David Leo Diamond (July 9, 1915 – June 13, 2005) was an American composer of classical music. He is considered one of the preeminent American composers of his generation. Many of his works are tonal or modestly modal. His early compositions are typically triadic, often with widely spaced

harmonies In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. Howeve ...

, giving them a distinctly American tone, but some of his works are consciously French in style. His later style became more

chromatic Diatonic and chromatic are terms in music theory that are most often used to characterize scales, and are also applied to musical instruments, intervals, chords, notes, musical styles, and kinds of harmony. They are very often used as a ...

Life and career

He was born in

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, and Yonkers, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 United States census. Located i ...

, and studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the

Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York. It was established in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman. It offers Bachelor of Music ...

under Bernard Rogers, also receiving lessons from

Roger Sessions Roger Huntington Sessions (December 28, 1896March 16, 1985) was an American composer, teacher and musicologist. He had initially started his career writing in a neoclassical style, but gradually moved further towards more complex harmonies and ...

in New York City and

Nadia Boulanger Juliette Nadia Boulanger (; 16 September 188722 October 1979) was a French music teacher and conductor. She taught many of the leading composers and musicians of the 20th century, and also performed occasionally as a pianist and organist. From a ...

in Paris. He won a number of awards including three

Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...

s. Diamond's most popular piece is ''Rounds'' (1944) for

string orchestra A string orchestra is an orchestra consisting solely of a string section made up of the bowed strings used in Western Classical music. The instruments of such an orchestra are most often the following: the violin, which is divided into first ...

. Among his other works are eleven

symphonies A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning c ...

(the last in 1993), concertos including three for

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

, eleven

string quartet The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinist ...

s, music for

wind ensemble A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic winds, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind, brass, and percussion famil ...

, other

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small num ...

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a musica ...

pieces and vocal music. He composed the musical theme heard on the

CBS Radio Network CBS News Radio, formerly known as CBS Radio News and historically known as the CBS Radio Network, is a radio network that provides news to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. The network is owned by Paramount Global. ...

broadcast '' Hear It Now'' (1950–51) and its TV successor, '' See It Now'' (1951–58). Diamond was named honorary composer-in-residence of the

Seattle Symphony The Seattle Symphony is an American orchestra based in Seattle, Washington. Since 1998, the orchestra is resident at Benaroya Hall. The orchestra also serves as the accompanying orchestra for the Seattle Opera. History Beginnings The orchestr ...

. He was a longtime member of the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most ...

faculty, his notable students includin
Alan Belkin
Robert Black,

Kenneth Fuchs Kenneth Daniel Fuchs (born July 1, 1956) is a Grammy Award-winning American composer. He currently serves as Professor of Music Composition at the University of Connecticut (Storrs). Music Kenneth Fuchs's fifth Naxos recording with the Lond ...

, Albert Glinsky,

Daron Hagen Daron Aric Hagen ( ; born November 4, 1961) is an American composer, writer, and filmmaker. Biography Early life Daron Hagen was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and grew up in New Berlin, a suburb west of Milwaukee. Hagen was the youngest of ...

, Adolphus Hailstork, Anthony Iannaccone,

Philip Lasser Philip Lasser (born August 4, 1963) is an American composer, pianist, and music theorist. He is a member of the faculty at the Juilliard School in New York City. Career and contributions Lasser was born in New York City and began taking piano ...

Lowell Liebermann Lowell Liebermann (born February 22, 1961 in New York City) is an American composer, pianist and conductor. Life and career At the age of sixteen, Liebermann performed at Carnegie Hall, playing his Piano Sonata, op. 1. He studied at the Juilliar ...

, Alasdair MacLean,

Charles Strouse Charles Strouse (born June 7, 1928) is an American composer and lyricist best known for writing the music to such Broadway musicals as ''Bye Bye Birdie'', ''Applause'', and '' Annie''. Life and career Strouse was born in New York City, to Jewis ...

, Francis Thorne, Kendall Durelle Briggs and

Eric Whitacre Eric Edward Whitacre (born January2, 1970) is an American composer, conductor, and speaker best known for his choral music. In March2016, he was appointed as Los Angeles Master Chorale's first artist-in-residence at the Walt Disney Concert Hall ...

. Diamond is also credited with advising Glenn Gould on his mid-career work, most notably his String Quartet, Op. 1. In 1995, he was awarded the

National Medal of Arts The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and arts patrons ...

. In 1991 he was awarded the Edward MacDowell Medal. Diamond was openly gayMcFarland, John (2006).
Diamond, David
", ''glbtq.com''. long before it was socially acceptable, and believed his career was slowed by

homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy ...

and

antisemitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

. According to an obituary in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...

'' however, "He enjoyed enormous success in the 1940s and early '50s with champions that included Koussevitzky, Bernstein, Munch, Ormandy and Mitropoulos but, in the 1960s and '70s, the serial and modernist schools pushed him into the shadows." ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' similarly referred to Diamond as "a major American composer whose early brilliance in the 1940s was eclipsed by the dominance of atonal music... He was part of what some considered a forgotten generation of great American symphonists, including

Howard Hanson Howard Harold Hanson (October 28, 1896 – February 26, 1981)''The New York Times'' – Obituaries. Harold C. Schonberg. February 28, 1981 p. 1011/ref> was an American composer, conductor, educator, music theorist, and champion of American cla ...

, Roy Harris,

William Schuman William Howard Schuman (August 4, 1910February 15, 1992) was an American composer and arts administrator. Life Schuman was born into a Jewish family in Manhattan, New York City, son of Samuel and Rachel Schuman. He was named after the 27th U.S. ...

