Somers, Harry (Stewart)

Somers, Harry (Stewart), outstanding Canadian composer and pianist; b. Toronto, Sept. 11, 1925; d. there, March 9, 1999. He studied piano with Dorothy Hornfelt (1939–41), Reginald Godden (1942–43), Weldon Kilburn (1945–48), and E.R. Schmitz (1948) in Toronto, and also attended classes in composition with John Weinzweig (1941–43; 1945–49). He then studied with Milhaud in Paris (1949–50). Returning to Canada, he eked out a meager living as a music copyist, finally receiving commissions in 1960. He also became active as a broadcaster. In 1972 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada. His historical opera, Louis Riel, was performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 23, 1975, as part of America’s Bicentennial celebration. His musical idiom was quaquaversal, absorbing without prejudice ancient, national, and exotic resources, from Gregorian chant to oriental scales, from simple folkways to electronic sound, all handled with fine expertise.

Works

DRAMATIC: The Fool, chamber opera for 4 Soloists and Chamber Orch. (1953; Toronto, Nov. 15, 1956); The Homeless Ones, television operetta (CBC-TV, Toronto, Dec. 31, 1955); The Fisherman and His Soul, ballet (Hamilton, Nov. 5, 1956); Ballad, ballet (Ottawa, Oct. 29, 1958); The House of Atreus, ballet (1963; Toronto, Jan. 13, 1964); Louis Kiel, historical opera (Toronto, Sept. 23, 1967); Improvisation, theater piece for Narrator, Singers, Strings, any number of Woodwinds, 2 Percussionists, and Piano (Montreal, July 5, 1968); And, choreography for Dancers, Vocal Soloists, Flute, Harp, Piano, and 4 Percussionists (CBC-TV, Toronto, 1969); Death of Enkidu: Fart 1, chamber opera, after the epic of Gilgamesh (Toronto, Dec. 7, 1977); Mario and the Magician, opera (1991). ORCH.: Scherzo for Strings (1947); 3 piano concertos: No. 1 (Toronto, March, 1949), No. 2 (Toronto, March 12, 1956), and No. 3 (1994–95); North Country for Strings (Toronto, Nov. 10, 1948); Suite for Harp and Chamber Orch. (Toronto, Dec. 11, 1952); The Case of the Wayward Woodwinds for Chamber Orch. (1950); Sym. No. 1 (1951; Toronto, April 27, 1953); Passacaglia and Fugue (1954); Little Suite for String Orchestra on Canadian Folk Songs (1955); Fantasia (Montreal, April 1, 1958); Lyric (Washington, D.C., April 30, 1961); 5 Concepts (1961; Toronto, Feb. 15, 1962); Movement (CBC-TV, Toronto, March 4, 1962); Stereophony (Toronto, March 19, 1963); The Picasso Suite, light music for Small Orch. (1964; Saskatoon, Feb. 28, 1965); Those Silent Awe-filled Spaces (Ottawa, Feb. 2, 1978); Variations for Strings (1979); Elegy, Transformation, Jubilation: In Memoriam Four Suicides (1981); Concertante for Violin, String Orch., and Percussion (1982); Guitar Concerto (1984). CHAMBER: 3 string quartets (1943, 1950, 1959); Suite for Percussion (1947); Mime for Violin and Piano (1948); Rhapsody for Violin and Piano (1948); Wind Quintet (1948); Trio for Flute, Violin, and Cello (1950); 2 violin sonatas (1953, 1955); Movement for Wind Quintet (1957); Sonata for Solo Guitar (1959); Theme and Variations for any combination of Instruments (1964); Music for Violin (1974); Movement for String Quartet (1982); Fanfare to J.S. B. for Brass Quintet (1984); 11 Miniatures for Oboe and Piano (1994). P i a n o: Strangeness of Heart (1942); Flights of Fancy (1944); 5 sonatas (Testament of Youth, 1945; 1946; 1950; 1950; 1957); 3 Sonnets (1946); Solitudes (1947); 4 Primitives (1949); 22 x 12, fugues (1951). VOCAL: 5 Songs for Dark Voice for Contralto and Orch. (Stratford, Ontario, Aug. 11, 1956); At the Descent from the Cross for Bass and 2 Guitars (1962); 12 Miniatures for Soprano, Recorder or Flute, Viola da Gamba, and Spinet (1963); Crucifixion for Chorus, English Horn, 2 Trumpets, Harp, and Percussion (1966); Kuyas for Soprano, Flute, and Percussion (1967; adapted from Louis Riel); Kyrie for Soloists, Chorus, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Cello, 3 Trumpets, Piano, and 6 Percussionists (1970–72); Voicepiay for Male or Female Singer/Actor (Toronto, Nov. 14, 1972; Cathy Berberian, soloist); Zen, Yeats and Emily Dickinson for Female and Male Narrators, Soprano, Flute, Piano, and Tape (1975); Chura-churum for Chorus, Flute, Harp, Piano, 4 Percussion, and 8 Loudspeakers (1985); choruses; songs.

Bibliography

B. Cherney, H. S. (Toronto, 1975).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire