Engel, Lehman

Engel, Lehman, American conductor, composer, and writer on music; b. Jackson, Miss., Sept. 14, 1910; d.N.Y, Aug. 29, 1982. He attended the Univ. of Cincinnati and studied composition at the Cincinnati Cons, of Music (1927–29) before completing his training in N.Y. with Goldmark at the Juilliard Graduate School (1930–34) and with Sessions (1931–37). After conducting his own Lehman Engel Singers and the Madrigal Singers (1935–39), he concentrated on conducting and com-posing for the serious and popular N.Y theater.

Works

DRAMATIC Opera : The Pierrot of the Minuet (1927; Cincinnati, April 3, 1928); Malady of Love (N.Y, May 27, 1954); The Soldier (1955; concert perf., NY., Nov. 25, 1956). M u s i c a l C o m e d i e s : Golden Ladder (Cleve-land, May 28, 1953); Serena (1956). B a l l e t : Ceremonials (1932; N.Y., May 13, 1933); Phobias (N.Y, Nov. 18, 1932); Ekstasis (1933); Transitions (N.Y, Feb. 19, 1934); Imperial Gesture (1935); Marching Song (1935); Traditions (1938); The Shoe Bird (1967; Jackson, Miss., April 20, 1968). Also incidental music to over 50 plays and some film scores. ORCH.: 2 syms. (1939, 1945); Overture for the End of the World (1945); Viola Concerto (1945); Jackson, overture Jackson, Miss., Feb. 13, 1961). CHAMBER: String Quartet (1933); Cello Sonata (1945); Violin Sonata (1953). VOCAL: The Chinese Nightingale, cantata (1928); The Creation for Narrator and Orch. (1945); choruses.

Writings

(all publ. in N.Y): This Bright Day (autobiography; 1956; 2nd ed., rev, 1974); Planning and Producing the Musical Show (1957; 2nd ed., rev, 1966); The American Musical Theatre: A Consideration (1967; 2nd ed., rev, 1975); The Musical Book (1971); Words with Music (1972); Getting Started in the Theater (1973); Their Words are Music: The Great Lyricists and Their Lyrics (1975); The Critics (1976); The Making of a Musical (1977); Getting the Show On: The Complete Guidebook for Producing a Musical in Your Theatre (1983).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire