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Richard Albert Hundley (born September 1, 1931) is an American composer and pianist. He is best known for for his solo vocal songs.

Biography

Early Life

Hundley was born in in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was a year old when his parents divorced and the court awarded his mother custody. When he was seven, Hundley went to live with his paternal Grandmother in Covington, Kentucky.

Hundley’s love for music began when he discovered his grandmother’s upright piano. He had always loved to sing and improvise melodies. Now he could pick out his improvisations on the piano and compose accompaniments to them. His grandmother arranged piano lessons for him with the local teacher.

When Hundley was ten, he attended his first opera, Il Trovatore by Guiseppe Verdi. This experience strongly impacted him impressed him with the expressiveness of the voice.

At age eleven, Hundley's grandmother arranged for lessons at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music with Madame Illona Voorm. Hundley's skill was nurtured and he became very talented. At age fourteen, he performed a Mozart piano concerto with the Northen Kentucky Symphony Orchestra. Two years later he soloed with the cincinnati Symphony. However, he preferred writing his own compositions to learning another's work.

Mid Life

Hundley started pursuing his career when he moved to New York City in 1950. He enrolled in the Manhattan School of Music, but was only able to complete one year of study due to financial reasons. To make a living, Hundley worked several odd jobs. Although he was unable to continue his formal music training, Hundley did not give up his talent. In the late 1950's, he started composing again and studying counterpoint and harmony. Even though his counterpoint teacher was very critical, Hundley kept composing.

In 1960, Hundley was selected by audition for the Metropolitan Opera Chorus. To prepare for this position, he went through a six week training course to learn ten operas in four different languages. The bel canto influences that Hundley experienced during his time with the Met Chorus strongly shaped his composition style of vocal music.

During his time at the Metropolitan, Hundley showed his music to some of the leading singers. His songs made an impression and the singers began to perform his music on their concert tours. These performers include Annaliese Rothenberger, Rosalind Elias, Anna Moffo, Teresa Stratas, Lili Chookasian, John Reardon and Betty Allen. These performances garnered critical attention for Hundley.

Hundley's big break happened in 1962 when soprano, Eileen DiTullio sang two of his compositions in a concert. The songs impressed a music publisher who was in attendance and seven of Hundley's songs were published from 1962-1964.

Style

Hundley is known for his unique songs for solo voice and piano. His songs are noted for their lyrical lines and beautiful melodies. Hundley composes his melodies according to his emotional reaction to the text. Bel Canto influence is apparent in his text settings. The words are set to emphasize clarity and crystallize emotion.

Compositions

Vocal

Softly the Summer (1957)
Epitaph on a Wife (1957)
The Astronomers (An Epitaph) (1959)
Isaac Greentree (An Epitaph) (1960)
Maiden Snow (1960)
Wild Plum (1961)
For Your Delight (1962)
Ballad on Queen Anne's Death (1962)
My Master Hath a Garden (1963)
Postcard from Spain (1963)
Come Ready and See Me (1971)
Birds, U.S.A. (1972)
Spring (1972)
I Do (1974)
Evening Hours (1975)
Bartholomew Green (1978)
Sweet Suffolk Owl (1979)
When Orpheus Played (1979)
Moonlight's Watermelon (1989)
Seashore Girls (1989)
Straightway beauty on me waits (1989)
Strings in the Earth and Air (1989)
Well Welcome (1989)

Choral

Ball (1985)

Recordings

Under the bluest sky...Songs of Richard Hundley David Parks (tenor) Read Gainsford (piano)

References

Carr, Richard, Izraylovsky, Eduard, Magnus, Kellie Martine, and Smoke, Douglas. "Richard Hundley." Teacher's College Columbia University. <http://www.tc.columbia.edu/taylor/hundley/>.
Friedberg, Ruth C. "American Art Song and American Poetry." New Jersey & London: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1987.
Hardenbergh, Esther Jane. The solo vocal repertoire of Richard Hundley: A pedagogical and performance guide to the published works. Diss. Columbia University Teachers College, 1997.