Moross, Jerome

Moross, Jerome, American composer; b. N.Y., Aug. 1, 1913; d. Miami, July 25,1983. He studied at the Juilliard School of Music in N.Y (1931–32) and at N.Y.U. (graduated, 1932). He became associated with various ballet groups and wrote a number of scores for the dance, most of them on American subjects, all of them in a vivid folklike manner. In 1940 he went to Hollywood as an arranger; collaborated with Copland on the score for Our Town.He held 2 Guggenheim fellowships (1947, 1948). His first film score was Close Up(1948); his other film scores included The Cardinal, The Proud Rebel, and The Big Country.For Broadway he wrote music for Parade(1935). His works for the dance included Paul Bunyan(1934), American Patterns(1937), Frankie and Johnny(1938), Guns and Castanets(1939), The Eccentricities of Davy Crockett(1946), and Robin Hood(1946). He also wrote operas: Susanna and the Elders(1940), Willie the Weeper(1945), The Golden Apple(1948–50), Gentleman, Be Seated!(1955–56; N.Y., Oct. 10, 1963), and Sorry, Wrong Number(1977), and a ballet suite, The Last Judgment(1953). Other works include several orch. pieces, including Beguine(N.Y., Nov. 21, 1934), A Tall Story(N.Y., Sept. 25,1938), and a Sym. (1941–42; Seattle, Oct. 18, 1943), and chamber music, including Sonatina for Clarinet Choir (1966), Sonatina for Strings, Double Bass, and Piano (1967), Sonatina for Brass Quintet (1968), Sonatina for Woodwind Quintet (1970), Sonatina for Divers Instruments (1972), Sonata for Piano Duet and String Quartet (1975), and Concerto for Flute and String Quartet (1978).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis Mclntire