Walter Piston Walter Hamor Piston, Jr. (January 20, 1894 – November 12, 1976), was an American composer of classical music, music theorist, and professor of music at Harvard University. Life Piston was born in Rockland, Maine at 15 Ocean Street to Walter ...

and Peter Mennin." ''The New York Times'' also suggested that Diamond's career troubles may have also been caused by his "difficult personality... he said in the 1990 interview, 'I was a highly emotional young man, very honest in my behavior, and I would say things in public that would cause a scene between me and, for instance, a conductor.'" In 2005, Diamond died at his home in

Brighton, Monroe County, New York Brighton is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 37,137 at the 2020 census. History The Town of Brighton, located on the southeastern border of the city of Rochester, is located on the traditional homelands of th ...

, from

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, ...

Works

Ballet

*''TOM'' (1936)

Orchestra

*Early discarded symphonies (No. 1 from 1933, No. 2 from 1935) *Symphony No. 1 (1940) *Symphony No. 2 (1942–1943) *Symphony No. 3 (1945) *Symphony No. 4 (1945) *Symphony No. 5 (1947–1964) *Symphony No. 6 (1951) *Symphony No. 7 (1957) *Symphony No. 8 (1958–1960) *Symphony No. 9 (1985) *Symphony No. 10 (1987/2000) *Symphony No. 11 (1989–1991)published in 2016 by Peermusic. . *Concerto for Small Orchestra (1940) *''Psalm'' (1936) *''Elegy'' in Memory of Ravel (1937) *''Rounds'' for String Orchestra (1944) *Concert Piece for large orchestra (1939) *Timon of Athens - A Portrait After Shakespeare (1955) *Music for chamber orchestra *''Overture'' *''Heroic Piece'' *''The Enormous Room'' (1948) *''The World of Paul Klee''

Concertante

*Violin Concerto No. 1 (1937) *Concerto for Small Orchestra (1940) *Violin Concerto No. 2 (1947) *Violin Concerto No. 3 (1976) *Flute Concerto (1986) *Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra (1996) *Piano Concerto *Piano Concertino *Cello Concerto *''Kaddish'' for cello and orchestra (1987) *''Romeo and Juliet'' (1947) *Incidental music for ''Romeo and Juliet'' (1951)

Wind ensemble

*''Tantivy'' (1988) *''Hearts Music'' (1989)

Chamber music

*String Quartet No. 1 (1940) *String Quartet No. 2 (1943–1944) *String Quartet No. 3 (1946) *String Quartet No. 4 (1951) *String Quartet No. 5 (1960) *String Quartet No. 6 (1962) *String Quartet No. 7 (1963) *String Quartet No. 8 (1964) *String Quartet No. 9 (1965–1968) *String Quartet No. 10 (1966) *Concerto for String Quartet (1936) *String Trio (1937) *Quintet for Flute, Piano and String Trio (1937) *Quartet for Piano and String Trio (1936/67) *Partita for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano (1935) *Quintet for Clarinet, 2 Violas and 2 Cellos (1950) *Piano Trio (1951) *Wind Quintet (1958) *Night Music, for Accordion and String Quartet (1961) *Piano Quartet (1937 rev. 1967) *Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 (1943-6) *Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 (1981) *Canticle for Violin and Piano (1946) *Perpetual Motion for Violin and Piano (1946) *Chaconne for Violin and Piano (1948) *Sonata for Solo Violin *Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 1 *Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 2 (1987) *Sonata for Solo cello *Concert Piece for Horn and String Trio (1978) *Concert Piece for Flute and Harp (1989) *Concert Piece for Viola and Piano (1994–95) *Concerto for Two Solo Pianos (1942) *Alto Saxophone Sonata *Nonet for Strings *Sonatina for Accordion

Piano

*Piano Sonata No. 1 (1947) *Piano Sonata No. 2 (1971) *Piano Sonatina No. 1 (1935) *Piano Sonatina No. 2 (1987) *Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C major *Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in C minor (1939) *Prelude and Fugue No. 3 in E minor *Prelude and Fugue No. 4 in C-sharp minor (1939) *Prelude, Fantasy and Fugue (1983) *A Myriologue (1935; rev. 1969) *Gambit (1967) *Tomb of Melville (1950) *8 Piano Pieces *Album for the Young *Two Barcarolles (1993)

Vocal

*''David Mourns for Absalom'' (1946); text from II Samuel 18:33 * ''Vocalises'' for soprano and viola (1935, revised 1956) *This Sacred Ground for solo baritone, choir, children's choir and orchestra (1962) *Prayer for Peace for choir *Many songs for solo voice with piano

References

* "Dark Years And Difficult Questions". Essay by Diamond in Berman, P. L. (1989), ''The Courage To Grow Old'' (p. 83-88). New York, NY: Ballantine Books.

External links

Profile, works, discography
at Peermusic Classical * *
The Official David Diamond Website
created by The Estate of David L. Diamond

October 18, 1990 {{DEFAULTSORT:Diamond, David 20th-century classical composers American classical composers American male classical composers Jewish American classical composers Cleveland Institute of Music alumni Eastman School of Music alumni LGBT classical composers LGBT Jews American LGBT musicians LGBT people from New York (state) Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Musicians from Rochester, New York Pupils of Bernard Rogers Pupils of Roger Sessions United States National Medal of Arts recipients 2005 deaths 1915 births People from Brighton, Monroe County, New York 20th-century American composers Classical musicians from New York (state) 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American Jews 21st-century American Jews Cedille Records artists 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people