John La Montaine facts for kids

John Maynard La Montaine (born March 17, 1920 – died April 29, 2013) was an American pianist and composer. He was born in Oak Park, Illinois. He became very famous when he won the 1959 Pulitzer Prize for Music for his special piece called Piano Concerto No. 1 "In Time of War." This piece was first played by a talented pianist named Jorge Bolet.

La Montaine learned music from great teachers like Howard Hanson, Bernard Rogers, and Nadia Boulanger. Many famous singers and musicians performed his music, including Leontyne Price, Jessye Norman, and Jorge Bolet.

In 1976, America celebrated its 200th birthday (the Bicentennial). La Montaine was asked to write a big choir piece for this event. It was an opera called Be Glad Then America. The folk singer Odetta even performed in it!

La Montaine lived in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. He had his own music publishing company called Fredonia Press, named after the street he lived on. His business partner was another composer and pianist, Paul J. Sifler.

What Kind of Music Did He Write?

John La Montaine wrote many different kinds of music. Here are some of the main types:

Operas

Operas are like plays where the story is told mostly through singing. La Montaine wrote several operas, often based on old stories or religious texts.

• Novellis, Novellis (1961)
• The Shephardes Playe (1967)
• Erode the Greate (1969)
• Be Glad Then, America (1974–75)

Orchestral Music

Orchestral music is written for a large group of instruments, like a symphony orchestra.

• He wrote a Symphony No. 1 (1957).
• He also composed overtures, which are like musical introductions, such as Jubilant Overture (1959) and From Sea to Shining Sea (1961).
• Some pieces, like A Summer's Day (1962), were inspired by poems, such as those by William Shakespeare.

Concertos

A concerto is a piece of music where one or more solo instruments play with an orchestra. La Montaine wrote several concertos, especially for piano.

• His most famous is Concerto No. 1 In Time of War for piano and orchestra (1958), which won the Pulitzer Prize.
• He also wrote concertos for other instruments, like the oboe and flute.
• He even wrote a concerto for piano called Children's Games (1985).

Chamber and Instrumental Music

Chamber music is for smaller groups of instruments, often played in a room (chamber) rather than a large hall. Instrumental music is for solo instruments.

• He wrote sonatas for cello and piano, and for solo flute.
• He also composed pieces for woodwind instruments (like flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon) and for trombones.
• Conversations (1977) was a piece that could be played by different instruments with a piano.

Organ Music

The organ is a large keyboard instrument often found in churches.

• La Montaine wrote pieces like Even Song (1962) and Processional (1964) for the organ.

Piano Music

As a pianist himself, La Montaine wrote many pieces for the piano.

• Toccata (1957) and Sonata (1950) are examples of his solo piano works.
• He also wrote fun pieces for young pianists, like A Child's Picture Book (1957) and Copycats (1957).
• He composed pieces for two pianos, like Sketches (1985).

Vocal Music

Vocal music is written for singers, sometimes with piano or orchestra.

• He wrote many songs, including Songs of the Rose of Sharon (1947), which was performed by Leontyne Price.
• He set poems by famous writers like William Shakespeare and Robert Frost to music.
• Wilderness Journal (1970–1971) was a large work for a bass-baritone singer, organ, and orchestra, based on writings by Henry David Thoreau.

Choral Music

Choral music is written for choirs (groups of singers).

• He composed many pieces for choirs, including Christmas carols like Songs of the Nativity (1954) and Wonder Tidings (1964).
• He also wrote anthems and cantatas, which are like short musical stories for choirs.
• We Can Get Along (2003) was a piece he wrote for children's chorus.