Professor Profile: Larry Stempel

Larry Stempel is an Associate Professor of Music, who specializes in the study of Western music of the 19th and 20th centuries, and his research has focused on examining the relationship between the cultivated and vernacular traditions of this period. He has served as Music Director and Principal Conductor of the orchestra of the Universidad de Chile, La Serena, and his compositions have been performed at the Berkshire Music Center, Tanglewood. W.W. Norton & Co. will publish his forthcoming history of Broadway musicals. Dr. Larry Stempel took time out of his busy day to answer the following questions regarding his research, courses at Fordham and his contributions to the Fordham community.


How long have you been a part of the Fordham community?

I have been part of the Fordham community for over thirty years now.

What institutions have you received degrees from?

I received my BA from Queens College (CUNY) and my MA and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania.

What class(es) have you taught/are teaching for the ’10-’11 academic year?

As Associate Chair of the Department of Art History and Music, I'm on a reduced teaching load. In the fall I taught a course in Jazz History and one in Early Modern Music as part of the Honors Program. This semester I'm teaching Broadway Musicals (using my book as a classroom text) and a course in Contemporary Music for the Honors Program. [The courses typically taught by Dr. Stempel are: Opera: An Introduction; Music History Introduction; Traditions in American Music; Jazz, A History in Sound; Broadway Musicals; Romantic Music: 19th Century; Music in Modern Times: 20th Century; and Senior Seminar (American Studies).]


What are the most noteworthy contributions (publications, special projects) you’ve given your field/discipline?

I've published scholarly articles in several journals (Musical Quarterly, Journal of the Society for American Music) and I've participated as a songwriter in the BMI Music Theater Workshop.

• “Not Even Varese Can Be an Orphan,” The Musical Quarterly 60, 1 (1974): 46-60.
• “Vareses Awkwardness und die Symmetrie im Zwolftonrahmen,” Scweizerische Musikzeitung 119: 69-82.
• “’Street Scene’ and the Enigma of Broadway Opera” in A New Orpheus (New Haven:Yale University Press, 1986): 321-41.
• "The Musical Play Expands," American Music 10, 2 (1992): 136-69.

What current research projects are you involved with?

I'm working on an anthology of original documents related to the development of the history of the American musical theater.

A few weeks ago, current senior Daniella Rizza was asked in an interview with The Ram what has been her favorite class at Fordham, she replied:

This is too hard of a question for me to answer, but if I had to pick one, I'd say my favorite class is Broadway Musicals, which I'm taking now with Dr. Stempel, because it's too good to be true. My homework is listening to show tunes.

Dr. Stempel’s classes are often a favorite among Fordham students and having had him twice myself, I highly recommend his courses to all students, even for those who lack musical talent (like me!).

Click here for more information about Fordham’s Department of Art History & Music.