 |
... born on 8 July 1900 in Trenton, New Jersey...
... began his composition studies at the age of sixteen with Constain von Sternberg, a pupil of Liszt, and later with Ernest Bloch. ... in 1921 ... a lack of money sent young Antheil to Philadelphia in search of a patron. He was directed to Mrs Edward Bok, who in 1924 would found the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. ... he began to formulate his plan to tour Europe as a concert pianist and composer.
In 1923, Antheil moved to Paris where he entered into the center of the artistic avant-garde. James Joyce, Ezra Pound, Ernest Hemingway, Man Ray, Léger, Satie, Picasso and many others were to become his friends and colleagues.
On 4 October 1934 Antheil made his public début in Paris, at the Champs Elysées Theatre, and as a result of the ensuing riot, achieved his goal and was solidly established as the enfant terrible du jour.
In 1926, Antheil premièred the work that was to become the zenith and nadir of his career, Ballet Mécanique.
George Antheil - Ballet Mecanique
Notorious for its orchestra of pianos, percussion,
electric buzzers and airplane propellers...
....
The 1930s was a difficult period for Antheil, who sought employment as a lonely-hearts columnist, a contributor to Esquire magazine, an author of several articles on endocrinology and later as a war correspondent. He would later write: ‘here in early 1941, I could at last label myself a complete failure.’
Following a move to Hollywood, Antheil
experienced a musical re-birth...
Following a move to Hollywood, Antheil experienced a musical re-birth...
By 1946, he had reconciled his work as a film composer with his composition of ‘serious’ music...
the MCA Artist survey for 1947 listed him as one of the most performed American composers.
The last decade of Antheil’s life was busy and reasonably successful. A steady flow of film and television scores was accompanied by a renewed interest in musical-theatre. His four late operas, Volpone (1949-1952), The Brothers, Venus in Africa and The Wish (all 1954) succeeded in synthesizing artistic discipline with a popular tunefulness...
Recordings
Back to
20th Century Classical
|
 |
