Winthrop Sargeant
Encyclopedia
Winthrop Sargeant was an American music critic, violin
ist, and writer. He studied the violin in his native city with Albert Elkus and with Felix Prohaska
and Lucien Capet
in Europe. In 1922, at the age of 18, he became the youngest member of the San Francisco Symphony
. He left there for New York City in 1926 where he became a violinist with the New York Symphony (1926–28) and later the New York Philharmonic
(1928–30). He abandoned his performance career in favour of pursuing a career as a journalist, critic, and writer in 1930. He wrote music criticism for Musical America
, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and The New York American. He was notably a music editor for Time magazine
from 1937–1945, and he served as a senior writer for Life magazine
from 1945–1949.
From 1949-1972 he wrote the column Musical Events for The New Yorker
. He continued to write music criticism for that publication up until his death in 1986 at the age of 82. His books included Jazz: Hot and Hybrid (1938), Geniuses, goddesses, and people (1949), Listening to music (1958), Jazz: a history (1964), In spite of myself: a personal memoir (1970), Divas (1973).
Sargeant also had a long-standing interest in the Bhagavad Gītā
, and published his own English translation (see article)
in 1979.
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist, and writer. He studied the violin in his native city with Albert Elkus and with Felix Prohaska
Felix Prohaska
Felix Prohaska was an Austrian conductor.He spent many years conducting at the Vienna State Opera and the Frankfurt Opera, and is noted for his recordings for the Vanguard Classics label of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert, and Gustav Mahler.He was...
and Lucien Capet
Lucien Capet
Lucien Louis Capet was a French violinist, pedagogue and composer.-Career:Capet came from the Paris proletariat. By the age of fifteen, he had to maintain himself by playing in bistros and cafes...
in Europe. In 1922, at the age of 18, he became the youngest member of the San Francisco Symphony
San Francisco Symphony
The San Francisco Symphony is an orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980, the orchestra has performed at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus are part of the organization...
. He left there for New York City in 1926 where he became a violinist with the New York Symphony (1926–28) and later 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"...
(1928–30). He abandoned his performance career in favour of pursuing a career as a journalist, critic, and writer in 1930. He wrote music criticism for Musical America
Musical America
Musical America is the oldest American magazine on classical music. Presently it is a website with a weekly online magazine. It is currently published by UBM Global Trade.-History:...
, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and The New York American. He was notably a music editor for Time magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
from 1937–1945, and he served as a senior writer for Life magazine
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
from 1945–1949.
From 1949-1972 he wrote the column Musical Events for The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
. He continued to write music criticism for that publication up until his death in 1986 at the age of 82. His books included Jazz: Hot and Hybrid (1938), Geniuses, goddesses, and people (1949), Listening to music (1958), Jazz: a history (1964), In spite of myself: a personal memoir (1970), Divas (1973).
Sargeant also had a long-standing interest in the Bhagavad Gītā
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
, and published his own English translation (see article)
Bhagavad Gita (Sargeant)
The Bhagavad Gita is the title of Winthrop Sargeant's translation, first published in 1979, of the Bhagavad Gītā, an important Hindu scripture. Among Western English translations of the Gita, Sargeant's is unusual in providing a word-by-word translation and grammatical explanation, along with...
in 1979.