Gellman, Steven (David)
Gellman, Steven (David)
Gellman, Steven (David), Canadian composer and teacher; b. Toronto, Sept. 16, 1947. He studied composition with Dolin at the Royal Cons, of Music of Toronto, then with Berio, Sessions, and Persichetti at the Juilliard School of Music in N.Y. (1965–68), with Milhaud at Aspen, Colo, (summers, 1965–66), and with Messiaen at the Paris Cons. (1974–76; premiers prix in analysis, 1975, and in composition, 1976). In 1976 he joined the faculty of the Univ. of Ottawa. He adopted an uncompromisingly modernistic idiom in most of his music, while safeguarding the formal design of Classical tradition.
Works
ORCH 2 piano concertos (1962,1989); Andante for Strings (1963); Mural (1965); Andante-Agitato for Violin and Orch. (1966); Movement for Violin and Orch. (1967); Symphony in 2 Movements (Ottawa, July 15, 1971); Odyssey for Rock Group, Piano, and Orch. (Hamilton, Ontario, March 9, 1971); Symphony II (Toronto, Dec. 2, 1972); Encore (Mythos I Revisited) (1972); Overture for Ottawa (1972); Chori (1974; rev. 1976); Animus-Anima (Paris, April 28, 1976); Awakening (1982); The Bride’s Reception: A Symphonic Contemplation (1981–83); Universe Symphony (1985; Toronto, Jan. 8, 1986); Burnt Offerings for Strings (1990); Child-Play for Chamber Orch. (1992). CHAMBER: 2 Movements for String Quartet (1963); Soliloquy for Cello (1966; rev. 1982); After Bethlehem for String Quartet (1966); Quartets: Poems of G.M. Hopkins for Voice, Flute, Cello, and Harp (1966–67); Mythos II for Flute and String Quartet (1968); Sonate pour sept for Flute, Clarinet, Cello, Guitar, Piano, and 2 Percussionists (1975); Wind Music for 2 Trumpets, Horn, Trombone, and Bass Tuba (1978); Dialogue I for Horn (1978) and II for Flute and Piano (1979); Transformation for Flute and Piano (1980); Trikdya for Violin, Clarinet, Percussion, and Piano (1981); Chiaroscuro for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello, Piano, and Percussion (1988); Concertino for Guitar and String Quartet (1988); Musica Eterna for String Quartet (1991). Piano : 2 sonatas (1964, 1973); Fantasy (1967); Melodic Suite (1971–72); Veils (1974); Poeme (1977); Waves and Ripples (1979); Fantasia on a Theme by Robert Schumann (1983); Keyboard Triptych (Montreal, Oct. 19, 1986). VOCAL: Love’s Garden for Soprano and Orch. (1988); Canticles for Chorus and Orch. (1989).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire