|
|
Mann, Robert W. (b. September 11, 1925, Sandwich, Illinois – d. March 15, 2010, Rome). American composer, now resident in Italy, of stage, orchestral, chamber, choral, vocal, and piano works that have been performed in the Americas and Europe.
Mr. Mann received early musical encouragement from Lawrence Fogelburg in DeKalb, Illinois in 1941, Lois Lautner at Butler University in 1941 and at the New England Conservatory of Music in 1947 and Percival Price at the University of Michigan in 1946. He later studied composition privately with Goffredo Petrassi in Rome from 1948–52 and had fruitful contact with Heinrich Strobel from 1955–70, Benjamin Frankel from 1956–75 and Camillo Togni in 1978.
He is also active in other positions. He served in the US Navy, including a term in the Pacific Ocean, from 1942–45. He served as secretary-general of ISCM from 1955–59. As a writer, he contributed criticism to the journal London Music Events, the magazine Musical America and the newspaper Dagbladet in Oslo in the 1950s. As a scholar, he has published English translations of various articles and books by Italian musicians.
He has taught composition privately in Rome since 1952 and taught listening-to-music courses for groups in private homes from the 1970s–2007.
He has lived in Italy since 1952.
Edizioni Edi.Pan publishes some of his works, but most of his catalogue is unpublished.
CONTACT INFORMATION
E-mail address: robertwmann@gmail.com
COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS
STAGE: The Little Prince (1 act opera, libretto by the composer, after Antoine de Saint-Exupéry), boy soprano/soprano leggero, soprano, 2 mezzo-sopranos, 2 tenors, 2 baritones, mixed chorus (4 female voices, 6 male voices), orchestra (2 flutes [2nd + piccolo], 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 French horns, 2 trumpets, harp, piano, celesta, glockenspiel, xylophone, percussion, strings), 1950–51 (also version for 2 pianos instead of orchestra, 1950–51); The Scarlet Letter (4 act opera, libretto by the composer, after Nathaniel Hawthorne), dramatic soprano, lyric soprano, 2 sopranos, soprano leggero, mezzo-soprano, 2 altos, tenor, baritone, bass-baritone, 2 basses, large orchestra (piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 2 tenor-bass trombones, bass trombone, harp, piano, celesta, timpani, percussion, 40 strings), 1955–58 (also concert version of music as Suite from 'The Scarlet Letter', soprano, large orchestra, c. 1958 [lost]); Agamennone (incidental music, play by Vittorio Alfieri, after Seneca), 1964 (lost); The Dragon (incidental music, play by Yevgeny Shvarts), tape, 1970 (collaboration with Francesco Pennisi) (lost); Œdipus Rex (incidental music, play by Sophocles), 4 recorders, piccolo, 3 oboes, English horn, 3 bassoons, 3 double basses, glockenspiel, tubular bells, percussion, 1972; Processo a Socrate (incidental music, play by Giorgio Prosperi), speaker-tenor, English horn, E-flat clarinet, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, double bass, piano, celesta, timpani, gong, percussion, 1983
ORCHESTRAL: Music for orchestra, large orchestra (3 flutes [3rd + piccolo], 3 oboes [3rd + English horn], 3 clarinets [3rd + bass clarinet], 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 2 tenor trombones, bass trombone, tuba, harp, piano, timpani, percussion, strings), 1953; La Rêve d'Hermaphrodite (Grand Concerto Variations), piano, orchestra (piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 2 French horns, 2 B-flat trumpets, harp, piano, celesta, timpani, strings), 1980; Hexapla I (concerto), viola, orchestra (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 French horns, 2 trumpets, celesta, tubular bells, strings), 1985; Hexapla II (concerto), piano, orchestra (piccolo, flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 French horns, 3 trumpets, celesta, strings), 1987
CHAMBER MUSIC: String Quartet, 1958; Anaglyphs (music for sculpture by Takis), piccolo, contrabassoon, guitar, 8 violas, 2 double basses, 5 percussion, 1961; ludes, harpsichord, string quartet, double bass, 1974; mereludes, guitar, 1979; Cadenza da concerto, violin, 1980; Livraisons, string quartet, 1980; String Quartet No. 2, 1981; Silberglöckchen, Zauberflöten, flute (+ piccolo), celesta, 1981; Leash, violin, viola, cello, 1981; Spring (for the 80th birthday of Goffredo Petrassi), flute, oboe, clarinet, viola, cello, celesta, 1984; Quincunx, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, piano, 1984; Corn, French horn, 2 trumpets, trombone, tuba, glockenspiel, 1985; Twyll, guitar (+ triangle), viola (+ triangle), 1991, revised 1992 (triangle doublings may be performed by a percussionist); Leash II, clarinet, cello, piano, 1996; In a Warm Pocket, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 1998 (version of piano work); Shards, clarinet, piano, 1998; Cavatina, flute, clarinet, bassoon, viola, cello, double bass, piano, percussion, 2000; All'ombra dell'obelisco, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, string quartet, double bass, percussion, 2001; Canons and Catch, flute (+ piccolo), clarinet, bassoon, viola, cello, double bass, piano, percussion, 2001; Motes, flute, clarinet, bassoon, viola, cello, double bass, piano, percussion, 2002; D'après, piano, ensemble (flute [+ piccolo], clarinet [+ E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet], bassoon, viola, cello, double bass, percussion), 2007; firstlude, string quartet, double bass, 2007; lastlude, string quartet, double bass, 2007
CHORAL: Spring and Fall (text by Gerald Manley Hopkins), female chorus, 1950; Spelt from Sibyl's Leaves (cantata, text by Gerald Manley Hopkins), mixed chorus, small orchestra (piccolo, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, 2 French horns, trumpet, tenor-bass trombone, harp, piano, percussion, 8 strings), 1953
VOCAL: Night Songs (texts by William Blake, Gerald Manley Hopkins, D.H. Lawrence, Percy Bysshe Shelley), soprano leggero/tenor leggero, orchestra (3 flutes [all + piccolo], 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, bass trombone, piano, timpani, percussion, strings), 1954; Suite from 'The Scarlet Letter', soprano, large orchestra, c. 1958 (concert version of music from opera) (lost); Cantata (improvisation, text by Percy Bysshe Shelley, adapted by the composer), soprano, harp, piano, celesta (+ glockenspiel), vibraphone (+ xylophone), tubular bells (+ sleigh bells, crotales, large gong), 2 percussion, 1960; Song (text by Percy Bysshe Shelley, adapted by the composer), soprano, cymbals (3 players), 1970; Adagio and Songs (text by Percy Bysshe Shelley, adapted by the composer), soprano, orchestra, 1969–71; Seam into Seam (text by Emily Dickinson), mezzo-soprano, 2 pianos, 1977; Ballade (text by François Villon), soprano, bass trumpet, trombone, tuba, crotales (1 player), 1977; Ingyte (text by Percy Bysshe Shelley, adapted by the composer), soprano, orchestra, 1982; A Ditty for Soprano and Harpsichord, 'The Kittens at Tea' (text from an anonymous nursery rhyme), 1983; Four Morley Songs (text by Hilda Morley), soprano, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, improvisational metallic instruments (1 player), 1995
PIANO: In a Warm Pocket, 1958 (also version for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon); ...quasi..., 1976 (version of harpsichord work); mereludes, 1978; Cakewalk Chorale, 2000
HARPSICHORD: ...quasi..., 1976 (also version for piano)
ARRANGEMENTS: ...touches of sweet harmony... Scènes de ballet on the virginal music of Giles Farnaby (The King's Hunt–A Maske–Rosasolis–Fantasia–Galiarda–Meridian Alman–A Toye–Farnaby's Dreame–His Humour–The Flatt Pavan–Fantasia), orchestra (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 2 French horns, 2 trumpets, harp, celesta, strings), 1978; Robert Schumann: Nine Songs (Stirb Lieb und Freund!–Der Sandmann–Muttertraum–O Freund, mein Schirm, mein Schutz!–Kommen und Scheiden–Schneeglöckchen–Liebesbotschaft–Nachtlied–Der Soldat), mezzo-soprano, small orchestra (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 2 French horns, strings), 1979; Bach: Two-part Inventions, BWV 772–86, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 1993 (each invention may be performed separately); Bach: English Suite III, BWV 808, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 1994; Mendelssohn: Songs without Words, Op. 38 No. 6–Op. 30 No. 4–Op. 67 No. 4–Op. 38 No. 3–Op. 102 No. 6, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 1994; Bach: Three-part Inventions, BWV 787–801, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 1995 (each invention may be performed separately); Bach: Prelude and Fugue No. 24 in B minor from 'The Well-tempered Clavier', Book I, BWV 869, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, viola, cello, celesta, 1996; Rossini: Sonata IV in si maggiore, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 1997
DISCOGRAPHY
Silberglöckchen, Zauberflöten; Quincunx. Roberto Fabbriciani, flute, piccolo; Giuseppe Scotese, piano; Roberto Szidon, celesta; Echos Woodwind Quartet (Edi.Pan International Music: PAN CD 5501, 1994)
Cakewalk Chorale. Mauro Castellano, piano (Fondazione CEMAT/AldaMicioMusic, c. 2001)
Cavatina. Paolo Longo/Taukay Ensemble (Taukay: 119, 2001)
Canons and Catch. Paolo Longo/Taukay Ensemble (Taukay: 121, 2002)
Motes. Paolo Longo/Taukay Ensemble (Taukay, 2003)
D'après. Paolo Carandini, piano; Paolo Longo/Taukay Ensemble (Taukay, 2008)
Shards. Paolo Montin, clarinet; Emanuela Graziosi, piano (Geva Edizioni, 2009)
(Last updated on December 10, 2010)
