Lewis, Robert Hall

Lewis, Robert Hall, American composer and teacher; b. Portland, Ore., April 22, 1926; d. Baltimore, March 22,1996. He studied with Rogers and Hanson at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. (B.M., 1949; M.M., 1951; Ph.D., 1964), Boulanger and Bigot in Paris (1952–53), and Apostel, Krenek, and Schiske in Vienna (1955–57), and also received instruction in conducting from Monteux in Hancock, Maine (1954). He taught at Goucher Coll. and the Peabody Cons, of Music in Baltimore (from 1958); also was on the faculty of Johns Hopkins Univ. (1969–80). He held 2 Fulbright scholarships (1955–57) and 2 Guggenheim fellowships (1966, 1980).

Works

orch.:Poem for Strings (1949); Concert Overture (1951); Sinfonia, Expression for Orchestra (1955); Prelude andFinale (1959); Designs (1963); 4 syms. (1964; 1971; 1982–85; 1990); Music for 12 Players (1965); 3 Pieces (1965; rev. 1966); Concerto for Chamber Orch. (1967; rev. 1972); Intermezzi (1972); Nuances II (1975); Osservazioni II for Winds, Keyboard, Harpsichord, and Percussion (1978); Moto (1980); Atto for Strings (1981); Concerto for Strings, 4 Trumpets, Harps, and Piano (1984); Destini for Strings and Winds (1985); Invenzione (1988); 3 Movements on Scenes of Hieronymous Bosch (1989); Images and Dialogues (1992); Ariosi (1995); Scena for Strings (1995). chamber: 4 string quartets (1956, 1962, 1981, 1993); Trio for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano (1966); Monophonies I-IX for Winds (1966–77); Tangents for Double Brass Quartet (1968); Violin Sonata (1968); Inflections I for Double Bass (1969) and 17 for Piano Trio (1970); Serenades I for Piano (1970), II for Flute, Piccolo, Cello, and Piano (1976), and III for Brass Quintet (1982); Fantasiemusik I for Cello and Piano (1973), II for Clarinet and Piano (1978), and 777 for Saxophone, Piano, and Percussion (1984); Combinazioni I for Clarinet, Violin, Cello, and Piano (1974), II for 8 Percussion and Piano (1974), III for Narrator, Oboe, English Horn, and Percussion (1977), IV for Cello and Piano (1977), and V for 4 Violas (1982); Osservazioni I for Flutes, Piano, and Percussion (1975); A due I for Flute, Piccolo, Alto Flute, and Harp (1981), II for Oboe, English Horn, and Percussion (1981), III for Bassoon and Harp (1985), IV for Soprano and Piano (1986), and VII for Bassoon and Trumpet (1991); Wind Quintet (1983); Duo for Cello and Percussion (1987); Dimensioni for Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano (1988); 9 Visions for Piano Trio (1992); Monologo for Timpanist (1992); Ottetto (1994). vocal:Acquainted with the Night for Soprano and Chamber Orch. (1951); 5 Songs for Soprano, Clarinet, Horn, Cello, and Piano (1957); 2 madrigals for Chorus (1972); 3 Prayers of Jane Austen for Small Chorus, Piano, and Percussion (1977); Kantaten for Chorus and Piano (1980); Monophony X for Soprano (1983).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire