Serving a Great and Noble Art

Serving a Great and Noble Art is the second volume of the history of the Eastman School of Music, beginning in 1932 after George Eastman's death, and ending in 1972 with the resignation of the school's third director, Walter Hendl. This book is very much about Howard Hanson, director of the school from 1924 until his retirement in 1964. After forty years under Hanson's guidance, the Eastman School of Music was a near-perfect reflection of the values and ideals of its long-term director. Under Hanson's leadership, the school became widely known as an institution that welcomed the performer and the scholar, the composer and the educator. It was a school committed to the development of musical leadership, and above all an institution that was thoroughly American in its outlook, method, and goals. In 1945 Howard Hanson spoke of the school as "serving a great and noble art." These words provide a vivid picture of Hanson and also accurately describe his vision for the institution which, to this day, bears the unmistakable influence of his forty-year tenure as director. Hanson's successor as director, Walter Hendl, had a far less happy tenure at Eastman. A musician of great talent, his time at the Eastman School of Music ended in considerable controversy amid personal struggle. His eight years as director nonetheless witnessed many new initiatives, positive changes, and important faculty appointments. The record of his leadership, therefore, deserving of attention and gratitude, is recounted in this volume. Vincent A. Lenti is Eastman School historian, a graduate of the school (BM '60, MA '63), member of the faculty since 1963, and author of For the Enrichment of Community Life: George Eastman and the Founding of the Eastman School of Music.

Details

First Published: 01 Sep 2009
13 Digit ISBN: 9781580462808
Pages: 368
Size: 9 x 6
Binding: Hardback
Imprint: University of Rochester Press
Series: Meliora Press
Subject: African Studies
BIC Class: GTB

Details updated on 31 Jul 2010

Contents

• 1  Introduction
• 2  
• 3  1932. A Funeral in Rochester
• 4  1932-33. A Portrait of the Eastman School of Music
• 5  1933-41. The Pre-War Years
• 6  1932-41. Broadcasts, Festivals, and Recordings (I)
• 7  1941-52. The War Years and Beyond
• 8  1952-64. Hanson: The Final Years
• 9  1941-64. Broadcasts, Festivals, and Recordings (II)
• 10  1955-64. A New Men's Dormitory and Student Life in Rochester
• 11  1954-72. Summer Session
• 12  1961-62. The Eastman Philharmonia's European Tour
• 13  1960-64. The Search for a New Director
• 14  1964-66. The New Director: The First Two Years
• 15  1966-68. The Faculty Association
• 16  1966-71. The Hendl Years Continue
• 17  1964-72. Renovate or Relocate?
• 18  1971-72. Fiftieth Anniversary Year: The Celebration
• 19  1971-72. Fiftieth Anniversary Year: The Crisis
• 20  1972. Epilogue
• 21  Appendix 1: Members of the Eastman School of Music Faculty, 1932-72
• 22  Appendix 2: Opera under the Stars Productions: The First Twenty Years, 1953-72
• 23  Appendix 3: Eastman Philharmonia Personnel, 1961-62
• 24  Appendix 4: Conductors Who Appeared with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, 1932-72
• 25  Appendix 5: Artists Who Performed in Eastman Theatre Concerts, 1932-72
• 26  Appendix 6: Eastman Faculty and Guest Artists in Kilbourn Hall Recitals, 1932-72
• 27  Appendix 7: Repertoire Recorded by Howard Hanson and the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra for RCA Victor and Columbia
• 28  Appendix 8: The Mercury Recordings: Howard Hanson and the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra
• 29  Appendix 9: The Mercury Recordings: Frederick Fennell and the Eastman Wind Ensemble
• 30  Bibliography
• 31  Index