Stanley Hollingsworth
Encyclopedia
Stanley Walker Hollingsworth (August 27, 1924, Berkeley, California
– October 29, 2003, Rocklin, California
) was an American
composer
and teacher. He was a student of composer Darius Milhaud
from 1944–46, and of Gian Carlo Menotti
from 1948–50. As a composer he is probably best known for his operatic trilogy of children's stories: "The Mother", "The Selfish Giant", and "Harrison Loved his Umbrella".
in 1957. Hollingsworth was also honored with the Rome Prize
(1958), the Guggenheim Fellowship
(1958), and residencies at the Montalvo Center for the Arts, the MacDowell Colony
, the Yaddo
Arts Colony, Wolf Trap
, and the Ossaba Island Project. He received commissions from the Curtis Institute, Fedora Horowitz, Meadowbrook Music festival, and the National Endowment for the Arts
.
He taught composition and orchestration at the Curtis Institute of Music
as an assistant to Gian Carlo Menotti
from 1949–1955, was a lecturer at San Jose State College (now San Jose State University
) on composition, harmony, counterpoint and piano 1961–63. From 1963 to 1970 he composed and orchestrated for the Harkness Ballet
, followed by acting as an operatic and stage director in Austria
and Turkey
from 1970–72. Hollingsworth was also composer-in-residence at the American Academy in Rome
.
His teaching and composing career from 1976 to 1993 was centered at Oakland University
, where he was composer-in-residence and finally retired as Professor Emeritus. He was much appreciated and loved by his students, from whom he required an appreciation and practical mastery of counterpoint and orchestration, as exemplified in the following quote: "Inspiration is fine, but when you get stuck you must have craft." Among composers who were his students from that time period may be counted Harold Boatrite, Mark Gottlieb, and Daniel Jencka. Many anecdotes and thoughts of Stanley Hollingsworth are preserved in hours of recordings created as part of Yale University
's "Oral History, American Music" project. His works are housed in the Edwin Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music at the Free Library of Philadelphia
, and at Oakland University
.
He was a National Patron of Delta Omicron
, an international professional music fraternity.
. (Often performed as a trilogy with "The Selfish Giant" and "Harrison Loved His Umbrella")
"La Grande Bretèche" (1954), a one-act opera with libretto by the composer and Harry Duncan, after Honoré de Balzac
"The Unquiet Graves" (1958), a one-act ballet with choreography by John Butler
"The Selfish Giant" (1981), a one-act opera with libretto by the composer, after Oscar Wilde
"Harrison Loved His Umbrella" (1981), a one-act opera/musical cartoon with libretto by the composer and Rhoda Levine.
Concerto for piano and orchestra, (1980)
"Divertimento" (1982)
"Three Ladies beside the Sea" (1984) for speaker and small orchestra (text by Rhoda Levine)
"Concerto Lirico" (1991) for violin and orchestra.
"I Saltimbanchi" (1960) for flute, oboe, clarinet, harp, string quartet and double bass (also version with string orchestra instead of 5 strings)
"Three Impromptus" (1974) for flute and piano
"Ricordanza" (in memoriam for Samuel Barber
) (1981) for oboe, violin, viola and cello
"Academic Festival Procession" (1984) for two French horns, three trumpets, two trombones, tuba and timpani
"Reflections and Diversions" (1985) for clarinet, piano.
"Stabat Mater" (1957) for mixed chorus, orchestra
"A Song of David" (text from the Book of Psalms) (c. 1960s) for tenor, mixed chorus and orchestra
"Death Be Not Proud" (text by John Donne
) (1978) for mixed chorus and piano (also version for mixed chorus, orchestra, c. 1980)
) for voice and piano (also versions for voice, harp, string quartet, double bass and for voice, harp, string orchestra, 1960)
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
– October 29, 2003, Rocklin, California
Rocklin, California
Rocklin is a city in Placer County, California located in the metropolitan area of Sacramento. It shares borders with Roseville, Loomis, and Lincoln...
) was an American
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 teacher. He was a student of composer 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...
from 1944–46, and of Gian Carlo Menotti
Gian Carlo Menotti
Gian Carlo Menotti was an Italian-American composer and librettist. Although he often referred to himself as an American composer, he kept his Italian citizenship. He wrote the classic Christmas opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors, among about two dozen other operas intended to appeal to popular...
from 1948–50. As a composer he is probably best known for his operatic trilogy of children's stories: "The Mother", "The Selfish Giant", and "Harrison Loved his Umbrella".
Life and career
Hollingsworth was conversant in all the vocal and instrumental forms, examples of which are his "Five Songs" (1960) for solo voice and piano, "Death Be Not Proud" (1978) for mixed chorus and piano or orchestra, Sonata for Oboe (1949), and his Concerto for Piano (1980). A notable success was achieved with his opera "La Grande Breteche" when it was commissioned for broadcast by the NBC Opera TheatreNBC Opera Theatre
The NBC Opera Theatre was an American opera company operated by the National Broadcasting Company from 1949 to 1964. The company was established specifically for the purpose of filming both established and new operas for television...
in 1957. Hollingsworth was also honored with the Rome Prize
Rome Prize
The Rome Prize is an American award made annually by the American Academy in Rome, through a national competition, to 15 emerging artists and to 15 scholars The Rome Prize is an American award made annually by the American Academy in Rome, through a national competition, to 15 emerging artists...
(1958), the Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
(1958), and residencies at the Montalvo Center for the Arts, the MacDowell Colony
MacDowell Colony
The MacDowell Colony is an art colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire, U.S.A., founded in 1907 by Marian MacDowell, pianist and wife of composer Edward MacDowell. She established the institution and its endowment chiefly with donated funds...
, the Yaddo
Yaddo
Yaddo is an artists' community located on a 400 acre estate in Saratoga Springs, New York. Its mission is "to nurture the creative process by providing an opportunity for artists to work without interruption in a supportive environment."...
Arts Colony, Wolf Trap
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, known locally in the Washington, D.C. area as simply Wolf Trap, is a performing arts center located on 130 acres of national park land in Wolf Trap, Virginia...
, and the Ossaba Island Project. He received commissions from the Curtis Institute, Fedora Horowitz, Meadowbrook Music festival, and the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
.
He taught composition and orchestration 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...
as an assistant to Gian Carlo Menotti
Gian Carlo Menotti
Gian Carlo Menotti was an Italian-American composer and librettist. Although he often referred to himself as an American composer, he kept his Italian citizenship. He wrote the classic Christmas opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors, among about two dozen other operas intended to appeal to popular...
from 1949–1955, was a lecturer at San Jose State College (now San Jose State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
) on composition, harmony, counterpoint and piano 1961–63. From 1963 to 1970 he composed and orchestrated for the Harkness Ballet
Harkness Ballet
The Harkness Ballet was a major New York ballet company named after its founder Rebekah Harkness. Harkness inherited her husband's fortune in Standard Oil holdings and was a dance lover...
, followed by acting as an operatic and stage director in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
from 1970–72. Hollingsworth was also composer-in-residence at the American Academy in Rome
American Academy in Rome
The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo in Rome.- History :In 1893, a group of American architects, painters and sculptors met regularly while planning the fine arts section of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition...
.
His teaching and composing career from 1976 to 1993 was centered at Oakland University
Oakland University
Oakland University is a public university co-founded by Matilda Dodge Wilson and John A. Hannah whose campus is located in central Oakland County, Michigan, United States in the cities of Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills. It is the only major research university in Oakland County, from which OU...
, where he was composer-in-residence and finally retired as Professor Emeritus. He was much appreciated and loved by his students, from whom he required an appreciation and practical mastery of counterpoint and orchestration, as exemplified in the following quote: "Inspiration is fine, but when you get stuck you must have craft." Among composers who were his students from that time period may be counted Harold Boatrite, Mark Gottlieb, and Daniel Jencka. Many anecdotes and thoughts of Stanley Hollingsworth are preserved in hours of recordings created as part of 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...
's "Oral History, American Music" project. His works are housed in the Edwin Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music at the Free Library of Philadelphia
Free Library of Philadelphia
The Free Library of Philadelphia is the public library system serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-History:History of the Free Library of Philadelphia: Initiated by the efforts of Dr...
, and at Oakland University
Oakland University
Oakland University is a public university co-founded by Matilda Dodge Wilson and John A. Hannah whose campus is located in central Oakland County, Michigan, United States in the cities of Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills. It is the only major research university in Oakland County, from which OU...
.
He was a National Patron of Delta Omicron
Delta Omicron
Delta Omicron is a co-ed international professional music honors fraternity whose mission is to promote and support excellence in music and musicianship.-History:...
, an international professional music fraternity.
Stage
"The Mother" (1949), a one-act opera with libretto by the composer and John Fandel, after Hans Christian AndersenHans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
. (Often performed as a trilogy with "The Selfish Giant" and "Harrison Loved His Umbrella")
"La Grande Bretèche" (1954), a one-act opera with libretto by the composer and Harry Duncan, after Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac was a French novelist and playwright. His magnum opus was a sequence of short stories and novels collectively entitled La Comédie humaine, which presents a panorama of French life in the years after the 1815 fall of Napoleon....
"The Unquiet Graves" (1958), a one-act ballet with choreography by John Butler
"The Selfish Giant" (1981), a one-act opera with libretto by the composer, after Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
"Harrison Loved His Umbrella" (1981), a one-act opera/musical cartoon with libretto by the composer and Rhoda Levine.
Orchestral
"I Saltimbanchi" (1960) for flute, oboe, clarinet, harp and string orchestra, (version of chamber work)Concerto for piano and orchestra, (1980)
"Divertimento" (1982)
"Three Ladies beside the Sea" (1984) for speaker and small orchestra (text by Rhoda Levine)
"Concerto Lirico" (1991) for violin and orchestra.
Chamber music
Sonata for oboe and piano (1949)"I Saltimbanchi" (1960) for flute, oboe, clarinet, harp, string quartet and double bass (also version with string orchestra instead of 5 strings)
"Three Impromptus" (1974) for flute and piano
"Ricordanza" (in memoriam for Samuel Barber
Samuel Barber
Samuel Osborne Barber II was an American composer of orchestral, opera, choral, and piano music. His Adagio for Strings is his most popular composition and widely considered a masterpiece of modern classical music...
) (1981) for oboe, violin, viola and cello
"Academic Festival Procession" (1984) for two French horns, three trumpets, two trombones, tuba and timpani
"Reflections and Diversions" (1985) for clarinet, piano.
Choral
"Dumbarton Oaks Mass" (1953) for mixed chorus and string orchestra/orchestra"Stabat Mater" (1957) for mixed chorus, orchestra
"A Song of David" (text from the Book of Psalms) (c. 1960s) for tenor, mixed chorus and orchestra
"Death Be Not Proud" (text by John Donne
John Donne
John Donne 31 March 1631), English poet, satirist, lawyer, and priest, is now considered the preeminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are notable for their strong and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs,...
) (1978) for mixed chorus and piano (also version for mixed chorus, orchestra, c. 1980)
Vocal
"Five Songs" (1960) (text by Emily DickinsonEmily Dickinson
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life...
) for voice and piano (also versions for voice, harp, string quartet, double bass and for voice, harp, string orchestra, 1960)