Silas Gamaliel Pratt

Background

He was born on August 4, 1846 in Addison, Vermont, United States, the son of Jeremiah and Esther (Derby) Pratt. When he was quite young the family moved to Illinois.

Education

He attended the common schools of Plainfield and Chicago. While he showed very early a decided taste for music, he had little opportunity to study, for his father's failure in business compelled him to go to work at the age of twelve.

Later he went to Berlin where he studied piano with Franz Bendel and Theodor Kullak and theory and composition with Richard Wüerst and Friedrich Kiel. He also studied piano with Franz Liszt and score-reading with Heinrich Dorn.

Career

His first position was in the music house of H. M. Higgins in Chicago. From there he went to the music store of Root & Cady, and later became a clerk at Lyon & Healy's, where he had better opportunities and more time for his own study. By 1868 he had developed sufficiently to appear in a series of concerts in Chicago, and he had saved enough money to go abroad for three years of study (1868 - 71).

He made rapid progress, but in his eagerness to succeed he practised too strenuously and impaired the free use of his right wrist, thereby being compelled to give up the plan of becoming a concert pianist. He immediately turned his attention to composition. His first orchestral work was "Magdalene's Lament, " a single symphonic movement. This was followed by his lyric opera, Antonio, begun in Munich and completed in Berlin.

In 1871 he returned to Chicago where his first symphony was performed and he became organist of the Church of the Messiah. He made his first public appearance in April 1872 at a concert featuring his own compositions. In the same year, 1872, with George P. Upton, he organized the Apollo Musical Club, which is still (1934) an important choral organization. In 1874 Pratt gave selections of his opera, Antonio, at Farwell Hall under the direction of Hans Balatka. Encouraged by the reception of this performance, he returned to Germany in 1875.

Besides some short orchestral pieces he wrote at this time the "Prodigal Son" symphony and the "Centennial Overture. " The latter was performed under his own direction in Berlin on July 4, 1876, and scored a great triumph. He returned to America by way of London. General Grant, to whom the "Overture" was dedicated, was there at the time and the work was performed at the Crystal Palace with a huge demonstration.

In 1877 Pratt returned to Chicago and in 1878 gave a series of symphony concerts. In 1882 his opera, Zenobia, had its première in Chicago with Annie Louise Cary in the cast, and two years later he was general director of the Chicago Grand Opera Festival. Meantime he had revised his first opera, Antonio, and it was given in Chicago in 1887 under the name of Lucille. From 1888 to 1902 he taught piano in the Metropolitan College of Music in New York.

In 1906 he founded the Pratt Institute of Music and Art in Pittsburgh which he served as president until his death. He died in Pittsburgh.

Achievements

• Silas Gamaliel Pratt co-organized the Apollo Musical Club. He also founded the Pratt Institute of Music and Art in Pittsburgh ans was its president. Among his famous works are a symphonic poem, "Sandalphon"; two cantatas, "The Last Inca" and "The Triumph of Columbus" and many others. Besides, he wrote two popular books: Lincoln in Story and The Pianist's Mental Velocity.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Lincoln in Story: The Life of the Martyr-President Told in Authenticated

    (This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curat...)

  • The Triumph Of Columbus: As Produced At The Metropolitan Opera House, Oct. 10th, 1892 ......

    (This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)

Personality

Throughout his life he had been industrious and persevering and had succeeded in bringing his name before the public as a composer of rank. In this he was greatly aided by his exaggerated opinion of the worth of his own compositions.

Connections

Pratt was married in 1886 to Flora Spencer Colby of Chicago. He had a son, and a daughter.

Father:

Jeremiah Pratt

Mother:

Esther (Derby) Pratt

Spouse:

Flora Spencer Colby

coworker:

George P. Upton

teacher:

Franz Liszt

teacher:

Franz Bendel

teacher:

Theodor Kullak

teacher:

Heinrich Dorn