Norman Dello Joio


Norman Dello Joio was an American composer active for over half a century. Best known for his choral music, he won a Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1957.

Life

Dello Joio was born in New York City to Italian immigrants. He began his musical career as organist and choir director at the Star of the Sea Church on City Island in New York at age 14. His father, Casimiro Dello Joio, was an organist, pianist, part-time composer, and vocal coach and coached many opera stars from the Metropolitan Opera. He taught Norman piano starting at the age of four. In his teens, Norman began studying organ with his godfather, Pietro Yon, who was the organist at Saint Patrick's Cathedral. In 1939, he received a scholarship to the Juilliard School, where he studied composition with Bernard Wagenaar.
While he was a student, he worked as organist at St. Anne's Church, but he soon decided that he didn't want to make his living as an organist. In 1941, he began studying with Paul Hindemith, who encouraged him to follow his own lyrical bent, rather than sacrificing it to atonal systems.
He received numerous awards and much recognition. He was a prolific composer in a variety of genres, but is perhaps best known for his choral music. Perhaps Dello Joio's best known work in the wind ensemble form is his Fantasies on a Theme by Haydn, which was composed for the Michigan State University Wind Ensemble and has been performed thousands of times internationally. Dello Joio also wrote several pieces for high school and professional string orchestra, including the difficult piece Choreography: Three Dances for String Orchestra. In 1948, he became associated with the dancer Martha Graham, for whom he wrote several works, including Diversion of Angels and Seraphic Dialogue, a recomposition for chamber orchestra of his Symphony: The Triumph of Saint Joan.
He won the 1957 Pulitzer Prize for Music for his Meditations on Ecclesiastes; first performed at the Juilliard School on April 20, 1956. His Variations, Chaconne and Finale won the New York Critics Circle Award in 1948. It is a full-orchestra expansion of the theme and variations in the first movement of his Piano Sonata No. 3.
In 1965, Dello Joio received the Emmy Award for the "most outstanding music written for television in the 1964–1965 Season" for his score to the 1964 NBC television special The Louvre. The composer created a five-movement suite for wind band entitled Scenes from The Louvre. The suite was commissioned by Baldwin-Wallace College for their symphonic band, and was premiered on March 13, 1966 with the composer conducting.
He taught at Sarah Lawrence College from 1944 to 1950, and at the Mannes College of Music. He also served as professor and dean at Boston University's College of Fine Arts. In 1978, he retired and moved to Long Island. He donated his to the of
Despite infirmities, Dello Joio remained active as a composer until his final years, continuing to produce chamber, choral, and even orchestral music. He died in his sleep on July 24, 2008 at the age of 95 at his home in East Hampton, New York.
He had one daughter, performer, teacher and speaker coach, Victoria Dello Joio, and two sons, composer Justin Dello Joio and equestrian Norman Dello Joio.

Musical analysis

Dello Joio's early works already reveal certain characteristics of his style. He liked to use traditional early music chants as a cantus firmus with richly contrapuntal settings. Gregorian melodies and jazzy rhythms are blended in a creatively spontaneous texture.
One use of his music is his score for choreographer Martha Graham's Diversion of Angels.

Catalogue of works

1937
  • Ballad of Thomas Jefferson for voice
  • Quartet for four bassoons
  • Sonata for Violin and Piano
  • Sonata for Cello and Piano
  • Trio for piano, violin and cello Winner of the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Award
1938
  • Colloquy for violin and piano
  • Sonata for violin and piano
1939
  • Chicago for mixed chorus a cappella
  • Concertino for flute and strings ' '
  • "Gone" for voice and piano
  • "Joy" for voice and piano
  • "Mill Doors" for voice and piano '
  • Quartet for flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon
1940
  • Ballad for string orchestra
  • Concertino for piano and orchestra '
  • Sinfonietta for orchestra '
  • Suite for piano '
  • Trio for clarinet, French horn and bassoon '
1941 '
  • Concerto for Two Pianos and orchestra
  • The Duke of Sacramento, ballet for two pianos '
  • Prairie, ballet for two pianos '
  • Spoon River, incidental music for piano
  • Vigil Strange for mixed chorus and piano
1942
  • Fantasia on a Gregorian Theme for violin and piano '
  • Magnificat for orchestra Town Hall Composition Award, 1943 '
1943
  • Greentree Thoroughbred, documentary film score
  • The Mystic Trumpeter, for mixed SSAATTBB chorus, soprano, and French horn
  • Prelude to a Young Dancer, for piano '
  • Prelude: To a Young Musician for piano '
  • Sextet for three recorders and string trio
  • Sonata No. 1 for piano '
  • Sonata No. 2 for piano '
  • To a Lone Sentry, for orchestra
1944
  • Concert Music for orchestra
  • Concertino for harmonica and orchestra
  • Duo Concertante for two pianos
  • Duo Concertato for cello and piano
  • Fanfare for Victor and the Oklahoma Symphony for orchestral brass
  • Rhumba, for Two Pianos '
  • Trio for flute, cello, and piano '
1945
  • Concerto for harp and orchestra '
  • On Stage, ballet score for orchestra
  • Suite from "On Stage" for two pianos, or orchestra,
  • Symphony for Voices and Orchestra '
1946
  • A Fable for mixed chorus and piano '
  • A Jubilant Song for mixed and piano, '
  • New Born for voice ' '
  • Nocturne in F-sharp for piano '
  • Nocturne in E for piano '
  • "There Is a Lady Sweet and Kind" for voice and piano ' '
  • Ricercari ' for piano and orchestra '
1947
  • The Assassination: Two Fates Discuss a Human Problem, for voice and piano ' '
  • Lament, for voice and piano '
  • Madrigal, for mixed chorus and piano
  • Sonata No. 3 for piano '
  • Variations, Chaconne and Finale for orchestra ' Winner of New York Music Critics Circle Award '
1948
  • Serenade for orchestra ' '
  • Six Love Songs for voice and piano
  • Variations and Capriccio for violin and piano '
1949
  • Concertante for clarinet and orchestra ; Shaw premiered the work with the Chautauqua Symphony on 23 July 1949, Franco Autori conducting. '
  • Diversion of Angels ballet score for small orchestra '
1950
  • The Triumph of Joan, opera in 3 Acts '
  • The Bluebird for mixed chorus and piano ' '
  • A Psalm of David for mixed chorus, strings, brass, and percussion ' '
1951
  • Epigraph for orchestra '
  • The Triumph of Saint Joan Symphony for orchestra ' '
1952
  • Aria and Toccata for two pianos '
  • New York Profiles for orchestra ' '
  • Song of the Open Road for mixed chorus, trumpet, and piano '
1953
  • The Ruby, opera in one act
  • Song of Affirmation for mixed chorus, soprano, narrator, and orchestra '
  • The Tall Kentuckian, incidental music for soloists, chorus, and orchestra
  • Somebody's Coming for mixed chorus and piano '
  • Sweet Sunny for mixed chorus and piano '
1954
  • Adieu, Mignonne, When You Are Gone for women's chorus and piano
  • The Lamentation of Saul for baritone, flute, oboe, clarinet, viola, and piano ' '
1955
1956
  • Air Power, television score for orchestra; symphonic suite for orchestra '
  • Hush Thee, Princeling, Church Hymn for Unison chorus and organ, or SATB chorus and opt. organ '
  • Meditations on Ecclesiastes for string orchestra ' Pulitzer Prize, 1957. '
1957
  • Ballad of the Seven Lively Arts ', for Piano and Orchestra Written specifically for TV anthology series, an episode of which was titled "Profile of a Composer" and was all about him. '
  • Here is New York, television score for episode of "Seven Lively Arts" '
1958
  • O Sing unto the Lord for male TTBB chorus and organ '
  • To Saint Cecilia for mixed chorus and brass '
  • The Triumph of Saint Joan, opera in two acts ' Winner of New York Music Critics Circle Award 1960
1959
  • Un Sonetto di Petrarca for voice
1960
  • A Christmas Carol for voice and piano '
  • Anthony and Cleopatra, incidental music for small orchestra
  • Kamikaze
  • Prayers of Cardinal Newman for mixed chorus and organ
  • Vanity Fair, television score
1961
  • Blood Moon, opera in three acts
  • Fantasy and Variations for piano and orchestra '
  • The Holy Infant's Lullaby for voice and piano,
  • The Smashing of the Reich
1962
  • Bright Star for voice and piano '
  • Christmas Music for mixed chorus and orchestra ' '
  • Family Album for piano four hands '
  • Three Songs of Adieu for voice and piano '
  • Time of Decision, television score '
1963
  • Colloquies for violin and piano
  • Espionage
  • Night Song for piano '
  • Song's End for female chorus and piano
  • Variants on a Medieval Tune for band ' '
1964
  • From Every Horizon, film score ; version for band, 1965 '
  • The Louvre, television score Winner of Emmy Award '
  • Suite for the Young for piano
  • Three Songs of Chopin for orchestra
1965
  • Laudation for organ '
  • Mass of the Bread of Life
  • Questions and Answers, duet for children
  • Scenes from "The Louvre" for band '
1966
  • Antiphonal Fantasy on a Theme of Vincenzo Albrici, for organ, brass, and strings '
  • Five Images for piano four hands '
  • Man from Independence, for orchestra ' '
  • Songs of Walt Whitman for mixed chorus and orchestra or piano '
1967
  • Air for Strings, for string orchestra '
  • America and Americans
  • Proud Music of the Storm, for mixed chorus, brass, and organ '
1968
  • Fantasies on a Theme by Haydn, for band '
  • Heloise and Abelard ', ballet for Orchestra and baritone voice '
  • Years of the Modern, for mixed chorus, brass, and percussion
1969
  • Bagatelles for harp '
  • Capriccio on the Interval of a Second for piano '
  • Homage to Haydn for orchestra ' '
  • Mass for mixed chorus, brass, and organ
  • Note Left on a Doorstep for voice and piano
  • Songs of Abelard, for baritone solo and band ' '
1970
  • Evocations, for mixed chorus and orchestra
  • Variation on Happy Birthday, for Eugene Ormandy '
1971
  • All Is Still, monodrama for tenor solo and chamber ensemble '
  • Choreography, Three Dances for string orchestra '
  • Lyric Pieces for the Young for piano '
1972
  • Come to Me, My Love for mixed chorus and piano, '
  • Concertante for Wind Instruments for band '
  • The Developing Flutist, suite for flute and piano '
  • Of Crows and Clusters for mixed chorus and piano '
  • Psalm of Peace for mixed chorus, trumpet, French horn, and organ
1973
  • Leisure for mixed chorus and piano
  • Lyric Fantasies for viola and string orchestra '
  • The Poet's Song for mixed chorus and piano '
1974
  • Stage Parodies for piano-four hands ' '
  • Three Essays for clarinet and piano '
  • Thezmophoriazousae, incidental music for soloists, chorus and orchestra '
1975
  • Diversions, a set of five pieces for piano '
  • Five Lyric Pieces for the Young Organist '
  • Mass in Honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary for cantor, congregation, mixed choir, and organ
  • Mass in Honor of the Eucharist for cantor, congregation, mixed choir, brass, organ, and strings
  • Notes from Tom Paine for mixed chorus and piano 1975
  • Satiric Dances for a Comedy by Aristophanes for band ' '
1976
  • Colonial Ballads for band '
  • Colonial Variants for orchestra '
  • Songs of Remembrance for baritone voice and orchestra '
  • Southern Echoes for orchestra
1977
  • Lyric Dances ' for Chamber Orchestra '
1978
  • Arietta for string orchestra '
  • Caccia for band, 1978 ' '
1979
  • As of a Dream for Narrator, Soloists, Optional Dancers, Mixed Chorus, and Orchestra '
  • The Dancing Sergeant for Band '
  • Hymns Without Words for Mixed Chorus and Orchestra
  • The Psalmist's Meditation for Mixed Chorus and Piano '
  • Salute to Scarlatti for Piano or Harpsichord
  • Sonata for Trumpet and Piano '
1980
  • Concert Variants for Piano '
1981
  • Ballabili, Dances for Orchestra '
  • Dreamers, for SATB div. and Piano '
1982
  • Love Songs at Parting for Mixed Chorus and Piano
  • Reflections On An Original Christmas Tune, for Woodwind Quintet
1983
  • Aria and Roulade, for Concert Band '
1984
  • Easthampton Sketches, for String Orchestra '
  • I Dreamed of a City Invincible for Chorus, baritone and soprano solos, and Piano/Organ
  • Song at Springtide, for Piano Four Hands
1985
  • The Vigil, for Chorus, Brass, and Percussion
1986
  • Introduction and Fantasies On a Chorale Tune, for Piano '
  • Variants on a Bach Chorale, for orchestra '
1987
  • Nativity for Soloists, Chorus, and Orchestra
  • Short Intervallic Etudes '
  • Sing a Song Universal, for SATB chorus and piano
  • Taxes, for Voice and Piano '
1990
  • A Proclamation "Let Us Sing a New Song", for SATB Chorus and Band
1991
  • Metaphrase on Lines from Shakespeare, for Concert Band
  • The Quest, for SATB and Piano
1994
  • Fantasies On An Original Theme, for Concert Band '
1995
  • A Memory, for TTBB Chorus and Piano
  • Songs of Memory, for SATB Chorus and Piano Movements published separately: The Oak Tree, Love Song, My City
1996
  • Reflections On An Ancient Hymn, for Chamber Orchestra '
1997
  • Divertimento for chamber orchestra
1998
  • A Lyrical Movement, for String Orchestra
2000
  • In Dulci Jubilo '
2001
  • Lyrical Interludes, for String Quartet
  • Simple Sketches, for piano '
  • Two Songs Without Words, for piano '
2002
  • Passing Strangers for Choir '
2003'''
  • City Profiles for band ''''