Clemencic, René
Clemencic, René
Clemencic, René, Austrian recorder player, harpsichordist, conductor, and composer; b. Vienna, Feb. 27, 1928. He took courses in philosophy and musicology at the Sorbonne in Paris, the Collège de France, and the Univ. of Vienna (Ph.D., 1956), and studied recorder, harpsichord, and theory with H. Staeps, harpsichord with E. Harich–Schneider, early music with J. Mertin, analysis with E. Ratz, and theory with }. Polnauer in Vienna. He also received recorder training from J. Collette in Nijmegen and from L. Hoffer v. Wintersfeld and W. Nitschke in Berlin. In 1958 he founded the Musica Antiqua in Vienna, which became the Ensemble Musica Antiqua in 1959; with this group, he gave performances of music from the Middle Ages to the Baroque, utilizing authentic instruments. In 1969 he founded the Clemencic Consort, and led it in a vast repertoire, extending from the medieval period to the avant–garde. He also taught at the Vienna Academy of Music and authored two books, Old Musical Jnstruments (London, 1968; also in German) and Carmina Burana, Kommentar zur Gesamtausgabe der Melodien (Munich, 1979).
Works
DRAMATIC: Sesostris I, monodrama for Speaker and 5 Players (1970); Der Berg, chamber opera for 4 Voices and Chamber Ensemble (1993). orch.:Musik zum “Prinz von Homburg” (1983); Flauto II for Recorder and Strings (1984); Revolution for 7 Drums and Orch. (1989). chamber:Fantasia Dodekafonica for Recorder (1964); Maraviglia I for Recorder (1968), II for Recorder (1968), Ili/Iter Exstaticum for Speaker and Chamber Ensemble (1968), and IV/Lucerna Eius for Chamber Ensemble (1969); Bicinia Nova for 2 Recorders or Piccolo Flutes (1969); Experience One for Recorder, Harpsichord, and Tape (1971); Nova Bicinia Nova for 2 Recorders (1971); Sesostris IV for Recorder and Strings (1990); Chronos I for Recorder, Violin, and Tape (1971), II for 4 Recorders (1975), and III for 4 Instruments (1976); Flauto Magico I for Recorder (1978); Sicut Navis for Cello and Piano (1981); Unus Mundus for 10 Instruments and Tape (1986); Estasi for 6 Percussionists (1988); Passatempo for Brass and Wind Quintet (1989); Musica Instru–mentalis for Chamber Ensemble (1989); Musica Hermética for 2 Violins and Tape (1989); Strukturen for Saxophone Quartet (1989); Opus for Recorder and Strings (1991); AES Fanfare for Brass and Percussion (1992); Jeruschalajim, piano trio (1995); Lux intelligentia for Recorder, Violin, Cello, and Percussion (1995); Emblamata for Trombones and Percussion (1997). vocal:Maraviglia V for Voice and 4 Players (1972); Sesostris II for Speaker, 2 Loudspeakers, 4 Singers, and Chamber Ensemble (1976); Realitaten for Voice and Chamber Ensemble (1979); Musik zum “Urfaust” for Voice and Chamber Ensemble (1980); Missa Mundi (Ossiacher Marienmesse) for 5 Voices, Chorus, and Orch. (1981); Musik zu “Tolldreiste Szenen” for Voice and Chamber Ensemble (1981); Stufen for Countertenor and 5 Instruments (1981); Requiem pro Vivis et Mortuis for 5 Voices, Chorus, and Orch. (1986–87); Drachenkampf ior Speaker and 7 Players (1987); Kabbala, oratorio for 5 Voices, Brass, and Percussion (1992); Apokalypsis, oratorio for 5 Voices, Women’s Chorus, Brass, Percussion, and Double Basses (1996); Urn Mitternacht for Voice and 4 Instruments (1998); Reise nach Niniveh for 12 Voices (1999).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire