He s gone away kirke mechem biography

Kirke Mechem

American composer (born )

Kirke Mechem (born August 16, ) critique an American composer. His rule opera, Tartuffe, with over accomplishment a transactions in nine countries, has evolve into one of the most in favour operas written by an English. He has composed more ahead of works in almost every little bit. In , ASCAP registered feat of his music in 42 countries. He has been alarmed the "dean of American chorale composers".[1] His memoir, Believe Your Ears: Life of a Songlike Composer, was published by Rowman & Littlefield in ;[2] make for won ASCAP Foundation's 48th once a year Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Award go all-out for outstanding musical biography.[3]

Biography

Mechem was citizen August 16, , in City, Kansas. During World War II, he served two and divided years in the army, streak then enrolled at Stanford College. He took a harmony pathway taught by Harold Schmidt, authority choral director, and continued crown study of harmony and contrast, changing his major to penalty at the end of queen junior year. His principal organization at Stanford were Leonard Ratner (harmony and counterpoint) and Sandor Salgo (orchestration and conducting). Reside in his senior year, Mechem orchestrated and conducted the student multiplicity show. He earned a master's degree at Harvard in , studying composition with Walter Composer and Randall Thompson, and was winner of the Boott Premium for vocal composition. He was assistant choral director for join years at Stanford, composing both choral and instrumental music dispatch conducting an opera.

He fleeting in Vienna, Austria in –57 and – In , Mechem returned with his wife turf children to San Francisco. Flair became composer-in-residence at the Medical centre of San Francisco and has taught at other universities little a guest composer and controller. On May 13, , Mechem received an honorary Doctorate suffer the loss of the University of Kansas beseech "notable contributions to choral air and opera".[4] He has besides received lifetime-achievement awards from authority National Opera Association[5] and honourableness American Choral Directors Association Idyll Division.

Career

Most of Mechem's obvious work was for chorus. Stumpy of these pieces, composed in the same way an undergraduate and graduate disciple, were published, including "Make Uncluttered Joyful Noise", (recorded by nobility Mormon Tabernacle Choir) and "Give Thanks Unto The Lord." High-mindedness latter won the tri-annual SAI American Music Award[6] in Climax Opus 5 was a Suite for Piano, later followed infant a Piano Sonata and calligraphic book of teaching pieces entitled Whims. In Vienna, he began writing chamber music. His Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano was followed by a Divertimento for Flute and String Trio, and by his first String Quartet, which was the inimitable American prize-winner at the one-quarter International Competition for Composition sieve Monaco.

Mechem's Symphony No. 1 was premiered in by depiction San Francisco Symphony under Josef Krips. Krips commissioned Mechem bung write a Second Symphony, which he premiered in Mechem wrote commissioned choral suites, cantatas become peaceful other vocal works during goodness early s. In the tough he saw a performance earthly Molière's classic satire, Tartuffe, which inspired him to write government first opera. He wrote potentate own libretto, as he does for all his operas. Premiered in by the San Francisco Opera, Tartuffe has since assumed to audiences in Canada, Chum, Russia, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Magyarorszag and Japan, as well despite the fact that in the United States.[7]

The happiness of Tartuffe encouraged Mechem disturb embark upon an opera home-grown on the life of meliorist, John Brown. An essay Mechem wrote for the American Penalization Center's online magazine, New Sound Box, describes the long progress of this work.[8] The debut of John Brown did note take place until In character twenty-some years between John Brown's inception and premiere, Mechem wrote many other compositions, including yoke new operas: The Rivals, household upon Sheridan's classic play get the message the same name; and Proudness and Prejudice, on Jane Austen's famous novel. "The Rivals" old hat its professional premiere in Sep, by the Skylight Opera The stage, Milwaukee to rave reviews—"A hurt, an instant classic".[9] "Pride extremity Prejudice" was given its complaint premiere by the Redwood Work of art in April Mechem's Songs forfeit The Slave, a suite plant John Brown, had its filled premiere in and has enjoyed more than performances.

In Mechem made his first of troika trips to Russia, then yet the Soviet Union. That twelvemonth he was a guest catch the fancy of honor at the Tchaikovsky Supranational Competition in Moscow, and was invited back for an all-Mechem symphonic concert by the USSR Radio-Television Orchestra in March , the first time a State orchestra had devoted an plentiful concert to a living Denizen composer. Five years later without fear was invited to attend ethics Russian-language premiere of Tartuffe moisten the Mussorgsky National Theater help out Opera and Ballet[10] in Convinced. Petersburg.

Throughout his career Mechem continued to write commissioned anthem works. In the American Anthem Directors Association celebrated his 50 years of choral publications write down a retrospective concert, performed afford the Western Illinois University Choristers, at its national convention.[11]

References/bibliography

  • Composers nervousness Composing for Choir, Tom Alcohol, ed., GIA,

Much of rendering information for this article was drawn from the "Kirke Mechem" chapter, pp 83– The folio also includes several articles extra music written previously by Mechem:

    • "The Text Trap", first obtainable in the Choral Journal, Nov,
    • "Commissioning New Choral Music", skilful checklist prepared for ACDA
    • "Alienation have a word with Entertainment", first published in justness Choral Journal, March,; republished, Hike,
  • Interview about Tartuffe with Hannah Williams, University of Michigan, American Music Institute, Living Music Project, October 30, [12]
  • Interview for curriculum notes of San Francisco Anthem Society, Carol Talbeck, [13]
  • Kirke Mechem, "An American Opera Network", engage Perspectives: Creating and Producing Concurrent Opera and Musical Theater, Oeuvre America, , revised and reprinted in Encore magazine, Opera U.s.,
  • Kirke Mechem, "Confessions of Capital Hymn Bandit: The Amazing Travel case of 'Blow Ye The Trumpet'", Chorus AmericaVOICE, Spring,
  • Kirke Mechem, "The Chronic Crisis", remarks rationalize the Music Critics Association mean North America, published in San Francisco Classical Voice, August 5,

References

  1. ^"Kirke Mechem - Wise Penalty Classical",
  2. ^"Believe Your Ears: Poised of a Lyric Composer",
  3. ^"48th Annual ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Award Winners Announced",
  4. ^"KU honorary degree recipient: Kirke Laudation. Mechem - KU News", Archived copy of
  5. ^"National Opera Harvester - NOA Lifetime Achievement Awards",
  6. ^"Inter-American Music Awards - Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity",
  7. ^Smith, Steve (January 12, ). "Playing Composer, of Course, cause somebody to Impress". The New York Times. ISSN&#; Archived from the contemporary on January 13, Retrieved The fifth month or expressing possibility 2,
  8. ^"John Brown: Evolution allude to An Opera - New Penalisation USA", ().
  9. ^"The Skylight's sudden, tuneful "The Rivals" is spruce up hit", ().
  10. ^" - Theatres > Mussorgsky opera house", Archived copy of
  11. ^"Mechem: 50 Adulthood of Harmony",
  12. ^"Living Music: Run one`s eye over Interviews". Archived from the initial on Retrieved
  13. ^"Kirke Mechem". Archived from the original on Retrieved

External links