John Laurence Seymour
Encyclopedia
John Laurence Seymour was an American
composer
and playwright
. He studied composition with Ildebrando Pizzetti
and Felice Boghen in Italy
between 1923 and 1928. He also studied with Vincent d'Indy
in France
. From 1928 to 1936 he served on the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley
where he as lectured mostly on opera and drama. In 1940 he earned a PhD in English literature from Berkeley; his dissertation, Drama and Libretto, consisted of four adaptations of two Shakespeare plays. In 1941 he became chairman of the theatre department of Sacramento Junior College where he stayed for more than two decades. From 1969–1985 he was a librarian at Southern Utah College in Cedar City, Utah
.
As a composer Seymour is best known for his operas, which have been praised for their complex orchestral textures and italianate lyricism. His fifth opera, In the Pasha's Garden, received the Bispham Memorial Medal Award
. It was first performed on January 24, 1935 at the Metropolitan Opera
with Lawrence Tibbett
in the title role. In 1977 his tenth opera, Ollanta, el Jefe Kolla, won prizes in the cultural division of the Bolivarian Games
in La Paz
. Fluent in multiple languages, Seymour made translations from Russian and French drama and wrote a number of plays.
Chamber music
Vocal
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 playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
. He studied composition with Ildebrando Pizzetti
Ildebrando Pizzetti
Ildebrando Pizzetti was an Italian composer of classical music.- Biography :Pizzetti was born in Parma in 1880. He was part of the "Generation of 1880" along with Ottorino Respighi and Gian Francesco Malipiero. They were among the first Italian composers in some time whose primary contributions...
and Felice Boghen in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
between 1923 and 1928. He also studied with Vincent d'Indy
Vincent d'Indy
Vincent d'Indy was a French composer and teacher.-Life:Paul Marie Théodore Vincent d'Indy was born in Paris into an aristocratic family of royalist and Catholic persuasion. He had piano lessons from an early age from his paternal grandmother, who passed him on to Antoine François Marmontel and...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. From 1928 to 1936 he served on the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
where he as lectured mostly on opera and drama. In 1940 he earned a PhD in English literature from Berkeley; his dissertation, Drama and Libretto, consisted of four adaptations of two Shakespeare plays. In 1941 he became chairman of the theatre department of Sacramento Junior College where he stayed for more than two decades. From 1969–1985 he was a librarian at Southern Utah College in Cedar City, Utah
Cedar City, Utah
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,527 people, 6,486 households, and 4,682 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,021.8 people per square mile . There were 7,109 housing units at an average density of 353.9 per square mile...
.
As a composer Seymour is best known for his operas, which have been praised for their complex orchestral textures and italianate lyricism. His fifth opera, In the Pasha's Garden, received the Bispham Memorial Medal Award
Bispham Memorial Medal Award
The Bispham Memorial Medal Award was an award for operas written in English which was presented annually by the American Opera Society of Chicago from 1921-1932. The award was named for baritone David Bispham, who was a great proponent of performing opera in English in the United States. It was...
. It was first performed on January 24, 1935 at the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
with Lawrence Tibbett
Lawrence Tibbett
Lawrence Mervil Tibbett was a great American opera singer and recording artist who also performed as a film actor and radio personality. A baritone, he sang with the New York Metropolitan Opera company more than 600 times from 1923 to 1950...
in the title role. In 1977 his tenth opera, Ollanta, el Jefe Kolla, won prizes in the cultural division of the Bolivarian Games
Bolivarian Games
The Bolivarian Games are a regional multi-sport event held in honor of Simón Bolívar, and organized by the Bolivarian Sports Organization...
in La Paz
La Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
. Fluent in multiple languages, Seymour made translations from Russian and French drama and wrote a number of plays.
Selected works
Stage- The Bachelor Belles, Operetta in 3 Acts, Op.13 (1935); libretto by Rose A. Seymour
- In the Pasha's Garden, Opera in 1 Act, Op.17 (1934); libretto by Henry Chester Tracy; based on the book by Harrison Griswold Dwight
- The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Comic Operetta in 2 Acts, Op.35 (1937); libretto by Henry Chester Tracy after the play 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"...
- Golden Days, Comic Operetta in 2 Acts, Op.40 (1936); libretto by Ralph Birchard
- Hollywood Madness, Comic Opera in 3 Acts, Op.41 (1936); libretto by Ralph Birchard
- Ming Toy, Musical Comedy in Prologue and 2 Acts (1949); book by Leslie H. Carter; lyrics and music by John Laurence Seymour
- Ramona, Opera in 5 Acts and Epilogue; libretto by Henry Chester Tracy; based on the romance by Helen Hunt Jackson
Chamber music
- Elegiac Tone Poem No.2 in F Minor for Viola and Piano (1946)
- From the Far-off Hills for Cello and Piano, Op.47 No.1 (1947)
- A Song on the Road for Cello and Piano, Op.47 No.2 (1947)
Vocal
- Shilric's Song for Low Voice and Piano, Op.23 No.1 (1936); words from OssianOssianOssian is the narrator and supposed author of a cycle of poems which the Scottish poet James Macpherson claimed to have translated from ancient sources in the Scots Gaelic. He is based on Oisín, son of Finn or Fionn mac Cumhaill, anglicised to Finn McCool, a character from Irish mythology...
by James MacphersonJames MacphersonJames Macpherson was a Scottish writer, poet, literary collector and politician, known as the "translator" of the Ossian cycle of poems.-Early life:... - A Dirge for Ryno for Low Voice and Piano, Op.23 No.3 (1936); words from OssianOssianOssian is the narrator and supposed author of a cycle of poems which the Scottish poet James Macpherson claimed to have translated from ancient sources in the Scots Gaelic. He is based on Oisín, son of Finn or Fionn mac Cumhaill, anglicised to Finn McCool, a character from Irish mythology...
by James MacphersonJames MacphersonJames Macpherson was a Scottish writer, poet, literary collector and politician, known as the "translator" of the Ossian cycle of poems.-Early life:... - Behold, I Stand at the Door for Low Voice and Piano (1945); words by Alma Strettell
Sources
- Yvar Mikhashoff. The New Grove Dictionary of OperaNew Grove Dictionary of OperaThe New Grove Dictionary of Opera is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volumes....
, edited by Stanley Sadie (1992), ISBN 0-333-73432-7 and ISBN 1-56159-228-5