Cheslock, Louis
Cheslock, Louis
Cheslock, Louis, English-born American composer, violinist, and teacher; b. London, Sept. 9, 1898; d. Baltimore, July 19, 1981. He was taken to the U.S. as a child and became a citizen through the naturalization of his father. He studied at the Peabody Cons, of Music in Baltimore, taking diplomas in violin (1917), harmony (1919), and composition (1921). After teaching violin there (1916–22), he remained on its faculty as a teacher of theory and composition (1922–76). He also was a violinist in the Baltimore Sym. Orch. (1916–37). His music was basically neo-Romantic, although in later years he experimented with modern elements ranging from jazz to dodecaphony. He publ. an Introductory Study on Violin Vibrato (Baltimore, 1931) and ed. H.L. Mencken on Music (N.Y., 1961).
Works
DRAMATIC : The Jewel Merchants, opera (1930; Baltimore, Feb. 26, 1940); Cinderella, ballet (Baltimore, May 11, 1946; rev. 1958). ORCH.: Violin Concerto (1921; Baltimore, Feb. 25, 1926); 3 tone poems: Cathedral at Sundown, ’Neath Washington Monument, and At the Railway Station (1922; Chicago, April 29, 1923); Symphonic Prelude (1927); Serenade for Strings (1930); Sym. (1932); Themes and Variations for Horn and Orch. (1934); Horn Concerto (1936); The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1936; Baltimore, May 2, 1978); Rhapsody in Red and White: An American Divertissement (1941); Set of 6 for Small Orch. (1946); Suite for Oboe and Strings (1953); Homage a Mendelssohn for Strings (1960). chamber: Violin Sonata (1917); Piano Sonatina (1932); Shite Ami I for String Quartet and Harp (1932) and II for Violin, Cello, and Harp (1932); String Quartet (1941); Cello Sonatina (1943); Concertinetto for Brass, Piano, and Percussion (1954); Descant for Clarinet (1970). vocal: Psalm CL for Chorus (1931); David, oratorio for Chorus (1937); 3 Period Pieces for Chorus (1940); The Congo, oratorio for Chorus (Akron, Ohio, Oct. 30, 1942); song cycles; solo songs; anthems; part songs.
Bibliography
E. Sprenkle, The Life and Works of L. C. (diss.,Peabody Cons, of Music, 1979).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire