Goehr, (Peter) Alexander

Goehr, (Peter) Alexander, prominent German-born English composer and teacher, son of Walter Goehr; b. Berlin, Aug. 10, 1932. He was a student of Richard Hall at the Royal Manchester Coll. of Music (1952-55), and then of Messiaen and Loriod in Paris (1955-56). After lecturing at Morley Coll. in London (1955-57), he was a music assistant at the BBC (1960-68). In 1968-69 he served as composer-in-residence at the New England Cons, of Music in Boston, and then was an assoc. prof. of music at Yale Univ. in 1969-70. From 1971 to 1976 he was the West Riding prof. of music at the Univ. of Leeds, and in 1975 he also was artistic director of the Leeds Festival. He subsequently was prof. of music at the Univ. of Cambridge from 1976 until his retirement in 1999. In 1980 he was a visiting prof, at the Beijing Cons, of Music. In 1989 he was made an honorary member of the American Academy and Inst. of Arts and Letters. He publ. Finding the Key: Selecting Writings of Alexander Goehr (London, 1998). Goehr’s oeuvre has been notably influenced by Schoenberg, although he has succeeded in developing an individual mode of expression utilizing serial, tonal, and modal means.

Works

DRAMATIC B a 1 1 e t : La Belle Dame Sans Merci (1958). Opera : Arden muss Sterben or Arden Must Die (1966; Hamburg, March 5, 1967); Behold the Sun or Die Wiedertaufer (1981-84; Duisburg, April 19, 1985); Arianna (1994-95; London, Sept. 15, 1995). S t a g e : Music theater triptych consisting of Naboth’s Vineyard (London, July 16, 1968), Shadowplay (London, July 8, 1970) and Sonata about Jerusalem (1970; Tel Aviv, Jan. 1971); Kantan and Damask Drum (Dortmund, Sept. 1999). ORCH.: Fantasia (1954; rev. 1959); Hecuba’s Lament (1959-61; London, Aug. 24, 1961); Violin Concerto (1961-62; Cheltenham, July 2, 1962); Little Symphony for Small Orch. (York, July 7, 1963); Little Music for Strings (Lucerne, Sept. 7, 1963); Pastorals (Donaueschingen, Oct. 1965); 3 Pieces from Arden Must Die for Wind Band, Harp, and Percussion (1967; BBC Radio 3, Jan. 12, 1969); Romanza for Cello and Orch. (Brighton, April 28, 1968); Konzertstuck for Piano and Small Orch. (Sydney, April 1969); Sym. in 1 Movement (1969; London, May 9, 1970; rev. 1981); Piano Concerto (Brighton, May 14, 1972); Metamorphosis/Dance (1973-74; London, Nov. 17, 1974); Fugue on the Notes of the Fourth Psalm for Strings (London, July 8, 1976); Romanza on the Notes of the Fourth Psalm for 2 Violins, 2 Violas Concertante, and Strings (1977; Edinburgh, Feb. 20, 1978); Sinfonia for Chamber Orch. (1979; London, Nov. 20, 1980); Deux Etudes (1980-81; Glasgow, Sept. 17, 1981); Sym. with Chaconne (1985-86; Manchester, Jan. 13, 1987); Still Lands for Small Orch. (1988-90; Peterborough, July 9, 1994); Colossos or Panic: Symphonic Fragment after Goya (1991-92; Boston, April 15, 1993); Cambridge Rocket for 4 Horns and Orch. (Cambridge, Nov. 6, 1993); Schlussgesang for Viola and Orch. (1996; Aldeburgh, June 21, 1997). CHAMBER : Fantasias for Clarinet and Piano (1954; London, Jan. 1956); 4 string quartets: No. 1 (1956-57; rev. version, London, June 15, 1988), No. 2 (Bristol, Oct. 26, 1967), No. 3 (1975-76; London, June 28, 1976) and No. 4, In Memoriam John Ogdon (Iowa City, Oct. 8, 1990); Variations for Flute and Piano (Hovingham, June 1959); Suite for Flute, Clarinet, Horn, Harp, Violin or Viola and Cello (Aldeburgh, June 29, 1961); Piano Trio (Bath, June 17, 1966); Paraphrase on the Dramatic Madrigal II Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda by Monteverdi for Clarinet (Edinburgh, Aug. 27, 1969); Concerto for Eleven (1970; Brussels, Jan. 25, 1971); Chaconne for Winds (Leeds, Nov. 3, 1974); Lyric Pieces for Winds and Double Bass (London, Nov. 15, 1974); Prelude and Fugue for 3 Clarinets (Edinburgh, Sept. 1978); Cello Sonata (1984; BBC, 1986); …a musical offering (J.S. B. 1985)… for 14 Players (Edinburgh, Aug. 19, 1985); Variations on Bach’s Sarabande from the English Suite in E minor for Winds and Timpani (1990; Huddersfield, Nov. 23, 1993); Uninterrupted Movement for Solo Cello, 4 Cellos, and Others (1995; Manchester, May 2, 1996); Quintet, Five Objects Darkly, for Bass Clarinet, Horn, Violin, Viola and Piano (1996; Los Angeles, Feb. 6, 1997); En I’air, surterre for Viola and Piano (1998); Idees Fixes for Chamber Ensemble (1998); Duos for 2 Violas, and Viola and Violin (1999). Piano : Sonata (1951-52); Capriccio (Cologne, April 1958); 3 Pieces (1964; London, April 11, 1965); Nonomiya (Macclesfield, May 12, 1969); …in real time (1988-95). VOCAL: The Deluge cantata for Soprano, Contralto and Instrumental Ensemble (1957-58; London, Feb. 1959); 4 Songs from the Japanese for Mezzo-soprano and Piano (1959; also for Mezzo-soprano and Orch., Cheltenham, July 1960); Sutler’s Gold, cantata for Bass, Chorus, and Orch. (1959-60); 2 Choruses (London, Nov. 1962); A Little Cantata of Proverbs (1962); In Theresienstadt for Mezzo-soprano and Piano (1962-64; BBC Radio 3, March 27, 1992); Virtutes 9 songs and melodramas for Speaker, Chorus, and Instruments (Whitley, Surrey, May 29, 1963); 5 Poems and an Epigram of William Blake for Chorus and Trumpet (London, July 14, 1964); Warngedichte for Mezzo-soprano and Piano (1966-67); Psalm IV for Soprano, Alto, Women’s Chorus, Viola, and Organ (London, July 8, 1976); Babylon the Great is Fallen for Chorus and Orch. (London, Dec. 12, 1979); Das Gesetz der Quadrille for Mezzo-soprano or Baritone and Piano (Norwich, Oct. 18, 1979); Behold the Sun concert aria for High Soprano, Vibraphone Obbligato and Chamber Ensemble (1981; London, Feb. 9, 1982); 2 Imitations of Baudelaire for Chorus (1985; 1st complete perf., London, June 29, 1987); Eve Dreams in Paradise for Mezzo-soprano, Tenor and Orch. (1987-88; Birmingham, March 14, 1989); Carol for St. Steven for Chorus (Cambridge, Dec. 24, 1989); Sing, Ariel for Mezzo-soprano, 2 Sopranos and 5 Instruments (1989-90; Aldeburgh, June 23, 1990); The Mouse Metamorphosed into a Maid for Voice (1991; Columbia, S.C., April 12, 1992); The Death of Moses for Soprano, Contralto or Male Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Chorus, Children’s Chorus or Semi-chorus of Sopranos and Altos and 13 Instrumentalists (1991-92; Seville, July 31, 1992); I Said I Will Take Heed (Psalm 39); Double Chorus and Wind Ensemble (1992-93; Amsterdam, May 14, 1993); Lamento of Arianna for Soprano and Ensemble, after Monteverdi (1994-95); Cori di Pescatori, 4 madrigals for 5 Men’s Voices, after Arianna (1994-95); Arianna Abbandonata for Tenor and Guitar, after Arianna (1994-96); 3 Songs for Voice, Clarinet and Viola (London, July 14, 1996).

Bibliography

B. Northcott, ed., The Music of A. G.: Interviews and Articles (London, 1980).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire