La Media Noche (Serenade from "Hispania Suite")

Albert Frederic Stoessel (October 11, 1894 – May 12, 1943) was an American composer, violinist and conductor.

He was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1894. He studied music at the Berlin Hochschule as a pupil of Emanuel Wirth and Willy Hess. At 19 he began his professional playing career with the Hess String Quartet, and toured as a violin soloist in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Germany. He returned to the United States in 1915 for a concert tour, appeared with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and lived in Boston until 1917 while pursuing his career as a violinist and composer.

He was head of the music department of New York University, and was director of the departments of opera and orchestra at the Julliard School in NYC.

"Hispania Suite" is a four-movement work for solo piano, published in 1922. This movement, "La Media Noche" is the second movement, and is filled with all the color and imagery that you would associate with "Latin music" of the period.

This fine arrangement was done by Philip James (1890-1975), an outstanding organist, composer and musician, and one of the leading figures on the American musical stage.

This arrangement, like all of his pieces and transcriptions is "intricate," but the effect is excellent.

It's been a pleasure to get to know his son, Phil, who has supplied me with many scores of his father's music. It's a pity that are often hard to find, but now, through Phil's kindness, I'm able to share them with my listeners.

I have a number of other uploads of the works of Philip James here in the Concert Hall, and I urge other organists, my American colleagues in particular, to take a look at them.

I dedicate this performance to Phil, with thanks and appreciation for his friendship!

The score, several photos of Albert Stoessel, and one of Philip James are attached.