Ficher, Jacobo

Ficher, Jacobo, Russian-Argentine composer; b. Odessa, Jan. 15, 1896; d. Buenos Aires, Sept. 9, 1978. He studied violin with Stolarsky and Korguev in Odessa and composition with Kalafati and Steinberg at the St. Petersburg Cons., graduating in 1917. In 1923 he emigrated to Argentina. In 1956 he was appointed prof, of composition at the National Cons, of Music in Buenos Aires. His music is characterized by a rhapsodic fluency of development and a rich harmonic consistency. He particularly excelled in chamber music.

Works

DRAMATIC Opera: El oso (1952); Pedido de mano (1955). B a l l e t : Colombina de Hoy (1933); Los Invitados (1933); Melchor (1938–39); Golondrina (1942). ORCH.: Po-ema heroico (1927; rev. 1934); Sulamita, tone poem (1927; Buenos Aires, July 20, 1929; rev. 1960); Obertura patetica (1928; Buenos Aires, May 17, 1930; rev. as Exodus, 1960); 8 syms. (1932; 1933; 1938–40; 1947; 1948; 1956; 1958–59; 1965); Violin Concerto (1942); 3 piano concertos (1945, 1954, 1960); Harp Concerto (1956); Flute Concerto (1965). CHAMBER: 4 string quartets (1927,1936,1943,1952); 3 violin sonatas (1929,1945,1959); Suite en estilo antiguo for Woodwind Quintet (1930); Sonata for Viola, Flute, and Piano (1931); Sonatina for Saxophone, Trumpet, and Piano (1932); Piano Trio (1935); Flute Sonata (1935); Clarinet Sonata (1937); Oboe Sonata (1940); Cello Sonata (1943); Sonata for Flute and Clarinet (1949); Sonata for Flute, Oboe, and Bassoon (1950); Viola Sonata (1953); Piano Quintet (1961); Wind Quintet (1967). KEYBOARD : Piano : 8 sonatas; several sets of pieces (including 2 groups of effective “fables,” descriptive of animals). VOCAL: 3 cantatas: Salmo de alegria (1949), Mi aldea (1958), and Kadisch (1969).

Bibliography

B. Zipman, j. F. (Buenos Aires, 1966).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire