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Walter E. Aschaffenburg

August 19, 2023

Walter E. Aschaffenburg (1927–2005) was a German-born American composer, who for most of his career taught composition at Oberlin Conservatory of Music. One commentator noted that he "employed the 12-tone system in some of his works, his scores are often embued with a meticulous expressivity." [1] He regarded his greatest work as Bartleby, an opera with a libretto by Jay Leyda, based on the Herman Melville story, Bartleby, and premiered by Oberlin Music Theatre in 1964.

He was twice awarded John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowships for Music Composition first in 1955, then again in 1973.[2] He received the Cleveland Arts Prize, as well.[3]

In 1987, he married the pianist and music performance professor Rayna Barroll (1930–2016).[4]

Education and early career

Aschaffenburg came to the United States with his family in 1938. and became a citizen in 194??. During the war he served in the United States Army. He began his formal study of music at the Hartford School of Music, taking his diploma in 1945. He then enrolled at Oberlin College, rather than Oberlin Conservatory, because he preferred a broad program. There he studied with Herbert Elwell. He graduated in 1951,[3] then went on to the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., receiving his M.A. in 1952. In the fall of that year he joined the faculty at Oberlin. In 1956, he received a Guggenheim Fellowship to Florence, Italy, where he studied with Luigi Dallapiccola,[1] who was known for being the first Italian composer to adopt 12-note composing.[5][6]

At Oberlin along with David Robertson, Richard Hoffmann, Joseph R. Wood initiated the conservatory major in composition in 1956. He became the head of the department of composition. He and his colleagues also established the Oberlin Contemporary Music Festival.

Musical career

Aschaffenburg's colleague at the Oberlin Conservatory, Randolph Coleman, wrote that "Walter was a traditionalist—as a person, a pedagogue, and a composer." Accordingly, he "favored the historic formal structures of part forms, sonatas, and fugatos, preferring to work his creative juices through the filters of historically tried-and-true parameters rather than to trust willy-nilly improvisation or more recent methodologies that had not yet undergone the imprimatur of time's considerations." [3] While some of his works used the 12-tone system, his music has been characterized as "often embued with a meticulous expressivity."[1] Over his career he wrote some two dozen works. [1]

He wrote extensively in many forms, though his most frequently performed piece is a fanfare written for the Cleveland Orchestra to perform as the Blossom Music Center, its summer home.[7] Works for the orchestra ranged from early works such as "Oedipus Rex, overture" (1951) to his final "Oboe Concerto" (1985; 1987), but often wrote music for chamber instruments and piano.[1] The Philadelphia Orchestra principal oboist praised the oboe concerto as "the most impressive contemporary work for the oboe," and it was recorded several times.[7]

He also wrote for voice and opera. His miniature opera, "Libertatem Apellant" (1976), which used correspondence between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, incorporated patriotic tunes and Stephen Foster songs. He regarded his greatest work as his 1964 opera based on the Herman Melville story, Bartleby.[7] The New York Times mentioned Aschaffenburg as taking up the challenge of writing American opera. It noted that "difficult as the form is, dubious as the possibility of production and rewards are, opera still continues to attract the American composer."[8] The libretto was written by Jay Leyda, and it was premiered by Oberlin Music Theatre in 1964.[7]

Aschaffenburg's colleague, Randolph Coleman, wrote "he was a generous composition and music theory teacher for 40 years, one who gave unstintingly to those who would put forward a serious effort.[3] His students include more than a dozen recognized composers.[9]

Selected works

In order of publication, not necessarily date of composition.

