Schuman, William (Howard) (
b NY, 1910;
d Manhattan, NY, 1992). Amer. composer and administrator. As youth composed jazz arrs. In 1933 enrolled for teacher's course at Columbia Univ., attended Salzburg Mozarteum summer course 1935 where he began work on 1st Sym. This he submitted for advice to Roy Harris, who gave him private lessons. His 3rd Sym. was played in Boston in 1941 under
Koussevitzky, who became his champion. Henceforward composed prolifically, and became prof. at Sarah Lawrence Coll., Larchmont, 1935–45. His cantata
A Free Song won the first
Pulitzer Prize for mus. (1943). Became president of Juilliard Sch. in 1945, holding this post until 1962; president of Lincoln Center for Performing Arts, 1962–9.
His syms. are a major feature of Amer. mus. His mus. has a firm melodic basis, large in gesture and conception, with strong contrapuntal element and motor rhythms, some derived from jazz. He comp. in most forms, incl. ballets for Antony Tudor and Martha Graham, and was much honoured by Amer. institutions. Prin. works:OPERAS:
The Mighty Casey (baseball opera, 1951–3, rev. as cantata
Casey at the Bat, 1976);
A Question of Time (1989–91).BALLETS:
Undertow (1945);
Night Journey (1947);
Judith (1949);
Voyage for a Theater (1953, withdrawn);
The Witch of Endor (1965, withdrawn).ORCH.: syms.: No.1 (1935, withdrawn), No.2 (1937, withdrawn), No.3 (1941), No.4 (1941), No.5 (
Symphony for Strings) (1943), No.6 (1948), No.7 (1960), No.8 (1962), No.9 (
Le Fosse ardeatine) (1968), No.10 (
American Muse) (1975); pf. conc. (1938, rev. 1942);
American Festival Overture (1939);
William Billings Overture (1943, withdrawn);
Circus Overture (1944 for small orch., 1945 for large); vn. conc. (1947, rev. 1954, 1959);
New England Triptych (1956);
Song of Orpheus, vc., orch. (1961);
The Orchestra Song (1963);
To Thee Old Cause (1968);
In Praise of Shahn (1969);
Voyage for Orchestra (1972);
Prelude for a Great Occasion, brass, perc. (1974); 3
Colloquies, hn., orch. (1979);
American Hymn (1980; also for band and brass quintet).CHORAL:
Pioneers! (1937);
This is Our Time (1940);
A Free Song, cantata (1942);
Te Deum (1944);
Carols of Death (1958);
Mail Order Madrigals (1971);
The Young Dead Soldiers, sop., hn., ww., str. (1975);
Perceptions (1982);
On Freedom's Ground, bar., ch., orch. (1985).CHAMBER MUSIC: str. qts.: No.1 (1936, withdrawn), No.2 (1937), No.3 (1939), No.4 (1950), No.5 (1987);
Amaryllis, str. trio (1964); 25
Opera Snatches, tpt. (1978);
Dances, wind quintet, perc. (1984).PIANO:
Voyage (1953, orch. 1972); 3
Piano Moods (1958).
