Roosevelt, J. Willard

1918 - 2007
Roosevelt, J. Willard

Composer of chamber music and operas, J. Willard Roosevelt was born in Spain in 1918, to Kermit Roosevelt and Belle Willard, dauther of the then U.S. Ambassador to Spain.  Grandson of Theodore Roosevelt, He was raised in New York City, and became interested in music at an early age. Roosevelt was a student at Groton, and studied composition at Harvard with Walter Piston and briefly in Paris with Nadia Boulanger. He joined the Navy, and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts from Hart College in 1959. He devoted much of his life to teaching music and composition to private students and at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Turtle Bay Music School, and Columbia University.

He appeared as pianist in numerous New York concert halls, and as a composer received numerous commissions including settings of Finnegan's Wake, a cello concerto, piano concerto, and a one-act opera, The Walls Came Tumbling Down, among many chamber and solo works.

His opera was performed at Alice Tully Hall in March, 1976, under the direction of Dorothy Maynor and Thomas Scherman. Set to a libretto by Loften Mitchell, The Walls Came Tumbling Down, was about a group of African-American slaves who traveled to America in the 17th-century with the Dutch, settling their own colony in New Amsterdam after earning their freedom. The opera began as a piano vocal work for five singers but was orchestrated for a benefit in honor of the Harlem School for the Arts.

Another work, commissioned for small orchestra, dancer, soprano and narrator, to texts by Stephen Crane and Oliver WEndell Holmes, Jr., was performed in May 1976 for several bicentennial celebrations, under the direction of Sayard Stone with Carmen de Lavallade, Arlene Stone-Nercombe and Alvin Epstein.

He passed away in 2008 in Orient, New York.

  • AMERICAN SAMPLER AMERICAN SAMPLER

    AMERICAN SAMPLER

      J. Willard Roosevelt

      AMERICAN SAMPLER

      S, hn, pf

      $18.50
      $18.50

    • AMISTAD, danza moderna (Homenaje al gran Morel-Campos)

        J. Willard Roosevelt

        AMISTAD, danza moderna (Homenaje al gran Morel-Campos)

        orch:2/pic-2-2-2,4-2-3-1,pf,4perc,str

        $49.50
        $49.50

      • AND THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN

          J. Willard Roosevelt

          AND THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN

          Solo S, A, T, Bar, Bass; orch: 1/pic-1-2-1; 2-1-1-0; pf, perc; str

          $71.50
          $71.50

        • AUTUMN SONG ON PERRY STREET

            J. Willard Roosevelt

            AUTUMN SONG ON PERRY STREET

            soprano, clarinet

            $15.00
            $15.00

          • BAND PIECE 1

              J. Willard Roosevelt

              BAND PIECE 1

              school band

              Archival

            • BAND PIECE NO. 2

                J. Willard Roosevelt

                BAND PIECE NO. 2

                For school band

                Archival

              • CONCERTO FOR CELLO AND ORCHESTRA

                  J. Willard Roosevelt

                  CONCERTO FOR CELLO AND ORCHESTRA

                  vc, orch: pic-2-2-2-2; 4-2-3-1; timp; str

                  Archival

                • CONCERTO for Piano & Orch

                    J. Willard Roosevelt

                    CONCERTO for Piano & Orch

                    pf & orch:2-2-2-2, 2-1-1-0,perc,str

                    $42.50
                    $42.50

                  • DANCE SUITE

                      J. Willard Roosevelt

                      DANCE SUITE

                      pf

                      $10.50
                      $10.50
                    • FIVE SONGS FOR SOPRANO AND VIOLA FIVE SONGS FOR SOPRANO AND VIOLA

                      FIVE SONGS FOR SOPRANO AND VIOLA

                        J. Willard Roosevelt

                        FIVE SONGS FOR SOPRANO AND VIOLA

                        Sop, vla

                        $12.75
                        $12.75
                      • FIVE SONGS FROM CALEB FIVE SONGS FROM CALEB

                        FIVE SONGS FROM CALEB

                          J. Willard Roosevelt

                          FIVE SONGS FROM CALEB

                          Baritone, piano

                          $17.50
                          $17.50
                        • FIVE SONGS FROM CALEB FIVE SONGS FROM CALEB

                          FIVE SONGS FROM CALEB

                            J. Willard Roosevelt

                            FIVE SONGS FROM CALEB

                            High voice, piano

                            $17.50
                            $17.50
                          • FLUTE and FIDDLE FLUTE and FIDDLE

                            FLUTE and FIDDLE

                              J. Willard Roosevelt

                              FLUTE and FIDDLE

                              written for 2 players: flutist with 5 flutes + violin/viola flutes: pic, standard, alto, bass flute, and shakuhachi), plus violin and viola

                              $14.00
                              $14.00
                            • FOUR SONGS for Soprano and Clarinet FOUR SONGS for Soprano and Clarinet

                              FOUR SONGS for Soprano and Clarinet

                                J. Willard Roosevelt

                                FOUR SONGS for Soprano and Clarinet

                                sop and cl (A)

                                $10.50
                                $10.50
                              • HUMAN FLY (on Lloyd Frankenberg poetry) HUMAN FLY (on Lloyd Frankenberg poetry)

                                HUMAN FLY (on Lloyd Frankenberg poetry)

                                  J. Willard Roosevelt

                                  HUMAN FLY (on Lloyd Frankenberg poetry)

                                  med voice, pf

                                  $8.50
                                  $8.50
                                • JUDGEMENT OF PARIS JUDGEMENT OF PARIS

                                  JUDGEMENT OF PARIS

                                    J. Willard Roosevelt

                                    JUDGEMENT OF PARIS

                                    flute/alto flute, optional mime

                                    $8.50
                                    $8.50
                                  • LAMENT FOR WILLIE THOMAS JONES

                                    LAMENT FOR WILLIE THOMAS JONES

                                      J. Willard Roosevelt

                                      LAMENT FOR WILLIE THOMAS JONES

                                      4 vcl

                                      $10.50
                                      $10.50

                                    • LEADEN & GOLDEN ECHO

                                        J. Willard Roosevelt

                                        LEADEN & GOLDEN ECHO

                                        reciter,piano

                                        $14.50
                                        $14.50

                                      • MAY SONG IT FLOURISH

                                          J. Willard Roosevelt

                                          MAY SONG IT FLOURISH

                                          Sop,MzSop,Bar, cham orch: 1/pic-1-1-1,2-1-1-0,2perc,str

                                          $39.50
                                          $39.50

                                        • OH JOSHUA (aka ARIA)

                                            J. Willard Roosevelt

                                            OH JOSHUA (aka ARIA)

                                            high voice, piano

                                            $11.50
                                            $11.50

                                          • OUR DEAD BROTHERS BID US THINK OF LIFE

                                              J. Willard Roosevelt

                                              OUR DEAD BROTHERS BID US THINK OF LIFE

                                              Sop, narrator, chamber ensemble (or piano) Sop, male narrator, cham orch: 1-1-1-1; 1-1-1-0; pf, 2perc; str

                                              $14.50
                                              $14.50
                                            • PAPER ROSE

                                              PAPER ROSE

                                                J. Willard Roosevelt

                                                PAPER ROSE

                                                Soprano and Clarinet in A

                                                Archival

                                              • PAUL REVERE'S RIDE PAUL REVERE'S RIDE

                                                PAUL REVERE'S RIDE

                                                  J. Willard Roosevelt

                                                  PAUL REVERE'S RIDE

                                                  solo flute

                                                  $8.75
                                                  $8.75

                                                • SERENADE

                                                    J. Willard Roosevelt

                                                    SERENADE

                                                    ob,vla,vcl

                                                    $19.50
                                                    $19.50