  • Walter Aschaffenburg. Divertimento : For Trumpet, Horn, and Trombone. (New York: Circle Blue Print Co.). ISBN
  • ---. Trio for Piano, Violin & Violoncello. (New York: Reproduced and bound by Independent Music Pub., 1950). ISBN
  • ---, with Shepherd Arthur Lockwood Normand Humel Gerald Cumberworth Starling Cleveland Chamber Music Society. Cleveland Chamber Music Society Records., 1950). ISBN
  • ---. Sonata for Solo Violin, Op. 8. ([Place of publication not identified]: [publisher not identified], 1954). ISBN
  • ---. String Quartet, Op. 9. ([Place of publication not identified]: [publisher not identified], 1960). ISBN
  • ---. Sonatina for Piano Solo, Op. 7., 1962). ISBN
  • ---, Ozymandias : Symphonic Reflections for Orchestra. ([Rochester, N.Y.]: [Rochester Photo Copy], 1962). ISBN
  • ---. Elegy : For Strings. (Oberlin, Ohio: W. Aschaffenburg, 1964). ISBN
  • ---. Elegy for Strings; in Memoriam David Robertson, Op. 12., 1964). ISBN
  • ---. Three Dances for Orchestra. (Bryn Mawr, Pa.: Theodore Presser Company, 1967). ISBN
  • ---. Three Shakespeare Sonnets : For Tenor and Piano ; Opus 14 (1966-67). ([United States]: [publisher not identified], 1967). ISBN
  • ---. Quintet for Winds : (Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon). (Hollywood: Cameo Music Papers, 1968). ISBN
  • --- The 23rd Psalme : Tenor Solo, S.A.T.B., Oboe and Organ, Op. 13. (Bryn Mawr, Penn.: Theodore Presser, 1968). ISBN
  • ---. Duo for Violin & Violoncello, Opus 18. ([Ohio?]: W. Aschaffenburg, 1971). ISBN
  • ---. Three Dances for Orchestra. (Pennsylvania: Theodore Presser Company, 1972). ISBN
  • ---. Three Dances, for Orchestra. [Op. 15]. (Bryn Mawr, Pa.: T. Presser Co., 1972). ISBN
  • ---. Three Dances for Orchestra. (Bryn Mawr, Pa.: Theodore Presser Co., 1972). ISBN
  • ---, "Conversations : Six Pieces for Piano : Op. 19," (1973): Hathis Trust
  • ---,Libertatem Appellant : Being Excerpts from the Correspondence between John Adams & Thomas Jefferson : Opus 20, for Tenor and Baritone Soli and Full Orchestra., 1976). ISBN
  • ---. Carrousel : 24 Little Pieces for Piano. ([U.S.]: [publisher not identified], 1982). ISBN
  • ---. Concertino for Violin, Ten Winds and Contrabass, Op. 22 (1981). ([Place of publication not identified]: W. Aschaffenburg, 1983). ISBN
  • ---, with Smith William Jay. . Laughing Time : For Mixed Chorus and Clown, Opus 24. ([Oberlin, Ohio]: Walter Aschaffenburg, 1983). ISBN
  • ---. Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra, Op. 25. ([Place of publication not identified]: W. Aschaffenburg, 1986). ISBN
  • ---. From South Mountain : For Brass Quintet. ([Place of publication not identified] (1988). ISBN
  • ---. Sonata for the Foretepiano or Pianoforte. ([Place of publication not identified]: [W. Aschaffenburg], 1990). ISBN
  • ---. Coalescence : For Oboe and Violoncello. ([Phoenix]: [W. Aschaffenburg], 1990). ISBN
  • ---. Parings : Four Pieces for Clarinet and Piano. ([United States]: W. Aschaffenburg, 1993). ISBN
  • ---,Zuyeva Elizaveta London Edwin Aschaffenburg Walter Miller Edward J. London Edwin Recorded Anthology of American Music Inc Dram Gosudarstvennaia Akademicheskaia Simfonicheskaia Kapella Rossii, "A Hero of Our Time," (2007): A Hero of our Time: Works by Aschaffenberg/Miller/London
  • ---, with Chandler Theo Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra, Opus 25 (1985)., 2013). ISBN

References

  • Coleman, Randolph (2006), "Memorial Minute: Walter Aschaffenburg, 1927-2005", Oberlin Alumni Magazine, 102 (1)
  • Pfitzinger, Scott (2017), Composer Genealogies: A Compendium of Composers, Their Teachers, and Their Students, New York, London: Rowman & Littlefield
  • Salisbury, Wilma (1980), Walter E. Aschaffenbug, Composer (1927- 2005) 1980 Cleveland Arts Prize for Music, Cleveland Arts Prize
  • Slonimsky, Nicolas; Kuhn, Laura; McIntire, Denni (2001), "Aschaffenburg, Walter", Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians Encyclopedia.com. (July 25, 2019).

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e SlonimskyKuhnMcIntire (2001).
  2. ^ "John Simon Guggenheim Foundation | Walter E. Aschaffenburg".
  3. ^ a b c d Coleman (2006).
  4. ^ (Obituary) Rayna Barroll, Dignity, 2016
  5. ^ Michael Kennedy, Joyce Bourne, "Dallapiccola, Luigi ." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music .
  6. ^ Walter E. Aschaffenburg "Fellows," John Simon Guggenheim Foundation
  7. ^ a b c d Salisbury (1980).
  8. ^ Ericson, Raymond (8 November 1964), "Never Say Die: The Operatic Form Still Attracts New Recruits Among Composers" (PDF), New York Times
  9. ^ Pfitzinger (2017), p. 19,59 67, 96, 106, 116, 119, 121, 137, 147, 154, 252, 416, 455.

