Albert Stoessel
Encyclopedia
Albert Frederic Stoessel (October 11, 1894 – May 12, 1943) was an American composer, violinist and conductor.
He was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1894. He studied music at the Berlin Hochschule as a pupil of Emanuel Wirth
and Willy Hess
. At 19 he began his professional playing career with the Hess String Quartet, and toured as a violin soloist in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Germany. He returned to the United States in 1915 for a concert tour, appeared with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
and the Boston Symphony Orchestra
, and lived in Boston until 1917 while pursuing his career as a violinist and composer.
Stoessel enlisted in the United States Army in 1917, becoming a lieutenant in the 301st Infantry American Expeditionary Forces and leader of the regimental band at Camp Devens. Stoessel went to France in 1918 with the 76th Division as bandmaster of the 301st. He became Director of the AEF Bandmaster's School of Chaumont, France, organized by Walter Damrosch.
After his discharge in 1919, Stoessel performed as a soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and toured with Enrico Caruso's last tour. In 1921 he became the assistant conductor of the Oratorio Society of New York under Walter Damrosch. For seven years, beginning in 1923, he was the head of the New York University
Music Department, from which he was awarded a master's degree in 1924. He left to become director of the departments of opera and orchestra at the Juilliard Graduate School of Music
in 1931. He became conductor of the Worcester Festival of the Worcester (Massachusetts) County Musical Association in 1925, and conducted the Westchester Festival in White Plains, New York, from 1927 to 1933. Stoessel first began work with the Chautauqua Institution in 1921 as a conductor, and in 1929 he was appointed Musical Director.
Albert Stoessel composed the opera Garrick in 1936, wrote a treatise in 1919 entitled The Technique of the Baton, and composed a number of violin, piano, choral, and orchestra pieces. His wife, Julia Pickard Stoessel, had also been a violin student in Berlin. They were married June 27, 1917, and had two sons, Edward and Fredric.
He conducted the United States premiere of the Piano Concerto in D flat
by Aram Khachaturian
, on 14 March 1942, with soloist Maro Ajemian and the Juilliard Graduate School.
It was while on stage conducting an orchestra for American Academy of Arts and Letters
in New York, that Stoessel died of a heart attack on May 12, 1943.
One of his notable students was Robert Talbot
.
He was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1894. He studied music at the Berlin Hochschule as a pupil of Emanuel Wirth
Emanuel Wirth
Emanuel Wirth was a German violinist.Wirth was born in Žlutice in northwestern Bohemia. As Joseph Joachim's assistant at the Hochschule für Musik , he taught violin and viola. August Wilhelmj said he was the best violin teacher of his generation...
and Willy Hess
Willy Hess (violinist)
Willy Hess was a German violin virtuoso and violin teacher.-Biography:Will Hess was born in Mannheim in 1859. He was a student of Joseph Joachim and he also studied with his father, who was a pupil of Louis Spohr....
. At 19 he began his professional playing career with the Hess String Quartet, and toured as a violin soloist in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Germany. He returned to the United States in 1915 for a concert tour, appeared with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1880 by Joseph Otten as the St. Louis Choral Society, the SLSO is the second-oldest symphony orchestra in the United States as it is preceded by the New York Philharmonic.-History:The St...
and the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
, and lived in Boston until 1917 while pursuing his career as a violinist and composer.
Stoessel enlisted in the United States Army in 1917, becoming a lieutenant in the 301st Infantry American Expeditionary Forces and leader of the regimental band at Camp Devens. Stoessel went to France in 1918 with the 76th Division as bandmaster of the 301st. He became Director of the AEF Bandmaster's School of Chaumont, France, organized by Walter Damrosch.
After his discharge in 1919, Stoessel performed as a soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and toured with Enrico Caruso's last tour. In 1921 he became the assistant conductor of the Oratorio Society of New York under Walter Damrosch. For seven years, beginning in 1923, he was the head of the New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
Music Department, from which he was awarded a master's degree in 1924. He left to become director of the departments of opera and orchestra at the Juilliard Graduate School of Music
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
in 1931. He became conductor of the Worcester Festival of the Worcester (Massachusetts) County Musical Association in 1925, and conducted the Westchester Festival in White Plains, New York, from 1927 to 1933. Stoessel first began work with the Chautauqua Institution in 1921 as a conductor, and in 1929 he was appointed Musical Director.
Albert Stoessel composed the opera Garrick in 1936, wrote a treatise in 1919 entitled The Technique of the Baton, and composed a number of violin, piano, choral, and orchestra pieces. His wife, Julia Pickard Stoessel, had also been a violin student in Berlin. They were married June 27, 1917, and had two sons, Edward and Fredric.
He conducted the United States premiere of the Piano Concerto in D flat
Piano Concerto (Khachaturian)
Aram Khachaturian's Piano Concerto in D-flat major, Op. 38, was composed in 1936. It was his first work to bring him recognition in the West, and it immediately entered the repertoire of many notable pianists....
by Aram Khachaturian
Aram Khachaturian
Aram Ilyich Khachaturian was a prominent Soviet composer. Khachaturian's works were often influenced by classical Russian music and Armenian folk music...
, on 14 March 1942, with soloist Maro Ajemian and the Juilliard Graduate School.
It was while on stage conducting an orchestra for American Academy of Arts and Letters
The American Academy of Arts and Letters
The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 250-member honor society; its goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Located in Washington Heights, a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan in New York, it shares Audubon Terrace, its Beaux Arts campus on...
in New York, that Stoessel died of a heart attack on May 12, 1943.
One of his notable students was Robert Talbot
Robert Talbot (conductor)
Robert Jean Talbot was a Canadian conductor, violinist, violist, composer, and music educator. For more than 25 years he was the conductor of the Société symphonique de Québec...
.
Works
- American Dance No. 1 in G minor. (No. 2 in E. für Violin & piano) / 1917
- Beat! beat! Drums (Four-part song, words by W. Whitman) / 1922
- Boston's own. March. Piano Solo / 1918
- Christmas bells. / 1933
- Comparative table of clefs
- Compositions. Op. 8. No. 1. Lullaby. No. 2. Humoresque ... (Violin & piano) /1916
- Concerto Grosso / 1935
- Crinoline. Minuet, etc. (Violin & piano)/ 1916
- Cyrano de Bergerac. A Sympnic Portrait. For Orchestra / 1931
- Early Americana
- Garrick (1936)
- Hymn to Diana. Sketch
- Short studies in double stopping, for the violin through all the keys. / 1940.
- Suite Antique (for 2 violins and piano) / 1924
- The Technique of the Baton (1919; originally written for his classes in Chaumont)
- Virginia Reel.