American art song

The composition of art song in America began slowly in the Colonial and Federal periods, expanded greatly in the 19th century, and has become a distinguished and highly regarded addition to the classical music repertoire in the 20th and 21st centuries.

18th Century American Art Song

Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791), Philadelphia native and signer of the Declaration of Independence, is usually considered the first important American song composer. His most famous song is "My Days Have been so Wondrous Free", and his "Seven Songs for the Harpsichord" were composed in 1788 and dedicated to George Washington.

Other 18th Century American Song Composers
* Peter Von Hagen (1750-1803), Dutch born
* Alexander Reinagle (c.1750-1809)
* Benjamin Carr (1768-1831), English born
* Gottlieb Graupner (1767-1836), German born, arrived in the U.S. in 1795
* Oliver Shaw (1779-1848)

19th Century American Art Song

In the 19th century, many Americans composed songs for amateur musicians to sing at home (usually called parlor songs). In the middle of the century Stephen Foster (1826-64) emerged as one of the best known American composers of songs. While many of his vocal pieces were written for Minstrel shows, the simple but effective melodies of his "songs for the hearth and home" are widely popular, often mistaken for American folksongs.

By the end of the 19th century, serious American composers were travelling to European countries to study, especially with German and French composition teachers, and they gained a thorough understanding of Romantic style, including an understanding of the Lieder tradition. American songs written between 1870 and 1910 are often dismissed as sounding too "derivative", although the compositional craft shown in these works is quite high.

Other 19th Century American Song Composers
* John Hill Hewitt (1801-1890), composed songs about the Civil War
* Francis Boott (1813-1904)
* Daniel Decatur Emmett (1815-1904), composed the song "Dixie"
* George F. Root (1820-95), composed popular Civil War songs
* Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-1869), piano virtuoso, also composed songs
* Philip Paul Bliss (1838-76)
* Alfred Humphreys Pease (1838-82)
* Dudley Buck (1839-1909), organist and composer of sacred songs
* John Knowles Paine (1839-1906)
* Arthur Foote (1853-1937)
* George Whitefield Chadwick (1854-1931)
* Arthur Bird (1856-1924)
* George Templeton Strong (1856-1948)
* Edgar Stillman-Kelley (1857-1944)
* Reginald De Koven (1859-1920), composed over 400 songs, known for "Oh promise me"
* Charles Martin Loeffler (1861-1935)
* Edward MacDowell (1861-1908)
* Carrie Jacobs Bond (1861-1946), wrote the wedding song "I love you truly"
* Ethelbert Woodbridge Nevin (1862-1901)
* Horatio Parker (1863-1919)

20th Century American Art Song

American composers began to break from European traditions in the early part of the 20th century. Charles Ives (1874-1954) composed songs in a variety of styles, including both traditional and experimental sounds, and self-published his important collection "114 Songs". Other publications of American song, such as those in the The Wa-Wan Press editions presented works by less-known American composers.

By the end of the 20th century, several composers emerged as the leaders of American art song composition, especially Aaron Copland (1900-1990), Samuel Barber (1910-1981), and Ned Rorem (b. 1923).Other 20th century American Art Song composers
* Sidney Homer (1864-1953), husband of Louise Homer and uncle of Samuel Barber
* Harry Burleigh (1866-1949), student of Dvorák, spiritual arrangements and other songs
* Amy Beach (Mrs. H. H. A.) (1867-1944)
* Howard Brockway (1870-1951), wrote folksong arrangements with Loarine Wyman
* Arthur Farwell (1872-1952)
* Oley Speaks (1874-1948)
* Henry Clough-Leighter (1874-1956)
* Frederic Ayres (1876-1926)
* John Alden Carpenter (1876-1951)
* Louis Campbell-Tipton (1877-1921)
* John Prindle Scott (1877-1932)
* Frank LaForge (1879-1953)
* Ernest Bloch (1880-1959), Swiss-American
* Clara Edwards (1880-1974), composed over 100 songs, many in anthologies
* Charles Wakefield Cadman (1881-1946)
* Richard Hageman (1882-1970)
* Mary Howe (1882-1964)
* Bainbridge Crist (1883-1969)
* Charles Tomlinson Griffes (1884-1920)
* Deems Taylor (1885-1966)
* Henry Cowell (1887-1965)
* Hall Johnson (1887-1970) concert arrangements of spirituals
* David W. Guion (1892-1981), collected folk songs; composed sacred songs
* John Jacob Niles (1892-1980), arranged folk songs and composed original settings of Thomas Merton poems
* Katherine K. Davis (1892-1980)
* Douglas Moore (1893-1969) opera composer, some songs
* Ernest Charles (1895-1984) a few songs still in the repertoire
* Albert Hay Malotte (1895-1964) famous setting of "Lord's Prayer"
* Leo Sowerby (1895-1968)
* William Grant Still (1895-1978) the "Dean" of African-American composers
* Roger Sessions (1896-1985)
* Virgil Thomson (1896-1987)
* Henry Cowell (1897-1965)
* Ernst Bacon (1898-1990)
* Roy Harris (1898-1979)
* John Duke (1899-1984)
* Sven Lekberg (1899-1984)
* Randall Thompson (1899-1984)
* Otto Luening (1900-96)
* Elinor Remick Warren (1900-91)
* Ruth Crawford Seeger (1901-53)
* Thodore Chanler (1902-61)
* Celius Dougherty (1902-86)
* Vittorio Giannini (1903-66)
* Vernon Duke (1903-1969)
* Undine Smith Moore (1904-1989)
* Marc Blitzstein (1905-1964)
* Louise Talma (1906-96)
* Paul Creston (1906-85)
* Ross Lee Finney (1906-1997)
* Howard Swanson (1907-1978)
* Elliot Carter (b. 1908), composed a few songs, from 1938-43 and the 1970s
* Sergius Kagen (1908-1964)
* Jean Berger (1909-2002)
* Charles Naginski (1909-1940)
* Paul Nordoff (1909-1977)
* Elie Siegmeister (1909-91)
* Paul Bowles (1910-99)
* Sam Raphling (1910-88)
* Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000)
* Gian-Carlo Menotti (1911-2007)
* John Cage (1912-1992), wrote one song "The Wonderful Widow of 18 Springs"
* Hugo Weisgall (1912-1997)
* Margaret Bonds (1913-1972)
* Norman Dello Joio (b. 1913)
* John Edmunds (1913-86)
* Vivian Fine (1913-2000)
* Gardner Read (1913-2005)
* Irving Fine (1914-62)
* David Diamond (1915-2005)
* George Perle (b. 1915)
* Vincent Persichetti (1915-1987)
* Gordon Binkerd (1916-2003)
* Leonard Bernstein (1918-90)
* George Rochberg (1918-2005)
* John La Montaine (b. 1920)
* Jack Beeson (b. 1921)
* Seymour Barab (b. 1921)
* William Bergsma (1921-1994)
* Ernest Gold (b. 1921) film music, cycle "Songs of Love and Parting"
* Lloyd Pfautsch (1921-2003) much sacred music, some songs
* Lukas Foss (b. 1922)
* Robert Kreutz (1922-96)
* Richard Owen (b. 1922) lawyer, judge, and composer
* Jean Eichelberger Ivey (b. 1923)
* Daniel Pinkham (1923-2006)
* Lee Hoiby (b. 1926)
* Dominick Argento (b. 1927)
* William Roy (1928-2003), art songs and theater music
* Richard Hundley (b. 1931)
* H. Leslie Adams (b. 1932)
* Luigi Zaninelli (b. 1932)
* Kenneth Benshoof (b. 1933)

21st Century American Art Song

American art song composition continues to be lively and strong in the early 21st century. Commissions from well-known singers have added a number of new works to the repertoire, and composers such as Ricky Ian Gordon (b. 1956), Daron Hagen (b.1961) and Jake Heggie (b. 1961) are establishing themselves as the next generation of leading American art song composers.

Active American Art Song composers
* André Previn (b. 1929)
* Robert Baksa (b. 1938)
* William Bolcom (b. 1938)
* John Corigliano (b. 1938)
* John Harbison (b. 1938)
* Thomas Pasatieri (b. 1945)
* Judith Lang Zaimont (b. 1945)
* Stephen Paulus (b. 1949)
* Libby Larsen (b. 1950)
* Daniel Brewbaker (b. 1951)
* John Musto (b. 1954)
* Lori Laitman (b. 1955)
* Richard Danielpour (b. 1956)

References

*cite book | last=Villamil | first=Victoria Etnier | edition=paperback | title=A Singer’s Guide to the American Art Song: 1870-1980 | location=Metuchen, NJ | publisher=Scarecrow Press | year=2004 | isbn= 0810852179
*cite book | last=Kimball | first=Carol | edition=paperback |title=Song: A Guide to Art Song Style and Literature | location=New York | publisher=Hal Leonard | year=2006 | isbn=142341280X
*cite book | last=Stevens | first=Denis, ed. | edition=paperback |title=The History of Song | location=New York | publisher=Norton | year=1970 | isbn=0393005364

External links

* [http://www.recmusic.org/lieder The Lied and Art Song Texts Page]
* [http://www.americanartsong.org/ American Art Song Page]
* [http://www.loc.gov/creativity/hampson/artsong.html Library of Congress Introduction to American Art Song]
* [http://www.darryltaylor.com/alliance/ The African-American Art Song Alliance]
* [http://www.pbs.org/wnet/ihas/profiles.html PBS "I Hear America Singing" composer profiles]