External links

  • Walter Aschaffenburg Musicalis: The Classical Composers Database
  • Walter Eugene Aschaffenburg Hamburg University

August 19, 2023
walter, aschaffenburg, 1927, 2005, german, born, american, composer, most, career, taught, composition, oberlin, conservatory, music, commentator, noted, that, employed, tone, system, some, works, scores, often, embued, with, meticulous, expressivity, regarded. Walter E Aschaffenburg 1927 2005 was a German born American composer who for most of his career taught composition at Oberlin Conservatory of Music One commentator noted that he employed the 12 tone system in some of his works his scores are often embued with a meticulous expressivity 1 He regarded his greatest work as Bartleby an opera with a libretto by Jay Leyda based on the Herman Melville story Bartleby and premiered by Oberlin Music Theatre in 1964 He was twice awarded John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowships for Music Composition first in 1955 then again in 1973 2 He received the Cleveland Arts Prize as well 3 In 1987 he married the pianist and music performance professor Rayna Barroll 1930 2016 4 Contents 1 Education and early career 2 Musical career 3 Selected works 4 References 5 Notes 6 External linksEducation and early career EditAschaffenburg came to the United States with his family in 1938 and became a citizen in 194 During the war he served in the United States Army He began his formal study of music at the Hartford School of Music taking his diploma in 1945 He then enrolled at Oberlin College rather than Oberlin Conservatory because he preferred a broad program There he studied with Herbert Elwell He graduated in 1951 3 then went on to the Eastman School of Music in Rochester N Y receiving his M A in 1952 In the fall of that year he joined the faculty at Oberlin In 1956 he received a Guggenheim Fellowship to Florence Italy where he studied with Luigi Dallapiccola 1 who was known for being the first Italian composer to adopt 12 note composing 5 6 At Oberlin along with David Robertson Richard Hoffmann Joseph R Wood initiated the conservatory major in composition in 1956 He became the head of the department of composition He and his colleagues also established the Oberlin Contemporary Music Festival Musical career EditAschaffenburg s colleague at the Oberlin Conservatory Randolph Coleman wrote that Walter was a traditionalist as a person a pedagogue and a composer Accordingly he favored the historic formal structures of part forms sonatas and fugatos preferring to work his creative juices through the filters of historically tried and true parameters rather than to trust willy nilly improvisation or more recent methodologies that had not yet undergone the imprimatur of time s considerations 3 While some of his works used the 12 tone system his music has been characterized as often embued with a meticulous expressivity 1 Over his career he wrote some two dozen works 1 He wrote extensively in many forms though his most frequently performed piece is a fanfare written for the Cleveland Orchestra to perform as the Blossom Music Center its summer home 7 Works for the orchestra ranged from early works such as Oedipus Rex overture 1951 to his final Oboe Concerto 1985 1987 but often wrote music for chamber instruments and piano 1 The Philadelphia Orchestra principal oboist praised the oboe concerto as the most impressive contemporary work for the oboe and it was recorded several times 7 He also wrote for voice and opera His miniature opera Libertatem Apellant 1976 which used correspondence between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson incorporated patriotic tunes and Stephen Foster songs He regarded his greatest work as his 1964 opera based on the Herman Melville story Bartleby 7 The New York Times mentioned Aschaffenburg as taking up the challenge of writing American opera It noted that difficult as the form is dubious as the possibility of production and rewards are opera still continues to attract the American composer 8 The libretto was written by Jay Leyda and it was premiered by Oberlin Music Theatre in 1964 7 Aschaffenburg s colleague Randolph Coleman wrote he was a generous composition and music theory teacher for 40 years one who gave unstintingly to those who would put forward a serious effort 3 His students include more than a dozen