Parris, Robert

Parris, Robert, American composer, pianist, and teacher; b. Philadelphia, May 21, 1924; d. Washington, D.C., Dec. 5, 1999. He studied piano in his youth and later pursued his education at the Univ. of Pa. (B.S., 1945; M.S., 1946). He then studied composition with Mennin at the Juilliard School of Music in N.Y. (B.S., 1948), Ibert and Copland at the Berkshire Music Center in Tanglewood (summers, 1950–51), and Honegger at the École Normale de Musique in Paris on a Fulbright fellowship (1951–52). After teaching at Washington State Coll. in Pullman (1948–49) and the Univ. of Md. (1961–62), he joined the faculty of George Washington Univ. in Washington, D.C., in 1963, where he was a prof, from 1976. Between 1961 and 1975 he also acted as an occasional music critic for the Washington Post and the Washington Evening Star. In his early compositions, Parris pursued a tonal path but in his later works he adopted atonal procedures.

Works

orch.:Symphonic Movement No. 1 (N.Y., June 1948) and No. 2 (1951); Harlequin’s Carnival (1949; Tanglewood, Aug. 11, 1951); Sym. (1952); Piano Concerto (1954); Concerto for 5 Kettle Drums and Orch. (1955; Washington, D.C., March 25, 1958); Viola Concerto (1956; Washington, D.C., May 20, 1971); Violin Concerto (1958); Lamentations and Praises for Brass and Percussion (1962; Philadelphia, May 24, 1966); Sinfonia for Brass (1963); Flute Concerto (1964); Concerto for Trombone and Chamber Orch. (Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 1964); The Golden Net for Chamber Orch. (1968); The Phoenix, timpani concerto (1969; Detroit, Jan. 2, 1970); The Messengers, later renamed Angels (1974; Albany, N.Y., March 14, 1975); Rite of Passage for Clarinet, Electric Guitar, and Chamber Orch. (1978); The Unquiet Heart for Violin and Orch. (1981); Chamber Music for Orchestra (1984; Glasgow, Feb. 12, 1985); Symphonic Variations (1987; Washington, D.C., Jan. 28, 1988). chamber: Cello Sonata (c. 1946); 2 string trios (1947, 1951); Sonatina for Brass Quintet (1948; Pullman, Wash., May 1, 1949); 2 string quartets: No. 1 (1951; Washington, D.C., May 11, 1958) and No. 2 (1952); Sonatina for Winds (1954); Fantasy and Fugue for Cello (1955); Violin Sonata (1956); Viola Sonata (1957); Quintet for Violin, Cello, Flute, Oboe, and Bassoon (1957); Trio for Clarinet, Piano, and Cello (1959); Cadenza, Caprice, and Ricercar for Piano and Cello (1961); Sonatina for Recorder Quartet (1964); Duo for Flute and Violin (1965); Sonata for Solo Violin (1965); 4 Pieces for Brass or Wind Trio (1965); Si. Winefred’s Well for 6 Players (1967); Concerto for Percussion, Violin, Cello, and Piano (1967); The Book of Imaginary Beings I for Flute, Violin, Cello, Piano, and Percussion (1972) and II for Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Percussion (1983); 3 Duets for Electric Guitar and Amplified Harpsichord (1985); Metamorphic Variations for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, and Percussion (1986); 13 Pieces for Trumpet, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Percussion (1989); 2 Small Duets and a Solo for Violin and Piano (1989); Nocturnes I for Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Percussion (Washington, D.C., Nov. 2, 1992) and II for Clarinet, Viola, Cello, Bass, and Percussion (1994). Piano: Toccata for 2 Pianos (1950); Variations (1952); 6 Little Studies (1960). vocal: 3 Songs for Baritone, Piano, and Celesta (1947); The Hollow Men for Tenor, Men’s Chorus, and Chamber Ensemble (1949; N.Y., Feb. 16, 1951); Night for Baritone, String Quartet, and Clarinet (1951; Washington, D.C., Oct. 31, 1958); Alas, for the Day, cantata for Chorus (1954); 3 Passa-caglias for Soprano, Violin, Harpsichord, and Cello (1957); Mad Scene for 2 Baritones, Soprano, and Chamber Orch. (1960); The Raids for Soprano, Piano, and Violin (1960); The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo for Baritone and Orch. (1960; Washington, D.C., Jan. 10, 1962); Hymn for the Nativity for Chorus and Brass Ensemble (1962); Reflections on Immortality for Chorus and Brass (1966); Jesu duclis memoria for Voices (1966); Dirge for the New Sunrise for Chorus (1970); Walking Around for Chorus, Clarinet, Violin, Piano, and 2 Percussionists (1973); Dreams for Soprano and Chamber Orch. (1976); Cynthia’s Réveils for Baritone and Guitar or Piano (1979); 3 Lyrics by Ben Jonson for Baritone and Piano (1979).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire