Demuth, Norman
Demuth, Norman
Demuth, Norman , English composer, writer on music, and teacher; b. South Croydon, July. 15, 1898; d. Chichester, April 21, 1968. He was a student of Parratt and Dunhill at the Royal Coll. of Music in London, and then continued private studies with Dunhill. After military service during World War I (1915–17), he was active as a church organist and later conducted in provincial music centers. He became prof, of composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London in 1930; with the exception of his military service in World War II, he retained this post throughout his life. Demuth’s high regard for French music led to his being made a corresponding member of the Institut. In 1951 he became an officer of the French Academic and in 1954 a chevalier of the Legion d’honneur. In his compositions, he followed a course set by d’Indy and Roussel.
Works
DRAMATIC opéra : Conte venitien (1947); Le Flambeau (1948); Volpone (1949); The Oresteia (1950); Rogue Scapin (1954). B a 1 1 e t : The Temptation of St. Anthony (1937); Planetomania (1940); Complainte (1946); Bal desfantomes (1949); La debutante (1949). O t h e r : Incidental music and film scores. ORCH.: Cortége (1931); Introduction and Allegro (1936); Violin Concerto (1937); 2 partitas (1939, 1958); 2 War Poems for Piano and Orch. (1940); Valse graves et gales (1940); Concertino for Flute and Strings (1941); fantasy and Fugue (1941); Divertimento No. 1 for Strings (1941) and No. 2 (1943); Elegiac Rhapsody for Cello and Small Orch. (1942); Threnody for Strings (1942); Overture for a Victory (1943); Piano Concerto (1943); Suite champetre (1945); Overture for a Joyful Occasion (1946); Concertino for Piano and Small Orch. (1947); Concerto for Piano, Left-hand, and Orch. (1947); Legend for Piano, Left- hand, and Orch. (1949); 4 syms.: No. 1 (1949), No. 2 (1950), No. 3 for Strings (1952), and No. 4 (1956–57); 2 symphonic studies (1949, 1950); Mouvement symphonique for Ondes Martenot and Orch. (1952); Ouverture a lafrangaise (1952); Ballade for Viola and Orch. (1953); Variations symphonique (1954); François Villon (1956); Cello Concerto (1956); Concert Overture (1958); Sinfonietta (1958). M i l i t a r y B a n d : Saxophone Concerto (1938); The Sea (1939); Regimental March of the Royal Pioneer Corps (1943). CHAMBER : 3 violin sonatas (1937,1938,1948); Serenade for Violin and Piano (1938); Flute Sonata (1938); Cello Sonata (1939); Sonatina for 2 Violins (1939); Sonatine for Flute, Oboe, and Piano (1946); Capriccio for Violin and Piano (1948); Trio for Flute, Oboe, and Bassoon (1949); String Trio (1950); String Quartet (1950); Lyric Trio for Flute, Oboe, and Piano (1953); Suite for Flute, Oboe, and Harpsichord (1954); Quartet for Flute and Piano Trio (1955); Suite de printemps for Violin and Piano (1955); Le souper du roi for Wind, Drums, and Harpsichord (1956); Divertissement for Flute and Piano Trio (1957); Pastoral Fantasy for Piano Quartet (1957); Primavera for Flute and Piano Trio (1958); piano pieces; organ WORKS. VOCAL: 3 Poems for Soprano and Strings (1941); 3 Poems for Voice and Strings (1944); Pan’s Anniversary for Chorus and Orch. (1952); Sonnet for Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (1953); Requiem for Chorus (1954); numerous part songs; many solo songs.
Writings
(all publ. in London unless otherwise given): The Gramophone and How to Use it (1945); Albert Roussel (1947); Ravel (1947); An Anthology of Musical Criticism (1948); César Franck (1949); Paul Dukas (1949); The Symphony: Its History and Development (1950); A Course in Musical Composition (1950–58); Gounod (1951); Musical Trends in the 20th Century (1952); Musical Forms and Textures (1953); French Piano Music (1958); French opéra: Its Development to the Revolution (Horsham, 1963).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire