Finjan, Moore, O. Nash, Roethke, Dr Seuss), vv, orch, 1969; We Believe (liturgical), mixed vv, 8 insts, 1974; Of Saints and Sinner (I. Feldman, W. Kaufmann, others), medium v, pf, 1976; A Falling of Saints (Rosenbaum), T, B, chorus, orch, 1977; It is to God I shall Sing (Pss), chorus, org, 1977; Of Musique, Poetrie, Nature and Love (R. Herrick), Mez, fl, pf, 1978; Snow Tracks (Amer. poets), high v, wind, 1981; Choose Life, Mez, T, SATB, orch, 1986; 6 other large choral works; numerous smaller sacred and secular choral works; c20 works for solo vv, acc. and unacc.; works for children; arrs.




I had two positive interviews with him when I was applying to the Eastman School.  I don't know a note of his music. Do you have an entrée to suggest? I certainly keep his Orchestration text handy.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Scion7

When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

Scion7

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on September 05, 2021, 08:27:50 AM
I had two positive interviews with him when I was applying to the Eastman School.  I don't know a note of his music. Do you have an entrée to suggest? I certainly keep his Orchestration text handy.

He's done a lot of good work.  The sonata for horn and piano - an early work - is one of the best of its kind.
The 2nd symphony is entertaining - reminding me of Copland at times.

I would say visit YT and sample from the links I've left and also see the string quartets that have been posted, and see what tickles your cochlea . . .


When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

Brian

I'm interviewing Sam on Monday. He turns 96 in a month and is keeping busy - he just did an online lecture you can watch here. I'll be talking to him mostly about his time here in Dallas, but if anyone has any questions let me know!

Karl Henning

Quote from: Brian on January 31, 2024, 08:39:55 AMhe just did an online lecture you can watch here.
What a lovely opportunity!.

My review of the lecture &c. is here.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Brian

Quote from: Brian on January 31, 2024, 08:39:55 AMI'm interviewing Sam on Monday. He turns 96 in a month and is keeping busy - he just did an online lecture you can watch here. I'll be talking to him mostly about his time here in Dallas, but if anyone has any questions let me know!
Resulting interview here!

Adler's career was always adjacent to some of the most famous names of the century. He was supposed to take Leonard Bernstein's teaching job at one point; he was friends with Copland; he was a student of Piston and Hindemith; he was cover conductor for Beecham, Ansermet, Ormandy, and Stokowski; his most famous work is in memory of Lynn Harrell's mother; and he spent a weekend hanging out with Milhaud.

There is a very touching, sad Piston story in the interview, along with this wonderful closing thought:

"I feel that people have creativity within them that they don't know. Especially when you retire. Look, if you retire at 65, I'm now 96 almost. You don't know how long you're going to live! The best way of filling the time is with creativity. Doing something for other people.... It's my wish that every city, every town, would have places where people could go to play, to read, to paint, to write poetry. Every library should be open all the time for these things. I am enjoying life because I can still create. I want that for everybody."