Elliott Carter Biography

Occup.Composer
FromUSA
BornDecember 11, 1908
Age115 years
Elliott Carter, an American composer known for his cutting-edge as well as very meaningful instrumental jobs, was born upon December 11, 1908, in New York City. He rose to importance in the mid-20th century, and his huge collection of structures demonstrates a wide range of designs, methods, and also affects, making him one of one of the most significant and enduring voices in American classical music.

Carter began his music education and learning at an early age, examining piano, theory, as well as consistency with Charles Haubiel. He came to be thinking about structure while participating in the Horace Mann School in New York, where his ability was motivated by his songs instructor, Clifton Williams. After secondary school, he went to Harvard University, where he examined with respected authors Walter Piston as well as Gustav Holst. In 1932, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts level in English as well as Music, and later earned a Master of Arts in Music in 1935.

He continued his research studies in Paris at the Ecole Normale de Musique, where he was a pupil of popular French composer and also educator Nadia Boulanger. Throughout this moment, his songs started to tackle a much more distinct and individual style, with elements of both neoclassicism and also expressionism noticeable in his very early jobs.

Carter's profession as a composer extended over 75 years, with numerous make-ups ranging from solo instrumental pieces to big instrumental jobs. His earliest jobs, such as the ballet "Pocahontas" (1936), showed a clear impact of American songs, especially Aaron Copland's populist design. By the 1940s, Carter had established his very own one-of-a-kind voice, with structures such as the String Quartet No. 1 (1950) and also the innovative Piano Sonata (1945-46), which developed him as a leading number in American modern songs.

Throughout his career, Carter was highly regarded and throughout the second half of the 20th century, he was acknowledged as one of the most crucial living composers, together with numbers such as Pierre Boulez, Igor Stravinsky, and also Karlheinz Stockhausen. He frequently teamed up with major musical organizations, such as the New York Philharmonic and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, appointing very well-known pieces like "Variations for Orchestra" (1955) and "Concerto for Orchestra" (1969).

Carter's outcome in the 1970s as well as 80s remained to be extremely respected, as well as his jobs additionally checked out rhythmic intricacies and expressionistic harmonic language. His later jobs, such as the extremely lyrical "Syringa" (1978) and the remarkable Ninth String Quartet (1988), demonstrated a boosting worry for color and appearance, in addition to an extra obvious romanticism.

Elliott Carter received numerous awards as well as honors throughout his occupation, including two Pulitzer Prizes, the first in 1960 for his Second String Quartet, and the second in 1973 for his Third String Quartet. In 1985, he was granted the National Medal of Arts by President Ronald Reagan, and in 2008, he was sworn in into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame.

Elliott Carter died on November 5, 2012, leaving behind a rich musical tradition that continues to motivate as well as affect contemporary authors around the globe.

Our collection contains 22 quotes who is written / told by Elliott.

Related authors: Horace (Poet), Maureen Forrester (Musician), Aaron Copland (Composer), Horace Mann (Educator), Ronald Reagan (President), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete), Nadia Boulanger (Musician), Karlheinz Stockhausen (Composer), Igor Stravinsky (Composer)

22 Famous quotes by Elliott Carter

Small: Then, when the Depression came, all of this changed completely. Since that time, the entire public is o
"Then, when the Depression came, all of this changed completely. Since that time, the entire public is of a very different sort and there was not so much support for contemporary music in a direct way"
Small: My entire life has really revolved around music that was written about the time that I was born, 1908,
"My entire life has really revolved around music that was written about the time that I was born, 1908, to just before the First World War and shortly after it. This music I've always known, and it is that music that's most important to me"
Small: In any case, Ives encouraged me to go into music even though he himself had such a hard time being a co
"In any case, Ives encouraged me to go into music even though he himself had such a hard time being a composer"
Small: The Quartets have been a major part of my work
"The Quartets have been a major part of my work"
Small: Since Im allergic to various things, the army wouldnt accept me during the war, and I got into the Offi
"Since I'm allergic to various things, the army wouldn't accept me during the war, and I got into the Office of War Information, which sent music to Europe"
Small: Right at the end of the war I wrote a piano sonata, which was written at a time when Sam Barber used to
"Right at the end of the war I wrote a piano sonata, which was written at a time when Sam Barber used to come down here and we used to have lunch together in a very nice old hotel that's now not there"
Small: It was only later on that I became more interested in older music
"It was only later on that I became more interested in older music"
Small: Yes, I get a report from BMI about the frequency of performances, and it is very surprising. They playe
"Yes, I get a report from BMI about the frequency of performances, and it is very surprising. They played one of my most advanced pieces, and one of my most unusual ones on the radio"
Small: That was one of the big problems when I was at Harvard studying music. We had to write choral pieces in
"That was one of the big problems when I was at Harvard studying music. We had to write choral pieces in the style of Brahms or Mendelssohn, which was distressing because in the end you realized how good Brahms is, and how bad you are"
Small: Talking about a materialistic thing, I get about 13 times more royalties from Europe than I do from Ame
"Talking about a materialistic thing, I get about 13 times more royalties from Europe than I do from America"
Small: Well I tried to, but I could never write anything that I liked or was worthwhile. I threw it all out an
"Well I tried to, but I could never write anything that I liked or was worthwhile. I threw it all out and realized that I had to make a serious study- that my tastes were far more advanced than my abilities"
Small: These wealthy people were very interested in contemporary music. They wanted to help diffuse it and get
"These wealthy people were very interested in contemporary music. They wanted to help diffuse it and get it to be known to other people"
Small: I mean the public likes it more in Europe than they do here because the state supported organizations h
"I mean the public likes it more in Europe than they do here because the state supported organizations have felt that playing contemporary music was part of the education of the public"
Small: Almost every one of my various zero numbered birthdays has had a big concert in London and often in Par
"Almost every one of my various zero numbered birthdays has had a big concert in London and often in Paris"
Small: Why write for the orchestra? For one thing its a very challenging problem
"Why write for the orchestra? For one thing it's a very challenging problem"
Small: Silences between movements are employed only in order to bring the opposing duo to the fore
"Silences between movements are employed only in order to bring the opposing duo to the fore"
Small: Ive known those pieces ever since I was about 16 or 17 I also at that time was taken to meet Charles Iv
"I've known those pieces ever since I was about 16 or 17; I also at that time was taken to meet Charles Ives whom I got to know fairly well. He was the one who wrote a recommendation for me to get into college"
Small: An auditory scenario for the players to act out with their instruments
"An auditory scenario for the players to act out with their instruments"
Small: When I was in Paris, all of the German refugees began to flow in and it was a very sad time
"When I was in Paris, all of the German refugees began to flow in and it was a very sad time"
Small: The Third Quartet I made the instruments in pairs - Two different pairs - Violin and viola, and violin
"The Third Quartet I made the instruments in pairs - Two different pairs - Violin and viola, and violin and cello. They played very different things from each other all through the whole piece"
Small: Aaron Copland was a man that had a very specific point of view about what music should be which was tha
"Aaron Copland was a man that had a very specific point of view about what music should be which was that, he felt that new music should have the composer should show a personality in his music"
Small: Well when I was young, when I was very young, when I was a little boy I dont remember the music I heard
"Well when I was young, when I was very young, when I was a little boy I don't remember the music I heard, but there was an article in the Brooklyn Daily written by my Aunt about how I could choose phonograph records"