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John Philip Sousa


John Philip Sousa ( SOO-zə, SOO-sə, Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈso(w)zɐ]; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to distinguish him from his British counterpart Kenneth J. Alford. Among Sousa's best-known marches are "The Stars and Stripes Forever" (National March of the United States of America), "Semper Fidelis" (official march of the United States Marine Corps), "The Liberty Bell", "The Thunderer", and "The Washington Post".

Sousa began his career playing violin and studying music theory and composition under John Esputa and George Felix Benkert. Sousa's father enlisted him in the United States Marine Band as an apprentice in 1868. He left the band in 1875, and over the next five years, Sousa performed as a violinist and learned to conduct. In 1880, he rejoined the Marine Band and served there for 12 years as director, after which Sousa was hired to conduct a band organized by David Blakely, P.S. Gilmore's former agent. Blakely wanted to compete with Gilmore. From 1880 until his death, Sousa focused exclusively on conducting and writing music. He aided in the development of the sousaphone, a large brass instrument similar to the helicon and tuba.

Upon the outbreak of World War I, Sousa was awarded a wartime commission of lieutenant commander to lead the Naval Reserve Band in Illinois. He then returned to conduct the Sousa Band until his death in 1932. In the 1920s, Sousa was promoted to the permanent rank of lieutenant commander in the naval reserve.

Birth and Death Data: Born November 6, 1854 (Washington, D.C.), Died March 6, 1932 (Reading)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1894 - 1950

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, arranger, conductor, director, speaker

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 651-675 of 699 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Edison 615 Not documented 4/22/1911 Stars and stripes forever New York Military Band Band composer  
Edison 2354 10-in. 6/27/1913 Summer girl Reed Orchestra [Edison Records] Reed orchestra composer  
Edison 2357 10-in. 7/2/1913 The red man Edison Concert Band Band composer  
Edison 2358 10-in. 7/2/1913 The black man Edison Concert Band Band composer  
Edison 2359 10-in. 7/2/1913 The glory of the Yankee navy march New York Military Band Band composer  
Edison 3069 10-in. May-June 1914 Hail, Columbia New York Military Band Band composer  
Edison 3726 10-in. 4/23/1915 Stars and stripes forever march Sodero's Band Band composer  
Edison 3863 10-in. 6/10/1915 The thunderer march New York Military Band Band composer  
Edison 3864 10-in. 6/10/1915 King Cotton march New York Military Band Band composer  
Edison 4030 10-in. 7/29/1915 The gladiator march New York Military Band Band composer  
Edison 5210 10-in. 12/12/1916 The stars and stripes forever march Imperial Marimba Band Marimba band composer  
Edison 5423 10-in. 3/1/1917 The Boy Scouts of America march New York Military Band Band, with female vocal solo and male vocal chorus composer  
Edison 5504 10-in. 4/13/1917 The invincible eagle march New York Military Band Band composer  
Edison 5505 10-in. 4/13/1917 Hail to the Spirit of Liberty march New York Military Band Band composer  
Edison 5506 10-in. 4/13/1917 The Liberty Bell march New York Military Band Band composer  
Edison 5854 10-in. 10/23/1917 Naval Reserve march New York Military Band Band composer  
Edison 6034 10-in. Feb. 1918 Wisconsin forward forever march New York Military Band Band composer  
Edison 6035 10-in. 2/28/1918 Hands across the sea march New York Military Band Band composer  
Edison 6112 10-in. Apr. 1918 The U.S. Field Artillery march New York Military Band Band composer  
Edison 6113 10-in. 4/9/1918 The volunteers march New York Military Band Band composer  
Edison 6292 10-in. 7/31/1918 Sabre and spurs march New York Military Band Band composer  
Edison 6525 10-in. 12/26/1918 Wedding march New York Military Band Band composer  
Edison 6912 10-in. 8/26/1919 Semper fidelis march New York Military Band Band composer  
Edison 6986 10-in. 10/21/1919 Manhattan Beach march New York Military Band Band composer  
Edison 6987 10-in. 10/21/1919 El Capitan march New York Military Band Band composer  
(Results 651-675 of 699 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Sousa, John Philip," accessed November 9, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/102569.

Sousa, John Philip. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 9, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/102569.

"Sousa, John Philip." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 9 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/102569

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