Re: [ARSCLIST] RCA symphonic work competition - 1929

[Don Cox <doncox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 17/04/06, Steven Smolian wrote:
> Is this a different competition? My memory (again): I have "Song of
> the Bayou" by Rube Bloom and I foget the other piece, each on one side
> of a 12" Victor record as well as the sheet music to the Bloom with a
> note about his prize on it.
> 
> I'll dig out the rest of the data if anyone wants.

It does seem that there were two competitions. One for an orchestral
composition (i.e. classical) and the other for a "modern American"
composition (i.e. symphonic jazz).




>> There were actually only 4 composers because Robert Russell Bennett
>> was awarded 2/5 of the prize. Here's from the liner notes to a Naxos
>> recording of Bennett's _Abraham Lincoln_ (quoted at
>> http://www.naxos.com/mainsite/blurbs_reviews.asp?item_code=8.559004&catNum=559004&filetype=About%20this%20Recording&language=English):
>> 
>> __________________________
>> In Paris and Berlin in 1927-28, on a Guggenheim Scholarship, he
>> noticed an
>> RCA Victor competition with a prize of 25,000 dollars for an
>> outstanding
>> orchestral composition, with a small prize for a lighter piece of
>> music.
>> He submitted the two works on this disc - the patriotic Abraham
>> Lincoln
>> and the abstract orchestral painting of Sights and Sounds. Both
>> pieces
>> were scored for an enormous band of musicians and are of large 
>> proportions.
>> 
>> RCA Victor's jury consisted of Leopold Stokowski, Serge
>> Koussevitzky,
>> Frederick Stock, Rudolph Ganz and Olga Samaroff. They decided no
>> work was
>> better than any other to win outright and awarded five prizes to
>> Aaron
>> Copland's Dance Symphony, Louis Gruenberg's Symphony, Ernst Bloch's 
>> Helvetia and two 5,000 dollar awards to Bennett's pieces.
>> 
>> Despite their huge orchestral forces, Bennett's prizewinners were
>> then
>> published. Abraham Lincoln was first performed by Stokowski and the 
>> Philadelphia Orchestra in October 1931, with a second performance
>> given a
>> fortnight later at the dedication of the Juilliard School's new 
>> auditorium. For this, Bennett wrote his own programme notes, drawn
>> from
>> below.
>> ___________________________
>> 
>> Alec
>> 
>> At 11:19 AM 4/17/2006, Paul Charosh wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> In 1929, RCA Victor offered a prize of $25,000 for a new symphonic
>> work. The
>> prize was divided among five composers. Copland was one; he received
>> $5,000
>> for his submission.
>> 
>> How to find out who were the other four recipients? Also, who at
>> RCA/Victor
>> was in charge of the competition? Can one find out who were the
>> judges? Can
>> one find out who submitted works?
>> 
>> Paul Charosh
>> 
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Alec McLane
>> Scores & Recordings/
>>  World Music Archives       Phone: (860) 685-3899
>> Olin Library                       Fax: (860) 685-2661
>> Wesleyan University          mailto:amclane@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Middletown, CT 06459 http://www.wesleyan.edu/libr/srhome/srdir.htm
>> 
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>> 
> 
Regards
-- 
Don Cox
doncox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx