Paul Fetler (February 17, 1920 – July 7, 2018; born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was an American composer. He received his bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and was taught composition by David Van Vactor. Following his bachelor's, Fetler earned a master's degrees from Yale, and then accepted a position at the University of Minnesota where he obtained his doctorate.Naxos Online, “Paul Fetler,” Accessed October 28, 2012, http://www.naxos.com/person/Paul_Felter/86299.htm. In addition to Vactor, Fetler also studied with Paul Hindemith, Quincy Porter, and Boris Blacher, and taught many composers at Minnesota including Eric Stokes, Donald Keats, Marjorie Rusche, Michael Schelle, Stephen Paulus, Libby Larsen, and Carol Barnett.
Compositional style
Fetler's style is atypical of the well-known composers of the 20th century. Fetler's music, as he has described it, is “the merger of listener and music.” Few recordings of Fetler's music exist, though in 2009, the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra released an album of Fetler pieces. Works include Fetler's Three Poems by Walt Whitman, Capriccio, and Violin Concerto no. 2.
Three Poems by Walt Whitman, scored for orchestra and narrator, is described as “delicate and sometimes languid but essentially reflective and thoughtful.”Bret Johnson, “CD and DVD Reviews,” Tempo 64, (2010): 65-81. The 2nd movement is an exception and is described as “lear in the storm hysteria” by reviewer Bret Johnson.
Fetler's 2nd violin concerto focuses on the interaction of the soloist with the orchestra rather than technical virtuosity, allowing for rich harmonies and thoroughly developed ideas. The challenge to the soloist and ensemble is to set an ethereal and mysterious scene. There is a slight similarity to the Samuel Barber Violin Concerto.
In addition, Fetler wrote many sacred and secular choral works.
Much of Fetler's music focuses on subtlety, richness, and intimacy. Fetler demonstrates a great deal of comfort with orchestration on both small and large scales. The 2nd violin concerto is a demonstration of this as there are many sections featuring few or solo instruments contrasted by sections with full orchestra. Fetler describes his compositional style as “progressive lyricism”. There is little about his style that is avant-garde, especially when compared to composers like John Cage. Fetler's music attempts to engage the listener so they become intertwined with the music, as if there is perfect unity between the piece, performers, and the audience. In this way Fetler's music is very intellectual, though overall conservative, and carefully constructed.
Selected works
Choral
Sing Alleluia (SATB)
December Stillness (SATB)Kevin, J Lambert, Choral Reviews: "December Stillness," Choral Journal 39, no. 2 (September 1998): 71. The following choral works are listed here: http://www.lieder.net/lieder/f/fetler.html.Recmusic.org, “Composer: Paul Fetler,” Accessed October 28, 2012, http://www.lieder.net/lieder/f/fetler.html. Drum (SATB), Text: Langston Hughes
Madman's Song (SATB), Text: Elinor Wylie
November Night (SATB), Text: Adelaide Crapsey
Now This is The Story (SSA), Text: Dorothy Parker
Wild Swans (SATB), Text: Edna St. Vincent Millay
All Day I Hear (SATB), Text: James Joyce
April (SATB), Text: Sir William Watson
Orchestra
Celebration
Three Poems by Walt WhitmanNaxos Online, “Naxos Releases its First Recording Devoted Entirely to the Works of Composer Paul Fetler,” Accessed October 28, 2012, http://www.naxos.com/person/Paul_Felter/86299.htm.
Capriccio
Violin Concertos
Contrasts for Orchestra, Mercury Living Presence LP MG50282 (OOP), Minneapolis Symphony, Antal Dorati, Conductor..
Pastoral Suite: Mvt 1 Moods of the River; Mvt 2 Ancient Mountain Chant; Mvt 3 Song of the Wind. Golden Crest LP CRS 4153 (OOP). Macalester Trio (Dedicated to Joseph Roche, Violinist of the Macalester Trio)
Chamber
Three Impressions (Guitar and Piano) - https://www.amazon.com/Schott-Three-Impressions-Guitar-Piano/dp/B003AGRCT8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353893033&sr=8-1&keywords=paul+fetler+three+impressions
Solo
Guitar: Folia Lyrica (for Thomas Koch)Matanya Ophee, ed. Editions Orphée, Columbus, OH. (2002)
Monologue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKx7cKs5eU0
Organ: "I Bind unto Myself Today" (tune: ST. PATRICK'S BREASTPLATE) found in The Parish Organist series, Concordia Publishing
Major awards
Guggenheim Award recipient - 1953, 1960The Complete Marquis Who's Who (R) Biographies, "Paul Fetler," LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2012/11/26. Society for American Music - 1953 Ford Found Grantee Certificate of Merit from Yale University Alumni Association - 1975 NEA Award - 1975, 1977, 1987
External links
Paul Fetler Violin Concerto, Capriccio, Three Poems by Walt Whitman - https://www.amazon.com/Fetler-Violin-Concerto-Capriccio-Whitman/dp/B002TMLRPE Paul Fetler Biography (Naxos) - http://www.naxos.com/person/Paul_Felter/86299.htm Interview with Paul Fetler, June 6, 1987
References