Stein, Leon
Stein, Leon
Stein, Leon, American composer, teacher, and conductor; b. Chicago, Sept. 18, 1910. He studied violin at the American Cons. in Chicago (1922-27), and theory at Crane Jr. Coll. in Chicago (1927-29); took private lessons in composition with Sowerby, in orchestration with DeLamarter, and in conducting with Stock and Lange (1937-40); also studied at De Paul Univ. (B.M., 1931; M.M., 1935; Ph.D., 1949; diss. pubi, as The Racial Thinking of Richard Wagner, 1950), where he served on its faculty (1931-78); served as dean of its school of music (1966-76); also was director of the Inst. of Music of the Coll. of Jewish Studies (1952-59) and was a conductor of various community orchs. He pubi. Structure and Style: The Study and Analysis of Musical Form (Evanston, 111., 1962; third ed., rev. and enl., 1979) and Anthology of Musical Forms (Evanston, 111., 1962). In 1982 he received Chicago’s Hall of Fame Award. His music is academic, but not devoid of occasional modernities.
Works
DRAMATIC: Opera: Fisherman’s Wife (1953-54; St. Joseph, Mich., Jan. 10, 1955); Deirdre, after Yeats (1956; Chicago, May 18, 1957). Ballet For Piano : Exodus (Chicago, Jan. 29, 1939); Doubt (Chicago, Jan. 21, 1940). ORCH.: Prelude and Fugue (1935); Passacaglia (1936); Sinfonista for Strings (1938); Violin Concerto (1938-39; Chicago, Dec. 3, 1948); 4 syms.: No. 1 (1940), No. 2 (1942), No. 3 (1950-51), and No. 4 (1975); 3 Hassidic Dances (1940-41; Chicago, April 13, 1942); Triptych on 3 Poems of Walt Whitman (1943; Chicago, March 29, 1949); Great Lakes Suite for Small Orch. (1943-44); Rhapsody for Flute, Harp, and Strings (1954; Chicago, Nov. 8, 1955); Adagio and Rondo Ebraico (1957); A Festive Overture (1959); Then Shall the Dust Return (1971); Cello Concerto (1977; Chicago, June 11, 1983); Concerto for Clarinet and Percussion Ensemble (1979); Nexus for Wind Ensemble (1983); Aria Hebraique for Oboe and Strings (1984; Los Angeles, April 10, 1994); Concerto for Oboe and Strings (1986; Chicago, Jan. 29, 1988). CHAMBER : Sonata for 2 Violins (1931); Violin Sonata (1932); 5 string quartets (1933, 1962, 1964, 1964, 1967); Woodwind Quintet (1936); 12 Preludes for Violin and Piano (1942-49); Trio for 3 Trumpets (1953); Quintet for Saxophone and String Quartet (1957); Sextet for Alto Saxophone and Wind Quintet (1958); solo sonatas for Violin (1960), Flute (1968), Horn (1969), Trombone (1969), Trumpet (1969), Bassoon (1969), Oboe (1969), Bass (1970), and Cello (1970); Trio Concertante for Saxophone, Violin, and Piano (1961); Suite for Saxophone Quartet (1962); Tenor Saxophone Sonata (1967); Trio for Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, and Piano (1969); 3 Pieces for Clarinet (1969); Rhapsody for Alto Saxophone (1969); Suite for Brass Quintet (1975); Quintet for
Harp and String Quartet (1976); Introduction and Rondo for Flute and Percussion (1977); Suite for Woodwind Quintet (1978); Rhapsody for Cello (1979); Suite for Violin, Viola, and Cello (1980); Dance ebraico for Cello and Piano (1982); Duo Concertante for Bassoon or Violin and Marimba (1988); Trio Concertante for Violin, Saxophone or Cello, and Piano (1993); numerous solo works and various piano pieces. VOCAL: The Lord Reigneth, cantata for Tenor, Women’s Chorus, and Orch. (1953); choral pieces; songs.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire