Einem, Gottfried Von
Einem, Gottfried Von
Einem, Gottfried von, outstanding Austrian composer; b. Bern, Switzerland, Jan. 24, 1918. He was taken to Germany as a child and pursued academic studies in Plon and Ratzeburg. In 1938 he was arrested and briefly imprisoned by the Gestapo, but that same year he became a coach at the Bayreuth Festival and at the Berlin State Opera. After studying composition with Blacher in Berlin (1941–42), he went to the Dresden State Opera in 1944 as resident composer and musical advisor. Later that year he settled in Austria, where he studied counterpoint with J.N. David. From 1963 to 1972 he taught at the Vienna Hochschule fur Musik. He also served as president of the Austrian Soc. of Authors, Composers, and Music Publishers (1965–70). Einem publ. the books Das musikalische Selbstportrat von Komponisten, Dirigenten, Sdngerinnen und Stinger unserer Zeit (Hamburg, 1963) and Komponist und Gesellschaft (Karlsruhe, 1967). Einem achieved an original mode of expression within tonal parameters which allowed him to explore a remarkable range of dynamic, rhythmic, and harmonic effects. He especially excelled as a composer of dramatic scores, but he also revealed himself as a distinguished composer of instrumental music.
Works
DRAMATIC Opera : Dantons Tod (1944–46; Salzburg, Aug. 6, 1948); Der Prozess (1950–52; Salzburg, Aug. 17, 1953); Der Zerrissene (1961–64; Hamburg, Sept. 17, 1964); Der Besuch der alien Dame (1970; Vienna, May 23, 1971); Kabale und Liebe (1975; Vienna, Dec. 17, 1976); Jesu Hochzeit (Vienna, May 18, 1980); Tulifant (1989–90; Vienna, Oct. 30, 1990). B a l l e t : Prinzessin Turandot (1942–43; Dresden, Feb. 5, 1944); Rondo von goldenen Kalb (1950; Hamburg, Feb. 1, 1952); Pas de coeur (Munich, July 22, 1952); Gluck, Tod und Traum (1953; Alpbach, Aug. 23, 1954); Medusa (Vienna, Jan. 16, 1957; rev. 1971). ORCH.: Capriccio (1942–43; Berlin, March 3, 1943); Concerto for Orchestra (1943; Berlin, April 3, 1944); Orchestermusik (Vienna, June 21, 1948); Serenade for Double String Orch. (1949; Berlin, Jan. 30, 1950); Meditations (Louisville, Nov. 6, 1954); Piano Concerto (1955; Berlin, Oct. 6, 1956); Wandlungen (1956); Symphonic Scenes (1956; Boston, Oct. 11, 1957); Ballade (1957; Cleve-land, March 20, 1958); Tanz-Rondo (Munich, Nov. 13, 1959); 4 syms.: No. 1, Philadelphia Symphony (1960; Vienna, Nov. 11, 1961), No. 2, Wiener Symphonic (1976; Minneapolis, Nov. 16, 1977), No. 3, Munchner Sinfonie (1985), and No. 4 (1988); Nachstiick (1960; Kassel, Nov. 16, 1962); Violin Concerto (1966–67; Vienna, May 31, 1970); Hexameron (1969; Los Angeles, Feb. 19, 1970); Bruckner Dialog (1971; Linz, March 23, 1974); Arietten for Piano and Orch. (1977; Berlin, Feb. 20, 1978); Ludi Leopoldini, variations on a theme of Emperor Leopold I (Berlin, Oct. 12, 1980); Organ Concerto (1981; Linz, Feb. 1, 1983); Fraktale, “Concerto Philharmonico” for the 150th anniversary of the Vienna Phil. (Vienna, Oct. 18, 1992). CHAMBER : Violin Sonata (1947); 5 string quartets (1975; 1977; 1980; 1981; 1989–91); Sonata for Solo Violin (1975); Wind Quintet (1976); Sonata for Solo Viola (1980); Steinbeis Serenade, octet (1981); Sonata for Solo Double Bass (1982); String Trio (1985); Cello Sonata (1987); Sonata enigmatica for Double Bass (1988); Flute Quartet (1988); Trio for Violin, Clarinet, and Piano (1992); Jeux d’amour for Horn and Piano (1993); Karl-Hartwig Kaltners Malerei for 4 Brass Instruments (1993). VOCAL: Hymnus for Alto, Chorus, and Orch. (1949; Vienna, March 31, 1951); Das Stundenlied for Chorus and Orch. (1958; Hamburg, March 1, 1959); Von der Lieb for Soprano or Tenor and Orch. (Vienna, June 18, 1961); Kammergesange for Mezzo-soprano, Baritone, and Small Orch. (1965); Geistliche Sonata for Soprano, Trumpet, and Organ (1971–73); Rosa mystica for Baritone and Orch. (1972; Vienna, June 4, 1973); An die Machgebornen for Alto, Baritone, Chorus,
and Orch. (1973–75; N.Y., Oct. 24, 1975); Gute Ratschlage, cantata for Soloists, Chorus, and Guitar (1982); Missa Claravallensis for Chorus, Winds, and Percussion (1987–88); Alchemistenspiegel for Baritone and Orch. (Bregenz, July 30, 1990); song cycles; solo songs.
Bibliography
I D. Hartmann, G. v. E. (Vienna, 1967); H. Hopf and B. Sonntag, eds., G. v. E.: Ein Komponist unseres Jahrhunderts (Miinster, 1989); K. Lezak, Das Opernschaffen G.u. E.s. (Vienna, 1990); T. Eickhoff, Politische Dimensionen einer Komponistien Biographie im 20. Jahrhundert—G. v. E. (Stuttgart, 1998).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire