DAVID DIAMOND Elegy in Memory of Maurice Ravel
ABOUT THE COMPOSER
Born 1915 in Rochester , NY ; died 2005 in Brighton , NY
• Born in Rochester though later relocating to Cleveland with his family , Diamond began his musical education at age seven when he started playing violin on an instrument that he borrowed from a family friend . As a child he wrote tunes in his own original musical notation .
• Diamond studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Eastman School of Music before going on to study with the revered composition teacher Nadia Boulanger .
• David served as the Composer in Residence of the Seattle Symphony and was a longtime faculty member at The Juilliard School .
• Diamond struggled to gain recognition throughout his life ; however , he remained an influential figure in classical music . He was a tonal composer when the world of Western classical music was shifting to more experimental tastes . The New York Times once said that Diamond was “ a major American composer whose early brilliance in the 1940s was eclipsed by the dominance of atonal music .” That being said , his works were championed by Serge Koussevitzky , the conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the time .
FUN FACT
Diamond regularly got into altercations with other musicians due to his “ honesty .” There are even accounts of him getting kicked out of rehearsals .
THE WORLD AT A GLANCE
1937
MUSIC Duke Ellington ’ s “ Caravan ”
SPORTS Joe Louis becomes World Heavyweight Champion
ABOUT THE PIECE
• Diamond revered the composer Maurice Ravel throughout his life . When Ravel performed with the Cleveland Orchestra , a young Diamond went to visit the composer to show him his music . Ravel recognized talent in the 13-year-old ’ s compositions and recommended he study with Nadia Boulanger , one of the most sought-after composition teachers of the 20th century .
• Diamond wrote this heart-wrenching elegy in memory of his musical hero after his death in 1937 .
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BSO SESSIONS | JANUARY 2021
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