Paul Salamunovich
Paul Salamunovich KCSG (June 7, 1927 – April 3, 2014) was a Grammy-nominated, American conductor and educator.
He was the Music Director of the
He was acknowledged as an expert in
Biography
Personal history
The youngest of five sons born to immigrant parents from what is now Croatia, he was born in
In 1940, at the age of 13, Salamunovich and his family moved to
At Hollywood High School, he met Dorothy Hilton, and they became high school sweethearts. (They later married on May 20, 1950, and had five children.)[4] Upon graduation from high school in 1945, he enlisted in the United States Navy and spent a year in Pearl Harbor, replacing sailors sent home after World War II.[5]
Singing and conducting career
After completing his Naval enlistment, Salamunovich returned to Southern California at the age of 19. Hearing of his return, Roger Wagner contacted Salamunovich and asked him to join his newly formed Los Angeles Concert Youth Chorus, whose other members included 13-year-old Marilyn Horne and 14-year-old Marni Nixon; this choir later evolved into the Roger Wagner Chorale in 1948. Wagner eventually suggested that Salamunovich study music in college at Los Angeles City College where he achieved an associate of arts degree and his classmates included future collaborator, Jerry Goldsmith. This led to the beginning of his professional career in music. Salamunovich was regularly hired as a professional singer on both live performances and in recordings for such conductors and composers as Arturo Toscanini, Alfred Wallenstein, Igor Stravinsky and others, singing on all styles of popular and classical music. He sang the tenor solo on César Franck's Panis Angelicus on The Wagner Chorale's album, "The House of The Lord". He was one of the quartet of jazz great Stan Kenton's vocal group, "The Modern Men" who sang on Kenton's album, "Kenton With Voices" in 1957. He was a "ghost singer" along with Horne, Nixon, and a semi-regular group of contract singers on multiple film soundtrack recordings between 1946 and 1964, when his increasing conducting duties no longer allowed him the time for studio singing. He soon began contracting and conducting choral segments in films for the next 45 years.
When Wagner was offered a better-paying church job, he decided to install the 21-year-old Salamunovich as choir director at
Salamunovich was hired to conduct the choirs at Mount St. Mary's college during the late 1950s and while teaching there, received his bachelor's degree in 1961. In 1964, Father Richard Trame, S.J. brought Salamunovich out to then, Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles) to start a choral department from scratch. By the time Salamunovich left there to take over as conductor of the Los Angeles Master Chorale in 1991, he had brought Loyola Marymount's Choral department to preeminence as one of the nation's leading collegiate choral programs and he regularly conducted major works and premiers there. Salamunovich was honored with an honorary doctorate from LMU and was one of the inaugural inductees into the university's Faculty Hall of Fame.
He served as assistant conductor of the Roger Wagner Chorale from 1953 to 1977. When Wagner formed the
When the board of directors of the Master Chorale and Wagner parted ways in 1986, Wagner recommended Salamunovich to replace him; however, Salamunovich declined the board's invitation to submit audition materials, citing extensive prior conducting commitments booked for the next two years at festivals and all-states beyond even his normal academic and liturgical commitments. The board instead hired Scottish conductor John Currie as music director.[7] Currie held the position until the end of the 1991 season; Salamunovich then accepted the Master Chorale's invitation and became its music director in January 1991, effective the fall of that year. "I'm sort of like the prodigal son, come back," Salamunovich said. "My choral heritage is this group."[8]
Once he took over the Master Chorale, Salamunovich set out to restore the signature sound that existed for many years before Currie's tenure. As many insiders already knew, Salamunovich was more responsible for that sound, having led the chorale in the vast majority of their rehearsals as assistant conductor until his departure in 1977. "I expect to take back your tone about 25 years," Salamunovich told his singers at his first rehearsal as music director. "The choir has been top-heavy, very top-heavy. I want to get back to a pyramid blend, to the sound of an over-tone choir."[9] In later interviews with the Los Angeles Times, his approach was described as follows:
'"The smooth line of
He replaced Currie's bright, operatic sound with a warmer and richer sonority, mellow and blended "with the energy – or, should I say, foundation of the sound – coming from the lower voices."[11]
His sound, though initially influenced by Wagner's, is more nimble and less heavy, becoming lyrical when the style of the piece requires it. Salamunovich describes it as "fervently with passion." The uniquely recognizable sound has become known as the "Salamunovich Sound," and he was able to achieve the same recognizable tone and phrasing from every group he conducted, even though each group contained a different set of voices and levels of expertise. Roger Wagner once said, "Paul, you make them sing the way you sang." Strangely, a myth persists in the public that Wagner tutored Salamunovich in some way and Wagner himself perpetuated that myth in the book, "The Voice of The Chorale," in which he claimed to have "taught that man (Salamunovich) practically everything I could teach anybody." The book was published in 1993; by then Salamunovich had been the conductor of the Master Chorale for three seasons marked by great acclaim for bringing the group to an artistic renaissance, and back from the brink of the tremendous financial and artistic challenges it faced before his arrival. A far more accurate accounting of the situation is that Wagner "utilized" Salamunovich as a frequent replacement so Wagner could be free to do other things, starting with Salamunovich's appointment to St. Charles Borromeo in North Hollywood, his first conducting position in 1949. Wagner decided to abandon the position because it didn't pay as well as other opportunities he was offered at other churches, and needed to find a replacement in order to make his exit. As the actual story goes, Wagner took Salamunovich to meet Pastor Monsignor Harry C. Meade and convinced him that the 21-year-old Salamunovich could not only conduct but could play the organ, neither of which was true at the time. Upon selling the pastor on the idea of his replacement, Wagner then gave Salamunovich the only conducting lesson he ever received from him or anyone else, and showed him the conducting patterns for the meters of the 2, 3 and 4/4 time signatures. When the terrified Salamunovich asked him, "What do I do now?" Wagner is reported to have said, "Practice!" No other pedagogic relationship existed between the two, although Salamunovich claimed Wagner as a mentor due to the opportunities Wagner gave him, and the fact that he would not have otherwise sought a career in conducting on his own. This was a distinction he shared with his contemporary and good friend, the great Robert Shaw, who also didn't initially seek a career in conducting. Both however, found themselves continually asked to do so until they eventually made conducting their careers. Salamunovich eulogized his friend at Shaw's funeral in 1999.
Salamunovich led the Los Angeles Master Chorale and Sinfonia Orchestra for ten years, during which time he selected a broad range of repertoire, from
Upon retiring as
Salamunovich was stricken with the West Nile virus in September 2013. After a seven-month battle to recover from the illness, he died from multiple complications on April 3, 2014, in Sherman Oaks, California. His rosary was held at St. Charles Borromeo on May 2, 2014. His funeral the following day at
Choral Legacy
In listening to the groups that Salamunovich led full-time at the professional, collegiate and church levels as well as his numerous guest conducting positions around the world, it is noteworthy that he managed to get his signature sound and interpretation no matter what level of ability the singers possessed. He also managed to accomplish this in a remarkably short amount of rehearsal time. His rehearsals were performances in themselves in which his analogies and "word pictures" turned subjective concepts into definable sounds that could immediately be grasped by the singers he conducted. Given his years conducting church choirs while having to play the organ, Salamunovich developed the use of his facial expressions almost like another set of hands to communicate the tone and vocal "shape" he wanted from the choir. He was noted for saying that singing was like acting and the facial expressions added a much more dramatic extension to the sounds he was able to bring forth. When conducting only, the use of BOTH his hands and face allowed him a much more intimate and precise communication with the choir and orchestra. His extremely successful international career as a choral clinician is a testament to his prodigious abilities as a teacher of the choral arts. An especially remarkable footnote to Salamunovich's entire career is he never set out to be a conductor and had never asked for an appointment in his life. Every single post or engagement he ever accepted was offered to him. He also never studied conducting and learned by doing largely due to the early situations in which he found himself. What is also noteworthy is his first post as a church choir conductor, is typically an entry-level post. Yet Salamunovich kept that first position his entire career while ascending up the ranks to the pinnacle of preeminent, American, choral conductors. He would regularly schedule his professional conducting duties on the international and national levels around his church duties so that he could be in the choir loft at St. Charles every Sunday (excluding summers) with rare exceptions. His students populate choral podiums around the world many of whom regularly cite his stories and analogies to their own singers. After being named Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff,
Academic positions
- Mount St. Mary's College: music faculty for 18 years
- Loyola Marymount University: music faculty (1964–1990), Director of Choral Activities, named Professor Emeritus in 1993, inaugural inductee to the Loyola Marymount Faculty Hall of Fame in 2012.
- USC Thornton School of Music: Adjunct Professor of Choral Music, Director of the USC Thornton Chamber Choir (2007–2008)
He also held two honorary doctorates from Loyola Marymount University and the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota).
In addition, he taught 831 clinics and workshops throughout the U.S., Canada, South America, the Bahamas, Europe, Australia and the Far East.
Papal audiences
In addition to his 2003 appearances at the Vatican, Salamunovich led the
- In 1988, they sang at the Mass for the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul with Pope John Paul II presiding in St. Peter's Square in Rome. This was the only American choir ever invited to sing at this occasion.
- In 1987, they performed at the Cathedral of Saint Vibiana for the official welcome of the Pontiff to the City of Los Angeles
- In 1985, they performed for the Pope in a private audience in Clementine Hall of the Vatican Palace.
Death
After becoming ill with the
Recordings and DVDs
Los Angeles Master Chorale releases
- Lux Aeterna by Morten Lauridsen (also featuring other Lauridsen works: Chansons des Roses, Ave Maria, Mid-Winter Songs, and O Magnum mMsterium) (RCM) Grammy Nomination for Best Choral Performance, 1998.
- Rodney Gilfry as baritone soloist and Frederick Swannon organ (RCM))
- Christmas, a collection of songs (RCM)
Los Angeles Philharmonic releases
- Claude Debussy, Trois nocturnes and La Damoiselle élue, Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting (Sony Classics)
- Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 3, Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting (Sony Classics)
Hollywood Bowl Orchestra releases
- Rodgers & Hammerstein, The King & I, John Maucericonducting (Phillips Classics)
- Ravel, Earth Day, John Maucericonducting (Phillips Classics)
- Hollywood Nightmares (various composers), John Mauceri conducting (Phillips Classics)
DVD
- "Choral Perspectives: Paul Salamunovich, Chant and Beyond" (2007), a documentary released by Hal Leonard Publishing
Motion picture and TV work
Salamunovich was responsible for choral music for over 100 film and TV productions, including The Godfather, Angels and Demons, First Knight, Air Force One, A.I., XXX, Peter Pan, Flatliners, ER, The Sum of All Fears, and Cirque du Soleil's Journey of Man. He coached Robert De Niro in Latin for the role of a priest in True Confessions in addition to conducting the choir for that movie.[14]
His
Awards and recognition
- Knight Commander of The Order of St Gregory the Great1969
- "Distinguished Artist Award" from the Music Center of Los Angeles County(1995)
- "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the American Choral Directors Association (2000)
- Grammy nomination for recording of "Lux Aeterna" and other choral works by Morten Lauridsen1997
- Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice The highest Papal award given to laity. 2013
References
- ^ "Salamunovich Speaks: An interview with Paul Salamunovich". 21st Century Chorister website. Archived from the original on 2007-04-03. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
- ^ Lindell, Karen (March 18, 2004). "Voice of Experience". Ventura County Star (California).
- ^ "Salamunovich Speaks: An interview with Paul Salamunovich". 21st Century Chorister website. Archived from the original on 2007-04-03. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
- ^ "Biography for Paul Salamunovich". IMDb: The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
- ^ Dutka, Elaine (December 17, 2000). "MANY VOICES, BUT ONE MAN'S SOUND; DESPITE DISTRACTIONS IN HIS FINAL SEASON, THE L.A. MASTER CHORALE'S MAESTRO IS INTENTLY FOCUSED ON SHAPING THOSE SIGNATURE TONES". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Bio: Paul Salamunovich, conductor". Los Angeles Master Chorale website. Archived from the original on 2007-10-23. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
- ^ Voland, John (April 18, 1986). "WAGNER TO DEPART ON A SOUR NOTE". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Henken, John (February 1, 1991). "THE L.A. CHORALE'S NEW MASTER; MUSIC: VETERAN CONDUCTOR AND CHORAL MISSIONARY PAUL SALAMUNOVICH WILL BE THE GROUP'S THIRD MUSIC DIRECTOR. HE REPLACES JOHN CURRIE ON SEPT. 1". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Henken, John (October 12, 1991). "CHORALE MASTER'S MISSION: BACK TO THE FUTURE". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Dutka (December 17, 2000)
- ^ Mangan, Timothy (December 18, 1994). "THE PANACHE IS BACK; PAUL SALAMUNOVICH HAS RESTORED THE L.A. MASTER CHORALE'S TO ITS FORMER GLORY; NOW, THERE'S THE AUDIENCE PROBLEM". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Dutka (December 17, 2000)
- ^ "Paul Salamunovich dies at 86; led L.A. Master Chorale for 10 years - Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times. 4 April 2014.
- ^ Henken (February 1, 1991)
External links
- Paul Salamunovich at IMDb
- Paul Salamunovich dies at 86; led L.A. Master Chorale for 10 years
- Many Voices, but One Man's Sound-The Los Angeles Times
- Paul Salamunovich Singers.com
- The Paul Salamunovich Facebook Fanpage
- Loyola Marymount University Faculty Hall of Fame: Paul Salamunovich
- Tribute to Paul Salamunovich LMU
- Reflections on Lux Aeterna with Morten Lauridsen and Paul Salamunovich Video by Michael Stillman
- Paul Salamunovich “We Tenors” – Leadership Lessons from the Choir Room
- Los Angeles Master Chorale Lauridsen/Salamunovich-Video
- Jo Michael Scheibe Remembers Paul Salamunovich