Gesensway, Louis
Period: Early 20th Century
Born: 1906 in Dvinsk, Latvia
Died: 1976 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA)
Nation of Origin: Latvia/USA
Major Works:
Opera: The Great Boffo and his Talking Dog (1953) A one act comic opera for children
Orchestral: **
Five Russian Pieces (1936)
Three Movements for Stings and Percussion (1939)
Concerto for 13 Brass Instruments (1942)
Concerto for Flute and Orchestra (1944)
Suite on Jewish Themes (1944)
Eight Miniatures for Solo Flute, Percussion and Tympani (1949)
Four Squares of Philadelphia (1951)
Double Portrait (1952)
Let the Night Be Dark for All of Me (1953)
Ode to Peace (1959)
March (1963)
Revery for String Orchestra (1964)
Commemoration Symphony (1968)
Two Silhouettes for Flute, Harp, Tympani & String Chamber Orchestra (1971)
A Pennsylvania Overture (1972)
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (1974)
** Fleisher Collection, Free Library of Philadelphia
Chamber Works (Contact Horowitz Music; 626 Spruce St. Philadelphia, Pa. 19106)
Sonata for Piano (1937)
String Quartet #1 in G (1938)
Five Russian Pieces for String Quartet; Piano Solo; Flute, Violin & Viola;
Two Violins & Piano; Violoncello & Piano (1939)
Duo for Violin & Viola (1941, Rev 1967)
Suite on Jewish Themes for String Quartet; Piano, Clarinet & Bassoon;
Violin, Horn & Piano; Violin, Cello & Piano; Violin, Cello & Piano left hand;
Violin, Viola & Piano; Two Bassoons & Piano; Oboe, Bassoon & Piano;
Horn, Viola & Piano; Flute, 2 Violins & Viola (1948)
Sonata for Solo Bassoon (c. 1950)
"Aria" for Cello & Piano (1950)
Quartet for Clarinet, Violin, Viola & Violoncello (c. 1951)
Duo for Clarinet and Flute (1952)
Duo for Violin & Flute (1953)
String Quartet # 2 in F# (1954)
Twelve Rounds for Four Percussion Instruments (1955)
Quartet for Oboe, Bassoon, Violin & Viola (1956)
Quartet for Tympani, Violin, Viola & Violoncello (1957)
Duo for Violin & Guitar (1959)
Duo for Violin & Bassoon (1960)
Interlude for Harmonium (1961)
Revery for String Quartet (1964)
Wedding March for Harmonium or Organ (1968)
Suite of Dance Music for Solo Harp (1968)
Divertimento for Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Clarinet & Bassoon (1969)
Duo for Violin & Violoncello (1970)
Duo for 2 Violincelli (1970)
Two Silhouettes for Flute & Piano (1971)
Arrangements:
Mozart Theme and Variations arranged for String Bass and Orchestra (1940)
Mozart Fantasia in C Minor arranged for Orchestra (1946)
Zipoli Suite arranged for String Orchestra (1943)
J.S. Bach Chaconne arranged for Orchestra (1956)
JS Bach Violin Solo Sonatas (4) arranged for Violin, Flute & Cello; Flute, Violin & Viola;
Violin, Viola & Cello
P. Rode Caprices arranged for Violin, Flute & Cello; Flute, Violin & Viola;
Violin, Viola & Cello (1955-7)
String Quartet Arrangements of (ca. 1956-7)
Boccherini Cello Concerto
Mozart Piano Concerto in d
Duo Concertante for Violin and Viola
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto
Offenbach - Orpheus Overture arranged for Flute, 2 Violins & Viola; Violin, Viola & Cello
Rossini Semiramidi Overture arranged for Flute, 2 Violins & Viola (1968)
Other Information:
Louis Gesensway was born in Dvinsk, Latvia, and grew up in Toronto, Ontario. He studied violin at the Toronto Conservatory and the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, and played with the Philadelphia beginning in 1926.
Following studies in Budapest with Zoltan Kodaly, Mr. Gesensway began a period of intensive research into the color properties of existing tonalities, and evolved a system of composition he called "Color Harmony." The term "color" is used to denote pitch variants, and by employing the old diatonicscale, Color Harmony is actually the projection os a forty-tone scale.
Louis Gesensway received the C. Hartman Kuhn Award for outstanding achievement from the Philadelphia Orchestra; has been a member of ASCAP since 1956, and was recorded by Columbia Records. His chamber works have been performed world-wide. His Orchestral works have been performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, theHelsinki Symphony, Orchestra Society of Philadelphia and many others. He has taught composition, harmony and counterpoint and has written a book on Violin Technique and a book on Harmony.
To encourage increased individual participation in our musical culture, Mr. Gesensway has written many works which combine woodwinds, brass, and percussion instruments in small ensembles with string instruments. He original works and arrangements provide challenges and opportunities for student, amateur and professional musicians.
Essay contributed by:
Arthur Newmark (from a flyer given to him by Gesenway's family)
General Bibliography:
Slonimsky, Nicolas, Music Since 1900, Schirmer Books, July 1994, ISBN: 0028724186
Salzman, Eric, Twentieth Century Music: An Introduction, Pearson, October 2001, ISBN: 0130959413
Slonimsky, Nicolas and Kuhn, Laura; Editors, Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Gale Group, December 2000, ISBN: 0028655257
Sadie, Stanley and Tyrrell, John; Editors, The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Groves Dictionaries, Inc., January 2004, ISBN: 0195170679
Rutherford-Johnson, Tim, Kennedy, Michael, and Kennedy, Joyce The Oxford Dictionary of Music, Oxford University Press, 6th Edition, 2012, ISBN: 0199578109
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Biographical essay from Wikipedia
