Mortimer Wilson
Encyclopedia
Mortimer Wilson was an American
composer
of classical music
. He also scored several musical and dramatic films in the 1920s.
Wilson was born in Chariton, Iowa
in Lucas County
, a rural area in the south-central portion of the state. He studied organ, violin and composition with Frederick Grant Gleason
at the Chicago Music College. He then studied in Leipzig, Germany with Max Reger
. Upon return to this country in 1911, he taught at the Atlanta Conservatory and conducted the Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1916, he moved to Brenau College in Gainesville, Georgia
.
In 1918, Wilson took a job as consulting editor for the National Academy of Music in New York City
, where he remained until his death at the age of 55. Today, his works are mostly in manuscript and includes five symphonies and a great deal of chamber music. The suite From My Youth, Opera 5 was published in 1911 and premiered by the Sitting Trio.
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...
of classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
. He also scored several musical and dramatic films in the 1920s.
Wilson was born in Chariton, Iowa
Chariton, Iowa
Chariton is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,573 at the 2000 census. It is the primary distribution center for, and former corporate seat of, the Hy-Vee supermarket chain.-History:...
in Lucas County
Lucas County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 8,898 in the county, with a population density of . There were 4,238 housing units, of which 3,689 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, a rural area in the south-central portion of the state. He studied organ, violin and composition with Frederick Grant Gleason
Frederick Grant Gleason
Frederick Grant Gleason was a composer.Gleason's father was a banker. Like many another well-to-do gentlemen, Gleason senior was an amateur flautist. He considered music a pleasant pastime but not a serious occupation. He wanted his son to enter the ministry - a good old New England tradition...
at the Chicago Music College. He then studied in Leipzig, Germany with Max Reger
Max Reger
Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger was a German composer, conductor, pianist, organist, and academic teacher.-Life:...
. Upon return to this country in 1911, he taught at the Atlanta Conservatory and conducted the Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1916, he moved to Brenau College in Gainesville, Georgia
Gainesville, Georgia
-Severe Weather:Gainesville sits on the very fringe of Tornado Alley, a region of the United States where severe weather is common. Supercell thunderstorms can sweep through any time between March and November, but are concentrated most in the spring...
.
In 1918, Wilson took a job as consulting editor for the National Academy of Music 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...
, where he remained until his death at the age of 55. Today, his works are mostly in manuscript and includes five symphonies and a great deal of chamber music. The suite From My Youth, Opera 5 was published in 1911 and premiered by the Sitting Trio.
Filmography
- 1920 The Mark of ZorroThe Mark of Zorro (1920 film)The Mark of Zorro is a 1920 silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks and Noah Beery. This genre-defining swashbuckler adventure was the first movie version of The Mark of Zorro...
- music composer - 1924 The Thief of BagdadThe Thief of Bagdad (1924 film)The Thief of Bagdad is a 1924 American swashbuckler film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Douglas Fairbanks. Freely adapted from One Thousand and One Nights, it tells the story of a thief who falls in love with the daughter of the Caliph of Bagdad...
- music composer - 1925 Don Q, Son of ZorroDon Q, Son of ZorroDon Q, Son of Zorro is the 1925 sequel to the 1920 silent film The Mark of Zorro. It was loosely based upon the 1909 novel Don Q.'s Love Story, written by the mother-and-son duo Kate and Hesketh Hesketh-Prichard. The story was reworked in 1925 into a vehicle for the Johnston McCulley character Zorro...
- music composer - 1926 The Black PirateThe Black PirateThe Black Pirate is a 1926 silent adventure film shot entirely in two-strip Technicolor about an adventurer and a "company" of pirates. It stars Douglas Fairbanks, Donald Crisp, Sam De Grasse, and Billie Dove.-Plot:...
- music composer - 1928 The Good-Bye Kiss - music composer
- 1928 Night Watch - music composer