Paul Henry Lang
Encyclopedia
Paul Henry Lang was a Hungarian
-American
musicologist and music critic.
Lang was born in Budapest
, Hungary, and studied at the Budapest Music Academy, under Zoltán Kodály
, among others. He graduated in 1922, and from 1922–24 played bassoon
in various orchestras. Encouraged to study musicology by Kodály and Béla Bartók
, he did so at the University of Heidelberg and later the Sorbonne
in Paris. In the 1924 Summer Olympics
Lang participated as part of the University of Paris's rowing team. In 1928 he graduated with a degree in literature. While a student in Paris he began his career as a music critic writing for the Revue Musicale.
In 1928, knowing no English, Lang moved to the United States as a junior scholar of the Rockefeller Foundation
, then taught music at Vassar College
(1930–31), and Wells College
(1932–33). At the same time he
he worked on a dissertation in French literature and philology, with French opera as his specialty, earning a doctorate degree from Cornell University
in 1934. Mr. Lang joined the music faculty of Columbia University in 1933 with the first professorship of musicology in America, and quickly began changing the way music was taught there by adding courses, such as the esthetics of music, and by expanding the musicology department. In 1940, after Bartók fled Hungary during World War II
, Lang arranged for Columbia to hire him as an ethnomusicologist. As musicology was a nascent field at the time, he had a strong influence on its development, especially in the United States, and advised a number of students who would go on to become prominent musicologists, including James McKinnon
, Joel Sachs, Rosengard Subotnik, Richard Taruskin
, Piero Weiss
, and Neal Zaslaw
.
Lang became best known for his often provocative articles and books on both contemporary trends in music and music history. He was for years the music critic for the New York Herald Tribune
, succeeding Virgil Thomson
, and was editor of The Musical Quarterly
from 1945 to 1973. He published a number of books, the most famous of which is Music in Western Civilization (1941).
In addition to his most famous work, Music in Western Civilization, Lang wrote Georg Frideric Handel, collaborated with Otto Bettmann on A Pictorial History of Music, and edited several compilations, including The Creative World of Mozart and One Hundred Years of Music in America.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musicologist and music critic.
Lang was born in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary, and studied at the Budapest Music Academy, under Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is best known internationally as the creator of the Kodály Method.-Life:Born in Kecskemét, Kodály learned to play the violin as a child....
, among others. He graduated in 1922, and from 1922–24 played bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
in various orchestras. Encouraged to study musicology by Kodály and 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...
, he did so at the University of Heidelberg and later the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
in Paris. In the 1924 Summer Olympics
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
Lang participated as part of the University of Paris's rowing team. In 1928 he graduated with a degree in literature. While a student in Paris he began his career as a music critic writing for the Revue Musicale.
In 1928, knowing no English, Lang moved to the United States as a junior scholar of the Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
, then taught music at Vassar College
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
(1930–31), and Wells College
Wells College
Wells College is a private coeducational liberal arts college located in Aurora, Cayuga County, New York, on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake. Initially an all-women's institution, Wells became a co-ed college in Fall 2005....
(1932–33). At the same time he
he worked on a dissertation in French literature and philology, with French opera as his specialty, earning a doctorate degree from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in 1934. Mr. Lang joined the music faculty of Columbia University in 1933 with the first professorship of musicology in America, and quickly began changing the way music was taught there by adding courses, such as the esthetics of music, and by expanding the musicology department. In 1940, after Bartók fled Hungary during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Lang arranged for Columbia to hire him as an ethnomusicologist. As musicology was a nascent field at the time, he had a strong influence on its development, especially in the United States, and advised a number of students who would go on to become prominent musicologists, including James McKinnon
James McKinnon
James W. McKinnon was an American musicologist most known for his work in the fields of Western plainchant, medieval and renaissance music, Latin liturgy and musical iconography...
, Joel Sachs, Rosengard Subotnik, Richard Taruskin
Richard Taruskin
Richard Taruskin is an American-Russian musicologist, music historian, and critic who has written about the theory of performance, Russian music, fifteenth-century music, twentieth-century music, nationalism, the theory of modernism, and analysis. As a choral conductor he directed the Columbia...
, Piero Weiss
Piero Weiss
Piero Weiss was an Italian-American pianist and musicologist. Born in Trieste, his mother was a symphony violinist and the niece of novelist Italo Svevo. In 1938, at the age of 10, he fled Fascist Italy with his family, ultimately ending up in New York City in 1940...
, and Neal Zaslaw
Neal Zaslaw
Neal Zaslaw is an American musicologist.Born in New York, Zaslaw graduated from Harvard in 1961 with a BA and obtained his master's from Juilliard in 1963. He played flute in the American Symphony Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski from 1962 to 1965. In 1970 he received his Ph.D from Columbia...
.
Lang became best known for his often provocative articles and books on both contemporary trends in music and music history. He was for years the music critic for the New York Herald Tribune
New York Herald Tribune
The New York Herald Tribune was a daily newspaper created in 1924 when the New York Tribune acquired the New York Herald.Other predecessors, which had earlier merged into the New York Tribune, included the original The New Yorker newsweekly , and the Whig Party's Log Cabin.The paper was home to...
, succeeding Virgil Thomson
Virgil Thomson
Virgil Thomson was an American composer and critic. He was instrumental in the development of the "American Sound" in classical music...
, and was editor of The Musical Quarterly
The Musical Quarterly
The Musical Quarterly is the oldest academic journal on music in America. Originally established in 1915 by Oscar Sonneck, the journal was edited by Sonneck until his death in 1928...
from 1945 to 1973. He published a number of books, the most famous of which is Music in Western Civilization (1941).
In addition to his most famous work, Music in Western Civilization, Lang wrote Georg Frideric Handel, collaborated with Otto Bettmann on A Pictorial History of Music, and edited several compilations, including The Creative World of Mozart and One Hundred Years of Music in America.