Robert Eugene Ward (September 13, 1917 – April 3, 2013) was an American composer who is best remembered for his opera '' The Crucible'' (1961) after the 1953 play of the same name by

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are ''All My Sons'' (1947), ''Death of a Salesman'' (19 ...

. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music for that opera in 1962.

Early work and education

Ward was born in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U ...

, Ohio, one of five children of the owner of a moving and storage company. He sang in church choirs and local opera theaters when he was a boy. His earliest extant compositions date to 1934, at a time he was attending John Adams High School, from which he graduated in 1935. After that, Ward attended the

Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York. It was established in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman. It offers Bachelor of Music ...

in Rochester, New York, where his composition teachers were Bernard Rogers, Howard Hanson and Edward Royce. Ward received a fellowship and attended the Juilliard School of Music in New York from 1939 to 1942, where he studied composition with Frederick Jacobi, orchestration with Bernard Wagenaar, and conducting with Albert Stoessel and Edgar Schenkman. In the summer of 1941 he studied under

Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as "the Dean of American Com ...

at the Berkshire Music Center in Massachusetts. From his student days to the end of World War II, Ward produced about forty compositions, of which eleven he later withdrew. Most of those early works are small scale, songs and pieces for piano or chamber ensembles. He completed his First Symphony in 1941, which won the Juilliard Publication Award the following year. Around that time, Ward also wrote a number of reviews and other articles for the magazine ''Modern Music'' and served on the faculty of Queens College. In February 1942 Ward joined the U.S. Army, and attended the Army Music School at

Fort Myer Fort Myer is the previous name used for a U.S. Army post next to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, and across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Founded during the American Civil War as Fort Cass and Fort Whippl ...

, being assigned the military occupational specialty of band director. At

Fort Riley, Kansas Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in G ...

, he wrote a major part of the score to a musical revue called ''The Life of Riley''. Ward was assigned to the 7th Infantry and sent to the Pacific. For the 7th Infantry Band he wrote a March, and for its dance band he wrote at least two jazz compositions. During his military service Ward met Mary Raymond Benedict, a

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

recreation worker. They married on June 19, 1944, and had five children; Melinda, Jonathon, Mark, Johanna and Tim.

Major works

Ward earned a Bronze Star for meritorious service in the

Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands ( ; ; ale, Unangam Tanangin, "land of the Aleuts"; possibly from the Chukchi ''aliat'', or "island")—also called the Aleut Islands, Aleutic Islands, or, before 1867, the Catherine Archipelago—are a chain of 14 main, ...

. During his military service Ward managed to compose two serious orchestral compositions, ''Adagio and Allegro'', first performed in New York in 1944, and ''Jubilation: An Overture'', which was written mostly on

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

, Japan, in 1945, and was premiered at Carnegie Hall by the National Orchestral Association the following spring. After being discharged from military service at the end of the war, Ward returned to Juilliard, earning postgraduate certificate in 1946 and immediately joining the faculty, teaching there until 1956. He served as an Associate in Music at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manha ...

from 1946 to 1948. Ward wrote his ''Second Symphony'', dedicated to his wife, in 1947, while living in Nyack, New York. It was premiered by the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hans Kindler. This symphony was quite popular for a few years, in part thanks to

Eugene Ormandy Eugene Ormandy (born Jenő Blau; November 18, 1899 – March 12, 1985) was a Hungarian-born American conductor and violinist, best known for his association with the Philadelphia Orchestra, as its music director. His 44-year association with ...

playing it with the

Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscripti ...

several times and even taking it on tour to Carnegie Hall in New York and Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. Andrew Stiller, in his article on Ward for ''

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and the ...

'', describes Ward's musical style as deriving "largely from Hindemith, but also shows the considerable influence of Gershwin". Ward conducted the Doctors Orchestral Society of New York from 1949 to 1955, wrote his ''Third Symphony'' and his ''First Sonata for Violin and Piano'' in 1950, the ''Sacred Songs for Pantheists'' in 1951, and was music director of the Third Street Music School Settlement from 1952 to 1955, and wrote the ''Euphony for Orchestra'' in 1954. He left Juilliard in 1956 to become Executive Vice-President of Galaxy Music Corporation and Managing Editor of High Gate Press in New York, positions he maintained until 1967. Ward wrote his ''Fourth Symphony'' in 1958, the ''Prairie Overture'' in 1957, the cantata ''Earth Shall Be Fair'' and the ''Divertimento'' in 1960. Ward wrote his first

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...

to a libretto by

Bernard Stambler Bernard ('' Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It is also a surname. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''bern'' "bear" and ''hard'' "bra ...

, '' He Who Gets Slapped'', and it was premiered in 1956. His next opera, '' The Crucible'', based on

's play, premiered in 1961, became Ward's best known work. For it Ward received the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for Music. It is frequently produced around the world. After the success of ''The Crucible'', Ward received several commissions for ceremonial works, such as ''Hymn and Celebration'' in 1962, ''Music for a Celebration'' in 1963, ''Festive Ode'' in 1966, ''Fiesta Processional'' in 1966, and ''Music for a Great Occasion'' in 1970. During those years he also wrote the cantata, ''Sweet Freedom's Song'', in 1965; the ''Fifth Symphony'' in 1976; a ''Piano Concerto'' in 1968, which was commissioned by the Powder River Foundation for the soloist Marjorie Mitchell; a ''Saxophone Concerto'' in 1984; and the operas ''The Lady from Colorado'' in 1964, ''Claudia Leqare'' in 1977, ''Abelard and Heloise'' in 1981, ''Minutes till Midnight'' in 1982, and ''Roman Fever'' in 1993 (based on the short story of the same name by

Edith Wharton Edith Wharton (; born Edith Newbold Jones; January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937) was an American novelist, short story writer, and interior designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portra ...

). He also wrote chamber music, such as the ''First String Quartet'' of 1966 and the ''Raleigh Divertimento'' of 1985. His work has been championed by such conductors as Igor Buketoff, who recorded the 3rd and 6th symphonies.

Later work

In 1967, Ward became Chancellor of the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. He held this post until 1975, when he stepped down to serve as a member of the composition faculty for five more years. In 1978 he came to Duke University as a visiting professor, and there he remained as

Mary Duke Biddle Mary Lillian Duke Biddle (November 16, 1887 – June 14, 1960) was an American philanthropist. Early life She was born as Mary Lillian Duke on November 16, 1887, to Benjamin Newton Duke in Durham, North Carolina. She attended Durham's Trinit ...

Professor of Music from 1979 to 1987. His students included Michael Penny and Michael Ching. In the fall of 1987, he retired from Duke University as

Professor Emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

, and continued to live and compose in Durham, North Carolina. His most recent composition is "In Praise of Science," which premiered at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Syracuse University's Life Science Complex on November 7, 2008. After a period of failing health, Ward died in a Durham retirement home on April 3, 2013, at the age of 95.

Selected works

Ward's music is largely published by Highgate Press, E.C. Schirmer, Associated Music Publishers, Peer International, Merrymount Music Press, C.F. Peters and Vireo Press.

Opera

* '' He Who Gets Slapped'', original title: ''Pantaloon'', opera in 3 acts (1956); libretto by

after the play by Leonid Andreyev * '' The Crucible'', opera in 4 acts (1961); libretto by Bernard Stambler after the play by

; recipient of the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for Music * ''The Lady from Colorado'' (1964); revised in 1993 as ''Lady Kate''; libretto by Bernard Stambler after the novel by

Homer Croy Homer Croy (March 11, 1883 – May 24, 1965), was an American author and occasional screenwriter who wrote fiction and non-fiction books about life in the Midwestern United States. He also wrote several popular biographies, including books on ou ...

* ''Claudia Legare'', opera in 4 acts (1977); libretto by Bernard Stambler after the play ''

Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage. The play has been ca ...

'' by

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential pla ...

* ''Abelard and Heloise'', Music Drama in 3 acts (1981); libretto by Jan Hartman * ''Minutes Till Midnight'', opera in 3 acts (1982); libretto by Daniel Lang * ''Lady Kate'', opera in 2 acts (1964, 1993); 2nd version of ''The Lady from Colorado''; libretto by Bernard Stambler after the novel by

* ''Roman Fever'', opera in 1 act (1993); libretto by

Roger Brunyate Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ...

after the story by

* ''A Friend of Napoleon,'' operetta in 2 acts (2005); libretto by James ocStuart, based on the short story by Richard Connell

Orchestral

* ''Slow Music'' (1937) ithdrawn--reworked into ''Adagio and Allegro''* ''Ode'' (1938) ithdrawn* ''A Yankee Overture'' (1940) ithdrawn* ''Andante and Scherzo'' for string orchestra (1940) ithdrawn* Symphony No. 1 (1941–1942) ''Winner of the Juilliard Publication Award, 1942'' * ''Adagio and Allegro'' (1944) * ''Jubilation, an Overture'' (1945); also for concert band * ''Aria'' (1946) ithdrawn--reworked into ''Symphony No. 2''* Symphony No. 2 (1947) * ''Concert Music'' (1948) * ''Serenade for Strings'' (1948) ithdrawn--reworked into ''Euphony, Night Music'' and ''Symphony No. 4''* ''Night Music'' (1949) ithdrawn* Symphony No. 3 (1950) * ''Euphony for Orchestra'' (1954) * ''Prairie Overture'' (1957); original version for concert band * Symphony No. 4 (1958, rev. 1977) * ''Divertimento for Orchestra'' (1960) * ''Hymn and Celebration'' (1962, rev. 1966) * ''Music for a Celebration (Trilogy for Orchestra)'' (1963) ithdrawn as a 3-movement work. Movements published separately as listed below.* ''Processional March'' (1963) riginally movement 3 of ''Music for a Celebration''. Later, also reworked into ''Symphony No. 5''.* ''Invocation and Toccata'' (1966) riginally movements 1 & 2 of ''Music for a Celebration''* ''Festive Ode'' (1966) * ''Hymn to the Night'' (1966) (Tone poem based on Longfellow) * Concertino for string orchestra (1973) * Symphony No. 5 ''(Canticles of America)'' (1976) * ''The Promised Land (On Jordan's Stormy Banks)'', chorale prelude for orchestra (or organ), with optional congregational participation (1977) * ''Sonic Structure'' (1980) * ''Festival Triptych'' with opt. narrator (1986) * ''By the Way of Memories, Nocturne'' for orchestra (1987) * Symphony No. 6 (1988) * ''5x5, Four Variations on a Five-Part Theme'' (1989) *''A Western Set'' (1992) (Suite from ''Lady Kate'') * ''The Scarlet Letter'' Ballet Suite (1994) * Symphony No. 7 ''(The Savannah)'' (2003) * ''Beginnings, An Overture'' (2006) * ''City of Oaks'' for orchestra (2007)

Concert band

* ''The Rolling Seventh'' march for band (1943); written during military service ithdrawn* ''Life of Riley'', musical revue for swing band, men's chorus and soloists (1942); written during military service ithdrawn* ''Just As You Were'' for voice and swing band (1943); written during military service ithdrawn--tune reworked into mvt. 2 of the ''Concerto for Saxophone''* ''Jubilation'', an overture (1946); original version for orchestra; transcribed for band by Robert Leist * ''Prairie Overture'' (1957); also for orchestra * ''Night Fantasy '' (1962) * ''Fiesta Processional'' (1966) * ''Music for a Great Occasion'' (1970) ithdrawn* ''Antiphony'' (1973) * ''Four Abstractions'' (1977) :# Jagged Rhythms in Fast Tempo :# Color Masses and Luminous Lines in Dark Blue :# Curves and Points of Light in Motion :# Interweaving Lines

Concertante

* Concerto for piano and orchestra (1968) * Concerto for tenor saxophone and orchestra (1984) * Concerto for violin and orchestra (1993, revised 1994) * ''Dialogues, a Triple Concerto'' for violin, cello, piano and orchestra (1986–2002)

Chamber music

*String Quartet (1937) ithdrawn--movement 2 reworked into ''Andante and Scherzo''*''Movement for String Quartet'' (1941) ithdrawn--reworked into ''Adagio and Allegro'' (1943)*''Energetically'' (1941) ithdrawn--reworked into ''Jubilation Overture'' (1945)* Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano (1950) * ''Arioso and Tarantelle'' for cello (or viola) and piano (1954) * ''Fantasia for Brass Choir and Timpani'' (1956) for orchestral brass (3 trumpets, 4 horns, 3 trombones, tuba) and timpani * String Quartet No. 1 (1966) ovements 2 & 3 also reworked into the ''Concertino for Strings'' (1973)* ''Dialogues'' for Violin, Cello and Piano (or orchestra) (1987) (earlier, shorter chamber version of ''Triple Concerto'') * ''Raleigh Divertimento'', woodwind quintet version (1986); Nonet version (2004) * ''Fanfare for Durham,'' for orchestral brass brass, timpani and percussion (1988) * Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano (1990) * ''Appalachian Ditties and Dances'' for violin and piano (1991) * ''Bath County Rhapsody'', piano quintet (1991) * ''Serenade for Mallarmé'' for flute, viola, cello and piano (1991) * ''Echoes of America'', trio for clarinet, cello and piano (1997) * ''Night under the Big Sky'', nocturne based on themes from ''Lady Kate'' for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, and piano (1998) * ''Brass Ablaze'' for brass band (cornets, flugelhorns, horns, euphoniums and tubas) and percussion * Quintet for oboe and string quartet (2005)

Keyboard

* ''Song'' for piano (1941) riginally one of two movements for piano, later reworked into ''Sonatine;'' ''Adagio and Allegro;'' ''Hymn and Celebration'' and ''String Quartet No. 1''* ''Lamentation'' (1946) ublished with ''Scherzo''* ''Sonatine'' (1948) ithdrawn--mvt. 3 reworked into ''Divertimento''* ''Scherzo'' (1950 ublished with ''Lamentation''* ''The Promised Land (On Jordan's Stormy Banks)'', chorale prelude for organ (or orchestra), with optional congregational participation (1977) * ''Celebration of God in Nature'', suite for organ (1979)

Vocal

* ''Three Songs'' for high voice and piano (1934); text by Thomas S. Jones, Jr.: "I Know a quiet vale", "Daphne", "My soul is like a garden close" ithdrawn* ''Fatal Interview'' song cycle for soprano and orchestra (1937); text by Edna St. Vincent Millay :# What thing is this :# Not in a casket cool with pearls * ''Epithalamion'' for high voice and piano (1937); text by Percy Blysse Shelley ithdrawn* ''New Hampshire'' for 6 women's voices and string quartet (1938); text by T.S. Eliot ithdrawn* ''First Harvest'' itle given to the group of five songs listed below, each originally written and published separately:# ''Sorrow of Mydath'' for high voice and piano (1939); words by

John Masefield John Edward Masefield (; 1 June 1878 – 12 May 1967) was an English poet and writer, and Poet Laureate from 1930 until 1967. Among his best known works are the children's novels '' The Midnight Folk'' and '' The Box of Delights'', and the p ...

:# ''As I Watched the Ploughman Ploughing'' for high voice and piano (1940); words by

Walt Whitman Walter Whitman (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among ...

:# ''Rain has fallen all the day'' for high voice and piano (1940); text by

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the Modernism, modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important ...

une reworked into ''By the Way of Memories Nocturne'':# ''Anna Miranda'' for high voice and piano (1940); text by Stephen Vincent Benét :# ''Vanished'' for high voice and piano (1941); text by Emily Dickinson * ''Jonathon and the Gingery Snare'' for narrator and orchestra (1949); words by

lso reworked into ''Festival Triptych''* ''Sacred Songs for Pantheists'' for soprano and orchestra (or piano) (1951); words by Gerard Manley Hopkins, James Stephens and

Emily Dickinson Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry. Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massac ...

:# Pied Beauty (Hopkins) :# Little Things (Stephens) :# Intoxication (Dickinson) :# Heaven-Haven (Hopkins) :# God's Grandeur (Hopkins) * ''Three Pieces for Narrator and Piano'' (based on T.S. Eliot poems from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats) 1957 ithdrawn* ''Love's Seasons'', song cycle for high voice and piano (1994); words from ''Fatal Interview'' by

Edna St Vincent Millay Edna St. Vincent Millay (February 22, 1892 – October 19, 1950) was an American lyrical poet and playwright. Millay was a renowned social figure and noted feminist in New York City during the Roaring Twenties and beyond. She wrote much of he ...

* ''In Praise of Science'' for soprano, brass, and percussion (2008); words by Anne Lynch Botta

Choral

* ''Hush'd Be the Camps Today (May 4, 1865)'' for mixed chorus and orchestra (or piano) (1940); words by

* ''With rue my heart is laden'' for mixed chorus a cappella (1949); words by A. E. Housman * ''Concord Hymn'' for mixed chorus a cappella (1949); words by

Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803April 27, 1882), who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a cham ...

* ''When Christ Rode Into Jerusalem'' for mixed chorus, soprano solo and organ (1956); text paraphrased from New Testament * ''That Wondrous Night of Christmas Eve'' for mixed chorus a cappella (1957) * ''Earth Shall Be Fair'', cantata for mixed chorus (or double chorus), children's chorus (or soprano solo) and orchestra (or organ) (1960); Biblical text :# Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place :# Then the kings of the earth :# Thou changest man back to the dust :# Earth might be fair :# Search me, O God, and know my heart * ''Let the Word Go Forth'' for mixed chorus, brass, harp and string orchestra (1965); words from the inaugural address of John F. Kennedy * ''Sweet Freedom's Song: A New England Chronicle'', cantata for soprano, baritone, narrator, mixed chorus and orchestra (1965) :# Prelude :# It Was a Great Design :# O, Lord God of My Salvation :# Come, Ye Thankful People, Come :# Ballad of Boston Bay :# Damnation to the Stamp Act :# Epitaphs :# Let Music Swell the Breeze * Symphony No. 5 ''Canticles of America'' for soprano, baritone, narrator, mixed chorus and orchestra (1976); words by

and

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include " Paul Revere's Ride", '' The Song of Hiawatha'', and '' Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely tra ...

:# Behold, America :# A Psalm of Life :# Hymn to the Night :# All Peoples of the Globe Together Sail * ''Images of God'', a Sacred Service including a Mystery Play for minister, soprano, baritone, mixed chorus, organ and players (1988–1989) :# ''In His Last Days, Jesus Came to Jerusalem'' for soprano solo, SATB chorus and organ :# ''Let Us Heed the Voice Within'' for SATB and organ * ''I Hail This Land'' (from ''Lady Kate'') for SATB and band (or piano) (1993) * ''Consider Well God's Ways'' for baritone solo and SATB chorus * ''Sacred Canticles'' for SATB chorus, trumpet, percussion and keyboard * ''Would You Be Glad'' for SATB chorus, children's chorus and organ * ''Cherish Your Land,'' for baritone solo, SATB chorus and chamber ensemble (or piano) (2001) * ''The Lamb'' for SA chorus and optional string orchestra (2009)

References

External links

Robert Ward interview
by Bruce Duffie, May 20, 1985

by Bruce Duffie, February 25, 2000
Robert Ward interview
by Opera Lively, February 25, 2012

* ;Further Reading * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, Robert 1917 births 2013 deaths American male classical composers American classical composers American opera composers Male opera composers 20th-century classical composers 21st-century classical composers Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Pulitzer Prize for Music winners Duke University faculty Juilliard School alumni Juilliard School faculty University of North Carolina School of the Arts faculty Musicians from Cleveland United States Army soldiers United States Army personnel of World War II Pupils of Bernard Rogers 21st-century American composers 20th-century American composers Classical musicians from Ohio 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians John Adams High School (Ohio) alumni Albany Records artists