Ned Rorem (born October 23, 1923) is an American composer and diarist. He is best known and praised for his song settings.

He was born in Richmond, Indiana and received his early education in Chicago at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, the American Conservatory and then Northwestern University. Later, Rorem moved on to the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia and finally the Juilliard School in New York City.

During the time he lived in Morocco and Paris (1949-57), his song texts came from several languages.

In 1969 he published his Paris Diary, which, with his later diaries, has brought him some degree of notoriety, as he is honest about his and others' sexuality, describing his relationships with Leonard Bernstein, Noel Coward, Samuel Barber, and Virgil Thomson, and outing at least a few people (Aldrich and Wotherspoon, eds., 2001). Rorem has written extensively about music as well. These essays are collected in anthologies such as "Setting the Tone", "Music From the Inside Out", and "Music and People". His music prose is much admired, not least for its barbed observations about prominent musicians such as Pierre Boulez. Rorem has composed in a chromatic tonal idiom throughout his career, and he is not hesitant to attack the orthodoxies of the avant-garde.

His notable students include Daron Hagen. His most recent work is Wings of Friendship: Selected Letters 1944–2003, published by Shoemaker & Hoard.

Contents

Selected Works

Operas

A Childhood Miracle a one-act opera written in 1951.
The Robbers a one-act opera written in 1956.
Miss Julie a full-evening opera written in 1965 .
Bertha written in 1968.
The Three Sisters Who Are Not Sisters also written in 1968.
Fables a very short opera written in 1970.
Our Town first performed in 2006.

  • Miss Julie and Our Town are his only full length operas.

Symphonies

Symphony No. 1 (1950) [Peermusic Classical]

The First symphony is cast in four fairly brief movements: I. Maestoso II. Andantino III. Largo IV: Allegro. and is scored for full orchestra. Ned Rorem has written of this work:

There are as many definitions of symphony as there are symphonies. In Haydn's day it usually meant an orchestral piece in four movements, of which the first was in so-called sonata form. But with Bach, and later with Beethoven through Stravinsky, Symphony means whatever the composer decides.

Symphony No. 2 (1956) [Boosey & Hawkes]

The Second Symphony is cast in 3 movements of unequal proportion; the 2nd & 3rd combined being less than half the length of the first; I. Broad, Moderate II. Tranquillo III. Allegro. The Second Symphony is probably the composer's least performed. Composed in 1956 it was only performed a handful of times and has remained dormant since 1959 until, as the composer puts it, "José Serebrier resurrected" it 43 years later.

Symphony No. 3 (1958) [Boosey & Hawkes]

The Third Symphony is cast in 5 movements: I. Pasacaglia II. Allegro molto vivace III. Largo IV. Andante V. Allegro molto. It is perhaps the best known of Rorem's numbered symphonies, having been premiered by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall, April 1959. 3 recordings have been issued over the years, though none but the most recent Naxos recording have remained in the catalogue for very long. Notable conductors of this work include: Maurice Abravanel, Leonard Bernstein, André Previn & José Serebrier. For the Naxos recording the composer noted:

Of the five movements the second was written first, the first was second, the fourth was third, the third was fourth and the last was written last. I is a Passacaglia in C, a slow overture in the grand style. II was written originally for two pianos eight years before the rest, and incorporated as the second movement of the symphony. It is a brisk and Jazzy dance. III is a short passionate page about somnambulism, full of dynamic contrast, and coming from afar. IV is a farewell to France. V' is a long and fast Rond, in itself a Concerto for Orchestra

Orchestra

  • Symphony No. 1
  • Symphony No. 2
  • Symphony No. 3
  • Pilgrims

Concertante

Chamber

  • String Quartets 1-3
  • The End of Summer, for clarinet, violin and piano
  • Aftermath, for baritone voice and piano trio

Instrumental

  • Suite - For solo guitar
  • Romeo and Juliet - For guitar and flute
  • Picnic on the Marne- For Alto Saxophone and Piano

Recordings

Recordings include:

Awards

Bibliography

  • Aldrich, Robert and Wotherspoon, Gary (Eds.) (2001). Who's Who in Contemporary Gay & Lesbian History: From World War II to the Present Day. New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-22974-X.

References

  1. ^ The Guardian (Andrew Clements) Other classical releases 31 March 2000
  2. ^ Classics Today (David Hurwitz) [1] 16 August 2003
  3. ^ "Ned Rorem Biography". Boosey & Hawkes, Inc.. Retrieved on 2008-08-15.

External links

Wikiquote
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Rorem"


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