Baker, Claude

Baker, Claude, American composer and teacher; b. Lenoir, N.C., April 12, 1948. He received training in theory and composition at East Carolina Univ. in Greenville, N.C. (B.M., 1970), and then pursued studies in composition principally with Adler and Benson at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. (M.M., 1973; D.M.A., 1975). He was an instructor in theory and composition at the Univ. of Ga. (1974–76), and then a prof. of those subjects at the Univ. of Louisville (1976–88); in 1985, was also a visiting prof. of composition at the Eastman School of Music. In 1988 he became a prof. at the Ind. Univ. School of Music in Bloomington. He also served as composer-in-residence of the St. Louis Sym. Orch. from 1991 to 1999. In 1976 he won the Manuel de Falla Prize of Madrid. He held Yaddo fellowships in 1978 and 1980. In 1979 and 1984 he won Kennedy Center Friedheim awards. He held Rockefeller Foundation fellowships to the Bellagio Study and Conference Center in Italy in 1982 and 1995. He held a fellowship (1990–91) and composer-in-residence grants (1993–94; 1994–95) of the NEA. Baker composed a number of eclectic instrumental scores in which he mixed both tonal and atonal elements. With his Awaking the Winds for Orch. (1991–93), he turned to a more freely chromatic style of expression.

Works

ORCH.: Concertino for 3 Quintets, Piano, and Percussion (1969–70; Greensboro, N.C., July 20, 1970); Strophes for Strings (1971–72); Capriccio for Concert Band or Wind Ensemble (1974; Rochester, N.Y., Feb. 6, 1976); Speculum Musicae, Pars II (Greensboro, N.C, July 22, 1976); Caractères for Bass Trombone and Wind Ensemble (1975–76; Athens, Ga., March 12, 1976; rev. 1977; Louisville, Feb. 19, 1978); The Glass Bead Game (1982; Louisville, Feb. 11, 1983); 3 Pieces for 5 Timpani, 5 Roto-toms, and Orch. (1989; Rochester, N.Y., Dec. 8, 1990; also for 5 Timpani, 5 Roto-toms, and Wind Ensemble, 1990; Kansas City, Mo., Feb. 21, 1991); Shadows: 4 Dirge-Nocturnes (1989–90; St. Louis, May 18, 1990); Awaking the Winds (1991–93; St. Louis, May 14, 1993; also for Chamber Orch., Cleveland, Jan. 23, 1994); Blow Out...(St. Louis, Oct. 1, 1994); Whispers and Echoes (1994–95; St. Louis, Sept. 22, 1995); Yet Another Set of Variations...(1995–96; St. Louis, May 19, 1996); The Mystic Trumpeter (1998–99; St. Louis, April 16, 1999). CHAMBER: Invention for Flute and Clarinet (1968); String Quartet No. 1 (1968–69); 3 Bagatelles for 2 Horns and 2 Trombones (1969); 2 Pieces for Violin and Cello (1970); Canzonet for Tuba (1972); Jeu de cartes for Wind Quartet, 4 Tape Recorders, and Card Dealer (1974; Athens, Ga., Jan. 23, 1975); Speculum Musicae for String Quartet, Wind Quartet, Brass Trio, Piano, and Percussion (1974–75; Rochester, N.Y., Feb. 23, 1975); Banchetto Musicale for Clarinet, Violin, Piano, and Percussion (1977–78; Manchester, Vt, July 29, 1978); Elegy for Violin (1978–79; N.Y., Dec. 17, 1979); Divertissement for Clarinet, Violin, Cello, and Piano (1979–80; Louisville, April 12, 1981); Omaggi e Fantasie for Tuba and Piano (1980–81; rev. 1987; Athens, Ga., Feb. 8, 1988; also for Double Bass and Piano, 1984; Rochester, N.Y., Nov. 20, 1985); 4 Nachtszenen for Harp (1985; Bowling Green, Ohio, Oct. 24, 1987; rev. version, Paris, July 11, 1990); Fantasy Variations for String Quartet (Troy, N.Y., Aug. 15, 1986); Tableaux Funèbres for Piano and String Quartet (1987–88; Louisville, March 20, 1988); Flights of Passage: From Silent Sun to Starry Night for Piano (1997–98; N.Y., Feb. 19, 1998). VOCAL: 3 Songs on Poems by Kenneth Patchen for Soprano and Chamber Ensemble (Rochester, N.Y., April 14, 1971); How Tyll Got His Name Ulenspiegel for Narrator and Horn (Rochester, N.Y., April 28, 1971); Rest, Heart of the Tired World for Soprano and Orch. (1972–73; Rochester, N.Y., April 24, 1973); 4 Songs on Poems by Kenneth Patchen for Soprano and Orch. (1973; rev. 1975; Granada, July 3, 1976); Into the Sun for High Voice and Orch. (1995–96; Washington, D.C., Sept. 12, 1996); Sleepers Awake for Mezzo-soprano, Percussion, and Strings (St. Louis, Nov. 11, 1998).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire