Beversdorf, (Samuel) Thomas
Beversdorf, (Samuel) Thomas
Beversdorf, (Samuel) Thomas, American composer and teacher; b. Yoakum, Tex., Aug. 8, 1924; d. Bloomington, Ind., Feb. 15, 1981. He studied trombone and baritone horn with his father, a band director; later studied composition with Kennan, DeLamarter, and Donato at the Univ. of Tex. (B.M., 1945), Rogers and Hanson at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. (M.M., 1946; D.M.A., 1957), Honegger and Copland at the Berkshire Music Center in Tanglewood (summer, 1947), and privately with Fuleihan. He was a trombonist in the Rochester (N.Y.) Phil. (1945–46), the Houston Sym. Orch. (1946–48), and the Pittsburgh Sym. Orch. (1948–49). After teaching at the Univ. of Houston (1946–48), he was a prof. of music at the Ind. Univ. School of Music in Bloomington (1951–77).
Works
DRAMATIC: Threnody: The Funeral of Youth, ballet (Bloomington, Ind., March 6, 1963; also as Variations for Orch.); The Hooligan, opera (1964–69); Metamorphosis, opera (1968); Vision of Christ, mystery play (Lewisburg, Pa., May 1, 1971). ORCH.: 4 syms.: No. 1 (1946), No. 2 (1950), No. 3 for Winds and Percussion (Bloomington, Ind., May 9, 1954; also for Full Orch., Bloomington, Ind., Oct. 10, 1958), and No. 4 (1958); Essay on Mass Production (1946); Mexican Portrait (1948; rev. 1952); Concerto Grosso for Oboe and Chamber Orch. (1948; Pittsburgh, April 28, 1950); Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orch. (1951; Bloomington, Ind., March 17, 1967); New Frontiers (Houston, March 31, 1953); Violin Concerto, Danforth (1959); Murals, Tapestries, and Icons for Symphonic Band, Electric Bass, and Electric Piano (1975); Concerto for Tuba and Wind Orch. (Bloomington, Ind., Feb. 11, 1976). CHAMBER: Horn Sonata, Christmas (1945); 2 string quartets (1951, 1955); Tuba Sonata (1956); Trumpet Sonata (1962); Violin Sonata (1964–65); Flute Sonata (1965–66); Cello Sonata (1967–69); La Petite Exposition for Violin or Clarinet and 11 Strings (Dallas, Feb. 28, 1976); Sonata for Violin and Harp (1976–77); Corelliana Variations for 2 Flutes and Cello (1980).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire