Townsend, Douglas

Townsend, Douglas, American composer and musicologist; b. N.Y., Nov. 8, 1921. He studied at the H.S. of Music and Art in N.Y., then received lessons in composition from Serly, Wolpe, Copland, Luening, Greissle et al. He taught at Brooklyn Coll. of the City Univ. of N.Y. (1958-69), Lehman Coll. of the City Univ. of N.Y. (1970-71), the Univ. of Bridgeport, Conn. (1973-75), and the State Univ. of N.Y. in Purchase (1973-76). He served as ed. of the Musical Heritage Review (1977-80).

Works

dramatic: 3 4-minute operas (1947); 3 folk operettas (1947); Lima Beans, chamber opera (1954; N.Y, Jan. 7, 1956); The Infinite, ballet (1951; N.Y, Feb. 13, 1952); film and television scores. ORCH.: Divertimento for Strings and Winds (1949); Fantasy for Chamber Orch. (1951); Adagio for Strings (1956); 2 chamber syms. (1958, 1961); 2 syms. for Strings: No. 1 (N.Y, Nov. 29, 1958) and No. 2 (1984); 3 chamber concertos: No. 1 for Violin and Strings (1959), No. 2 for Trombone and Strings (1962), and No. 3 for Flute, Horns, Piano, and Strings (1971); 2 suites for Strings (1970, 1974); Fantasy on Motives of Burt Bacharach (1979); Gentlewoman’s Polka for Band (1985); Ridgefield Rag for Band (1985). CHAMBER: Septet for Brass (1945); Ballet Suite for 3 Clarinets (1953); Duo for 2 Violas (1957); Tower Music for Brass Quintet (1959); Dr. Jolly’s Quickstep for Brass Quintet (1974); piano pieces. VOCAL: Choral works; folk song arrangements.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire