John Weinzweig
Encyclopedia
John Weinzweig, OC
, O.Ont
(March 11, 1913 – August 24, 2006) was a Canadian
composer
of classical music
.
Born in Toronto
, Weinzweig went to Harbord Collegiate Institute
, and studied music at the university
. In 1937, he left for the United States
to study under Bernard Rogers
. During the Second World War, he began composing film music, and in 1952 he became a professor at his old university in Toronto. In the previous year he had co-founded the Canadian League of Composers, and he was actively involved in several other organisations representing musicians and composers.
In 1974, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
. In 1988, he was awarded the Order of Ontario
.
His first music lessons were at Workman’s Circle Peretz School at the age of 14, where he participated in mandolin classes. He went on to attend Harbord Collegiate Institute
, a secondary school where the students consisted primarily of the children of Jewish immigrant families. Harbord had one of the only school orchestra programs in Canada at the time, and it was here that he learned to play the tuba and saxophone, and even had the opportunity to conduct. His teacher recognized his talent and encouraged his parents to send him to piano lessons. He studied under several teachers and in the years following high school, Weinzweig attained a university entrance level in both piano and theory at the Royal Conservatory. His brother, Morris, also took up the saxophone and, from a young age, the two brothers earned pocket money by playing at local events such a school dances and political rallies. Morris went on to become a leading studio musician on the saxophone.
Faculty of Music was founded in 1918, but it was not until the early 1930s that it began to offer classes leading to a degree. John Weinzweig was among the first to enroll in the new program and obtained his B.Mus. in 1937. During his undergraduate degree, he was continuously producing short works, most of which were romantic and impressionistic. After observing Weinzweig’s work, composer and school director Howard Hanson
encouraged him to pursue Master’s studies in composition at the Eastman School of Music
(University of Rochester
). He followed Hanson’s advice and acquired his M.Mus. in 1938. During his university career, he also developed an interest in conducting, as he found that conducting experience was useful to him as a composer.
was not a complete transition; he was very selective and deliberate in which principles he chose to adopt. While he acknowledged that Schoenberg
’s influence on the musical world was powerful, he was not particularly taken with Schoeberg’s music and preferred that of composers such as Berg
and Webern. His attraction to serialism
was not the same as that of its Viennese founders. Since he was not taught strictly using tonality in his early education, he did not feel the need to rebel and use serialism
simply as a means to avoid tonality. While he often employed the techniques used by Stravinsky, Bartók, Copland
and Varèse
, he did not teach these methods to his students exclusively.
The way in which Weinzweig used a 12-tone row in his compositions differed from the traditional method. He would use the row as a motivic invention and develop that motive in a neoclassical manner, treating it more like a theme than a means of tonal organization. The row typically remains identifiable throughout the piece but is not limited by strict serial procedures.
and ragtime
. Even his Violin Concerto and Wind Quartet show characteristics of blues
in their melodies.
and Samuel Dolin
to discuss the issue of composing professionally in Canada. They wished to raise awareness and acceptance of Canadian music, to be listened to and taken seriously, and contacted around a dozen other Canadian composers who shared their desires. Within a year they had acquired a federal charter as the Canadian League of Composers (CLC), of which Weinzweig was the first president. Though the original members were all from close within Weinzweig’s circle, the idea of the CLC was to bring composers together to work for a common cause, not to achieve a uniform national style. This mindset was much like that of the Group of Seven
30 years earlier in Canadian art.
The first project the CLC took on was to sponsor public concerts featuring new Canadian compositions. These concerts featured many different kinds of repertoire, including orchestral works, chamber music
and opera
, but they lacked the support of many established performing groups. Despite this, approximately 30 concerts of exclusively Canadian music occurred between the years of 1951 and 1960. The first concert, on May 16, 1951, had a program of entirely Weinzweig’s music. The concert was jointly held with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
(CBC) and the Royal Conservatory of Music
(RCM) of Toronto, and was given a favourable review by the art critic for the Toronto Globe and Mail.
They next took on the task of editing an anthology of newly composed piano repertoire. This resulted in the accumulation of a small library which housed the scores of many members, and provided the use of these scores to interested conductors and performers.
In 1960, the CLC organized the International Conference of Composers as part of the Stratford music festival. This conference drew composers from 30 different countries, including Krenek, Varèse
and Berio.
After a decade, national membership had grown to around 40 people, including four women, and continued to grow steadily throughout the century.
where he taught until his retirement in 1978. He continued to teach masterclasses, seminars, and workshops at a number of institutions of higher learning during the 1980s. He also taught several students privately during his lifetime. His large number of notable students include the following:
In 1948 Weinzweig won a silver medal in the art competitions of the Olympic Games for his "Divertimenti for Solo Flute and Strings".
techniques of Stravinsky. The crisp, economical texture makes the piece look easy on paper. It contains a 12-note series that unfolds one or two notes at a time and keys are often implied during cadences, showing no clear effort to avoid doing so. These factor later became a trade mark of Weinzweig and can be seen in many of his works
. The material consists of a blend of Iroquois music, French-Canadian folk song and fiddle music. The music is meant to tell the story of why red cobs of corn can occasionally be found in the yellow corn fields of Québec. In this story, an Iroquois maiden is stabbed by the chief of her tribe, whom she was forcibly engaged to. It is said that red corn appears out of the ground where her blood was spilled.
This was an important work for Canada because it showed that the country’s composers could write large-scale works for orchestra. It created exposure for musical material of Canadian origin, but also revealed a new treatment of folk material. Rather than just composing an accompaniment for an original folk song, Weinzweig took small rhythmic and melodic gestures from the melodies and incorporated them into his writing. This approach, inspired by Béla Bartók
, continues to be used by Canadian composers today.
’s 12-tone system, though in a modified form. It consists of three movements; Waltzling, Dirgeling and Themes with Variables. In this piece, the tone row is treated as motivic material used with the traditional neoclassic forms, such as ABA and theme and variations.
Waltzing exhibits another variation of this system by using a row consisting of only nine tones. This row, which seems to show a preference for minor thirds and sixths, is used as the basis of both the melody and the rhythmic ostinato that accompanies it.
The motivic repetition and overall ABA form lessens the usual harsh sound of a tone row. At the time, this piece was rejected by many colleagues and the majority of the general public.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, O.Ont
Order of Ontario
The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
(March 11, 1913 – August 24, 2006) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
.
Born in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Weinzweig went to Harbord Collegiate Institute
Harbord Collegiate Institute
Harbord Collegiate Institute is a public secondary school located in downtown Toronto, Canada. Specifically, the school is located in the Palmerston-Little Italy/The Annex neighbourhood, situated on the north side of Harbord Street, between Euclid Ave. and Manning St...
, and studied music at the university
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. In 1937, he left for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to study under Bernard Rogers
Bernard Rogers
Bernard Rogers was an American composer.Rogers was born in New York City. He studied with Arthur Farwell, Ernest Bloch, Percy Goetschius, and Nadia Boulanger. He taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music, The Hartt School, and the Eastman School of Music...
. During the Second World War, he began composing film music, and in 1952 he became a professor at his old university in Toronto. In the previous year he had co-founded the Canadian League of Composers, and he was actively involved in several other organisations representing musicians and composers.
In 1974, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. In 1988, he was awarded the Order of Ontario
Order of Ontario
The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
.
Early life
John Jacob Weinzweig was the eldest child of Joseph and Rose (Burstyn) Weinzweig, Polish-Jewish immigrants. His younger siblings were named Morris and Grace Weinzweig. In Russian-occupied Poland, his father was temporarily imprisoned for participating in radical union movements, and the family moved to Canada shortly after.His first music lessons were at Workman’s Circle Peretz School at the age of 14, where he participated in mandolin classes. He went on to attend Harbord Collegiate Institute
Harbord Collegiate Institute
Harbord Collegiate Institute is a public secondary school located in downtown Toronto, Canada. Specifically, the school is located in the Palmerston-Little Italy/The Annex neighbourhood, situated on the north side of Harbord Street, between Euclid Ave. and Manning St...
, a secondary school where the students consisted primarily of the children of Jewish immigrant families. Harbord had one of the only school orchestra programs in Canada at the time, and it was here that he learned to play the tuba and saxophone, and even had the opportunity to conduct. His teacher recognized his talent and encouraged his parents to send him to piano lessons. He studied under several teachers and in the years following high school, Weinzweig attained a university entrance level in both piano and theory at the Royal Conservatory. His brother, Morris, also took up the saxophone and, from a young age, the two brothers earned pocket money by playing at local events such a school dances and political rallies. Morris went on to become a leading studio musician on the saxophone.
Post-Secondary Education
The University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
Faculty of Music was founded in 1918, but it was not until the early 1930s that it began to offer classes leading to a degree. John Weinzweig was among the first to enroll in the new program and obtained his B.Mus. in 1937. During his undergraduate degree, he was continuously producing short works, most of which were romantic and impressionistic. After observing Weinzweig’s work, composer and school director Howard Hanson
Howard Hanson
Howard Harold Hanson was an American composer, conductor, educator, music theorist, and champion of American classical music. As director for 40 years of the Eastman School of Music, he built a high-quality school and provided opportunities for commissioning and performing American music...
encouraged him to pursue Master’s studies in composition at the Eastman School of Music
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
(University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
). He followed Hanson’s advice and acquired his M.Mus. in 1938. During his university career, he also developed an interest in conducting, as he found that conducting experience was useful to him as a composer.
Use of Serialism
Weinzweig’s move toward serialismSerialism
In music, serialism is a method or technique of composition that uses a series of values to manipulate different musical elements. Serialism began primarily with Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique, though his contemporaries were also working to establish serialism as one example of...
was not a complete transition; he was very selective and deliberate in which principles he chose to adopt. While he acknowledged that Schoenberg
Schoenberg
Schoenberg is the surname of several persons:* Arnold Schoenberg , Austrian-American composer* Claude-Michel Schoenberg , French record producer, actor, singer, popular songwriter, and musical theatre composer...
’s influence on the musical world was powerful, he was not particularly taken with Schoeberg’s music and preferred that of composers such as Berg
Alban Berg
Alban Maria Johannes Berg was an Austrian composer. He was a member of the Second Viennese School with Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern, and produced compositions that combined Mahlerian Romanticism with a personal adaptation of Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique.-Early life:Berg was born in...
and Webern. His attraction to serialism
Serialism
In music, serialism is a method or technique of composition that uses a series of values to manipulate different musical elements. Serialism began primarily with Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique, though his contemporaries were also working to establish serialism as one example of...
was not the same as that of its Viennese founders. Since he was not taught strictly using tonality in his early education, he did not feel the need to rebel and use serialism
Serialism
In music, serialism is a method or technique of composition that uses a series of values to manipulate different musical elements. Serialism began primarily with Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique, though his contemporaries were also working to establish serialism as one example of...
simply as a means to avoid tonality. While he often employed the techniques used by Stravinsky, Bartók, Copland
Copland
Copland was a project at Apple Computer to create an updated version of the Macintosh operating system. It was to have introduced protected memory, preemptive multitasking and a number of new underlying operating system features, yet still be compatible with existing Mac software...
and Varèse
Varese
Varese is a town and comune in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 55 km north of Milan.It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or urban part of the city is called Varesotto.- Geography :...
, he did not teach these methods to his students exclusively.
The way in which Weinzweig used a 12-tone row in his compositions differed from the traditional method. He would use the row as a motivic invention and develop that motive in a neoclassical manner, treating it more like a theme than a means of tonal organization. The row typically remains identifiable throughout the piece but is not limited by strict serial procedures.
Pop music
The influence of popular music of the 1930s can be seen in Weinzweig’s work, especially his Divertimentos No.2 and 3, which mimic the quirky rhythms of this music. His Divertimento No. 8 and Out of the Blue exhibit elements of both bluesBlues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and ragtime
Ragtime
Ragtime is an original musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918. Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged," rhythm. It began as dance music in the red-light districts of American cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans years before being published...
. Even his Violin Concerto and Wind Quartet show characteristics of blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
in their melodies.
Inuit folk materials
Along with another choral piece composed around the same time, his piece titled Edge of the World is the first work to use Inuit folk music as compositional material.Canadian League of Composers
In 1951, John Weinzweig met with fellow composers Harry SomersHarry Somers
Harry Stewart Somers, CC was the foremost English-Canadian composer of his period.He was born in middle-class Toronto in 1925 but did not become interested in music until his early teenage years, when he met a doctor and his wife, both pianists, who introduced him to classical music...
and Samuel Dolin
Samuel Dolin
Samuel Joseph Dolin was a Canadian composer, music educator, and arts administrator. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre and a founding member of the Canadian League of Composers , he served as the CLC's vice president in 1967-1968 and president from 1969-1973...
to discuss the issue of composing professionally in Canada. They wished to raise awareness and acceptance of Canadian music, to be listened to and taken seriously, and contacted around a dozen other Canadian composers who shared their desires. Within a year they had acquired a federal charter as the Canadian League of Composers (CLC), of which Weinzweig was the first president. Though the original members were all from close within Weinzweig’s circle, the idea of the CLC was to bring composers together to work for a common cause, not to achieve a uniform national style. This mindset was much like that of the Group of Seven
Group of Seven (artists)
The Group of Seven, sometimes known as the Algonquin school, were a group of Canadian landscape painters from 1920-1933, originally consisting of Franklin Carmichael , Lawren Harris , A. Y. Jackson , Franz Johnston , Arthur Lismer , J. E. H. MacDonald , and Frederick Varley...
30 years earlier in Canadian art.
The first project the CLC took on was to sponsor public concerts featuring new Canadian compositions. These concerts featured many different kinds of repertoire, including orchestral works, chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
and opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, but they lacked the support of many established performing groups. Despite this, approximately 30 concerts of exclusively Canadian music occurred between the years of 1951 and 1960. The first concert, on May 16, 1951, had a program of entirely Weinzweig’s music. The concert was jointly held with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
(CBC) and the Royal Conservatory of Music
Royal Conservatory of Music
The Royal Conservatory of Music is a music school and performance venue in Toronto, Canada. Other uses of the term include:*The Madrid Royal Conservatory, Spain*The Royal Academy of Music, London, United Kingdom...
(RCM) of Toronto, and was given a favourable review by the art critic for the Toronto Globe and Mail.
They next took on the task of editing an anthology of newly composed piano repertoire. This resulted in the accumulation of a small library which housed the scores of many members, and provided the use of these scores to interested conductors and performers.
In 1960, the CLC organized the International Conference of Composers as part of the Stratford music festival. This conference drew composers from 30 different countries, including Krenek, Varèse
Varese
Varese is a town and comune in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 55 km north of Milan.It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or urban part of the city is called Varesotto.- Geography :...
and Berio.
After a decade, national membership had grown to around 40 people, including four women, and continued to grow steadily throughout the century.
Work as an educator
In 1939 Weinzweig was appointed to the music faculty at the Toronto Conservatory of Music where he taught through 1960 with the exception of a leave of absence in 1944. In 1952 he joined the faculty of the University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
where he taught until his retirement in 1978. He continued to teach masterclasses, seminars, and workshops at a number of institutions of higher learning during the 1980s. He also taught several students privately during his lifetime. His large number of notable students include the following:
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Early Works
John Weinzweig’s early works concentrate primarily on orchestra. Some pieces that he wrote as a student include Whirling Dwarf, The Enchanted Hill, and A Tale of Tuamoto (based on a Polynesian legend). While none of these gained much recognition at the time, some did receive readings by the orchestra at Eastman. One of his earliest orchestral works, written shortly after obtaining his masters degree, is Rhapsody (1941). This version was not particularly successful, but was later salvaged by one of his first pupils, Victor Feldbrill, and revived. In some of his early piano suites, the emergence of 12-tone serialism as a method of pitch organization can be seen.In 1948 Weinzweig won a silver medal in the art competitions of the Olympic Games for his "Divertimenti for Solo Flute and Strings".
Piano Sonata
This sonata is a work that most closely represents the neoclassicismNeoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
techniques of Stravinsky. The crisp, economical texture makes the piece look easy on paper. It contains a 12-note series that unfolds one or two notes at a time and keys are often implied during cadences, showing no clear effort to avoid doing so. These factor later became a trade mark of Weinzweig and can be seen in many of his works
Red Ear of Corn
Red Ear of Corn was the first Canadian score to be commissioned for the Canadian Ballet FestivalCanadian Ballet Festival
The Canadian Ballet Festival was an annual event staged in Canada from 1948 to 1954 that brought together various Canadian dance companies to generate public interest in classical dance. Prior to the festivals, it was difficult for professional Canadian dancers to earn a living by practicing their...
. The material consists of a blend of Iroquois music, French-Canadian folk song and fiddle music. The music is meant to tell the story of why red cobs of corn can occasionally be found in the yellow corn fields of Québec. In this story, an Iroquois maiden is stabbed by the chief of her tribe, whom she was forcibly engaged to. It is said that red corn appears out of the ground where her blood was spilled.
This was an important work for Canada because it showed that the country’s composers could write large-scale works for orchestra. It created exposure for musical material of Canadian origin, but also revealed a new treatment of folk material. Rather than just composing an accompaniment for an original folk song, Weinzweig took small rhythmic and melodic gestures from the melodies and incorporated them into his writing. This approach, inspired by Béla Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
, continues to be used by Canadian composers today.
Suite for Piano No. 1
This piano suite was the first Canadian composition to use Arnold SchoenbergArnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg was an Austrian composer, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School...
’s 12-tone system, though in a modified form. It consists of three movements; Waltzling, Dirgeling and Themes with Variables. In this piece, the tone row is treated as motivic material used with the traditional neoclassic forms, such as ABA and theme and variations.
Waltzing exhibits another variation of this system by using a row consisting of only nine tones. This row, which seems to show a preference for minor thirds and sixths, is used as the basis of both the melody and the rhythmic ostinato that accompanies it.
The motivic repetition and overall ABA form lessens the usual harsh sound of a tone row. At the time, this piece was rejected by many colleagues and the majority of the general public.
List of works
From the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/emc/index-e.htmlStage, Film and Radio
- The Whirling Dwarf, ballet. 1937 (Tor 1939). Med orch. Ms
- 4 scores for NFB films: North West Frontier; West Wind: The Story of Tom Thomson; The Great Canadian Shield; Turner Valley. (1941-5). Ms
- Over 100 radio (CBC) drama scores, including Riel; Jalna; White Empire
- See also Red Ear of Corn
