John Philip Sousa

John Philip Sousa was born in 1854 in Washington, D.C. and died in He worked as a theater musician and conducted the U.S. Marine Band before starting his own civilian band in Sousa toured with his band for 40 years and was indisputably the most famous musical act in the world. He composed 136 marches, 15 operettas, 70 songs and many other pieces.

A Brief Timeline of Sousa's Life 1854: Born Washington, DC, Nov. 6. John Philip was 3rd of 10 children of John Antonio Sousa (born in Spain of Portuguese parents) and Maria Elisabeth Trinkhaus (born in Bavaria). John Philip's father, Antonio, played trombone in the U.S. Marine band. He grew up around military band music. 1860: Began musical study around age six, studying voice, violin, piano, flute, cornet, baritone, trombone and alto horn. 1867: His father enlisted him in the Marines at age 13 as an apprentice after he attempted to run away to join a circus band. 1872: Published first composition, "Moonlight on the Potomac Waltzes". 1875: Discharged from Marines. Began performing (on violin), touring and eventually conducting theater orchestras. Conducted Gilbert & Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore on Broadway. 1879: In February, met Jane van Middlesworth Bellis during Pinafore rehearsals; they were married December 30, : Returned to Washington in September to assume leadership of the US Marine Band : Conducted "The President's Own", serving under presidents Hayes, Garfield, Cleveland, Arthur and Harrison. After two successful but limited tours with the Marine Band in 1891 and 1892, promoter David Blakely convinced Sousa to resign and organize a civilian concert band.

1892: The first Sousa Band concert was performed September 26 at Stillman Music Hall in Plainfield, New Jersey. Two days earlier, bandleader Patrick Gilmore had died in St. Louis. Nineteen of Gilmore's former musicians eventually joined Sousa's band, including Herbert L. Clarke (cornet) and E. A. Lefebre (saxophone). The original name of the band was "Sousa's New Marine Band", but criticism from Washington forced the withdrawal of the name. 1895: Sousa's first successful operetta, El Capitan, debuts. 1896: Sousa's promoter David Blakely dies while Sousa and his wife are on vacation in Europe. On the return voyage, Sousa receives the inspiration for The Stars and Stripes Forever. 1900: The Sousa Band tours Europe. 1901: Second European tour. 1905: Third European tour. 1910: World Tour: New York, Great Britain, Canary Islands, South-Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji Islands, Hawaii, Canada. 1917: During World War I, Sousa joins the US Naval Reserve at age 62. He is assigned the rank of lieutenant and paid a salary of $1 per month : After the war, Sousa continued to tour with his band. He championed the cause of music education, received several honorary degrees and fought for composers' rights, testifying before Congress in 1927 and : Sousa dies at age 77 on March 6th, after conducting a rehearsal of the Ringgold Band in Reading, Pennsylvania. The last piece he conducted was "The Stars and Stripes Forever”.

El Capitan El Capitan is an operetta in three acts by John Philip Sousa and has a libretto by Charles Klein (with lyrics by Charles Klein and Tom Frost). The piece was Sousa's first successful operetta and his most successful stage work. The march "El Capitan" became a standard work both for brass bands and a crossover into other genresoperettaJohn Philip SousaCharles Klein

El Capitan also refers to the march of the same name, composed of themes from the operetta. This march is like other operetta marches (1897's Bride Elect, 1900's Man Behind the Gun, and 1906's Free Lance) with its use of both 6/8 (parts A and B) and 2/4 (parts C and D) sections. Also like the Bride Elect and Man Behind the Gun this march has an introduction between part C and D. It follows style IAABBCCIDD. The march also influenced "El Capitan" by Memphis Slim and the mambo "El Capitan" by Tony Pabon.marchMemphis SlimTony Pabon

El Capitan was first produced at the Tremont Theatre in Boston, beginning on April 13, After this tryout, it transferred to the old Broadway Theatre on 41st Street in New York on April 20, 1896, where it ran for 112 performances, starring DeWolf Hopper, Edna Wallace Hopper, John Parr, and Alfred Klein. It then toured almost continuously for four years in the United States and Canada. It was produced at the Lyric Theatre in London beginning on July 10, 1899, where it ran for 140 performances. Thereafter, the operetta was produced numerous times internationally and remained popular for some time. Occasional modern performances continue. For example, Lake George Opera gave a production in 2009, and Ohio Light Opera presented and recorded the work during the summer of [1]Tremont Theatre BostonDeWolf HopperAlfred KleinLyric TheatreLake George OperaOhio Light Opera [1]