Borris, Siegfried
Borris, Siegfried
Borris, Siegfried, respected German music scholar, pedagogue, and composer; b. Berlin, Nov. 4, 1906; d. there, Aug. 23, 1987. He studied economics at the Univ. of Berlin (1925–27), where he then pursued training in musicology with Schering (Ph.D., 1933, with the diss. Kirnbergers Leben und Werk); he also studied composition with Hindemith at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik (1927–29), where he subsequently taught (1929–33). After teaching privately, he rejoined its faculty as a lecturer in music history in 1945; he also was director of Berlin’s Julius Stern Inst. from 1967. He composed in an accessible style, highlighted by an effective use of folk music.
Works
DRAMATIC: 2 radio operas: Hans im Glück (1947) and Hirotas und Gerline (1948); Die Rübe, Màrchenoper (1953); Friihlingsgesellen, Liederspiel (1951); Ruf des Lebens, scenic cantata (1954); Das letzte Spiel, ballet (1955). orch.: Suite (1938); 5 syms. (1940, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1943); Aeolische Suite for Strings (1943); Concertino for English Horn and Strings (1949); Divertimento for 5 Winds and Strings (1951); Concerto for Harpsichord, Flute, Bassoon, and Strings (1952); Concertino for Flute and Strings (1953); Concertino for Accordion and Orch. (1955); Concerto for Violas da Gamba, 3 Woodwind Instruments, and Strings (1957); Piano Concerto (1962); Hymnus for Oboe and Orch. (1964); Concerto for Orch. (1964); Organ Concerto (1965); Saxophone Concerto (1966); Horn Concerto (1967); Concerto for Strings (1968); Evolution for 19 Winds, 3 Double Basses, Harp, and Percussion (1972). chamber: Oboe Quartet (1938); Wind Quintet (1938); 3 string quartets (1938, 1941, 1953); Wind Octet (1941); Octet for Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Strings (1960); Piano Quintet (1960); Wind Sextet (1966); also 15 sonatas, 16 duos, 16 trios, and many keyboard pieces. vocal: Sacred works, including Missa “Dona nobis pacem” (1953), Weihnachtsmotette (1955), and Psalm CXXXV for Solo Voices, Chorus, and Orch. (1963); secular works, including 14 sets of lieder.
Writings
Praktische Harmonielehre (Berlin, 1938; 2nd éd., rev., 1972); Der grosse Acker (Berlin, 1946); Beitrage zu einer neuen Musikkunde (Berlin, 1947-48); Einfiihrung in die moderne Musik (Halle, 1951); Klingende Elementarlehre (Berlin, 1951; 2nd éd., 1973); Modern Jazz (Berlin, 1962); Die Oper im 20. Jahrhundert (Wolfenbüttel, 1962-73); Der Schlüssel zur Musik von heute (Dusseldorf, 1967); Musikleben in Japan (Kassel, 1967); Die grossen Orchester (Dusseldorf, 1969).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire