Starer, Robert
Starer, Robert
Starer, Robert, esteemed Austrian-born American composer and pedagogue; b. Vienna, Jan. 8, 1924. He entered the Vienna Academy of Music at 13 and studied piano with Victor Ebenstein. Shortly after the Anschluss in 1938, he went to Jerusalem and pursued his training at the Cons. with Rosowsky, Tal, and Partes (until 1943). After service in the British Royal Air Force (1943–46), he emigrated to the U.S. and became a naturalized American citizen in 1957. He pursued postgraduate studies under Jacobi at the Juilliard School of Music in N.Y. (1947–49) and studied with Copland at the Berkshire Music Center in Tanglewood (summer, 1948). From 1949 to 1974 he taught at the Juilliard School of Music; he also taught at the N.Y. Coll. of Music (1959–60) and the Jewish Theological Seminary in N.Y. (1962–63). In 1963 he became an assoc. prof. of music at Brooklyn Coll. of the City Univ. of N.Y, where he was made a full prof. in 1966 and a Distinguished Prof. in 1986. He retired in 1991. He pubI, the vol. Rhythmic Training (1969), the autobiography Continuo: A Life in Music (1987), and a book of fiction, The Musk Teacher (1997). In 1957 and 1963 he held Guggenheim fellowships, and he also received grants from the NE A and the Ford Foundation. In 1994 he was elected to membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters, in 1995 he was awarded the Medal of Honor for Science and Art by the President of Austria, in 1996 he received an honorary doctorate from the State Univ. of N.Y, and in 1997 he was honored with a presidential citation from the National Federation of Music Clubs. Starer’s music reflects his grounding in the 20th-century Viennese tradition and his study of Arabic scales and rhythms. In some of his works, he utilized aleatory techniques and collage. His output is particularly distinguished by its craftsmanship.
Works
DRAMATIC: Opera: The Intruder (N.Y., Dec. 4, 1956); Pantagleize (1967; N.Y, April 7, 1973); Apollonia (1978); The Other Voice, chamber opera (Kingston, Oct. 24, 1998). Musical Morality P1ay : The Lost Lover (1974; Katonah, N.Y., Aug. 2, 1975). Ba11et: The Story of Esther (1960); The Dybbuk (1960); Samson Agonistes (1961); Phaedra (1962); The Sense of Touch (1967); The Lady of the House of Sleep (1968); Holy Jungle (N.Y., April 2, 1974). ORCH.: Fantasy for Strings for Violin, Viola, Cello, and String Orch. (1945); 3 piano concertos (1947, 1953, 1972); 3 syms. (1950, 1951, 1969); Prelude and Rondo Giocoso (1953); Concerto a tre for Clarinet, Trumpet, Trombone, and Strings (1954); Ballade for Violin and Orch. (1955); Concerto for Viola, Strings, and Percussion (1958; Geneva, July 3, 1959); Samson Agonistes, symphonic poem after the ballet (1963); Mutabili (Variants for Orchestra) (1965); Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Orch. (1967; Pittsburgh, Oct. 11, 1968); 6 Variations with 12 Notes (1967); Violin Concerto (1979–80; Boston, Oct. 16, 1981); Concerto à quattro for Solo Woodwind and Chamber Orch. (1983); Hudson Valley Suite (1984); Serenade for Trombone, Vibraphone, and Strings (1984); Symphonic Prelude (1984); Cello Concerto (N.Y, May 7, 1988); Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orch. (Seattle, March 4, 1996); Concerto for Piano, 4-Hands, and Orch. (1997). chamber: 3 string quartets (1947; Bellington, Wash., Aug. 30, 1995; Miami, July 25, 1996); 5 Miniatures for Brass (1948); Prélude for Harp (1948); Cello Sonata (1951); Dirge for Brass Quartet (1956); Serenade for Brass (1956); Dialogues for Clarinet and Piano (1961); Variants for Violin and Piano (1963); Trio for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano (1964); Woodwind Quartet (1970); Colloquies for Flute and Piano (1974); Mandala for String Quartet (1974); Profiles in Brass for Brass (1974); Annapolis Suite for Harp and Brass Quintet (1982); 6 Preludes for Guitar (1984); Piano Trio (1985); Kaaterskill Quartet (1987); Duo for Violin and Piano (Washington, D.C., Nov. 18, 1988); Angel Voices for Brass and Organ (Bergen, May 29, 1989); Clarinet Quintet (1992); Episodes for Viola, Cello, and Piano (1992; Hartford, Conn., Jan. 23, 1993); Dialogues for Flute and Harp (N.Y., March 23, 1993); Song of Solitude for Cello (Washington, D.C., Nov. 17, 1996); Piano Quintet (1998); Music for a Summer Afternoon for Flute, Violin, Viola, and Cello (1999). P i a n o:3 sonatas: No. 1 (1949), No. 2 (1965), and No. 3 (N.Y, Nov. 27, 1994); Fantasia concertante (1959); Sketches in Color I (1963) and II (1973); Evanescents (1975); 4 Seasonal Pieces (1985); The Ideal Self (1985). VOCAL: Concertino for 2 Voices or 2 Instruments, Violin, and Piano (1948); 5 Proverbs on Love for Chorus (1950); Kohelet for Soprano, Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (1952); Ariel: Visions of Isaiah for Soprano, Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. or Piano and Organ (1959); Joseph and His Brothers for Narrator, Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (1966); Images of Man for Soprano, Mezzo-soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Chorus, Flute, Horn, Cello, Harp, and Percussion (1973); Journals of a Songmaker for Soprano, Baritone, and Orch. (1975); The People, Yes for Chorus and Orch. (1976); Anna Margarita’s Will for Soprano, Flute, Horn, Cello, and Piano (1979); Transformations for Soprano, Flute or Clarinet, and Piano (1980); Voices of Brooklyn for Solo Voices, Chorus, and Band (1980–84); Night Thoughts for Chorus and Synthesizer (1990); Proverbs for a Son for Chorus (1991); various other choral pieces and songs. OTHER: Many band pieces and didactic works.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire