Kanitz, Ernest (actually, Ernst)

Kanitz, Ernest (actually, Ernst), Austrian-American composer and teacher; b. Vienna, April 9, 1894; d. Menlo Park, Calif., April 7, 1978. He changed his first name to Ernest in order to distinguish himself from a homonymous concert manager in Vienna. He studied with Heuberger (1912–14) and Schreker (1914–20) in Vienna, then taught at the Neues Konservatorium there (1922–38). After the Anschluss (1938), he emigrated to the U.S. He taught theory at various colleges, including the Univ. of Southern Calif, in Los Angeles (1945–59) and Marymount Coll. in Palos Verdes, Calif. (1960–64). He publ. A Counterpoint Manual: Fundamental Techniques of Polyphonic Music Writing (Boston, 1948).

Works

dramatic:Opera: Kumana (1953); Room No. 12 (1957; Los Angeles, Feb. 26, 1958); Royal Auction (1957; Los Angeles, Feb. 26, 1958); The Lucky Dollar (1959); Perpetual(Los Angeles, April 26, 1961); Visions at Midnight (1963; Los Angeles, Feb. 26, 1964). orch.:Heitere Ouvertüre (1918); Theremin Concertino (1938); Intermezzo concertante for Saxophone and Orch. (1948); Concerto Grosso (1949); Bassoon Concerto (San Francisco, April 8, 1964); 2 syms.: No. 1, Sinfonia seria (St. Louis, Oct. 17, 1964) and No. 2 (1965; San Francisco, Dec. 11, 1968). chamber:Dance Sonata for Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet, Bassoon, and Piano (1932); Quintettino for Piano and Winds (1945); Sonata for Violin and Cello (1947); Divertimento for Viola and Cello (1949); Notturno for Flute, Violin, and Viola (1950); String Trio (1951); Sonata breve for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1952); Sonata Californiana for Alto Saxophone and Piano (1952); Sonata for Solo Cello (1956); Viola Sonatina (1958); Suite for Brass Quintet (1960); Little Concerto for Saxophone (1970). vocal:Das Hohelied, oratorio (1921); Zeitmusik, radio cantata (1931); Cantata 1961 for Chorus and 2 Pianos (1961).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire