Sacco, P(atrick) Peter

Sacco, P(atrick) Peter , American composer, tenor, and teacher; b. Albion, N.Y., Oct. 25, 1928. He was born into a musical family and began touring as a child pianist and boy soprano at an early age. Following studies at the Eastman Preparatory School in Rochester, N.Y. (1941–44), he pursued training with Vivian Major and William Willett at the State Univ. of N.Y. at Fredonia (B.M., 1950). During military service, he continued his studies with Wolfgang Niederste-Schee in Frankfurt am Main (1950–52). After his discharge, he completed his training with Barlow, Rogers, and Hanson at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. (M.M., 1954; D.Mus., 1958). From 1959 until his retirement in 1980 he taught at San Francisco State Univ. He also pursued an active career as a concert artist. In his music, Sacco adhered to traditional harmony but developed an ingenious chromatic method of expression.

Works

chamberopera : Mr. Vinegar (1966–67; Redding, Calif., May 12, 1967). ORCH. : 3 syms.: No. 1 (1955; Oklahoma City, Dec. 17, 1958), No. 2, Symphony of Thanksgiving (1965–76; San Francisco, March 23, 1976), and No. 3, Convocation Symphony (Redding, Calif., June 1, 1968); 4 Sketches on Emerson Essays for Wind Ensemble (1963); Piano Concerto (1964; San Francisco, April 4, 1968); Violin Concerto (1969–74; Walnut Creek, Calif., April 24, 1974); band music. chamber : Clarinet Quintet (1956); String Quartet (1966). piano : 2 sonatas (1951, 1965); 4 sonatinas (1962–63); Variations on Schubert’s “An die Musik” for Piano, 4-Hands (1981). VOCAL : 3 oratorios: Jesu (Grand Rapids, Mich., Dec. 3, 1956), Midsummer Dream Night (San Francisco, June 15, 1961), and Solomon (San Francisco, Dec. 12, 1976); cantatas; choruses; anthems; many solo songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire