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 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 . 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[]
- ^ 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
- ^ 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[]
- Marchbanks Press (1964). Werner Josten, 1885-1963; a summary of his compositions with press reviews. New York: Marchbanks Press.
External links[]
- Werner Josten book
- The Werner Josten collection, 1917-1971 at Isham Memorial Library, Harvard University
Listening[]
- 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