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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 501-525 of 698 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 583 10-in. ca. 1902 The bride elect : March Columbia Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Columbia 603 7-in. ca. 1902 El capitan march Columbia Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Columbia 603 10-in. ca. 1902 El capitan march Columbia Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Columbia 607 7-in. ca. 1902 Hands across the sea march Columbia Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Columbia 607 10-in. ca. 1902 Hands across the sea march Columbia Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Columbia 619 7-in. approximately 1902 Liberty Bell march Artists vary Orchestra composer  
Columbia 619 10-in. ca. 1902 Liberty Bell march Artists vary Orchestra composer  
Columbia 623 7-in. ca. 1902-Oct. 1905 Picador march Artists vary Orchestra composer  
Columbia 623 10-in. approximately 1902 Picador march Artists vary Orchestra composer  
Columbia 629 7-in. ca. 1902-Oct. 1905 Stars and stripes forever march Columbia Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Columbia 629 10-in. ca. 1902 Stars and stripes forever march Columbia Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Columbia 676 7-in. ca. 1902-Oct. 1905 El capitan : March Vess L. Ossman Banjo solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 676 10-in. ca. 1902 El capitan : March Vess L. Ossman Banjo solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 677 7-in. ca. 1902 The gladiator march Columbia Band Band composer  
Columbia 677 10-in. approximately 1902 The gladiator march Columbia Band Band composer  
Columbia 678 7-in. ca. 1902 Thunderer march Columbia Band Band composer  
Columbia 678 10-in. approximately 1902 Thunderer march Columbia Band Band composer  
Columbia 740 7-in. ca. 1902-Oct. 1905 The Imperial Edward coronation march Columbia Band Band composer  
Columbia 740 10-in. ca. 1902 Imperial Edward, coronation march Columbia Band Band composer  
Columbia 823 7-in. ca. 1902 Washington Post march Charles P. Lowe Xylophone solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 823 10-in. approximately 1902 Washington Post march Charles P. Lowe Xylophone solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 825 7-in. ca. 1902-Oct. 1905 Stars and stripes forever march Charles P. Lowe Xylophone solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 825 10-in. ca. 1902 Stars and stripes forever march Charles P. Lowe Xylophone solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 827 7-in. ca. 1902 El capitan : March Charles P. Lowe Xylophone solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 827 10-in. ca. 1902-1908 El capitan : March Charles P. Lowe Xylophone solo, with piano composer  
(Results 501-525 of 698 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Sousa, John Philip," accessed March 29, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102569.

Sousa, John Philip. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102569.

"Sousa, John Philip." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 29 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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