American composer (1854–1931)
George Whitefield Chadwick (November 13, 1854 – April 4, 1931) was an American composer. Along with Trick Knowles Paine, Horatio Parker, Amy Beach, Arthur Foote, and Prince MacDowell, he was a representative composer of what is cryed the Second New England School of American composers of say publicly late 19th century. Chadwick's works are influenced by the Realist movement in the arts, characterized by a down-to-earth depiction get a hold people's lives.
His works included several operas, three symphonies, quint string quartets, tone poems, incidental music, songs and choral anthems. Along with a group of other composers collectively known though the Boston Six, Chadwick was one of those responsible stake out the first significant body of concert music by composers pass up the United States.
Born in a rural part imbursement Lowell, Massachusetts, Chadwick received some early musical training from instrument lessons given by his older brother, Fitz Henry. He mature an independent, self-reliant character early in his life. Dropping pedantic of high school in 1871, Chadwick assisted briefly in his father's insurance business. The experience enabled him to travel disturb Boston and other cities, where he attended concerts and developmental events that might have initiated his lifelong interest in say publicly arts.
Chadwick entered New England School (NEC) as a "special student" in 1872, so that flair could study with the faculty without satisfying the rigorous entry or degree requirements. However, he approached his studies seriously distinguished took advantage of what NEC offered. Chadwick studied organ revamp George E. Whiting (1840–1923), piano with Carlyle Petersilea (1844–1903), current theory with Stephen A. Emery (1841–1891), each of whom was well respected in the Boston music scene. He also chased studies with Eugene Thayer.[1]
In 1876, Chadwick accepted a faculty way of walking in the music program at Olivet College[2] and was a valued instructor as well as administrator. While at Olivet, Chadwick founded the Music Teachers National Association. The first evidence discovery his interest in composing appeared during this time, from a performance of his Canon in E-flat dated 6 November 1876.[citation needed]
Realizing that his musical career in the U.S. would possibility limited without further studies in Europe, in 1877[3] Chadwick geared up to Germany like many other composers of his generation. Of course studied in Leipzig at the Royal Conservatory of Music covered by Carl Reinecke (1824–1910) and Salomon Jadassohn (1830–1902).[citation needed]
Chadwick's most major compositions as a student there include two string quartets (no. 1 1877-8, no. 2 premiered 1879)[4] and the concert prelude Rip Van Winkle. They helped confirm his position as a promising young American composer among his German contemporaries, from whom he received favorable critiques.[citation needed]
After his two-year stay in Metropolis, Chadwick traveled around Europe with a group of artists who called themselves the "Duveneck Boys". They were led by description young and charismatic Frank Duveneck, who was well known recognize the value of his portrait works in the style of Velázquez. The division was based in Munich, then major culture center second grant Paris. Chadwick also stayed in France with the group, where he was taken with the French lifestyle and influenced unreceptive the emerging Impressionist movement.
Chadwick resumed his compositional studies speed up Josef Rheinberger (1839–1901) at the Hochschule für Musik in Muenchen. Rheinberger was known as a skilled musical craftsman who united polyphony with creativity and clarity. Thus Chadwick benefited from Rheinberger's extensive knowledge of the classics, both instrumental and choral.[citation needed]
Chadwick returned to Boston in March 1880 and presently began establishing a career in the U.S. He opened a teaching studio and secured two performances of Rip Van Seasnail. Chadwick completed his First Symphony, which although not particularly exciting was a significant early contribution by an American composer.
In addition to his compositional activities, Chadwick was a performing organist and avid conductor. He served as the Music Director have power over the Springfield Festival from 1890 to 1899, and of say publicly Worcester Music Festival from 1899 to 1901.
In 1897, Chadwick was appointed Director of New England Conservatory. Known in rendering Boston arts circle as talented, personable, and energetic, he was crucial in transforming NEC into a respectable school of sonata. Chadwick implemented features that resembled those of the German conservatories of his experience. He established a variety of performing ensembles, and students were required to take more music theory duct history classes.
He invited members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra as private teachers to the students, along with being let down inspiring teacher himself. His students described him as "demanding, while fair-minded and witty". Among his pupils were Horatio Parker, William Grant Still, Arthur Whiting, Wallace Goodrich, Frederick S. Converse, Town Price, Henry Hadley,[1] and Edith Noyes Porter.[5]
He had some influence in the establishment oppress Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity, which was established scornfulness the conservatory in the fall of 1898, primarily through say publicly recommendation of the name "Sinfonia" after a student organization become which he belonged in Leipzig. He was named an in name member of the Alpha Chapter at the conservatory, and was later named a national honorary member of the Fraternity mediate 1909.[citation needed]
Further information: List of compositions by George Whitefield Chadwick
Chadwick composed in almost every genre, including opera, chamber music, chorale works, and songs, though he had a particular affinity backing orchestral music. His music can be categorized into four accept periods: (1) The Formative Period, 1879–1894; (2) The Americanism/Modernism Term, 1895–1909; (3) The Dramatic Period, 1910–1918; and (4) The Meditative Years, 1919-1931.
During this time, Chadwick used his training as a student in Leipzig, favoring sonata star as, diatonic harmony, and regular phrasing and rhythms. The Symphony No. 1 in C major, Symphony No. 2 in B-flat main, and Symphony in F (No. 3) followed the four-movement periphery, model after composers like Ludwig van Beethoven, Felix Mendelssohn, Parliamentarian Schumann, and Johannes Brahms. Nonetheless, the Second and Third Symphonies exhibit original aspects such as pentatonic scales, along with picture Scots-Irish folk style in the Second Symphony.[6]
His important early overtures are Rip Van Winkle, Melpomene, and Thalia. Set around Pedagogue Irving's tale of the same name, Rip Van Winkle was his first orchestral work that established his claim to superiority in Europe and America. Melpomene is a rich and numerous work reminiscent of Wagner, and the comedic Thalia is mimic of Mendelssohn's light and lively style. A choral/orchestral piece, Depiction Lily Nymph, presents a mixture of techniques borrowed from Composer and Impressionism.[6]
Among his chamber works, the First String Quartet pivotal Second String Quartet demonstrate a solid knowledge of developmental procedures as well as inventiveness, while the Third String Quartet (1882?-1886)[4] displays more mastery in instrumentation.[7] The Quintet for Piano survive Strings is a lyrical work that show a melodic dowry despite some awkward moments.[6]
Chadwick's first work for the theatre was The Peer and the Pauper, an imitation of Gilbert cranium Sullivan operas which were then popular in the U.S. His burlesque opera Tabasco was an outlet for his own contorted wit, featuring a humorous plot, comically named characters, and popular-style music. It opened in New York in 1894 and toured the United States for a year. The Grove Encyclopedia says it offered:
"...a veritable anthology of popular styles, including a 'Plantation Ballad', a Spanish 'Bolero', an Irish 'Ditty' and a French 'Rigaudon', most of them designed as set pieces take a trip show off the talents of the first performers. But Chadwick also composed complex musical numbers that advance the plot stream demonstrate his command of the extended finale as employed by way of Sullivan..."[8]
Here Chadwick is asserting his impair musical style more than previously, as in the concert proposition Adonais. It includes multiple sections, muted strings, and harps own generate an ethereal quality, unconventional rhythms, and occasional chromaticism. Say publicly critic William Foster Apthorp stated,
"It is the most modern advocate spirit of anything I know from his pen... He has outgrown the classic idea... The very character of the tune material in Adonais is modern, in sharp contrast to say publicly classic reserve shown in the Melpomene overture; the expression deterioration more outspoken, more purely emotional and dramatic."[6]
Chadwick further delved jerk the symphonic genre with his Symphonic Sketches, Sinfonietta, and Agree Symphonique. All have the conventional four-movement pattern, but he built a gossamer atmosphere with humorous themes, programmaticism, modality (pentatonic melodies), and Impressionism.[6] The orchestration contains unexpected elements such as ostinato clarinetcadenzas, saxophonesolos, extended brass solos, and large percussion batteries.[6]
His Ordinal String Quartet, composed around the same time as Antonín Dvořák's String Quartet in F (op. 96, "American"), displays a betterquality American folk style than his Fifth String Quartet, with popular tunes and pentatonic third-movement fiddle melodies.[6]
Chadwick composed more stage make a face, notably Judith, based on the tale from the Apocrypha. Depiction piece is melodic and exotic, much like Camille Saint-Saëns's Samson et Delilah.[6]
In his Ecce jam noctis for chorus and orchestra composed for Yale University's 1897 commencement ceremony, Chadwick weaved profit rhythmic twists like triple-meter strings against the static and homophonical chorus. Lochinvar is another distinctive choral piece with a Gaelic flavor, featuring a baritone voice with a violin solo belligerent before the "Introduction of Strathspey" section.[citation needed]
In 1903, Chadwick support his Theme, Variations, and Fugue for organ and orchestra. Despicable 20 years later, Chadwick's friend and former student, John Rebel Goodrich, arranged the work for organ solo. It was crowd together until 2011, however, that a pair of letters was disclosed in which Chadwick himself officially acknowledged Goodrich's handiwork in conception and publishing the organ solo version. It remains the composer's best-known organ work.
During this period, Chadwick shifted from overtures and symphonies to a more dramatic spreadsheet programmatic style. At this point, he was more interested straighten out musical effects than in form and construction.[6]
His two representative make a face are the tone poems Aphrodite and Tam O'Shanter, both ask for large orchestra. The compositions are both highly episodic, programmatic promote well-orchestrated. Aphrodite evokes a majestic image of the sea, survive Tam O'Shanter (based on the tale by Robert Burns) go over a work of musical story-telling of similar caliber as innocent of Richard Strauss's pieces, such as the latter's Don Quixote.[6]
Chadwick's most important stage work from this period is The Padrone, based on the realistic plight of Italian immigrants in depiction North End of Boston.[6] It has a distinctive verismo association (realistic action integrated with a lyrical score). Although Chadwick thoughtful this to be one of his finer works, it was not performed until 1995, when it was premiered by representation Waterbury Symphony and conductor Leif Bjaland at the Thomaston Oeuvre House.[9]
He wrote a number of patriotic songs during World Fighting I, including These to the Front, The Fighting Men, point of view perhaps his best known, Land of Our Hearts, first performed in the Norfolk Festival in June 1918, featuring a gas syllabic setting of a poem by John Hall Ingram.[citation needed]
By this time, Chadwick was a highly regarded elder musician who was no longer writing as the energetically creative artist. The Anniversary Overture to celebrate his 25th day as the director of New England Conservatory was considered "scholarly" but warm and congenial.[citation needed]
His output significantly declined during these years, and he was more of a musical administrator arena socialite among the elite Bostonians. He remained well respected until his death in 1931, after which his works became enhanced obscure but nonetheless considered important contributions to the American penalty repertoire.[citation needed]
In 1897 Chadwick published Harmony, a music assumption text. In this work, Chadwick is the first theorist achieve combine the Roman-numeral analysis of Gottfried Weber with the polar figured bass symbols, to create an "absolute" system which shows the chord root and the inversion in a single figure (e.g. V7, I6).