Role

:

Composer

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

April 16, 1882 in Bloomfield, NJ

Death

:

June 21, 1972 in New York City, NY

Period

:

Modern

Genre

:

Keyboard

 

Seth Bingham was an American composer of classical music who was born on September 25, 1882, in Taunton, Massachusetts. He was the son of a Congregational minister and grew up in a musical family. His mother was a pianist, and his father played the organ. Bingham began his musical education at an early age, studying piano and organ with his mother and later with other teachers. Bingham attended Harvard University, where he studied music theory and composition with John Knowles Paine, the first professor of music at Harvard. After graduating in 1904, Bingham continued his studies in Europe, where he studied with Max Reger in Germany and Charles-Marie Widor in France. Bingham returned to the United States in 1907 and began his career as a composer and organist. He served as the organist and choirmaster at several churches in New York City, including the Church of the Holy Trinity and St. Thomas Church. He also taught music theory and composition at Columbia University and the Juilliard School. Bingham's music is characterized by its use of traditional forms and harmonies, combined with modern techniques and harmonies. His works include choral music, organ music, and orchestral music. Some of his most famous works include his Symphony No. 1, his Concerto for Organ and Orchestra, and his choral work "The Cherubic Hymn." Bingham's Symphony No. 1 was composed in 1927 and premiered by the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Arturo Toscanini. The symphony is in four movements and is notable for its use of traditional forms and harmonies, combined with modern techniques and harmonies. The second movement, in particular, is known for its use of polytonality, a technique in which two or more keys are used simultaneously. Bingham's Concerto for Organ and Orchestra was composed in 1931 and premiered by the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Leopold Stokowski. The concerto is in three movements and is notable for its virtuosic organ writing and its use of modern harmonies and rhythms. Bingham's choral work "The Cherubic Hymn" was composed in 1940 and is based on a text from the Orthodox liturgy. The work is notable for its use of traditional choral techniques, combined with modern harmonies and rhythms. Bingham continued to compose and perform throughout his life, and he received numerous awards and honors for his work. He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1949 for his Symphony No. 2. Seth Bingham died on September 13, 1972, in New York City. His legacy as a composer and organist continues to be celebrated today, and his works are still performed and recorded by musicians around the world.

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