Goeb, Roger (John)

Goeb, Roger (John), American composer; b. Cherokee, Iowa, Oct. 9, 1914. He studied agriculture at the Univ. of Wise., graduating in 1936, and in 1938 he went to Paris, where he took lessons with Boulanger at the Ecole Normal de Musique. Returning to America in 1939, he was a pupil of Luening, pursued graduate work at N.Y.U., was a pupil of Elwell at the Cleveland Inst. of Music (M.Mus., 1942), and obtained his Ph.D. at the Univ. of Iowa (1945). He occupied teaching posts at the Univ. of Okla. (1942-44), Iowa State Univ. (1944-45), and the Juilliard School of Music (1947-50). He held 2 Guggenheim fellowships (1950, 1952); taught music at Stanford Univ. (1954-55); then was executive secretary of the American Composers’ Alliance (1956-62). Personal misfortunes (both his wife and his son died of multiple sclerosis) caused him to interrupt his professional activities in 1964, but he resumed composition in 1979.

Works

ORCH 6 syms.: No. 1 (1941; withdrawn), No. 2 (1945), No. 3 (1950; N.Y., April 3, 1952, Stokowski conducting), No. 4 (1955; Pittsburgh, Feb. 24, 1956), No. 5 (1981) and No. 6 (1987); Lyric Piece for Trumpet and Orch. (1942); Prairie Songs for Small Orch. (1947); Fantasy for Oboe and Strings (1947); 4 Concertantes: No. 1 for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, and Strings (1948), No. 2 for Bassoon or Cello and Strings (1950), No. 3 for Viola and Orch. (1951), and No. 4 for Clarinet, Timpani, 2 Percussion, Piano, and Strings (1951); Romanza for Strings (1948); 2 concertinos: No. 1 (1949) and No. 2 (Louisville, Nov. 28, 1956); 5 American Dances (1952; 1-3 for Strings; 4 and 5 for Orch.); Violin Concerto (1953; N.Y., Feb. 1954); Piano Concerto (1954); 2 Sinfonias (1957, 1962); Enconium (1958); Iowa Concerto for Small Orch. (1959); Divertissement for Strings (1982); Memorial (1982); Caprice (1982); Fantasia (1983); Essay (1984); Gambol (1984). CHAMBER: 4 string quartets (1942, withdrawn; 1948; 1954; 1980); Sonata for Solo Viola (1942); Suite for Woodwind Trio (1946); Brass Septet (1949); Quintet for Trombone and String Quartet (1949); 4 wind quintets (1949, 1955, 1980, 1982); 2 Divertimenti for Flute (1950); 3 Processionals for Organ and Brass Quintet (1951); Piano Quintet (1955); Sonata for Solo Violin (1957); Running Colors for String Quartet (1961); Quartet for Oboe and String Trio (1964); Trio for Horn, Trumpet, and Trombone (1979); Quintet for Cello and String Quartet (1980); Octet for Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Strings (1980); Flute Quartet (1983); Black on White for Clarinet and Strings (1985); Nuances for Clarinet and Viola (1986).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire