Selected Non-Indianist Works of Charles Sanford Skilton: The Witch's Daughter - A Cantata for Soprano and Baritone Soli, Chorus and Orchestra (1918) and Electra - Music of the Electra of Sophocles, Composed for Women's Chorus and Orchestra (1920)

Abstract

Charles Sanford Skilton (1868-1941) is widely remembered as an exponent of the Indianist Movement in musical composition, which was important from about 1880 to 1920. Little investigation has been completed on his works outside of his Indianist interest, leaving many gaps in our knowledge of his music. While compiling materials for this thesis, it was observed that Skilton, now nearly forgotten as a serious art music composer, was well received as a composer, theorist, and pedagogue during his life. Much of his extant works are comparable to Indianist composers such as Arthur Farwell and Charles Wakefield Cadman. Skilton was known for more than just his Indianist works; his legacy as an American music pioneer is quite worthy of acknowledgement. This thesis examines Skilton's life, his compositions, public reception, and notable performances with specific focus on two selected works outside of his Indianist interest, The Witch's Daughter - A Cantata for Soprano and Baritone Soli, Chorus and Orchestra (1918), and Electra - Music of the Electra of Sophocles, composed for Women's Chorus and Orchestra (1920). These works together shed light on attributes of Skilton's compositional style and his relation to composers of the same period.