Huston, (Thomas) Scott (Jr.)
Huston, (Thomas) Scott (Jr.)
Huston, (Thomas) Scott (Jr.), American composer and pedagogue; b. Tacoma, Wash., Oct. 10, 1916; d.Cincinnati, March 1, 1991. After attending the Univ. of Puget Sound (1934–35), he studied with Phillips, Rogers, and Hanson at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. (B.M., 1941; M.M., 1942; Ph.D., 1952). He taught at several schools of higher learning before joining the Cincinnati Cons, of Music in 1952; after it merged with the Coll. of Music in 1955, he was dean until 1956; he then taught there until 1988. His output was marked by a fine command of tonal and atonal writing.
Works
dramatic: Opera: Blind Girl (1981; concert perf., Lake George, N.Y., May 1984). ORCH.: Toccata for Piano and Orch. (1951); Abstract (1955); Concerto for Trumpet, Harp, and Orch. (1963); 6 syms., including No. 3, Phantasms (1967; Cincinnati, Feb. 2, 1968), No. 4 for Strings (Cincinnati, Aug. 10, 1972), No. 5 (1975), and No. 6, The Human Condition (1981); 2 Images for Strings (1964); Fanfare for the 200th (1975); Impressions from Life for Small Chamber Orch. (1977).CHAMBER: Flute Sonata (1959); Viola Sonata (1960); Intensity I (1962) and II (1975) for Winds; Timpani Suite (1963); Pro vita for Piano and Brass Quintet (1965); Phenomena for Flute, Oboe, Harpsichord, and Double Bass (1966); Violin Sonata, Mercury and Venus (1967); Life-Styles I-IV for Piano Trio or Clarinet, Cello, and Piano (1972); Cool to Hot for Jazz Quartet (1973); For Our Times, suite for 6 Brass (1974); Eleatron for Viola and Piano (1975); Fragments, Disputes, Mirrors for 2 Oboes (1977); Shadowy Waters for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano (1977); Variables for 4 Saxophones (1979); In Memoriam Norman Dinerstein for Piano and Chamber Group (1983); Optimism: A Way of Life for Brass Quintet (1986); The Glass Children for Violin (1988).keyboard: piano:Penta-Tholoi (1966); 5 Notes for Ada for 2 Pianos (1984).organ: Sonata (1960).VOCAL: Ante mortem for Men’s Chorus, Brass, and Organ (1965); The Oratorio of Understanding (1969); Divinely Superfluous Beauty and Natural Music for Soprano and Chamber Ensemble (1971); Tornar, monodrama for Soprano and Prepared Piano (1974); Ecstasies of Janus for Countertenor and Chamber Ensemble (1978); Time/Reflections for Chorus and Chamber Orch. (1978); Songs of the Courtesans for Voice and Chamber Ensemble (1985); An Ecumenical Mosaic of Cincinnati for Chorus, Organ, and Double String Quartet (1987); choruses; songs.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire