- Second New England School
The Second New England School is a hypothetical group of classical music composers who lived during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in
New England , a northeastern region of theUnited States of America . They were particularly based in and around the city ofBoston ,Massachusetts , which was an emerging musical center. The Second New England School is viewed by musicologists as pivotal in the development of an American classical idiom that stands apart from its European ancestors.The Second New England School did not function as a bonafide organization. Since individuals did not view themselves as members of the school, its 'membership' can only be approximated by musicologists who draw aesthetic and philosophical links between composers. "The Cambridge History of American Music," for example, lists composers who were associated with New England educational institutions. The list includes
John Knowles Paine (1839-1906),Arthur Foote (1853-1937),George Chadwick (1854-1931), andAmy Beach (1867-1944). Additional sources will includeEdward MacDowell (1861-1908),George Whiting (1861-1944),Horatio Parker (1863-1919), and others.John Knowles Paine , who served as the first Professor of Music atHarvard University , was considered as the leading compositional authority during his lifetime and, unofficially, the leader of this group. Paine held seniority in age and experience over most of his colleagues.During the Second New England School's years of prominence, American musical education was still in its infancy. Americans often learned musical theory and composition in
Europe or from European musicians who had emigrated to theUnited States . As a result, large portions of American classical music written at the time reflects European influences, especially fromGermany . Members of the Second New England School are credited with steering American classical music in new directions that led to the work of internationally-known figures such asAaron Copland ,Samuel Barber ,William Schuman , andLeonard Bernstein .References
*Tawa, Nicholas. The Coming of Age of American Art Music: New England's Classical Romanticists. Westport, CT: Greenwood P, 1991.
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