His works show a preoccupation with vertical and horizontal musical space (see pitch space). His musical influences include Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schoenberg, and later Anton Webern. In the forties he composed neoclassical works including Serenade Concertante (1944) and Three Pieces for Strings (1945), and embraced the twelve-tone technique in the 1950s. His later works moved away from serialism but continued to use tone cluster 'cells' whose pitch classes are displaced by octaves. George Perle has described his "keen and sophisticated musical intellect" and praised "his serial music [for being] as far removed from current fashionable trends as his diatonic music was a few years ago."[citation needed]
Perle further praises his String Quartet: "in the quartet, as in Berger's earlier works, and in most of the great music of our Western heritage, timbre, texture, dynamics, rhythm, and form are elements of a musical language whose syntax and grammar are essentially derived from pitch relations. If these elements never seem specious and arbitrary, as they do with so many of the dodecaphonic productions that deluge us today from both the left and right, it is precisely because of the authenticity and integrity of his musical thinking at this basic level."[4]
His works include Ideas of Order, Polyphony, Quartet for Winds, described by Thomson as "one of the most satisfactory pieces for winds in the whole modern repertory", String Quartet (1958), Five Pieces for Piano (1969) and Septet (1965–66). He was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
^John Mac Ivor Perkins, "Arthur Berger: The Composer as Mannerist", Perspectives of New Music 5, no. 1 (Autumn–Winter, 1966), pp.75-92; citation on p.76. Reprinted in Perspectives on American Composers, edited by Benjamin Boretz and Edward T. Cone,[page needed] The Perspectives of New Music Series; Norton Library, no. 549 (New York: W. W. Norton, 1971): p.231.
^Robert Morse Crunden (2000). Body & Soul: The Making of American Modernism, p.42-3. ISBN978-0-465-01484-2.
^"Book of Members, 1780–2010: Chapter B" (PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. (PDF) from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
^(1980). "Liner notes: Form March 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine", newworldrecords.org; accessed 22 November 2015.
Further readingedit
Anderson, E. Ruth. Contemporary American Composers. A Biographical Dictionary, 2nd edition, G. K. Hall, 1982.
Butterworth, Neil. A Dictionary of American Composers, Garland, 1984.
Coppock, Jane. "A Conversation with Arthur Berger". Perspectives of New Music 17, no. 1 (1978), pp. 40–67.
Cummings, David M.; McIntire, Dennis K. (Ed.). International who's who in music and musician's directory. In the classical and light classical fields, 12th edition 1990/91, International Who's Who in Music 1991.
Gordon, Stewart. A History of Keyboard Literature. Music for the Piano and its Forerunners, Schirmer Books, 1996.
Jones, Pamela. "A Bibliography of the Writings of Arthur Berger". Perspectives of New Music 17, no. 1 (1978), p. 83-89.
Jones, Robert Frederick. A List of Works by Arthur Berger. Perspectives of New Music. 17, 1 (1978), p. 90-91.
Lister, Rodney. "Arthur Berger: The Progress of a Method", American Music, 13-1, 1995, pp. 56–95.
Lyman, Darryl. Great Jews in Music, J. D. Publishers, 1986.
Northcott, Bayan. "Arthur Berger: An Introduction at 70", Musical Times, 123 (1982), pp. 323–326.
Pollack, Howard Joel. Harvard composers. Walter Piston and his students, from Elliott Carter to Frederic Rzewski, Scarecrow Press, 1992.
Press, Jaques Cattell (Ed.). Who's who in American Music. Classical, 1st edition. R. R. Bowker, 1983.
Silver, Sheila. "Pitch and Registral Distribution in Arthur Berger's Music for Piano", Perspectives of New Music 17, no. 1 (1978), p. 68-76.
Sadie, Stanley; Hitchcock, H. Wiley (Ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of American Music. Grove's Dictionaries of Music, 1986.
External linksedit
Arthur Berger Official Website
in the Music Division of
The online music review La Folia has an article about Berger: Remembering Arthur Berger
Arthur Berger, Composer and Music Critic, Is Dead at 91, The New York Times, October 10, 2003 (retrieved January 31, 2010)
Interview with Arthur Berger, March 28, 1987
December 15, 2023
arthur, berger, composer, arthur, victor, berger, 1912, october, 2003, american, composer, music, critic, been, described, mannerist, contents, biography, works, references, further, reading, external, linksbiography, editborn, york, city, jewish, descent, ber. Arthur Victor Berger May 15 1912 October 7 2003 was an American composer and music critic who has been described as a New Mannerist 1 Contents 1 Biography 2 Works 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksBiography editBorn in New York City of Jewish descent 2 Berger studied as an undergraduate at New York University during which time he joined the Young Composer s Group as a graduate student under Walter Piston at Harvard and with Nadia Boulanger and at the Sorbonne under a Paine Fellowship He taught briefly at Mills College and Brooklyn College then worked briefly at the New York Sun and then for a longer period of time at the New York Herald Tribune In 1953 he left the paper to teach at Brandeis University where he was eventually named the Irving Fine Professor Emeritus His notable students there included Gustav Ciamaga and Richard Wernick He taught occasionally at the New England Conservatory during his retirement He co founded with Benjamin Boretz in 1962 Perspectives of New Music which he edited until 1964 He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1971 3 He wrote the first book on Aaron Copland reprinted 1990 Da Capo Press and coined the terms octatonic scale and pitch centricity in his Problems of Pitch Organization in Stravinsky He died in Boston Massachusetts age 91 Works editThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed November 2015 Learn how and when to remove this template message His works show a preoccupation with vertical and horizontal musical space see pitch space His musical influences include Igor Stravinsky Arnold Schoenberg and later Anton Webern In the forties he composed neoclassical works including Serenade Concertante 1944 and Three Pieces for Strings 1945 and embraced the twelve tone technique in the 1950s His later works moved away from serialism but continued to use tone cluster cells whose pitch classes are displaced by octaves George Perle has described his keen and sophisticated musical intellect and praised his serial music for being as far removed from current fashionable trends as his diatonic music was a few years ago citation needed Perle further praises his String Quartet in the quartet as in Berger s earlier works and in most of the great music of our Western heritage timbre texture dynamics rhythm and form are elements of a musical language whose syntax and grammar are essentially derived from pitch relations If these elements never seem specious and arbitrary as they do with so many of the dodecaphonic productions that deluge us today from both the left and right it is precisely because of the authenticity and integrity of his musical thinking at this basic level 4 His works include Ideas of Order Polyphony Quartet for Winds described by Thomson as one of the most satisfactory pieces for winds in the whole modern repertory String Quartet 1958 Five Pieces for Piano 1969 and Septet 1965 66 He was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Berger is grouped in the Boston school along with Lukas Foss Irving Fine Alexei Haieff Harold Shapero and Claudio Spies References edit John Mac Ivor Perkins Arthur Berger The Composer as Mannerist Perspectives of New Music 5 no 1 Autumn Winter 1966 pp 75 92 citation on p 76 Reprinted in Perspectives on American Composers edited by Benjamin Boretz and Edward T Cone page needed The Perspectives of New Music Series Norton Library no 549 New York W W Norton 1971 p 231 Robert Morse Crunden 2000 Body amp Soul The Making of American Modernism p 42 3 ISBN 978 0 465 01484 2 Book of Members 1780 2010 Chapter B PDF American Academy of Arts and Sciences Archived PDF from the original on 25 July 2011 Retrieved June 16 2011 1980 Liner notes Form Archived March 20 2012 at the Wayback Machine newworldrecords org accessed 22 November 2015 Further reading editAnderson E Ruth Contemporary American Composers A Biographical Dictionary 2nd edition G K Hall 1982 Butterworth Neil A Dictionary of American Composers Garland 1984 Coppock Jane A Conversation with Arthur Berger Perspectives of New Music 17 no 1 1978 pp 40 67 Cummings David M McIntire Dennis K Ed International who s who in music and musician s directory In the classical and light classical fields 12th edition 1990 91 International Who s Who in Music 1991 Gordon Stewart A History of Keyboard Literature Music for the Piano and its Forerunners Schirmer Books 1996 Jones Pamela A Bibliography of the Writings of Arthur Berger Perspectives of New Music 17 no 1 1978 p 83 89 Jones Robert Frederick A List of Works by Arthur Berger Perspectives of New Music 17 1 1978 p 90 91 Lister Rodney Arthur Berger The Progress of a Method American Music 13 1 1995 pp 56 95 Lyman Darryl Great Jews in Music J D Publishers 1986 Northcott Bayan Arthur Berger An Introduction at 70 Musical Times 123 1982 pp 323 326 Pollack Howard Joel Harvard composers Walter Piston and his students from Elliott Carter to Frederic Rzewski Scarecrow Press 1992 Press Jaques Cattell Ed Who s who in American Music Classical 1st edition R R Bowker 1983 Silver Sheila Pitch and Registral Distribution in Arthur Berger s Music for Piano Perspectives of New Music 17 no 1 1978 p 68 76 Sadie Stanley Hitchcock H Wiley Ed The New Grove Dictionary of American Music Grove s Dictionaries of Music 1986 External links editArthur Berger Official Website Arthur Berger papers in the Music Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts The online music review La Folia has an article about Berger Remembering Arthur Berger Arthur Berger Composer and Music Critic Is Dead at 91 The New York Times October 10 2003 retrieved January 31 2010 Interview with Arthur Berger March 28 1987 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Arthur Berger composer amp oldid 1166821021, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