recognized composers 9 Selected works EditIn order of publication not necessarily date of composition Walter Aschaffenburg Divertimento For Trumpet Horn and Trombone New York Circle Blue Print Co ISBN Trio for Piano Violin amp Violoncello New York Reproduced and bound by Independent Music Pub 1950 ISBN with Shepherd Arthur Lockwood Normand Humel Gerald Cumberworth Starling Cleveland Chamber Music Society Cleveland Chamber Music Society Records 1950 ISBN Sonata for Solo Violin Op 8 Place of publication not identified publisher not identified 1954 ISBN String Quartet Op 9 Place of publication not identified publisher not identified 1960 ISBN Sonatina for Piano Solo Op 7 1962 ISBN Ozymandias Symphonic Reflections for Orchestra Rochester N Y Rochester Photo Copy 1962 ISBN Elegy For Strings Oberlin Ohio W Aschaffenburg 1964 ISBN Elegy for Strings in Memoriam David Robertson Op 12 1964 ISBN Three Dances for Orchestra Bryn Mawr Pa Theodore Presser Company 1967 ISBN Three Shakespeare Sonnets For Tenor and Piano Opus 14 1966 67 United States publisher not identified 1967 ISBN Quintet for Winds Flute Oboe Clarinet Horn Bassoon Hollywood Cameo Music Papers 1968 ISBN The 23rd Psalme Tenor Solo S A T B Oboe and Organ Op 13 Bryn Mawr Penn Theodore Presser 1968 ISBN Duo for Violin amp Violoncello Opus 18 Ohio W Aschaffenburg 1971 ISBN Three Dances for Orchestra Pennsylvania Theodore Presser Company 1972 ISBN Three Dances for Orchestra Op 15 Bryn Mawr Pa T Presser Co 1972 ISBN Three Dances for Orchestra Bryn Mawr Pa Theodore Presser Co 1972 ISBN Conversations Six Pieces for Piano Op 19 1973 Hathis Trust Libertatem Appellant Being Excerpts from the Correspondence between John Adams amp Thomas Jefferson Opus 20 for Tenor and Baritone Soli and Full Orchestra 1976 ISBN Carrousel 24 Little Pieces for Piano U S publisher not identified 1982 ISBN Concertino for Violin Ten Winds and Contrabass Op 22 1981 Place of publication not identified W Aschaffenburg 1983 ISBN with Smith William Jay Laughing Time For Mixed Chorus and Clown Opus 24 Oberlin Ohio Walter Aschaffenburg 1983 ISBN Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra Op 25 Place of publication not identified W Aschaffenburg 1986 ISBN From South Mountain For Brass Quintet Place of publication not identified 1988 ISBN Sonata for the Foretepiano or Pianoforte Place of publication not identified W Aschaffenburg 1990 ISBN Coalescence For Oboe and Violoncello Phoenix W Aschaffenburg 1990 ISBN Parings Four Pieces for Clarinet and Piano United States W Aschaffenburg 1993 ISBN Zuyeva Elizaveta London Edwin Aschaffenburg Walter Miller Edward J London Edwin Recorded Anthology of American Music Inc Dram Gosudarstvennaia Akademicheskaia Simfonicheskaia Kapella Rossii A Hero of Our Time 2007 A Hero of our Time Works by Aschaffenberg Miller London with Chandler Theo Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra Opus 25 1985 2013 ISBNReferences EditColeman Randolph 2006 Memorial Minute Walter Aschaffenburg 1927 2005 Oberlin Alumni Magazine 102 1 Pfitzinger Scott 2017 Composer Genealogies A Compendium of Composers Their Teachers and Their Students New York London Rowman amp Littlefield Salisbury Wilma 1980 Walter E Aschaffenbug Composer 1927 2005 1980 Cleveland Arts Prize for Music Cleveland Arts Prize Slonimsky Nicolas Kuhn Laura McIntire Denni 2001 Aschaffenburg Walter Baker s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians Encyclopedia com July 25 2019 Notes Edit a b c d e SlonimskyKuhnMcIntire 2001 John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Walter E Aschaffenburg a b c d Coleman 2006 Obituary Rayna Barroll Dignity 2016 Michael Kennedy Joyce Bourne Dallapiccola Luigi The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music Walter E Aschaffenburg Fellows John Simon Guggenheim Foundation a b c d Salisbury 1980 Ericson Raymond 8 November 1964 Never Say Die The Operatic Form Still Attracts New Recruits Among Composers PDF New York Times Pfitzinger 2017 p 19 59 67 96 106 116 119 121 137 147 154 252 416 455 External links EditWalter Aschaffenburg Musicalis The Classical Composers Database Walter Eugene Aschaffenburg Hamburg University Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Walter E Aschaffenburg amp oldid 1163292024, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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