Monday, May 10, 2010

Hindemith's Class circa 1947



[make sure to click the photo for a larger view]
I know that #4 is George Hunter, but identities of the rest of these people standing behind Paul Hindemith somewhere around the Yale Campus are a mystery. Please leave your guesses in the comments, and let's use all the brain power of the musical internet to identify these composers!

UPDATE: Helen Boatwright (now 93) confirmed that #1 is her late husband Howard. She also identified #5 as John Cowell. Robert Hickok is confirmed as #7 (by Hickok himself) and he confirmed that #8 is Anthony Barbieri.

Donald Keats, who was at the Yale School of Music from 1946 to 1949 informed us that David Kraenbuhl is #12, and thinks that # 6 is Carl Miller. He only guesses that #11 might be Lennie Sarason.

#10 is a real puzzle: He has Benjamin Britten's hair and build, but a slightly different face!

UPDATE QUERY: Does anyone reading this think that #2 might be Donald Keats?

UPDATE: Here are two more photos!

16 comments:

Bernard Zaslav said...

I know that my high school friend and film composer, Leonard Rosenman, would have been studying with Hindemith around that time, as well as composer/conductor Lukas Foss, and Mitch Leigh, bassoonist and composer of the Broadway hit show "Man of La Mancha," but I can't say I recognize them in the foto.
#10 feels right for Foss and maybe #3 or #11 for Rosenman, but #8 seems to be somebody else I knew.

Bernie Zaslav said...

Could #8 be a young Hershy Kay?
And #1 be Ned Rorem?

Elaine Fine said...

#10 sure looks a lot like Benjamin Britten.

Elaine Fine said...

# 13 might be the 20-year-old Walter S. Hartley.

Elaine Fine said...

Does anybody think #12 could be Mitch (Man of La Mancha) Leigh?

David H. Bailey said...

#14 I'm pretty certain is Peter Ré, who was a professor of mine at Colby College in the early 70s.

Anonymous said...

Bernie, I think Rorem was in Paris at that time. --Robert Bonotto

Bernie Zaslav said...

Yes, I must admit that Rorem was a bit of stretch, but #10 for Britten sure looks right.
And #12 could be Mitch.

Martin Anderson said...

No. 10 may have wavy hair like Britten, but the face is someone else's!

Anonymous said...

No.2 Michael Horvit?

Elaine Fine said...

Horvit was born in 1932, which would have made him 15 in 1947! This #2 looks to be in his 20s, at the very least.

Unknown said...

My dad is number 8, Anthony Barbieri. He passed in 1976. I will check with my mom, as she may know some of the people in the photo. This picture has always been framed and on our wall, since I was a little girl.

Michael Horvit said...

Not #2. I was at Yale, but not until 1951. ~Michael Horvit

Unknown said...

Correct Mr. Bailey, 14 is my father, Peter Re. I have this picture also, but with the names of the students on the back! Some of them are difficult to read, but I will post if possible.
Philip Re

Unknown said...

My mother thinks number two might be Michael Brotman who was married to Ethel.

Anonymous said...

Here are the names:

1 - Howard Boatright
2 - Michael Brotman
3 - Harold Blumenfeld
4 - George Hunter
5 - John Cowell
6 - Carl Miller
7 - Robert Hickok
8 - Anthony Barbieri
9 - Alvin King
10 - Leonard Berkowitz
11 - Leonard Sarason
12 - David Krachenbuehl
13 - Francis Widdis
14 - Peter Re

LMK