Dudley Buck (March 10, 1839October 6, 1909) was an American composer,

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists. In addition, an organist may accompany congregational h ...

, and writer on music. He published several books, most notably the ''Dictionary of Musical Terms'' and ''Influence of the Organ in History'', which was published in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

in 1882. He is best known today for his organ composition, ''Concert Variations on

The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...

'', Op. 23, which was later arranged into an orchestral version.

Life and career

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Buck was the son of a merchant who gave him every opportunity to cultivate his musical talents. After attending

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

, for four years (1858–1862) he studied in

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

at the

Leipzig Conservatory The University of Music and Theatre "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig (german: Hochschule für Musik und Theater "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig) is a public university in Leipzig (Saxony, Germany). Founded in 1843 by Felix Mendelssohn ...

where his teachers included Louis Plaidy,

Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian, and Swiss armies. While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has and originally had the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literally ...

, Schneider, and Moscheles. He then pursued further studies in

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...

(again with Schneider) and

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

. On returning to America he held positions of

in Hartford's North Congregational Church,

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

's St. James' Episcopal Church (1869), and

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

at the Music Hall Association and at New England Conservatory (1871). In 1875 Buck went to

for a prolonged and professionally fruitful period. He assisted Theodore Thomas as conductor of orchestral concerts, including the Central Park Garden Concerts. In 1877 he began a 25-year post as organist at Holy Trinity Church in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. He founded the Apollo Club, an organization dedicated to promoting choral music in Brooklyn, likely molded after the Apollo Club founded in Boston in 1871."For Dudley Buck Memorial" (PDF). The Diapason. 2 (3): 2. February 1, 1911. The U.S. Centennial commissioned a cantata from Buck and

Sidney Lanier Sidney Clopton Lanier (February 3, 1842 – September 7, 1881) was an American musician, poet and author. He served in the Confederate States Army as a private, worked on a blockade-running ship for which he was imprisoned (resulting in his catch ...

; it was performed at the exposition's opening day on May 10, 1876. In 1898 Buck was elected to the

National Institute of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...

. Towards the end of his tenure at Holy Trinity, new church leadership publicly expressed criticism with the church's music program. In 1901 it led to Buck announcing his resignation from Holy Trinity effective May 1902, whereupon he took the job of organist and choirmaster at Plymouth Congregational Church in Brooklyn. This position lasted only a year, before Buck retired and spent the next few years with his wife in Germany. He returned to the United States in 1909, and died a few months later at his son's house in West Orange, New Jersey. His funeral was held at Grace Episcopal Church in Manhattan; his own compositions ''In Memoriam'' and ''Over the Treetops There Is Rest'' were sung by the Apollo Club. He was buried in Rosedale Cemetery in Montclair, New Jersey (the same burial site as other notable hymn composers

Lowell Mason Lowell Mason (January 8, 1792 – August 11, 1872) was an American music director and banker who was a leading figure in 19th-century American church music. Lowell composed over 1600 hymn tunes, many of which are often sung today. His best-known ...

, Mary Artemisia Lathbury, and George Webb). Several memorials were held after his death, including one led by E. H. Joyce in October 1910 at Bridgeport's First Presbyterian Church, and one led by John Hyatt Brewer (who had replaced Buck as conductor of the Apollo Club in 1903) in January 1911 in Brooklyn's Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church. Buck also taught private music lessons throughout his career. Among his notable pupils were Charles Ives, Paul Ambrose, C. B. Hawley, William Howland, Daniel Protheroe, Harry Rowe Shelley, James Francis Cooke, and Charles Sanford Skilton.

Writings

Buck's published books include: * ''Buck's New and Complete Dictionary of Musical Terms'' (1873) * ''Illustrations in Choir Accompaniment with Hints on Registration'' (1877) * ''The Influence of the Organ in History'' (1882) * ''Musical Pronouncing Dictionary'' (in at least 8 editions) * ''Some Thoughts for the Singer'' (1908)

Compositions

Buck was a prolific composer, in spite of having lost most of his manuscripts in St. James Episcopal Church's 1871 fire. His works include operas, cantatas, anthems, sacred songs, and organ works. Among them are: Choral works: * ''Motette Collection'' (1869) * ''The Legend of Don Munio,'' op. 64 (1874), setting of

Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Legen ...

text (a chapter from ''

Tales of the Alhambra ''Tales of the Alhambra'' (1832) is a collection of essays, verbal sketches and stories by American author Washington Irving (1783–1859) inspired by, and partly written during, his 1828 visit to the palace/fortress complex known as the Alhambr ...

'') for small chorus and orchestra * ''The Centennial Meditation of Columbia'' (1876), a cantata, text by

, commissioned for the U.S. Centennial and performed at its opening ceremony. * ''The Nun of Nidaros'', op. 83 (1879), setting of

Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include "Paul Revere's Ride", ''The Song of Hiawatha'', and ''Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely transl ...

text for chorus, soloists, piano obligato, reed organ, and string quartet ad libitum. * ''Golden Legend'' (1880) * ''King Olaf's Christmas'' (1881), setting of

text for chorus, soloists, piano obligato, reed organ, and string quartet ad libitum. * ''Voyage of Columbus'' (1885) * ''

The Light of Asia ''The Light of Asia'', or ''The Great Renunciation'' (''Mahâbhinishkramana''), is a book by Sir Edwin Arnold. The first edition of the book was published in London in July 1879. In the form of a narrative poem, the book endeavours to describe ...

'' (1886) * ''The Triumph of God'' * ''In Memoriam'' * ''Over the Treetops There Is Rest'' Songs: * ''Three Songs for Mezzo-Soprano (Where are the Swallows Fled?, Down by the Mill, The Sunset's Smile has Left the Sky)'' * ''Five Songs for alto or baritone (Morning Land, Spring Song, Expectancy, Sunset'' (based on

poem)'', Storm and Sunshine)'' * ''Five Songs for tenor or soprano (Thou art Mine!, Shadow Land, I Love Thee, The Silent World is Sleeping, Creole Lover's Song)'' * ''Five Songs for Baritone (Where the Lindens Bloom, Bedouin Love Song, The Capture of Bacchus, The Gypsies, When Life Hath Sorrow Found)'' * ''Five Songs for mezzo-soprano or baritone (In June, Love's Remorse, Alone!, Spring's Awakening, Crossing the Bar)'' * ''Evening Song'', op. 76 * ''Twilight'' * ''Boots and Saddles (A Soldier's Farewell)'' * ''Falstaff's Song'' * ''There's a Merry Brown Thrush'' * ''The Tempest (Dramatic Poem)'' * ''Where Did You Come From, Baby Dear?'' * ''Why Love is King'' Operas: * ''Serâpis,'' an unperformed grand opera * ''Deseret'' (1880, comic opera, survives only in fragments) Orchestral: * ''Marmion'', symphonic overture * a symphony in E-flat Organ: * an organ symphony, said to be the first American organ symphony * ''Grand Sonata'' in E-flat for organ * ''Variations and Fugue on the "Star-Spangled Banner''

References

External links

* *
Dudley Buck
at Music of the United States of America (MUSA) *
Art of the States: Dudley Buck
*Sheet music fo
"Sunset"
New York: G. Schirmer, 1877, from th
Alabama Sheet Music Collection
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Buck, Dudley 1839 births 1909 deaths 19th-century American composers 19th-century classical composers 19th-century American male musicians 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century classical composers American classical organists American male classical composers American male organists American opera composers American Romantic composers American writers about music Cathedral organists Male opera composers Musicians from Hartford, Connecticut Trinity College (Connecticut) alumni Male classical organists 19th-century organists