Irwin Bazelon
Encyclopedia
Irwin Bazelon was an American
composer of contemporary classical music
.
Contemporary American composer Irwin Bazelon’s music is known for its interesting rhythms and its emphasis on the brass and percussion sections. In total, Bazelon composed nine symphonies and over sixty orchestral, chamber, and instrumental works. Some of his most famous works are Short Symphony, Churchill Downs, and Propulsions, which is written for 113 percussion instruments to be played by seven performers. His music is recorded on Composers Recordings, Inc.
and on Albany Records
. Artists who recorded his music include conductors Harold Farberman
and Gianmaria Griglio, soprano Nancy Allen Lundy, pianist Scott Dunn, and percussionists William Moersch, Eliseo Rael, and William Klymus. Bazelon’s music lacks any regular pulse, instead it is characterized by unpredictable syncopation, irregular groupings, unexpected triplets, and off-beat accents.
His theme music for NBC News
opened the show from 1962 to 1977.http://www.classicthemes.com/50sTVThemes/themePages/NBCnews.html.
Early Life=
Irwin Bazelon was the elder of two sons born to Roy and Jeanette Bazelon. His grandparents emigrated from Russia to the US in the 1890s. Early in his childhood, Bazelon contracted a case of scarlet fever
that left him with a perforated eardrum and severe hearing loss in one ear. This caused introspection to the point that the composer described being cured as unleashing “the violent, silent world” inside. Bazelon’s very acute ear and sensitivity to sound also resulted from his early partial hearing loss.
As a child, Bazelon was a gifted athlete. His father once hoped that he would have a career as a baseball player. Also in his youth, the composer also played in a jazz band, which later served as a source of inspiration for many of his works such as Symphony No. 3 and Churchill Downs. When Bazelon was 17, he heard Beethoven's Seventh Symphony performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
. This was when the young Bazelon decided that he would pursue music and become a composer. In 1942, he transferred from his Northwestern University
liberal arts course to study music at DePaul University
.
At DePaul University, Bazelon studied composition with Leo Stein, who fostered Bazelon’s growth as a composer. Works from this time are juvenile, but show his rapid growth of compositional skills and his strong artistic vision. He graduated from DePaul with a Bachelor’s (1944) and Master’s (1945) in music. Bazelon continued on to Yale University
to study composition with Paul Hindemith
. Unfortunately, Bazelon could not adapt to Hindemith’s teaching methods and in less than a year, moved to Oakland, California
to study with Darius Milhaud
at Mills College
. Bazelon credits Milhaud as having the greatest influence on the composer’s creative life.
Career=
In 1948, the composer moved to New York City
. There he supported himself by scoring documentaries, art films, and theatrical productions including two American Shakespeare Festival plays: The Taming of the Shrew
and The Merry Wives of Windsor
from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s. In 1953, Bazelon also began to write music for commercials that ranged from Ipana
toothpaste to Buitoni pasta. He is most famous for the signature theme for the NBC news. In fact, Bazelon referred to himself as the “father of contemporary music in commercials”. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Bazelon refused to seek a permanent post at a university, he relied on his compositions.
Bazelon did serve as a guest conductor at schools such as Rutgers University
, Eastman School of Music
, Oberlin College
, Rice University
, and the University of Virginia
. He conducted his music with orchestras such as the National Symphony and the Detroit Symphony
. In 1975, Bazelon published Knowing the Score: Notes of Film Music, which marked the end of his commercial career. In 1983, Bazelon was awarded the Koussevitsky Prize for his contribution to contemporary music, which led to the growth of his international fame.
Music=
The city of his birth, Chicago
, and the city of much of his later life, New York, greatly influenced the composer. This is evident in the unpredictable rhythms and syncopation found in many of his works. Bazelon describes his music as having “the rebellious mutterings, cross-rhythms, and nervous tension and evergy of the city” and “the alerations of mood, color and dramatic flair are a direct expression of the constant changes of pace, the rhythmic beat of life in the big metropolis”. His music rarely has easily recognizable melodies. When questioned regarding this, Bazelon stated, “My music is melodic, it is the melody of the 21st century”. Bazelon found inspiration from two main sources: city life and the racetrack.
Bazelon described the racetrack and each horse race as capturing a wide range of human emotions ranging like “hope, anxiety, joy and disappointment”. The composer was a long time horse-racing enthusiast. One of his most famous works, Churchill Downs, is named for the home of the Kentucky Derby
. In fact, it can be said that the racetrack helped launch the composer’s symphonic career. With the money from a big win, Bazelon recorded Concert Ballet: Centauri 17 with 16 members of the New York Philharmonic
. On a trip to Washington, D.C.
, the composer ran into Howard Mitchell
, then the conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra. Bazelon played the recording for him and showed him the score for the Short Symphony. The tape led him to conduction his Short Symphony with the National Symphony Orchestra in 1962, his first major orchestral debut.
Death=
Bazelon passed away on August 2, 1995, due to complications after heart surgery. He was buried in Evergreen Cemetery. Interestingly enough, the hearse caught fire on the way to the cemetery on the expressway at the exit to the racetrack.
External links=
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
composer of contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
.
Contemporary American composer Irwin Bazelon’s music is known for its interesting rhythms and its emphasis on the brass and percussion sections. In total, Bazelon composed nine symphonies and over sixty orchestral, chamber, and instrumental works. Some of his most famous works are Short Symphony, Churchill Downs, and Propulsions, which is written for 113 percussion instruments to be played by seven performers. His music is recorded on Composers Recordings, Inc.
Composers Recordings, Inc.
Composers Recordings, Inc. was an American record label dedicated to the recording of contemporary classical music by American composers. It was founded in 1954 by Otto Luening, Douglas Moore, and Oliver Daniel, and based in New York City....
and on Albany Records
Albany Records
Albany Records is an American classical music record label focusing particularly on contemporary classical music. It was established by Peter Kermani in 1987, and is based in Albany, New York.-External links:**...
. Artists who recorded his music include conductors Harold Farberman
Harold Farberman
Harold Farberman is an American conductor, composer, and percussionist.-Biography:Farberman studied percussion at Juilliard and composition at the New England Conservatory and at Tanglewood with Aaron Copland...
and Gianmaria Griglio, soprano Nancy Allen Lundy, pianist Scott Dunn, and percussionists William Moersch, Eliseo Rael, and William Klymus. Bazelon’s music lacks any regular pulse, instead it is characterized by unpredictable syncopation, irregular groupings, unexpected triplets, and off-beat accents.
His theme music for NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
opened the show from 1962 to 1977.http://www.classicthemes.com/50sTVThemes/themePages/NBCnews.html.
Early Life=
Irwin Bazelon was the elder of two sons born to Roy and Jeanette Bazelon. His grandparents emigrated from Russia to the US in the 1890s. Early in his childhood, Bazelon contracted a case of scarlet fever
Scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is a disease caused by exotoxin released by Streptococcus pyogenes. Once a major cause of death, it is now effectively treated with antibiotics...
that left him with a perforated eardrum and severe hearing loss in one ear. This caused introspection to the point that the composer described being cured as unleashing “the violent, silent world” inside. Bazelon’s very acute ear and sensitivity to sound also resulted from his early partial hearing loss.
As a child, Bazelon was a gifted athlete. His father once hoped that he would have a career as a baseball player. Also in his youth, the composer also played in a jazz band, which later served as a source of inspiration for many of his works such as Symphony No. 3 and Churchill Downs. When Bazelon was 17, he heard Beethoven's Seventh Symphony performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
. This was when the young Bazelon decided that he would pursue music and become a composer. In 1942, he transferred from his Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
liberal arts course to study music at DePaul University
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
.
At DePaul University, Bazelon studied composition with Leo Stein, who fostered Bazelon’s growth as a composer. Works from this time are juvenile, but show his rapid growth of compositional skills and his strong artistic vision. He graduated from DePaul with a Bachelor’s (1944) and Master’s (1945) in music. Bazelon continued on to Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
to study composition with Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher, music theorist and conductor.- Biography :Born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, Hindemith was taught the violin as a child...
. Unfortunately, Bazelon could not adapt to Hindemith’s teaching methods and in less than a year, moved to Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
to study with Darius Milhaud
Darius Milhaud
Darius Milhaud was a French composer and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as The Group of Six—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions are influenced by jazz and make use of polytonality...
at Mills College
Mills College
Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...
. Bazelon credits Milhaud as having the greatest influence on the composer’s creative life.
Career=
In 1948, the composer moved to 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...
. There he supported himself by scoring documentaries, art films, and theatrical productions including two American Shakespeare Festival plays: The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591.The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself...
and The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy by William Shakespeare, first published in 1602, though believed to have been written prior to 1597. It features the fat knight Sir John Falstaff, and is Shakespeare's only play to deal exclusively with contemporary Elizabethan era English middle class life...
from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s. In 1953, Bazelon also began to write music for commercials that ranged from Ipana
Ipana
Ipana was a very popular toothpaste in the 20th century with its famous Disney-created mascot named Bucky Beaver joining the Ipana marketing efforts in the 1950s....
toothpaste to Buitoni pasta. He is most famous for the signature theme for the NBC news. In fact, Bazelon referred to himself as the “father of contemporary music in commercials”. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Bazelon refused to seek a permanent post at a university, he relied on his compositions.
Bazelon did serve as a guest conductor at schools such as Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, Eastman School of Music
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
, Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
, Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
, and the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
. He conducted his music with orchestras such as the National Symphony and the Detroit Symphony
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Michigan. Its main performance center is Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood...
. In 1975, Bazelon published Knowing the Score: Notes of Film Music, which marked the end of his commercial career. In 1983, Bazelon was awarded the Koussevitsky Prize for his contribution to contemporary music, which led to the growth of his international fame.
Music=
The city of his birth, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and the city of much of his later life, New York, greatly influenced the composer. This is evident in the unpredictable rhythms and syncopation found in many of his works. Bazelon describes his music as having “the rebellious mutterings, cross-rhythms, and nervous tension and evergy of the city” and “the alerations of mood, color and dramatic flair are a direct expression of the constant changes of pace, the rhythmic beat of life in the big metropolis”. His music rarely has easily recognizable melodies. When questioned regarding this, Bazelon stated, “My music is melodic, it is the melody of the 21st century”. Bazelon found inspiration from two main sources: city life and the racetrack.
Bazelon described the racetrack and each horse race as capturing a wide range of human emotions ranging like “hope, anxiety, joy and disappointment”. The composer was a long time horse-racing enthusiast. One of his most famous works, Churchill Downs, is named for the home of the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
. In fact, it can be said that the racetrack helped launch the composer’s symphonic career. With the money from a big win, Bazelon recorded Concert Ballet: Centauri 17 with 16 members of the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
. On a trip to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the composer ran into Howard Mitchell
Howard Mitchell
Howard Mitchell was an American cellist and conductor. He conducted the National Symphony Orchestra from 1950 to 1969....
, then the conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra. Bazelon played the recording for him and showed him the score for the Short Symphony. The tape led him to conduction his Short Symphony with the National Symphony Orchestra in 1962, his first major orchestral debut.
Death=
Bazelon passed away on August 2, 1995, due to complications after heart surgery. He was buried in Evergreen Cemetery. Interestingly enough, the hearse caught fire on the way to the cemetery on the expressway at the exit to the racetrack.
External links=
- Irwin Bazelon page
- Irwin Bazelon interview by Bruce Duffie