(b. 11 March 1913, Toronto, Ontario – d. 24 August 2006, Toronto, Ontario).
Canadian composer of mostly stage, orchestral, chamber, choral, vocal, and piano works that have been performed throughout the world.
Prof. Weinzweig studied mandolin at the Workman's Circle Peretz School and began private studies in piano at age fourteen. He studied at Harbord Collegiate Institute in Toronto in the early 1930s, where he played double bass, mandolin and sousaphone in the school orchestra. He studied counterpoint and fugue with Healey Willan, harmony with Leo Smith and orchestration with Sir Ernest MacMillan at the University of Toronto from 1934–37, where he earned his BMus, and studied conducting privately with Reginald Stewart during this time. He then studied composition with Bernard Rogers at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York in 1937–38, where he earned his MMus. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Ottawa in 1969 and the Doctor of Laws honoris causa from the University of Toronto in 1982.
Among his honours were the Silver Medal in chamber music at the Olympic Games in London (1948, for Divertimento No. 1), the Scroll of Honour from B'nai Israel Beth David Synagogue (1967), the Canada Council Senior Arts Award (1968, 1975), the Victor M. Lynch-Staunton Award from the Canada Council for the Arts (1975), the Canadian Music Council Medal (1978), the Molson Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts (1981), the Order of Ontario (1988), the Roy Thomson Hall Award (1991), and the Golden Jubilee Medal (2002). In addition, he served as an Officer of the Order of Canada from 1974–2006, an honorary member of the Alberta Composers Association from 1977–2006, an honorary member of the American Harp Society from 1984–2006, and a life member of the Toronto Musicians Association from 1984–2006. He is the subject of the book John Weinzweig and His Music – The Radical Romantic of Canada by Elaine Keillor (1994, Scarecrow Press).
He was also active in other positions. He founded the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 1934 and served as its conductor from 1934–37. He co-founded with many colleagues and students the Canadian League of Composers in 1951 and served as its president from 1951–57 and from 1959–63 and served as its president emeritus from 1981–2006. He also helped to found the Canadian Music Centre in 1959 and served as president of the Composers, Authors and Publishers Association of Canada from 1973–75. His collected articles appear in the books John Weinzweig – His Words and His Music (1986, Poole Hall Press) and Sounds and Reflections (1990, Poole Hall Press).
He taught composition, ear training, music theory, and orchestration at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto from 1939–43 and 1945–54. He worked as an instructor of the Royal Canadian Air Force Central Band from 1943–45. He then taught composition at the University of Toronto from 1952–78, where he was professor emeritus from 1978–2006.
In addition to the works listed below, he composed hundreds of scores for films, radio, theatre, and TV.
SELECT LIST OF WORKS
STAGE:
Red Ear of Corn (ballet in 2 acts, choreography by Boris Volkoff), small orchestra, 1948–49
Around the Stage in 25 Minutes during which a variety of instruments are struck (music-theatre work), moving percussion, 1970
Trialogue (music-theatre work, text by the composer), soprano, flute, piano, 1971 (also concert version of one section, My Dear Etcetera, incorporated into Private Collection)
Impromptus (music-theatre work), piano, 1973
Prime-Time (music-theatre work, text by the composer), soprano, baritone, flute, bass clarinet, 1991
Journey out of Night (music-theatre work, text by the composer), mezzo-soprano, piano, 1994
Le Rendez-Vous (music-theatre work, text by the composer), soprano, mezzo-soprano, baritone, piano, 1995
Parodies and Travesties (music-theatre work, text by the composer), soprano, mezzo-soprano, piano, 1995
Walking-Talking (music-theatre work, text by the composer), soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, piano, 1996
ORCHESTRAL:
Rhapsody, 1941, revised 2003–04
Interlude in an Artist's Life, string orchestra, 1943
Our Canada (Music for Radio No. 1), 1943
Band-Hut Sketches, symphonic band, 1944
Divertimento No. 1, flute, string orchestra, 1945–46
Edge of the World (Music for Radio No. 2), 1946
Divertimento No. 2, oboe, string orchestra, 1948
Round Dance, symphonic band, 1950 (also version for orchestra, 1950)
Concerto, violin, orchestra, 1951–54
Symphonic Ode, 1958
Divertimento No. 3, bassoon, string orchestra, 1960
Divertimento No. 5, trumpet (+ B-flat trumpet), trombone, symphonic band, 1961
Concerto, piano, orchestra, 1965–66
Concerto, harp, small orchestra, 1967
Divertimento No. 4, clarinet, string orchestra, 1968 (also version for clarinet, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass)
Dummiyah – Silence, 1969
Divertimento No. 6, alto saxophone, string orchestra, 1972
Divertimento No. 7, French horn, string orchestra, 1979
Divertimento No. 8, tuba, orchestra, 1980
Out of the Blues, symphonic band, 1981
Divertimento No. 9, large orchestra, 1982
Divertimento No. 10, piano, string orchestra, 1988
Divertimento No. 11, English horn, string orchestra, 1989
Jammin', 1990
Divertimento No. 12, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, string orchestra, 1998
CHAMBER MUSIC:
String Quartet No. 1, 1937
Sonata for Violin and Piano, violin, piano, 1941
Fanfare, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1943
Intermissions, flute, oboe, 1943
String Quartet No. 2, 1946
Israel (sonata), cello, piano, 1949
String Quartet No. 3, 1962
Woodwind Quintet, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1963–64
Quartet, 3 clarinets, bass clarinet, 1965
Divertimento No. 4, clarinet, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, 1968 (version of work for clarinet, string orchestra)
Riffs 1, flute, 1974
Contrasts, guitar, 1976
Pieces of Five, French horn, 2 trumpets, trombone, tuba, 1976
Refrains, double bass, piano, 1977
18 Pieces for Guitar, guitar, 1980
Variations (on the theme 'All's well that ends well'), French horn, 2 trumpets, trombone, tuba, 1981
15 Pieces for Harp, harp, 1983
Conversations, 3 guitars, 1984
Cadenza, clarinet, 1986
Tango for Two, harp, 1986 (also version for piano)
Birthday Notes, flute, piano, 1987
Hitlahavuth – Dance of the Masada, violin, piano, 1987 (version of vocal work)
Tremologue, viola, 1987
Riffs 2, trombone, 1991
Belaria, violin/viola/cello, 1992
Riffs 3, B-flat trumpet, 1992
Arctic Shadows, oboe, piano, 1993
Divertimento, French horn, piano, 1993
Swing out, bassoon, 1995
Interplay, piccolo, tuba, piano, 1998
Duo for Two Violins, 2 violins, 1999
CHORAL:
To the Lands over Yonder (texts from traditional sources of the Inuit people), mixed chorus, 1945
Am Yisrael chai! – Israel Lives (text by Malka Lee), mixed chorus, piano, 1952
Hockey Night in Canada (text by the composer), mixed chorus, 1985
Lonesome Satellite (text by the composer), mixed chorus, 1985
Prisoner of Conscience (text by the composer), mixed chorus, 1985
Shoppin' Blues (text by the composer), mixed chorus, 1985
In the Arms of Morpheus (text by the composer), mixed chorus, 1986
On Wings of Song (text by the composer), mixed chorus, 1986
What's That? (text by the composer), mixed chorus, 1986
VOCAL:
Of Time, Rain and the World (song-cycle, text by the composer), mezzo-soprano/baritone, piano, 1947
Hitlahavuth (text by Yitzhak Lamdan), baritone, piano, 1951 (also version for violin, piano)
Wine of Peace (text by the composer, after Pedro Calderón de la Barca, an anonymous source), soprano, large orchestra, 1957
Private Collection (song-cycle, text by the composer), soprano, piano, 1975 (incorporates concert version of My Dear Etcetera from Trialogue)
Prologue to a Tango (text by the composer), mezzo-soprano, 4 violins, 2002
PIANO:
Spasmodia, 1938
Suite No. 1, 1939
Melos, 1949
Swing a Fugue, 1949
Sonata, 1950
Suite No. 2, 1950
CanOn Stride, 1986
Tango for Two, 1986 (version of work for harp)
Micromotions, 1988
Three Pieces for Piano, 1989
Duologue, 2 pianos, 1990
Diversions, 1994
Netscapes, 2000
Seven Piano Duets, 2 pianos, 2000
ORGAN:
Improvisation on an Indian Tune, 1942, revised 1980