Rudolph E. Schirmer: August 2009

A favorite summer destination for young Rudolph. Following is an excellent article on this idyllic location, home of the "tuxedo".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuxedo_Park,_New_York

Rudolph Schirmer - Biography

Rudolph was born in Santa Barbara, California in 1919, and lived most of his life in New York City. He was educated at St. Mark’s and at his father's alma mater, Princeton University (Class of 1941) where he was a member of Terrace Club. After his sophomore year, he went on to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. He later studied composition in Italy under Rosario Scalero, who had also taught Samuel Barber and Gian Carlo Menotti.

During WWII he was in military intelligence (Field Interrogation Unit). He went into the family publishing business, G. Schirmer, Inc., where he served as Vice President and later as Chairman of the Board. G. Schirmer, Inc. was responsible for bringing classical music to America, and also for nurturing leading composers of the 20th century, such as Leonard Bernstein, Gian Carlo Menotti, Morton Gould, Virgil Thompson and Samuel Barber.

Rudolph continued his love of music, composing numerous works including "Hymn to the Americas" for solo voice, chorus and orchestra performed by the Washington Symphony at the Pan American Music Festival in 1968. He composed an opera based on Maximilian of Mexico, as well as the art song cycle “Seven Songs”, performed by Swedish singer Laila Andersson.

A talented poet and writer, he was published in various journals (The Yale Literary Magazine, Chronicles and The World and I). He published a book of poetry, “Friend in Fantasy”, and completed a 12,000 line poem on Napoleon, entitled “Napoleonics”. His poem, Stanzas in the Valley of the Fallen, was presented officially to the Spanish government in 1967 and is now engraved on a bronze plaque at the Patrimonio Nacional in the royal palace in Madrid. Novels include “The Lorelei”, “A Regiment of Howards”. He also penned a series of travel essays, “European Footsteps”.

He was married three times, to Ena Wenckheim, Iris Maria Flores, and lastly, to Raffaela Maria Mormino. He had one child, Liane Maria Schirmer (b. 1958), by his second wife, and one grandson, Christopher Northbourne James (b. 1998). He died in New York, in 2000, and is buried at Calverton National Cemetery, on Long Island.

Rudolph E. Schirmer

The Art and Life of Rudolph Schirmer

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Tuxedo Park

Chairman of the Board, G. Schirmer, Inc.

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"Laborum Dulce Lenimen"

G.SCHIRMER, INC.

Rudolph Schirmer - Biography

COMPOSER

POET

"A FRIEND IN FANTASY"

AUTHOR

Blog Archive

Visit Rudolph's mother, Ann Swinburne

About Me

Rudolph E. Schirmer

The Art and Life of Rudolph Schirmer

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Thursday, August 13, 2009

Tuxedo Park

Chairman of the Board, G. Schirmer, Inc.

Search This Blog

"Laborum Dulce Lenimen"

G.SCHIRMER, INC.

Rudolph Schirmer - Biography

COMPOSER

POET

"A FRIEND IN FANTASY"

AUTHOR

Blog Archive

Visit Rudolph's mother, Ann Swinburne

About Me