Werner Josten
Werner Erich Josten[1] (June 12, 1885 in Elberfeld, Germany[2] – February 6, 1963 in New York City) was a German-born composer of contemporary classical music. He studied in Munich with Rudolf Siegel and in Geneva with Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, and emigrated to the United States in 1920 or 1921. He became a naturalized citizen and taught at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts from 1923 to 1949, where his notable students included Audrey Kooper Hammann. The Werner Josten Performing Arts Library at Smith College is named for him.[3]
He is best known for his symphonic poem Jungle (1928), which is inspired by African music.[4] He also directed the first staged performance of Claudio Monteverdi’s L'Orfeo in the United States on May 11, 1929.[5]
He was married to Margaret Fatman, a member of the Lehman family and granddaughter of Meyer Lehman, co-founder of Lehman Brothers; they had two children: Peter Josten and Eileen Josten Lowe.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ Some sources give his middle name as "Eric."
- ^ Some sources give 1888 as his year of birth.
- ^ "Josten Performing Arts Library - Smith College Libraries". www.smith.edu.
- ^ http://www.dramonline.org/albums/josten-2/notes [dead link]
- ^ Whenham, John (27 February 1986). Claudio Monteverdi: Orfeo. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521284776 – via Google Books.
- ^ New York Times: "Obituary: Eileen Low" December 17, 2016
Bibliography[edit]
- Marchbanks Press (1964). Werner Josten, 1885-1963; a summary of his compositions with press reviews. New York: Marchbanks Press.
External links[edit]
- Werner Josten book
- The Werner Josten collection, 1917-1971 at Isham Memorial Library, Harvard University
Listening[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
- German male classical composers
- Musicians from Wuppertal
- 1885 births
- 1963 deaths
- German emigrants to the United States
- American male classical composers
- 20th-century classical composers
- Smith College faculty
- University of Music and Performing Arts Munich alumni
- Lehman family
- 20th-century American composers
- 20th-century German composers
- 20th-century American male musicians