Ward-Steinman, David

Ward-Steinman, David, American composer, teacher, and pianist; b. Alexandria, La., Nov. 6,1936. He studied at Fla. State Univ. (B.Mus., 1957), and also received training from Riegger (1954), Milhaud at the Aspen (Colo.) Music School (1956), and Babbitt and Copland at the Berkshire Music Center, Tanglewood (summer, 1957); after further studies at the Univ. of 111. (M.M., 1958), he pursued private training with Boulanger in Paris (1958-59); then returned to the Univ. of 111. to complete his education (D.M.A., 1961). In 1961 he became a faculty member and composer-in-residence at San Diego State Univ., where he served as prof, of music (from 1968); also was the Ford Foundation composer-in-residence of the Tampa Bay area in Fla. (1970-72) and the Fulbright Senior Scholar at Victorian Coll. of the Arts and La Trobe Univ. in Melbourne, Australia (1989-90). In 1995 he was a participant at the Académie d’été at IRCAM in Paris. With S. Ward- Steinman, he publ. Comparative Anthology of Musical Forms (2 vols., Belmont, Calif., 1976); also publ. Toward a Comparative Structural Theory of the Arts (San Diego, 1989).

Works

dramatic: Western Orpheus, ballet (1964; San Diego, Feb. 26,1965; rev. version, El Cajon, Calif., April 17, 1987); These Three, ballet (N.Y., Sept. 13, 1966); Tamar, music drama (1970-77); Rituals for Dancers and Musicians (Channel 13 TV, Tampa, Dec. 5, 1971). ORCH.: Concert Overture (1957; Urbana, 111., May 6,1958); Sym. (1959; San Diego, Dec. 4,1962); Concerto Grosso for Combo and Chamber Orch. (1960; N.Y., Nov. 8, 1964); Concerto No. 2 for Chamber Orch. (1960-62; La Jolla, Calif., March 3,1963); Prélude and Toccata (1962; Albuquerque, March 21, 1963); Cello Concerto (1963-65; Tokyo, June 13, 1967); Antares for Orch., Synthesizer or Tape, and Gospel Choir ad libitum (Tampa, April 22, 1971); Arcturus for Orch. and Synthesizer (Chicago, June 15, 1972); Season’s Greetings (1981; San Diego, Dec. 15, 1983); Olympics Overture (San Diego, June 10,1984); Chroma, concerto for Multiple Keyboards, Percussion, and Chamber Orch. (Scottsdale, Ariz., May 7, 1985); Elegy for Astronauts (San Diego, Dec. 7, 1986); Winging It for Chamber Orch. (Las Cruces, N.Mex., Nov. 22,1986); Cinnabar Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orch. (1991-93; San Diego, April 16, 1994); Double Concerto for 2 Violins and Orch. (1994-95). Band or Wind Ensemble: Jazz Tangents (Grand Forks, N.Dak., April 23, 1967); Gasparilla Day (1970); Ruga (Atlanta, March 10, 1972); Scorpio (Tucson, April 10, 1976); Bishop’s Gambit (1979; Alexandria, Va., March 22, 1980); Quintessence (1985; Anaheim, April 11, 1986). CHAMBER: 3 Songs for Clarinet and Piano (1957); Quiet Dance for Flute, Clarinet, Guitar, and Cello (1958); 2 brass quintets: No. 1 (1958-59; Urbana, 111., April 5, 1960) and No. 2, Brancusi’s Brass Beds (1976; Bowling Green, Ky, Jan. 22, 1978); Duo for Cello and Piano (1964-65; San Diego, April 16, 1970); Child’s Play for Bassoon and Piano (1968); 2 woodwind quintets: No. 1, Montage (San Diego, June 6, 1968) and No. 2, Night Winds (San Diego, Nov. 4, 1993); Putney 3 for Woodwind Quintet, Prepared Piano, and Putney Synthesizer or Tape (1970; Tampa, Nov. 9, 1971); The Tracker for Clarinet, Fortified Piano, and Tape (Fullerton, Calif., Nov. 13, 1976); Toccata for Synthesizer and Slide Projectors (Tempe, Ariz., Nov. 2, 1978); Golden Apples for Alto Saxophone and Piano (San Diego, Dec. 4, 1981); Epithalamion for Flute and Cello (1981); Intersections I for Fortified Piano and Tape (1982) and II: Borobudur for Fortified Piano and Percussion (1989; Canberra, March 5,1990); Moiré for Piano and Chamber Ensemble (1983; Redlands, Calif., April 27, 1984); Summer Suite for Oboe and Piano (1987); Étude on the Name of Barney Childs for Clarinet (1990); Cinnabar for Viola and Piano (Ithaca, N.Y., June 15,1991). Piano:

Sonata (1956-57); Improvisations on a Theme of Darius Milhaud (1960); 3 Lyric Preludes (1961-65); Latter-Day Lullabies (1961-66); 3 Miniatures (1964); Improvisations on Children’s Songs (1966); Elegy for Martin Luther King (San Diego, April 7,1968); Sonata for Fortified Piano (Tampa, June 23, 1972); What’s Left for Piano, Left-Hand (1987); Under Capricorn (1989). VOCAL: Psalms of Rejoicing for Chorus (1960); Fragments from Sappho for Soprano, Flute, Clarinet, and Piano (1962-65; La Jolla, Calif., April 29, 1966); The Song of Moses for Narrator, Soloists, Double Chorus, and Orch. (1963-64; San Diego, May 31, 1964); 77a Tale of Issoumbochi for Narrator, Soprano, Flute, Clarinet, Percussion, Piano, and Cello (San Diego, April 18, 1968); Grant Park for Baritone and Chamber Ensemble (1969; Cedar Falls, Iowa, March 16, 1970); Season for Soprano and Fortified Piano (1970); God’s Rock for Soprano, Chorus, Piano or Organ, and Optional Double Bass and Percussion (1973); And in These Times, Christmas cantata for Narrator, Soloists, Chorus, Cello, and Ensemble (1979-81; San Diego, Dec. 12,1982); Of Wind and Water for Chorus, Piano, and 2 Percussion (Bloomington, III, March 4, 1982); ..And Waken Green, 7 poems for Medium Voice or Voices and Piano (1983); Children’s Corner Revisited, 4 songs for Medium Voice and Piano (1985); Voices from the Gallery for Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, and Piano (1990; San Diego, Feb. 13, 1994); Seasons Fantastic for Chorus and Harp (1991-92; San Diego, June 25, 1992). —NS/LK/DM

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire