William Edwin Haesche (April 11, 1867 – January 26, 1929[1]) was an American composer.

Haesche was born in New Haven, Connecticut, to Henry W. Haesche, a German immigrant, and his wife, the former Rosian Gaffney, an Irish immigrant.[1]

He studied violin with Bernard Listemann and piano with Ernst Perabo. He was mainly self-taught in music theory, except for a course in fugue and general composition with Horatio Parker at Yale University where he was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Music. He co-founded the New Haven Symphony Orchestra where he played first violin. He conducted the People's Choral Union, a choir of 250 voices. In 1903 he became instructor of instrumentation at Yale.[2]

In the 1894 New Haven city directory, he is listed as being a violin teacher.[3]

He wrote a number of works for orchestra, as well as some chamber music and songs; he also composed some pieces for choir. Haesche composed the piece "Marguerite Waltz" for viola and piano.[4]

His works include:[2]

  • 1896: Forest Idylle, tone poem for orchestra
  • 1897: Fridtjof Saga, overture (won a prize)
  • 1898: Young Lovel's Bride, ballad for female choir and orchestra
  • 1899: Springtime, overture
  • 1901: Symphony in A-flat
  • 1903: The Haunted Oak of Nannau, dramatic cantata for chorus and orchestra
  • 1904: Fridtjof, symphonic poem
  • 1904: Ingeborg, symphonic poem
  • 1913: The South, symphonic poem
  • 1913: Symphonietta
  • Sonata for piano and violin in E major
  • Legend for violin, cello and piano
  • Anthems, songs

At the time of his death he was employed by Hollins College where he was teaching music theory.[5] As stated on his death certificate, Haesche died in Roanoke, Virginia, of carcinoma of the rectum after two operations.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "William Edwin Haesche" in Virginia, Death Records, 1912–2014 on Ancestry.com
  2. 1 2 "Haesche, William Edwin". Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (3rd ed.). New York, Boston: G. Schirmer. 1919. p. 351.
  3. ↑ New Haven Directory, 1894, New Haven, The Price & Lee Co., 1894), p. 633. available on Ancestry.com, (subscription required)
  4. ↑ Solos for Young Violists, Vol. 1, Naxos Records
  5. ↑ Helen M. Walker, "Contemporary Virginia Composers," The Virginia Teacher 7, no. 6 (June 1926), p. 162.
  • Howard, John Tasker (1939). Our American Music: Three Hundred Years of It. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company.
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