December 27, 2025

Leroy Anderson, Compositions, Detailed information

Alma Mater
  Completed: May 31, 1954, a revision of "Harvard Sketches" which was written in 1939. Length: 6:10. Four movements: 1. Chapel Bells (1:30); 2. Freshman on Main Street (1:15); 3. Library Reading Room (1:50); 4. Class Reunion (1:35)
  First performed: June 14, 1954, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Boston Pops Orchestra, Boston, MA. This was "Harvard Night at the Pops," the 25th reunion of Leroy Anderson's Harvard class of 1929.
  First recorded: June 30, 1988, Newton Wayland, conductor, Rochester (NY) Pops in digital stereo sound.

Arietta    Reference Article
Balladette    Reference Article
Belle of the Ball
  Completed: May 12, 1951. Length: 2:35. Instrumentation: Full Orchestra.
  First performance: June 28, 1951, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca recording session.
  First recording: June 28, 1951, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca Records (monaural)
  First stereo recording: May 28, 1959. Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca Records.
  Mitchell Parish wrote lyrics for Belle of the Ball in 1952.   Copyright: © 1951 (Renewed) Woodbury Music Company LLC
  Notes: Leroy Anderson said that he loved waltzes. At Harvard, Walter Piston encouraged Anderson not to emulate other composers such as Johann Strauss. "Belle of the Ball" is a modern waltz written in Anderson's own style which he developed in response to Piston's advice.

Blue Tango
  Completed: June 28, 1951. Length: 2:50. Instrumentation: Full Orchestra.
  First performance: June 28, 1951, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca recording session.
  First recording: June 28, 1951, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca Records (monaural)
  First stereo recording: May 26, 1959. Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca Records.
  Mitchell Parish wrote lyrics for Blue Tango in 1952.
  Copyright: © 1951 (Renewed) Woodbury Music Company LLC
  Notes: "Blue Tango" was released in the autumn of 1951 on both of the competing record formats of the day, a 10-inch Long Playing record and a 45 rpm two-song record. On the 45 rpm record, "Blue Tango" was paired with "Belle of the Ball" which the composer thought that the public might like the best. The public decided differently and "Blue Tango" became the top song of the juke boxes and radios of the day. Anderson received a gold record in 1952 for "Blue Tango," the first instrumental recording to sell over one million copies. Leroy Anderson's original mono recording of "Blue Tango" was re-released in 1998.

Bugler's Holiday    Reference Article
The Captains and the Kings    Reference Article
China Doll
  Completed: June 28, 1951, Length: 2:35. Instrumentation: Full Orchestra.
  First performance: June 28, 1951, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca recording session.
  First recording: June 28, 1951, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca Records (monaural)
  First stereo recording: June 11, 1959. Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca Records.
  Copyright: © 1951 (Renewed) Woodbury Music Company LLC
  Notes: "  "China Doll", as the title suggests, has a delicate, fragile melody, first played by the oboe, then by the entire orchestra." - Leroy Anderson.

Clarinet Candy    Reference Article
Concerto in C for Piano and Orchestra    Reference Article
Andante    Reference Article
Fiddle-Faddle    Reference Article
First Day of Spring    Reference Article
Forgotten Dreams    Reference Article
Girl in Satin, The    Reference Article
Golden Years, The    Reference Article
Governor Bradford March    Reference Article
Harvard Festival    Reference Article
Harvard Sketches
  Completed: April, 1939. Length: 4:49. Four movements: 1. Lowell House Bells; 2. Freshman in Harvard Square; 3. Widener Reading Room; 4. Class Day Confetti Battle.
  First performed: May 15, 1939, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Boston Pops Orchestra, Boston, MA. This was "Harvard Night at the Pops." the 25th reunion of the Harvard class of 1914.
  First Recording: April 2007, Leonard Slatkin, conductor, BBC Concert Orchestra, Watford, U.K.
  "Harvard Sketches" was revised and published as "Alma Mater" in 1954 (see "Alma Mater" listing).
  Composer quote: "The idea of writing humorous music started with the "Harvard Sketches." Two of the sketches, "Freshman in Harvard Square" and "Widener Reading Room," were of a fanciful nature and had unusually enthusiastic reception from the audience, composed largely of Harvard graduates, undergraduates, and their friends. The "Freshman" theme was represented by a happy-go-lucky theme played slightly out of tune by the clarinet, and the setting for the "Reading Room" was a lullaby, interrupted by conversation and the librarian rapping on his desk for silence."

Home Stretch    Reference Article
Horse and Buggy
  Completed: June 11, 1951, Length: 3:20. Instrumentation: Full Orchestra.
  First performance: June 29, 1951, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca recording session.
  First recording: June 29, 1951, Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca Records (monaural)
  First stereo recording: May 28, 1959. Leroy Anderson, conductor, Decca Records.
  Copyright: © 1951 (Renewed) Woodbury Music Company LLC
  Notes: "Horse and Buggy" is one of three Anderson compositions in which the composer created a musical image of a horse. The other two compositions are "Home Stretch" and "Sleigh Ride."

Jazz Legato
  Completed: Summer 1938
  Copyright: © 1938 (Renewed) Woodbury Music Company LLC
  Instrumentation: String Orchestra (1938), Full Orchestra (1949)
  First Performed: June 29, 1939 Arthur Fiedler, conductor, Boston Pops Orchestra, Boston, MA
  First Recording: June 29, 1939 Arthur Fiedler, conductor, Boston Pops Orchestra
  Length: 1:35
  First Stereo Recording: June 5, 1959, Leroy Anderson, Decca Records, New York, NY
  Notes: Originally written as a companion piece to Jazz Pizzicato.

Jazz Pizzicato
  Completed: May 1938
  Copyright: © 1939 (Renewed) Woodbury Music Company LLC
  Instrumentation: String Orchestra (1938), Full Orchestra (1948)
  First Performed: May 23, 1938 Leroy Anderson, conductor, Boston Pops Orchestra, Boston, MA
  First Recording: June 29, 1939 Arthur Fiedler, conductor, Boston Pops Orchestra
  Length: 1:45
  First Recording by Leroy Anderson: Sept. 9, 1950, Leroy Anderson, Decca Records, New York, NY
  First Stereo Recording: June 5, 1959, Leroy Anderson, Decca Records, New York, NY
  Notes: This is the first composition Leroy Anderson wrote. It launched his career as a composer.

Lady in Waiting Ballet
Lady in Waiting Waltz
  Length: 3:20. Instrumentation: Full Orchestra.   "Lady in Waiting" was composed in 1958 as a song for the musical production "Goldilocks."   Leroy Anderson made two instrumental arrangements for symphonic orchestra of this composition. One was "Lady In Waiting - Ballet Music." This was composed in 1959 after the Broadway production closed. This arrangement was first performed in a recording session for Decca on June 3, 1959.
The other arrangement is "Lady In Waiting - Waltz." This was completed on May 23, 1959 after the Broadway production closed. This arrangement was first performed in a recording session for Decca on June 3, 1959. This recording was not released.
  Recording: September 2007, Leonard Slatkin, conductor, BBC Concert Orchestra, Watford, U.K.


Lullaby of the Drums    Reference Article
March of the Two Left Feet

Melody on Two Notes    Reference Article
Mother's Whistler

Penny Whistle Song, The

Phantom Regiment, The    Reference Article
Pirate Dance

Plink, Plank, Plunk!

Promenade

Pussy Foot, The (Ballet)

Pussy Foot, The (Waltz)

Pyramid Dance

Sandpaper Ballet    Reference Article
Saraband

Serenata

Sleigh Ride Original / English lyrics Reference Article
 Promenade en traîneau [ paroles en français / French lyrics ] Reference Article
 Corsa in slitta, Gita in slitta, Tintinna il Natale [ testi italiano / Italian lyrics] Reference Article
 Rekiretki kappale / Sleigh Ride joululaulu  [ suomi / Finnish lyrics ] Reference Article
 Saanisõit-Sleigh-Ride  [Eestikeelsed sõnad / Estonian lyrics ] Reference Article

Song of the Bells

Summer Skies    Reference Article
Syncopated Clock, The

Ticonderoga March

Trumpeter's Lullaby, A    Reference Article
Typewriter, The    Reference Article
Waltz Around The Scale

Waltzing Cat, The    Reference Article