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Percy Grainger
“The Life and Times”
7th Grade General Music, Mr. Putka
Percy Aldridge Grainger


George Percy Grainger,
who later changed his
name to Percy Aldridge
Grainger, is considered a
groundbreaking
composer.
He wrote countless of
legendary works for both
orchestra and band
alike.
Percy’s Childhood

Percy was born July 8, 1882 in the country of Australia and was
the only child of John Grainger and Rose Aldridge. His father
left him at an early age. His mother Rose was left to educate the
young Percy herself. With Rose’s guidance Percy a normal
education and persisted that her child practice the piano two
hours a day.
Percy’s Childhood Cont…..
Percy started studying piano privately at the
age of ten. He studied with the German pianist
Louis Pabst.
 Under Pabst, Percy first studied and played the
music of Bach.
 According to most, Percy was a child prodigy.
He not only succeeded at the piano but also
showed great potential in painting, drawing,
and speaking foreign languages.

Quick Quiz

At what age did Percy begin to study under Louis
Pabst?

Ten.
New Beginnings
By the encouragement of his new teacher,
Adelaide Burkitt, the twelve year old Percy and
his mother Rose left Australia for Frankfurt,
Germany.
 While in Frankfurt, Percy studied at the
renowned Dr. Hoch’s Conservatory .

Dr. Hoch’s Conservatory
Percy began composing while attending the
school.
 In 1889 , to his friends amazement, Percy used
mix meters in his piece entitled “Love Verses
from The Song of Solomon”. For example his
piece used the following time signatures
sequentially, 2 1/2/4, ¾, 2 1/2/4, 3/8, 2/4, and
etc…….

Interesting Fact

Percy was ahead of his time, Igor Stravinsky
first used mix meters in a composition that was
written in 1913.
London, England




In 1901, Percy and his
mother Rose moved to
London, England.
Percy became a successful
concert pianist and gained
the attention of Ferruccio
Busoni.
Busoni, a well accomplished
musician, offered to teach
Grainger for free.
The two studied together
throughout their careers.
London Cont….

Percy wrote many classic pieces while living in London.
Such as, “Colonial Song”, “Irish Tune from County
Derry”, and “Molly on the Shore.”
World War 1
Percy Grainger cancels all prior commitments
and moves to America in 1914 due to the war.
 Percy makes his American debut in 1915. He
plays piano in the piece “Shepard’s Hey.”
 Percy joins the army in 1917. He enlists as an
army bandsman, while in the band he learns a
variety of instruments.

Life Changes
After a honorable discharge from the army, his
mother commits suicide.
 After the suicide, Percy became a vegetarian or
as known in those days meatshunner.
 He marries Ella Strom, a sweetish poet and
artist, in 1928.

Other Accomplishments


Aside from composing
many classic pieces,
Percy becomes the dean
of the New York
University’s Music
Department.
He later performed at
the White House for the
Roosevelt family in the
late ’30s.
Percy’s Last Years


Percy spent some of his
last years working on a
electronic device that
would perform “Free
Music.”
His last years were spent
fighting a bout with
cancer. Percy died
February 20, 1961.
Final Thoughts
Percy broke the rules of composing.
 This is what Sparre Olsen said of Percy, “He
masters the whole scale of human feeling-the
soft, the tender, the lyrical, the dramatic, the
wild.”
 I would like to thank percygrainger.com for all
the information used in the slide show.
