Di Domenica, Robert (Anthony)

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Di Domenica, Robert (Anthony)

Di Domenica, Robert (Anthony) , American composer, flutist, and teacher; b.N.Y., March 4, 1927. He studied music education at N.Y.U. (B.S., 1951), composition with Riegger and Josef Schmid, and flute with Harold Bennett (1949–55). He was a flutist with various orchs. and ensembles, and also taught flute. In 1969 he joined the faculty of the New England Cons, of Music in Boston, where he was an assoc. dean (1973–76) and dean (1976–78), and then a teacher of theory and composition (from 1978). In 1972 he held a Guggenheim fellowship. In 1994 the Robert Di Domenica Collection was accepted by the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. In his works, he follows a serial course while utilizing such diverse elements as classical music, jazz, and American popular music.

Works

DRAMATIC opéra : The Balcony (1972; Boston, June 16, 1990); The Scarlet Letter (1986); opératic trilogy: Francesco Cenci (1996), Beatrice Cenci (1993), and The Cenci (1995). ORCH.: Sym. (1961; Boston, Nov. 15, 1972); Concerto for Violin and Chamber Orch. (1962; N.Y., April 15, 1965); 2 piano concertos (1963, 1982); Concerto for Wind Quintet, Strings, and Timpani (1964; Boston, May 7, 1981); Music for Flute and Strings (1967; Boston, Nov. 16, 1980); Variations on a Theme by Gunther Schuller for Chamber Orch. (1983; Boston, Dec. 11, 1984); Dream Journeys (1984; Plymouth, Mass., Oct. 5, 1985); Variations and Soliloquies (1988); Gone Are the Rivers and Eagles (1992). CHAMBER : Flute Sonata (1957); Quartet for Flute, Violin, Horn, and Piano (1959); Quartet for Flute, Violin, Viola, and Cello (1960); Variations on a Tonal Theme for Flute (1961); Wind Quintet with Soprano Voice (1963); Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet (1965); Violin Sonata (1966); Saecu-lum aureum for Flute, Piano, and Tape (1967); Alto Saxophone Sonata (1968); Music for Stanzs for Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Tape (1981). Piano : Sonatina (1958); 4 Movements (1959); 11 Short Pieces (1973); Improvisations (1974); The Art of the Row (1989; Boston, Dec. 12, 1990). VOCAL: The First Kiss of Love for Soprano and Piano (1960); 4 Short Songs for Soprano and 6 Instruments (1975); Black Poems for Baritone, Piano, and Tape (1976); Sonata after Essays for Piano for Soprano, Baritone, Piano, Flute, and Tape (1977; also as Concord Revisited for Soprano, Baritone, Piano, Chamber Orch., and Tape, 1978); Arrangements for Soprano, 6 Instruments, and Tape (1979); The Holy Colophon for Soprano, Tenor, Chorus, and Orch. (1980; Boston, Oct. 11,1983); Hebrew Melodies for Soprano, Violin, and Piano (1983).