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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 1-25 of 698 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Berliner 1 7-in. 1/3/1896 High school cadets Band (unidentified; Berliner Gramophone Co.) Band composer  
Berliner 9 7-in. Before 1895 Semper fidelis Artists vary Band composer  
Berliner 13 7-in. Before 1895 The gladiator march Artists vary Band composer  
Berliner 23 7-in. 6/28/1895 Directorate march Artists vary Band composer  
Berliner 30 7-in. 8/10/1897 The thunderer march Sousa's Band Band composer  
Berliner 36 7-in. Sept. 1898 The charlatan march Sousa's Band Band composer  
Berliner 42 7-in. 10/29/1896 El capitan march Artists vary Band composer  
Berliner 61 7-in. 5/27/1897 The stars and stripes forever Artists vary Band composer  
Berliner 70 7-in. 9/1/1897 The lily bell's Sousa's Band Band composer  
Berliner 92 7-in. 2/3/1898 The bride elect march Sousa's Band Band composer  
Berliner 103 7-in. 4/7/1898 Star spangled banner Sousa's Band Band arranger  
Berliner 105 7-in. Before 1895 The National Fencibles Band (unidentified; Berliner Gramophone Co.) Band composer  
Berliner 107 7-in. 4/9/1898 Mother Hubbard Sousa's Band Band composer  
Berliner 112 7-in. 4/8/1898 The colonial dames waltzes Sousa's Band Band composer  
Berliner 136 7-in. Before Aug. 1895 High school cadets Band (unidentified; Berliner Gramophone Co.) Band composer  
Berliner 140 7-in. Before 1895 Washington Post march Artists vary Band composer  
Berliner 143 7-in. 11/21/1895 King Cotton march Artists vary Band composer  
Berliner 144 7-in. Before 1895 The Liberty Bell Band (unidentified; Berliner Gramophone Co.) Band composer  
Berliner 149 7-in. Before Aug. 1895 Manhattan Beach march Artists vary Band composer  
Berliner 250 7-in. 3/30/1896 King Cotton Artists vary Piano solo composer  
Berliner 434 7-in. 10/6/1898 El capitan Harry Taft Whistling solo composer  
Berliner 466 7-in. 8/19/1897 Directorate march Vess L. Ossman Banjo solo composer  
Berliner 470 7-in. Before Apr. 1899 The stars and stripes forever Artists vary Banjo solo composer  
Berliner 479 7-in. Before June 1898 El capitan Unidentified banjoist (Berliner Records) Banjo solo composer  
Berliner 480 7-in. Before Oct. 1898 The Washington Post Cullen and Collins Banjo duet composer  
(Results 1-25 of 698 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Sousa, John Philip," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102569.

Sousa, John Philip. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102569.

"Sousa, John Philip." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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