Wagenaar, Bernard

Wagenaar, Bernard, Dutch-born American composer and teacher, son of Johan Wagenaar; b. Arnhem, July 18, 1894; d. York, Maine, May 19, 1971. He was a student of Gerard Veerman (violin), Lucie Veerman-Becker (piano), and his father (composition) in Utrecht. After conducting and teaching in the Netherlands (1914-20), he settled in the U.S. and became a naturalized American citizen in 1927. He was a violinist in the N.Y. Phil. (1921-23). From 1925 to 1946 he taught fugue, orchestration, and composition at the Inst. of Musical Art in N. Y., and then at its successor, the Juilliard School of Music, from 1946 to 1968. He was made an Officer of the Order of Oranje-Nassau of the Netherlands. His output followed along neo-Classical lines.

Works

dramatic: Chamber Opera: Pieces of Eight (1943; N.Y, May 9, 1944). ORCH.: 4 syms.: No. 1 (1926; N.Y, Oct. 7,1928), No. 2 (1930; N.Y, Nov. 10,1932), No. 3 (1936; N.Y, Jan. 23, 1937), and No. 4 (1946; Boston, Dec. 16, 1949); 2 divertimentos: No. 1 (1927; Detroit, Nov. 28, 1929) and No. 2 (1952); Sinfonietta (1929; N.Y, Jan. 16, 1930); Triple Concerto for Flute, Harp, Cello, and Orch. (1935; N.Y, May 20, 1941); Fantasietta on British-American Balladsfor Chamber Orch. (1939); Violin Concerto (1940); Fanfare for Airmen (1942); Feuilleton (1942); Song of Mourning (1944); Concert Overture for Small Orch. (1952); 5 Tableauxfor Cello and Orch. (1952); Preamble (1956). CHAMBER: Violin Sonata (1925); 4 string quartets (1926,1932,1936,1960); Cello Sonatina (1934); Concertino for 8 Instruments (1942); 4 Vignettesfor Harp (1965). KEYBOARD: Piano: Sonata (1928); Ciacona (1942). O r -g a n : Eclogue (1940). VOCAL: 3 Songs from the Chinesefor Soprano, Flute, Harp, and Piano (1921); From a Very Eittle Sphinxfor Voice and Piano (1925); El trillofor Chorus, 2 Guitars, and Percussion (1942); No quiero tus avellanasfor Alto, Women’s Chorus, Flute, English Horn, 2 Guitars, and Percussion (1942).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire