Wintter Watts


Wintter Haynes Watts was an American composer of art songs.

Life and musical career

Watts was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and his early studies were in painting, architecture, voice, and organ. He later studied at the Academy of Musical Art in New York City and in Florence, Italy. He won the Morris Loeb Prize in 1919 for his symphony Young Blood and the Prix de Rome in 1923. He returned to Italy a few years later and stayed until 1931, when he returned to the United States. After 1931 he fell into obscurity. Watts died aged 78 in Brooklyn, New York.

Musical works

Watts composed around 70 songs for voice and piano in the years between 1906 and 1924. Most were published individually by Oliver Ditson or G. Schirmer. The songs were highly esteemed in their day, and Upton praised them for their distinctly 'American' sound. His most important song cycle is his Vignettes of Italy, nine songs from 1919, settings of poems by Sara Teasdale reflecting on various Italian locations and their associated emotional recollections. Many important singers performed his songs in concert, most notably Kirsten Flagstad and John McCormack, to whom Watts dedicated several songs. None of his other music was ever published.

Published songs

  • Three Songs, John Church Co., 1906
  1. Love's Life
  2. A Drop o' Dew
  3. The Joy of Man
  • Three Songs, John Church Co., 1906
  1. Clover
  2. Admonition—Roses and Thorns
  3. The Song of the Wind
  • The Joy of Man, Op. 2, no. 1, John Church Co., 1908
  • Four Songs, Op. 3. G. Schirmer, 1908
  1. A Hope
  2. My World
  3. The Stairway
  4. The Difficulty
  • Two Poems by A. Symons, Op. 4. G. Schirmer, 1908
  1. Dreams
  2. During Music
  • Another Day,, John Church Co., 1909
  • Dinna Ask Me, G. Schirmer, 1909
  • Locations, John Church Co., 1909
  • The Ocean Tramp, G. Schirmer, 1909
  • Five Songs, G. Schirmer, 1910
  1. Alone
  2. Home
  3. It isn't the Thing You Do, Dear
  4. Oh, Call it by some Better Name
  5. Surf Song
  • Blue are Her Eyes, Oliver Ditson, 1913
  • The Boat of My Lover, Oliver Ditson, 1913
  • Green Branches, Oliver Ditson, 1913
  • Hushing Song, Oliver Ditson, 1913
  • Only Once, Love, Oliver Ditson, 1913
  • Wood Song, Oliver Ditson, 1913, T.I.S. Reprint, 1998
  • When I Wake, Oliver Ditson, 1916, T.I.S. Reprint, 1998
  • Two Songs, G. Schirmer, 1918
  1. Like Music on the Waters
  2. Barcarole
  • Love Me, unknown publisher, 1919
  • Pierrot, unknown publisher, 1919
  • The Poet Sings, Oliver Ditson, 1919
  • When Beauty Grows, unknown publisher, c. 1919
  • Vignettes of Italy, Oliver Ditson, 1919
  1. Addio
  2. Naples
  3. Capri
  4. Night song at Amalfi
  5. Ruins of Paestum
  6. From a Roman Hill
  7. Ponte Vecchio, Florence
  8. Villa Serbelloni, Bellaggio
  9. Stresa
  • Five Songs, G. Schirmer, 1919
  1. Beloved, it is Morn
  2. The Mother's Song
  3. Golden Rose
  4. Utopia
  5. Magic
  • Falmouth Town, G. Schirmer, 1921
  • Tryste Noël, unknown publisher, 1921
  • Wings of Night, G. Schirmer, 1921
  • Joy, G. Schirmer, 1922
  • Three Lyric Poems, G. Schirmer, 1922
  1. With the tide
  2. Transformation
  3. The nightingale and the rose
  • A Little Page's Song, Ricordi, 1922
  • The Little Shepherd's Song, Franco Colombo, Ricordi, 1922
  • Bring Her Again to Me, G. Schirmer, 1923
  • Intreat Me not to Leave Thee, G. Schirmer, 1923
  • Two Songs by Sara Teasdale, G. Schirmer, 1923
  1. Only A Cry
  2. Let it be Forgotten
  • Only and Forever, G. Schirmer, 1923
  • A White Rose, G. Schimer, 1923
  • Wild Tears, G. Schirmer, 1923
  • Three Songs for low voice, G. Schirmer, 1924
  1. Song is so old
  2. Miniver Cheevy
  3. Dark Hills
  • Circles, song cycle, 1932, arr. string quartet, 1936
  • Exile, Galaxy Music, 1936
  • That Little Word No, Galaxy Music, 1938
  • Birdeen, unpublished, 1948
  • In Silhouette, unknown publisher and date

Larger musical works

  • Incidental music for The Double Life, 1906
  • Young Blood, symphony/tone-pageant, 1919
  • Alice in Wonderland, opera, 1920
  • Two Etchings for Orchestra, 1922
  • Bridal Overture
  • Pied Piper, opera
  • The Piper, symphonic poem, 1927