Alma Mater
Completed: May 31, 1954, a revision of "Harvard Sketches" which was written in 1939. Length: 6:10. Four movements: 1. Chapel Bells (1:30); 2. Freshman on Main Street (1:15); 3. Library Reading Room (1:50); 4. Class Reunion (1:35)
First performance: June 14, 1954, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Boston Pops Orchestra, Boston, MA. This was "Harvard Night at the Pops," the 25th reunion of Leroy Anderson's Harvard class of 1929.
First recording: June 30, 1988, Newton Wayland, conductor, Rochester (NY) Pops in digital stereo sound.
Clarinet Candy Reference Article → Concerto in C for Piano and Orchestra Reference Article → Andante Reference Article → Fiddle-Faddle Reference Article → First Day of Spring Reference Article → Forgotten Dreams Reference Article → Girl in Satin, The Reference Article → Golden Years, The Reference Article → Governor Bradford March Reference Article → Harvard Festival Reference Article → Harvard Sketches
Completed: April, 1939. Length: 4:49. Four movements: 1. Lowell House Bells; 2. Freshman in Harvard Square; 3. Widener Reading Room; 4. Class Day Confetti Battle.
First performance: May 15, 1939, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Boston Pops Orchestra, Boston, MA. This was "Harvard Night at the Pops." the 25th reunion of the Harvard class of 1914.
First Recording: April 2007, Leonard Slatkin, conductor, BBC Concert Orchestra, Watford, U.K.
"Harvard Sketches" was revised and published as "Alma Mater" in 1954 (see "Alma Mater" listing).
Composer quote: "The idea of writing humorous music started with the "Harvard Sketches." Two of the sketches, "Freshman in Harvard Square" and "Widener Reading Room," were of a fanciful nature and had unusually enthusiastic reception from the audience, composed largely of Harvard graduates, undergraduates, and their friends. The "Freshman" theme was represented by a happy-go-lucky theme played slightly out of tune by the clarinet, and the setting for the "Reading Room" was a lullaby, interrupted by conversation and the librarian rapping on his desk for silence."
Lady in Waiting Ballet Lady in Waiting Waltz
Length: 3:20. Instrumentation: Full Orchestra.
"Lady in Waiting" was composed in 1958 as a song for the musical production "Goldilocks."
Leroy Anderson made two instrumental arrangements for symphonic orchestra of this composition. One was "Lady In Waiting - Ballet Music." This was composed in 1959 after the Broadway production closed. This arrangement was first performed in a recording session for Decca on June 3, 1959.
The other arrangement is "Lady In Waiting - Waltz." This was completed on May 23, 1959 after the Broadway production closed. This arrangement was first performed in a recording session for Decca on June 3, 1959. This recording was not released.
Recording: September 2007, Leonard Slatkin, conductor, BBC Concert Orchestra, Watford, U.K.
Lullaby of the Drums Reference Article → March of the Two Left Feet
Completed: September 18, 1969. Length: 2:15. Instrumentation: Full Orchestra.
First performance: January 23, 1971, Leroy Anderson, conductor, New Haven (CT) Symphony Orchestra
First recording: June 30, 1988, Newton Wayland conductor, Rochester (NY) Pops. Published posthumously.
Notes: Many years ago Leroy Anderson read a story by P.G. Wodehouse called "The Man with Two Left Feet." The idea came to him at the time to write a "clumsy" march for "two left feet", but the music wasn't finished until much later. (from the composer prepared program notes for the Hartford Symphony "Pops" concert of March 27, 1971.)
Composer quote: "I have two more pieces of a similar nature in mind for next season's Pops. One idea was my own and the other was Mr. Fiedler's. Generally the ideas are mine, but I usually discuss them with Mr. Fiedler and he has made many excellent suggestions. (I prefer not to mention the title of "March of the Two Left Feet" or others in preparation until they are actually completed and scheduled for performance.)" (from a 1947 letter)
Melody on Two Notes Reference Article → Mother's Whistler
Completed: May 2, 1940. Length: 3:30. Instrumentation: Full Orchestra.
First performance: Unknown.
Note: The score was found in the Boston Pops music library in 1980. Since it was not listed in the catalog prepared by the composer in the mid 1960's, this work can be presumed to have been withdrawn by the composer. The work has not been published.
First recording: September 2007, Leonard Slatkin, conductor, BBC Concert Orchestra, Watford, U.K.
Penny Whistle Song, The
Completed: June 3, 1951. Length: 2:45. Instrumentaion: Full Orchestra.
First performance: June 28, 1951, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca recording session.
First recording: June 28, 1951, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca Records, New York, NY (monaural)
First Stereo recording: June 11, 1959, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca Records, New York, NY
Plink, Plank, Plunk!
Completed: June 12, 1951. Length: 3:20. Instrumentation: String Orchestra.
First performance: June 29, 1951, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca recording session.
First recording: June 29, 1951, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca recording session. (monaural).
First known public performance: November 11, 1951, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Kansas City (Missouri) Philharmonic Orchestra.
First Stereo recording: May 28, 1959, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca Records, New York, NY
Composer Quote: "Although I started my career as an organist, later on I played mainly Bass in orchestras. For everyone writing orchestras pieces, playing a string instrument is an excellent experience, since one acquires a valuable technical knowledge of the most important part of the orchestra. As a bass player I got first hand knowledge of the resources of a string orchestra and became particularly interested in the use of the Pizzicato, which is very often neglected by composers. As an example of how one can use the Pizzicato I wrote a little piece with the title "Plink, Plank, Plunk!" The string players have to lay down their bows and from the beginning to the end of the piece, pluck the strings of their instruments."
Promenade
Completed: April 1945, Arlington, Virginia. Length: 3:00. Instrumentation: Full Orchestra
First performance: May 28, 1945, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Boston Pops Orchestra, "Army Night".
First recording: June 18, 1950, Arthur Fiedler, conductor, Boston Pops Orchestra (monaural).
First recording by Leroy Anderson: September 11, 1950, Decca recording session. (monaural).
First Stereo recordidng: June 5, 1959, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca Records, New York, NY.
Notes: The repeated "walking theme", played first by a muted trumpet, is interrupted by a flowing middle section and is then resumed with the full orchestra to a broad finale."
As the war in Europe was coming to and end, Leroy Anderson's duties at the Pentagon now allowed him some time to write music. It was in mid-April of 1945 that Anderson wrote "Promenade" and "The Syncopated Clock" in time to give each work their first performance on May 23 in Boston. On a three-day leave of absence, Anderson conducted the Boston Pops Orchestra at Symphony Hall, Boston, in Army uniform to an enthusiastic audience.
Pussy Foot, The (Ballet)
Pussy Foot, The (Waltz)
Pyramid Dance
Sandpaper Ballet Reference Article → Saraband
Completed: January 4, 1948. Length: 3:05. Instrumentation: Full Orchestra
First performance: May 27, 1948, Arthur Fiedler, conductor, Boston Pops Orchestra.
First recording: June 19, 1950, Arthur Fiedler conductor, Boston Pops Orchestra.
First recording by Leroy Anderson: September 11, 1950, Decca recording session (monaural).
First Stereo recording: June 5, 1959, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca Records, New York, NY.
Composer quote: "I have often wondered if our modern popular dance forms, such as the foxtrot and rhumba, will be used by composers two centuries from now as much as the 18th century classical dances are used by composers of the present day. The gigue, hornpipe, and pavane of the classical suites are still used today, but with modern styles. In the setting of the "Saraband", I have kept the slow triple rhythm of the classical saraband in the melody but the underlying rhythm has been doubled in tempo to produce the effect of the modern foxtrot. In the middle section, however, the slow triple rhythm is heard alone for a while, like an echo of the past, but then the doubled rhythm is resumed."
Serenata
Completed: February 12, 1947. Length: 3:55. Instrumentation: Full Orchestra.
First performance: May 10, 1947, Arthir Fiedler, conductor, Boston Pops Orchestra.
First recording: April 25, 1949, Arthur Fiedler, conductor, Boston Pops Orchestra (Monaural).
First recording by Leroy Anderson: September 11, 1950, Decca recording session (monaural).
First recording in Stereo: May 26, 1959, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca Records, New York, NY.
Mitchell Parish wrote lyrics to "Serenata" in 1950.
Note: Leroy Anderson was proud that such esteemed jazz singers as Sarah Vaughan have recorded "Serenata." It was also sung on the last jazz album recorded by Nat King Cole, one that also featured jazz pianist George Shearing.
Composer quote: "Some compositions of mine started with a fragment of melody, as in "Serenata." From the first notes the melodic line grew into a full melody with harmonic and rhythmic background, then other sections were added, and introduction and a coda were worked out to make a well-rounded composition. And finally I added a title that seemed best to identify the music. Most of the pieces I've written have been melodic, because I happen to like melodic music, and I'm very glad that Arthur Fiedler's favorite piece, he told me, happens to be "Serenata", which is a serenade, and because it's in Latin style I called it "Serenata". In the case of "Serenata" I began with the flowing melody you hear as the main section. Then, since this main part was in a major key with a very broad melody, the music seemed to call for something to introduce it in a minor key, so I wrote the first section with fast repeated notes. When the whole thing was put together with a beguine rhythm as a background, it seemed to me to sound like a Latin-American serenade, so I added the Spanish title "Serenata."
Sleigh Ride [ Original / English lyrics ] Reference Article → Promenade en traîneau [ paroles en français / French lyrics ] Reference Article → Corsa in slitta, Gita in slitta, Tintinna il Natale [ testi italiano / Italian lyrics] Reference Article → Rekiretki kappale / Sleigh Ride joululaulu [ suomi / Finnish lyrics ] Reference Article → Saanisõit-Sleigh-Ride [Eestikeelsed sõnad / Estonian lyrics ] Reference Article →
Song of the Bells
Completed: September 8, 1953. Length: 3:00. Instrumentation: Full Orchestra.
First performance: September 8, 1953, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca recording session.
First recording: September 8, 1953, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca recording session (monaural)
First Stereo recording: June 5, 1959, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca Records, New York, NY.
Composer quote: "In music encyclopedias bells are mentioned as very effective instruments especially for dramatic and theater music. Unfortunately there are only a few composer who are able to write music such as the Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz or an opera like Parsifal. In both cases bells are used to create a sense of reality. One music encyclopedia concludes rather laconically that a composer very rarely has an opportunity to write a piece with bell-accompaniment. I once wrote a waltz, of which the first few notes, when played, sounded like bells and I asked myself why bells are mainly used only with church scenes, religious themes or grandios festive events, Why should bells not be used simply because of their beautiful sound. The result was a waltz with the title "Song of the Bells." Bells are conventionally not connected with a waltz. In the middle part a glockenspiel is added to the bells, both playing a duet. The small glockenspiel accompanies the slow notes of the big bells with fast notes."
Ticonderoga March
Sketched out by the composer in 1939. Length: 2:15. Instrumentation: Wind band.
Scored by the composer and published in 1945.
First performance: Unknown.
First recording: Frederick Fennell conductor, Kosei Wind Ensemble.
Trumpeter's Lullaby, A Reference Article → Typewriter, The Reference Article → Waltz Around The Scale
Composed for orchestra, Waltz Around the Scale was completed on November 30, 1970. It was first performed March 27, 1971 by the Hartford (Connecticut) Symphony "Pops" Orchestra, with the composer conducting. Not listed in the catalog prepared by the composer in the mid 1960's. Released posthumously.
Composer Quote: "Waltz Around the Scale" was just completed in December and is being played here for the first time. The waltz melodies are accompanied throughout by the major and minor scales in the background." (from March 1972 program notes)
Waltzing Cat, The Reference Article → Whistling Kettle, The
Completed: 1966. Length: 2:40. Instrumentation: Beginning String Ensemble
First Recording: April 2007, Leonard Slatkin, conductor, BBC Concert Orchestra, Watford, U.K.
For more information about the music of Leroy Anderson, send an email to Woodbury Music Company info[at]woodburymusic[dot]com
