Huber, Hans
Huber, Hans
Huber, Hans, Swiss composer and pedagogue; b. Eppenberg, near Olten, June 28, 1852; d. Locarno, Dec. 25, 1921. He studied at the Leipzig Cons, with Richter, Reinecke, and Wenzel (1870–74), then taught music in Wesserling, Thann (Alsace), at the Basel music school (from 1889), where he was its director (1886–1917). His style combined the rhapsodic form typical of Lisztian technique with simple ballad-like writing. He often used Swiss songs for thematic material.
Works
dramatic: Opera: Weltfrühling (Basel, March 28, 1894); Kudrun (Basel, Jan. 29, 1896); Der Simplicius (Basel, Feb. 22, 1912); Die schöne Beilinda (Bern, April 2, 1916); Frutta di mare (Basel, Nov. 24, 1918). ORCH.: 8 syms. (all 1st perf. in Basel except No. 2): No. 1, William Tell (April 26, 1881), No. 2, Böcklinsinfonie (Zürich, July 2, 1900), No. 3, Heroische (Nov. 9, 1917), No. 4, Akademische (May 23, 1909), No. 5, Romantische (Feb. 11, 1906), No. 6 (Nov. 19, 1911), No. 7, Swiss (June 9, 1917), and No. 8 (Oct. 29, 1921); 4 piano concertos (1878, 1891, 1899, 1910); Violin Concerto (1878). CHAMBER: Sextet for Piano and Wind Instruments (1900); Quintet for Piano and Wind Instruments (1914); 2 string quintets (1890, 1907); String Quartet; 2 piano quartets; 5 piano trios; 10 violin sonatas; 5 cello sonatas; piano works, among them 48 preludes and fugues for piano, 4-Hands.
Bibliography
E. Refardt, H H. (Leipzig, 1906); idem, H. H, Beiträge zu einer Biographie (Leipzig, 1922); C. Bundi, H. H, Die Persönlichkeit nach Briefen und Erinnerungen (Basel, 1925); E. Refardt, H. H. (Zürich, 1944).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire