This past weekend I learned of the death of the American composer, college professor, musicologist and theorist George Perle. This musical intellectual, who was born on May 6, 1915 in Bayonne, New Jersey, began his musical studies with Wesley LaViolette at De Paul University in the 1930's. Before serving in the Army in World War II, he was a private student of the renowned Ernst Krenek. After the war, he received his doctorate from New York University and began an illustrious teaching career with stints at Louisville University (1949–57), the University of California at Davis (1957–61) and Queens College, New York (1961-1985).
He was deeply influenced by the works of the Second Viennese School led by Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg and Anton Webern. He analyzed their 12-tone system of composition in scholarly journals and academic texts. His own pieces reflect this method as a jumping off point for his own creativity, explorations and musical insights. In 1968, he and Igor Stravinsky founded the Alban Berg Society to encourage and promote the legacy of this composer. His genius was formally recognized in 1986 with a MacArthur Fellowship and the Pulitzer Prize for his Fourth Wind Quintet
His challenging music including his Sonatina, Lyric Intermezzo and Woodwind Quintets may be sampled at the library.
