Hugo Weisgall
Encyclopedia
Hugo David Weisgall was an American
composer
and conductor
, known chiefly for his opera
and vocal music
compositions. He was born in Ivančice
, Moravia
(then part of Austria-Hungary
, later in his childhood Czechoslovakia
) and moved to the United States at the age of eight.
Weisgall studied at the Peabody Institute
, privately with Roger Sessions
, and at the Curtis Institute of Music
with conductor
Fritz Reiner
and composer Rosario Scalero
. He later earned a Ph.D. in German literature
at Johns Hopkins University
. During World War II
he was an aide-de-camp
to General George S. Patton
. After the war he became a professor, and taught at Queens College, the Juilliard School
, and the Jewish Theological Seminary
, all in New York City
. His notable students include composers Dominick Argento
, Bruce Saylor
and the accordionist/composer William Schimmel
.
Weisgall came from a family of several generations of cantors
, and maintained a lifelong interest in both sacred and secular Jewish music
. In 1992 he was commissioned by the Friends of the Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary to write a song cycle
, Psalm of the Distant Dove, commemorating the 500th anniversary of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain
. Other major works include his most ambitious opera, Athaliah (libretto: Richard Frank Goldman, after Jean Racine
), and his often-performed Six Characters in Search of an Author (libretto: Denis Johnston
, after Luigi Pirandello
).
Hugo Weisgall died at the age of 84 in Long Island
, New York.
Vocal music
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, known chiefly for his opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
and vocal music
Vocal music
Vocal music is a genre of music performed by one or more singers, with or without instrumental accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but does not feature it prominently is generally considered instrumental music Vocal music is a genre of...
compositions. He was born in Ivančice
Ivancice
Ivančice is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic, 21 km south-west of Brno. The town has approximately 9,300 inhabitants. It lies on the confluence of Oslava , Jihlava and Rokytná rivers.-History:...
, Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
(then part of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, later in his childhood Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
) and moved to the United States at the age of eight.
Weisgall studied at the Peabody Institute
Peabody Institute
The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University is a renowned conservatory and preparatory school located in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland at the corner of Charles and Monument Streets at Mount Vernon Place.-History:...
, privately with Roger Sessions
Roger Sessions
Roger Huntington Sessions was an American composer, critic, and teacher of music.-Life:Sessions was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a family that could trace its roots back to the American revolution. His mother, Ruth Huntington Sessions, was a direct descendent of Samuel Huntington, a signer of...
, and at the Curtis Institute of Music
Curtis Institute of Music
The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that offers courses of study leading to a performance Diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in Opera, and Professional Studies Certificate in Opera. According to statistics compiled by U.S...
with conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
Fritz Reiner
Fritz Reiner
Frederick Martin “Fritz” Reiner was a prominent conductor of opera and symphonic music in the twentieth century.-Biography:...
and composer Rosario Scalero
Rosario Scalero
Natale Rosario Scalero was an Italian violinist, music teacher and composer.By the age of six, Scalero was under the tutelage of Pietro Bertazzi, a violinist, musical instrument maker and instructor at the Conservatorio St. Cecilia in Torino. In 1881, Scalero entered the Liceo Musicale di Torino...
. He later earned a Ph.D. in German literature
German literature
German literature comprises those literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German part of Switzerland, and to a lesser extent works of the German diaspora. German literature of the modern period is mostly in Standard German, but there...
at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he was an aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to General George S. Patton
George S. Patton
George Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer best known for his leadership while commanding corps and armies as a general during World War II. He was also well known for his eccentricity and controversial outspokenness.Patton was commissioned in the U.S. Army after his graduation from...
. After the war he became a professor, and taught at Queens College, the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
, and the Jewish Theological Seminary
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
, all in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. His notable students include composers Dominick Argento
Dominick Argento
Dominick Argento is an American composer, best known as a leading composer of lyric opera and choral music...
, Bruce Saylor
Bruce Saylor
Bruce Saylor is an American composer.-Biography:Saylor was born in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. In 1952 his family moved to Springfield Township, just outside the city, where he attended suburban public schools...
and the accordionist/composer William Schimmel
William Schimmel
William Schimmel is one of the principal architects in the resurgence of the accordion, and the philosophy of "Musical Reality"...
.
Weisgall came from a family of several generations of cantors
Hazzan
A hazzan or chazzan is a Jewish cantor, a musician trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer.There are many rules relating to how a cantor should lead services, but the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources...
, and maintained a lifelong interest in both sacred and secular Jewish music
Jewish music
Jewish music is the music and melodies of the Jewish People which have evolved over time throughout the long course of Jewish History. In some instances Jewish Music is of a religious nature, spiritual songs and refrains are common in Jewish Services throughout the world, while other times, it is...
. In 1992 he was commissioned by the Friends of the Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary to write a song cycle
Song cycle
A song cycle is a group of songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a single entity. As a rule, all of the songs are by the same composer and often use words from the same poet or lyricist. Unification can be achieved by a narrative or a persona common to the songs, or even, as in Schumann's...
, Psalm of the Distant Dove, commemorating the 500th anniversary of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain
Alhambra decree
The Alhambra Decree was an edict issued on 31 March 1492 by the joint Catholic Monarchs of Spain ordering the expulsion of Jews from the Kingdom of Spain and its territories and possessions by 31 July of that year.The edict was formally revoked on 16 December 1968, following the Second...
. Other major works include his most ambitious opera, Athaliah (libretto: Richard Frank Goldman, after Jean Racine
Jean Racine
Jean Racine , baptismal name Jean-Baptiste Racine , was a French dramatist, one of the "Big Three" of 17th-century France , and one of the most important literary figures in the Western tradition...
), and his often-performed Six Characters in Search of an Author (libretto: Denis Johnston
Denis Johnston
Denis Johnston was an Irish writer. He wrote mostly plays, but also works of literary criticism, a book-length biographical essay of Jonathan Swift, a memoir and an eccentric work of philosophy. He also worked as a war correspondent, and as both a radio and television producer for the BBC...
, after Luigi Pirandello
Luigi Pirandello
Luigi Pirandello was an Italian dramatist, novelist, and short story writer awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1934, for his "bold and brilliant renovation of the drama and the stage." Pirandello's works include novels, hundreds of short stories, and about 40 plays, some of which are written...
).
Hugo Weisgall died at the age of 84 in Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York.
Major works
Operas- Night (1932, not performed). Opera in 1 act. LibrettoLibrettoA libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
: after the play by Sholem AschSholem AschSholem Asch, born Szalom Asz , also written Shalom Asch was a Polish-born American Jewish novelist, dramatist, and essayist in the Yiddish language.-Life and work:... - Lilith (1934, not performed). Opera in 1 act. Libretto: after the play by L. Elman
- The Tenor (1948–1950). Opera in 1 act. Libretto: Karl ShapiroKarl ShapiroKarl Jay Shapiro was an American poet. He was appointed the fifth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1946.-Biography:...
and Ernst LertErnst LertErnst Joseph Maria Lert, originally Ernst Joseph Maria Levy was an Austrian stage director, writer, composer, librettist, and music historian. He was the brother of conductor Richard Lert who was married to writer Vicki Baum.Lert studied music history, piano, and singing at the University of Vienna...
(after the play by Frank WedekindFrank WedekindBenjamin Franklin Wedekind , usually known as Frank Wedekind, was a German playwright...
). World Premiere: 11/02/1952 Baltimore (Peabody Opera Company; conductor: Hugo Weisgall) - The StrongerThe Stronger (opera)The Stronger is an opera in one act by composer Hugo Weisgall. The English language libretto by Richard Henry Hart is based on August Strindberg's play of the same name...
(1952). Opera in 1 act. Libretto: Richard Henry Hart (after the play Den Starkare by August StrindbergAugust StrindbergJohan August Strindberg was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg's career spanned four decades, during which time he wrote over 60 plays and more than 30 works of fiction, autobiography,...
). WP (piano version): 09/08/1952 Westport, Connecticut (White Barn TheatreWhite Barn TheatreThe White Barn Theatre was a small theater founded by actress, producer and theater impresario Lucille Lortel on the property of her estate in Norwalk, Connecticut that premiered numerous plays from major playwrights and plays that went on to successful Broadway and Off-Broadway runs.Lortel founded...
; Hilltop Opera Company). WP (orchestral version): 1955 New York (Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
) - Six Characters in Search of an AuthorSix Characters in Search of an Author (opera)Six Characters in Search of an Author is an opera in three acts by composer Hugo Weisgall. The work uses an English libretto by Denis Johnston that is based on the play of the same name by Luigi Pirandello. The opera was commissioned by the New York City Opera under the leadership Julius Rudel...
(1953–1956). Opera in 3 acts. Libretto: Denis JohnstonDenis JohnstonDenis Johnston was an Irish writer. He wrote mostly plays, but also works of literary criticism, a book-length biographical essay of Jonathan Swift, a memoir and an eccentric work of philosophy. He also worked as a war correspondent, and as both a radio and television producer for the BBC...
(after the play by Luigi PirandelloLuigi PirandelloLuigi Pirandello was an Italian dramatist, novelist, and short story writer awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1934, for his "bold and brilliant renovation of the drama and the stage." Pirandello's works include novels, hundreds of short stories, and about 40 plays, some of which are written...
). WP: 26/04/1959 New York (New York City OperaNew York City OperaThe New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
; with Beverly SillsBeverly SillsBeverly Sills was an American operatic soprano whose peak career was between the 1950s and 1970s. In her prime she was the only real rival to Joan Sutherland as the leading bel canto stylist...
[Coloratura]) - Purgatory (1958). Opera in 1 act. Libretto: after the play by William Butler YeatsWilliam Butler YeatsWilliam Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
. WP: 17/02/1961 Washington (Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
) - The Gardens of Adonis (1959, revised 1977-1981). Opera in 3 scenes. Libretto: Jon Olon-Scrymgeour (after the play Venus and Adonis by André ObeyAndré ObeyAndré Obey was a prominent French playwright during the inter-war years, and into the 1950s....
, based on the eponymous poemVenus and Adonis (Shakespeare poem)Venus and Adonis is a poem by William Shakespeare, written in 1592–1593, with a plot based on passages from Ovid's Metamorphoses. It is a complex, kaleidoscopic work, using constantly shifting tone and perspective to present contrasting views of the nature of love.-Publication:Venus and Adonis was...
by William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
). WP: 12/09/1992 Omaha, Nebraska (Witherspoon Concert Hall) - Athaliah (1960–1963). Opera in 2 parts. Libretto: Richard Frank Goldman (after the play Athalie [1691] by Jean RacineJean RacineJean Racine , baptismal name Jean-Baptiste Racine , was a French dramatist, one of the "Big Three" of 17th-century France , and one of the most important literary figures in the Western tradition...
). WP: 17/02/1964 New York (concert performance) - Nine Rivers from JordanNine Rivers from JordanNine Rivers from Jordan is an opera in a prologue and three acts by composer Hugo Weisgall. The work uses an English libretto by Denis Johnston and tells the story of a British soldier during World War II who lets a prisoner of war escape. The work premiered on October 9, 1968 at the New York City...
(1964–1968). Opera in a prologue and 3 acts. Libretto: Denis Johnston. WP: 09/10/1968 New York (New York City Opera) - Jenny, or The Hundred Nights (1975/76). Opera in 1 act. Libretto: John HollanderJohn HollanderJohn Hollander is a Jewish-American poet and literary critic. As of 2007, he is Sterling Professor Emeritus of English at Yale University...
(after a [Noh] play by Yukio MishimaYukio Mishimawas the pen name of , a Japanese author, poet, playwright, actor and film director, also remembered for his ritual suicide by seppuku after a failed coup d'état...
). WP: 22/04/1976 (Juilliard SchoolJuilliard SchoolThe Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
, American Opera Center) - Will You Marry Me?Will You Marry Me? (opera)Will You Marry Me? is an opera in one act by composer Hugo Weisgall. The English language libretto by Charles Kondek is based on the play A Marriage Has Been Arranged by Alfred Sutro...
(1989). Opera in 1 act. Libretto: Charles Kondek (after the play A Marriage Has Been Arranged by Alfred SutroAlfred SutroAlfred Sutro OBE was a British author and dramatist.He was a translator and friend of Maeterlinck. Educated at the City of London School and in Brussels, he began his career with a series of translations of Maeterlinck's works, all of which except the dramas he translated from the French...
). WP: 08/03/1989 New York (Opera Ensemble of New York) - EstherEsther (opera)Esther is an American opera in 3 acts composed by Hugo Weisgall, with a libretto by Charles Kondek. Esther was premiered by the New York City Opera in October 1993...
(1990–1993). Opera in 3 acts. Libretto: Charles Kondek (after the BibleEstherEsther , born Hadassah, is the eponymous heroine of the Biblical Book of Esther.According to the Bible, she was a Jewish queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus...
). WP: 08/10/1993 New York (New York City Opera)
Vocal music
- A Garden Eastward Cantata for soprano and orchestra
- A Song of Celebration for tenor, soprano, chorus and orchestra
- Evening Prayer for Peace (Ki el shomrenu) for chorus a cappellaA cappellaA cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
- Fancies and Inventions for baritone and 5 instruments
- Fortress, Rock of Our Salvation (Moos tzur) for chorus a cappella
- Lyrical Interval song-cycle for low voice and piano
- Psalm of the Distant Dove Canticle for mezzo-soprano and piano
- So Spake Rabbi Akiba (Omar Rabbi Akiba) for chorus a cappella
- "Liebeslieder" for Soprano and Piano
External links
- Hugo Weisgal Papers in the Music Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
- Composer information from Theodore Presser, Weisgall's publisher.
- Artist page from the Milken Archive of American Jewish Music.
- American and Israeli Jews Performing Together in a conference entitled Counter-Harmonies: Jewish Experience in 20th-Century Music. In this conference Weisgall conducted most of the pieces, inclding Mark Kopytman's "Letters of Creation" sung by Varda KotlerVarda KotlerVarda Kotler is an Israeli soprano singer, who in recent years has been performing and recording mainly in France.-Career:...
with the New York Chamber SymphonyNew York Chamber SymphonyThe New York Chamber Symphony was an American chamber orchestra based in New York City. It was active from 1977 to 2002.It was founded in 1977 by its founding music director Gerard Schwarz, and Omus Hirshbein. Its original name was the Y Chamber Symphony, and it was the resident ensemble at the...
.