Orchestra and Band
- Legend. 1937. Full orch. Ms
- The Enchanted Hill. 1938 (Rochester 1938). Full orch. Ms
- Suite. 1938 (Rochester 1938). Full orch. Ms
- Symphony. 1940. Full orch. Ms
- Rhapsody for Orchestra. 1941 (Tor 1957). Ms
- Interlude in an Artist's Life. 1943 (Tor 1944). String orch. Leeds 1961. RCI Canadian Album No. 2/5-ACM 1 (*TSO)
- Our Canada. 1943 (Tor 1943). Med orch. Ms. RCI 41 (*TSO)
- Band-Hut Sketches. 1944 (CBC 1944). Band. Ms
- Edge of the World. 1946 (Tor 1946). Med orch. Leeds 1967. CBC SM-163 (*CBC Wpg orch)
- Red Ear of Corn (suite). 1949 (Tor 1951). Med orch. Ms. 1967. CBC SM-345 (*NACO)/('Barn Dance') Dom LPS-21024/Columbia MS-6763/Citadel CT-6011 (Tor Philharmonia Orch, *Susskind cond)
- Round Dance. 1950 (Tor 1950). Med orch (arr for band by Cable). Ms, Leeds 1966 (band). (Band) RCA PCS-1004/Citadel CT-6007 (*Cable cond)
- Symphonic Ode. 1958 (Saskatoon 1959). Full orch. Leeds 1962. (1969). Louisville LS-76-6 (Louisville Orch)
- Dummiyah/Silence. 1969 (Tor 1969). Full orch. Ms. 2-RCI 477 (B. *Brott)
- Out of the Blues. 1981. Concert band. Ms
- Divertimento No. 9. 1982. Full orch. Ms
Soloist(s) with Orchestra
- Spectre. 1938 (Tor 1939). Timpani, string orch. Ms
- A Tale of Tuamotu. 1939. Bassoon, orch. Ms
- Divertimento No. 1. 1946 (Van 1946). Flute, string orch. B & H 1950. RCI 182/5-ACM 1(*CBC SO, *Day flute)/Dom S-69006 (*Aitken flute, Weinzweig cond)
- Divertimento No. 2. 1948 (Tor 1948). Oboe, string orch. B & H 1951. RCI 86/5-ACM 1(*Bauman oboe, *Waddington cond)/('Finale') Marquis MAR-104 (L. *Cherney)
- Violin Concerto. 1951-4 (Tor 1955). Violin, orch. Ms. RCI 183/5-ACM 1 (*CBC SO)
- Wine of Peace (Calderon de la Barca, transl A. Symons, anon). 1957 (Tor 1958). Soprano, orch. Ms 1957. RCI 182/5-ACM 1 (*CBC SO)
- Divertimento No. 3. 1960 (Tor 1961). Bassoon, string orch. Leeds 1963. CBC SM-15/SBC SM-317 (*CBC Van Chamb orch)
- Divertimento No. 5. 1961 (Pittsburgh 1961). Trumpet, trombone, winds. Leeds 1969. RCI 292/5-ACM 1 (*Deslauriers)
- Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. 1966 (Tor 1966). Ms. CBC SM-104 (*Helmer)
- Concerto for Harp and Chamber Orchestra. 1967 (Tor 1967). Leeds 1969. CBC SM-55/5-ACM 1 (*Loman harp)
- Divertimento No. 4. 1968 (Tor 1968). Clarinet, strings. Ms. CBC SM-134 (*Barnes cond)
- Divertimento No. 6. 1972 (Tor 1972). Alto sax, strings. Ms
- Divertimento No. 7. 1979 (Van 1980). Horn, strings. Ms
- Divertimento No. 8. 1980. (Tor 1989). Tuba, orch. Ms
- Divertimento No. 10. 1988. (Tor 1989). Piano, string orch. Ms
- Divertimento No. 11. 1990. English horn, string orch. Ms.
Chamber
- String Quartet No. 1. 1937. Ms. (Mvt 2) RCI 12 (*Parlow String Quar)
- Sonata. 1941. Violin, piano. OUP 1953. CBC SM-276 (*Hidy)/Masters of the Bow MBS-2002 (*Bress)
- Fanfare. 1943. 3 trumpet, 3 trombone, percussion. Ms
- Intermissions. 1943. Flute, oboe. South 1964
- String Quartet No. 2. 1946. Ms. Columbia MS-6364 (*Canadian String Quar)
- Cello Sonata 'Israel.' 1949. Cello, piano. Ms. CBC EXPO-14/RCI 209/5-ACM 1 (W. *Joachim cello)
- String Quartet No. 3. 1962. Ms. RCI 362/5-ACM 1 (*Orford String Quartet)
- Woodwind Quintet. 1964. Self-publ 1975. RCI 218/5-ACM 1/RCA CCS-1012 (*Tor Woodwind Quintet)
- Clarinet Quartet. 1965. 4 clarinet. Leeds 1970. Dom S-69004 (*Galper, McCartney, Fetherston, Temoin)
- Around the Stage in 25 Minutes During Which a Variety of Instruments Are Struck. 1970. Solo percussion. Ms
- Trialogue (Weinzweig). 1971. Soprano, flute, piano. Ms
- Riffs. 1974. Flute. Ms
- Contrasts. 1976. Guitar. Ms. 1982. Centrediscs CMC-0582/RCI 566 (Candelaria)
- Pieces of 5. 1976. Brass quintet. Ms. 1981. 2-Music Gallery Editions MGE-34
- Refrains. 1977. Double bass, piano. Ms
- 18 Pieces for Guitar. 1980. Ms
- 15 Pieces for Harp. 1983. Ms. CBC Musica Viva MV-1029 (*Loman)
- Music Centre Serenade. 1984. Flute, horn, viola, cello. Ms
- Conversations for Three Guitars. 1984. Ms
- Cadenza. 1986. Clarinet. Ms
- Birthday Notes. 1987. Flute, piano. Ms
- Tremologue. 1987. Viola. Ms
Piano and Organ
- Suite for Piano No. 1. 1939. Ms, Frederick Harris 1955 (mvt 1)
- Improvisations on an Indian Tune. 1942. Organ. Ms
- Swing a Fugue. 1949. Piano. Ms
- Melos. 1949. Piano. Ms
- Piano Sonata. 1950. Cramer 1981. CBC SM-162 (*Buczynski)/Elaine Keillor WRC1-3315 (*Keillor)
- Suite for Piano No. 2. 1950. OUP 1956 (mvt 2); OUP 1965 (mvt 1 and 3). 1970. (Mvt 2) CBC SM-99 (Angela Florou)
- Impromptus. 1973. Piano. Ms
- CanOn Stride. 1986. Piano. Musical Canada
- Tango for Two. 1986 (rev 1987). Piano (hp). Ms
- Micromotions. 1988. Piano. Ms
- 3 Pieces for piano. 1989. Piano. Ms
- Duologue. 1990. 2 piano. Ms
Choir and Voice
- 'To the Lands Over Yonder' (Inuit). 1945. SATB. Frederick Harris 1953. Self-publ 1974
- 'Of Time, Rain and the World' (Weinzweig). 1947. Voice, piano. Ms. RCI 20/5-ACM 1(*James)
- 'Dance of the Masada' (I. Lamdan). 1951. Baritone, piano. Ms. RCA LSC-3092 (Fine bass)/Master MA-275 (D. *Mills bass)
- 'Am Yisrael Chai!'/'Israel Lives!' (Malka Lee, English transl Weinzweig). 1952. SATB, piano. Leeds 1964
- Private Collection (Weinzweig). 1975. Soprano, piano. Ms. Centrediscs CMC-0582 (*Fallis)
- Choral Pieces. 1985-86. SATB. Ms
Writings
- 'The new music,' CRMA, vol 5, Jun 1942
- 'A composer looks at the teaching of musical theory,' ConsB, Nov 1949
- 'Notes on a visit to Britain,' CanComp, 21, 22, Sep, Oct 1967
- 'Address' (25 Nov 1967), Report on the John Adaskin Project Policy Conference, CMCentre (Toronto 1967)
- 'Writings by John Weinzweig,' eds R. and P. Henninger, CMB, 6, Spring-Sumer 1973
- 'Vancouver Symposium 1950,' Canadian League of Composers' Newsletter, 1, Sep 1980
- 'A wry look at our music,' CanComp, 175, Oct 1982
- John Weinzweig; His Words and His Music (Grimsby, Ont 1986)
- 'The making of a composer,' CanComp, 211, May 1986
- 'John Weinzweig,' Canadian Music of the 1930s and 1940s, ed Beverley Cavanagh, CanMus Handbooks 2 [Kingston, Ont, 1987]
- 'The diary of a song ... Hockey Night in Canada,' CanComp, 224, Oct 1989
- Sounds and Reflections (Grimsby, Ont 1990)
External links
- Canadian Music Centre - John Weinzweig Biography and Works
- Living Composers Project (biography, work list)
- John Weinzweig at The Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...
- Short documentary on John Weinzweig directed by Peter KambasisPeter KambasisPeter Kambasis is a Canadian-born writer/director. He graduated from Ryerson University in June 1999, where he received his Bachelor of Applied Arts in Film Production...