Dahl, Ingolf

Dahl, Ingolf , distinguished German-born American pianist, conductor, pedagogue, and composer of German-Swedish descent; b. Hamburg, June 9, 1912; d. Frutigen, near Bern, Aug. 6, 1970. After composition training with Jarnach at the Cologne Hochschule für Musik (1930–32), he went to Zürich and studied musicology at the Univ. and conducting with Andreae at the Cons. (1932–36). In 1938 he emigrated to the U.S., becoming a naturalized American citizen in 1943. In 1944 he received additional training from Boulanger. In 1945 he joined the faculty of the Univ. of Southern Calif, in Los Angeles, where he also conducted its sym. orch. until 1958, and again in 1968–69. During the summers from 1952 to 1957, he oversaw his own Tanglewood Study Group at the Berkshire Music Center. During the summers from 1964 to 1966, he served as director and conductor of the Ojai Festival. In 1954 and 1968 he held Guggenheim fellowships, and in 1964 he received the Alice M. Ditson Award. As a performer, Dahl was an active champion of contemporary music. He became associated with Stravinsky, who influenced him in his direction as a composer. With his Piano Quartet (1957), Dahl adopted serial techniques that he utilized inventively in such works as his Sinfonietta for Concert Band (1961) and his Aria Sinfonica (1965).

Works

ORCH Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Orch. (1949; rev. 1953); Symphony concertante for 2 Clarinets and Orch. (1952); The Tower of Saint Barbara, symphonic legend (1954; Louisville, Jan. 29, 1955); Sinfonietta for Concert Band (1961); Aria sinfonica (Los Angeles, April 15, 1965); Quodlibet on American Folktunes (1965; arranged from the piece for 2 Pianos, 8-Hands, 1953); 4 Intervals for Strings (1967; arranged for Piano, 4-Hands, 1967); Elegy Concerto for Violin and Chamber Orch. (1970; completed by D. Michalsky, 1971).CHAMBER : Allegro and Arioso for Woodwind Quartet (1942); Music for Brass Instruments, brass quintet (1944); Variations on a Swedish Folktune for Flute (1945; rev. 1962; arranged for Flute and Alto Flute, 1970); Concerto a tre for Violin, Cello, and Clarinet (1946); Duo for Cello and Piano (1946; rev. 1948); Notturno for Cello and Piano (1946); Divertimento for Viola and Piano (1949); Couperin Variations for Recorder or Flute and Harpsichord or Piano (1957); Piano Quartet (1957); Serenade for 4 Flutes (1960); Piano Trio (1962); Duettino concertante for Flute and Percussion (1966); IMC Fanfare for 3 Trumpets and 3 Trombones (1968); Fanfare on A and C [for Aaron Copland] for 3 Trumpets, Horn, Baritone, and Trombone (1969); Sonata da camera for Clarinet and Piano (1970); 5 duets for 2 Clarinets (1970); Little Canonic Suite for Violin and Viola (1970); Variations on a French Folksong for Flute and Piano (1970). PIANO : Rondo for Piano, 4-Hands (1938); Prelude and Fugue (1939); Pastorale montano (1943); Hymn and Toccata (1947); Quodlibet on American Folktunes for 2 Pianos, 8-Hands (1953; arranged for Orch., 1965); Sonata seria (1953); Sonatina alia marcia (1956); Fanfares (1958); Sonata pastorale (1959); Reflections (1967). VOCAL: Choruses and songs.

Bibliography

J. Berdahl, I. D.: His Life and Works (diss., Univ. of Miami, 1975).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire