Sapp, Allen Dwight, Jr.

Sapp, Allen Dwight, Jr., American composer and pedagogue; b. Philadelphia, Dec. 10, 1922; d. Cincinnati, Jan. 4, 1999. He studied composition with Piston and Thompson and music history with Davison at Harvard Univ. (B.A., 1942), and then pursued private training in composition with Copland and Boulanger. Following military service during World War II, he returned to Harvard Univ. to complete his education (M.A., 1949). He was on the staff of Harvard Univ. (1948–58), and then taught at Wellesley Coll. (1958–61). From 1961 to 1975 he was on the faculty of the Univ. of Buffalo (later the State Univ. of N.Y. at Buffalo). He was a faculty member at Fla. State Univ. from 1975 to 1978. He served as dean (1978–80) and as prof. of composition (1978–93) at the Univ. of Cincinnati Coll.-Cons. of Music. In his early compositions, Sapp wrote in a neoclassical vein. From 1949 he experimented with serial techniques but within tonal frames of reference.

Works

orch. : Andante (1941; N.Y., April 18, 1942); Concertino for Piano and Chamber Orch. (1942); 2 suites: No. 1 (1949) and No. 2 (1952–56; Buffalo, Dec. 8, 1968); The Double Image (1957; Buffalo, May 28, 1967); The Women of Trachis, overture (Boston, Nov. 27, 1960); June for Wind Quintet and Strings (Boston, June 14, 1961); Colloquies I for Piano and Strings (1963; Buffalo, Feb. 23, 1964); Imaginary Creatures: A Bestiary for the Credulous for Harpsichord and Chamber Orch. (1981; Cincinnati, March 21, 1982); Xenón Ciborium (1982–85; Cincinnati, Oct. 11, 1986); The Cheektowaga and Tonawanda Divisions for Wind Orch. (1983; first complete perf., Cincinnati, March 7, 1984); The 4 Winds for Wind Orch. (1984; Boulder, Colo., Feb. 27, 1985); Cincinnati Morality and Consolation for Wind Orch. (1985; Cincinnati, May 21, 1986); The Four Reasons, concerto for Chamber Orch. (1993; Cincinnati, March 20, 1994); Concerto for Clarinets and Orch. (1996–97; Cincinnati, March 4, 1997). CHAMBER : Cello Sonata (1941–42); 4 violin sonatas: No. 1 (1942–43; N.Y, June 21, 1945), No. 2 (1948), No. 3 (1960), and No. 4 (1981; Buffalo, Dec. 10, 1982); Viola Sonata (1948; rev. version, Cincinnati, Oct. 29, 1986); Piano Trio (1949); 4 string quartets (1951, 1981, 1981, 1981); Chaconne for Violin and Organ (1953); 6 Ricercare for Viols (1956); String Trio (1957); 6 Variations on the Hymn Tune Durant for Flute, Oboe, English Horn, and Bassoon (1960); Variations on A solis ortus cardine for Oboe, Horn, 2 Violins, Viola, Cello, and Contrabass (Buffalo, Dec. 9, 1962); Irregular Polygon for String Quartet (1973); Nocturne for Cello (1978); Colloquies II for Piano, Flute, and Viola (1978; rev. 1982), III for Piano and 10 Winds (1981; Cincinnati, April 25, 1982), IV: The Lament of Adonis for Cello and Piano (1984; Cincinnati, May 14, 1985), V: The Cage of All Bright Knocks for Alto Flute and Piano (Cincinnati, Nov. 14, 1986), and VI: Socrates and Phaedrus Speak of Love by the Banks of the Ilissus for Oboe and Piano (1988; Cincinnati, Jan. 10, 1990); Taylor’s 9 for Percussion Ensemble (Cincinnati, Oct. 9, 1981); Sinus: Stella Canis; The Companion of Sirius: The Serious Companion for Tuba and Piano (1984); A Garland for Anna for Violin (1984); 13 Anti-Strophes for Cello and Piano (1985); Romance for Violin (1985); Fantasia for Violin and Piano (1986; Cincinnati, Feb. 20, 1987); To Be Played Softly… for Violin, Viola, and Cello (Cincinnati, June 13, 1987); Inscriptions and Commentaries for Oboe, Violin, Viola, and Cello (Cincinnati, Nov. 1, 1991); Polyhedra for Woodwind Quintet (1992; Dodge City, Kans., Feb. 20, 1993). keyboard : Piano : 10 sonatas (1941; 1954–56, rev. 1957; 1957; 1957; 1980; 1980; 1980; 1985, rev. 1986; 1989; 1989); 3 sonatas for Piano, 4-Hands (1944, 1981, 1981); 2 sonatinas (1945, 1957); Suite (1949); 4 Dialogues for 2 Pianos (1954–55); 7 Bagatelles (1956); 4 Impromptus (1957); Up in the Sky (1983–84); Eaux-Fortes for Piano Duet (1984); Aquarelles for Piano Duet (1984); A Bestiary, 25 preludes (1989). Organ : Epithalamium (1986). VOCAL : The Marriage Song for Chorus and Chamber Orch. (1948); 5 Landscapes for Chorus (1950); The Lady and the Lute for Soprano and Piano (1952); 7 Epigrams (Both Sweet and Sour) for Bass and Piano (1952; Cambridge, Mass., April 25, 1958); The Little Boy Lost for Chorus and Instrumental Ensemble (1953); A Maiden’s Complaint in Springtime for Chorus, Winds, and Strings (1959–60; Wellesley, Mass., April 17, 1960); 7 Songs of Carew for High Voice and Piano (1961, 1982; Cincinnati, April 24, 1985); Canticum Novum Pro Pace for Men’s Chorus and Wind Quintet (1962; Buffalo, March 31, 1963); Crennelations for Tenor and Orch. (1982; Cincinnati, Feb. 26, 1983); Moral Maxims: 30 Songs for 30 Years for High Voice and Piano (1982; Cincinnati, May 5, 1987); Illusions and Affirmations for Bass and String Orch. (1982); Affliction for Mezzo-soprano and Piano (1983); A Set of 12 Canons for 2 Sopranos, Tenor, and Chamber Group (Cincinnati, Dec. 10, 1987); Anoia for Soprano, Flute, Clarinet, Violin, and Cello (Cincinnati, Feb. 13, 1988); Dix chansons sphériqies for Soprano and Piano (Cincinnati, Oct. 28, 1989).

Bibliography

A. Green, A. S.: A Bio-Bibliography (Westport, Conn., 1996).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire