Kelemen Milko

Kelemen Milko, significant Croatian composer; b. Podrawska Slatina, March 30, 1924. He was taught to play piano by his grandmother, and in 1945 entered the Zagreb Academy of Music, where he studied theory with èulek. He then went to Paris, where he took courses with Messiaen and Aubin at the Cons. (1954–55). He supplemented his studies at Freiburg im Breisgau with Fortner (1958–60), then worked on electronic music at the Siemens studio in Munich (1966–68). He taught composition at the Zagreb Cons. (1955-58; 1960-65), the Schumann Cons, in Düsseldorf (1969–73), and the Stuttgart Hochschule für Musik (1973–91). He publ. Klanglabyrinthe: Reflexionen eines Komponisten über die Neue Musik (Munich, 1981). As a composer, Kelemen began his career following the trend of European modernism well within academically acceptable lines, but changed his style radically about 1956 in the direction of the cosmopolitan avant-garde, adopting successively or concurrently the techniques of serialism, abstract expressionism, constructivism, and sonorism, making use of electronic sound; he also wrote alternatively valid versions for a single piece.

Works

dramaticDer Spiegel, ballet (Paris, Aug. 18, 1960); Abbandonate, ballet (Lübeck, Sept. 1, 1964); Der neue Mieter, musical scene, after Ionesco (Munster, Sept. 15, 1964); Der Belagerungszustant, opera, after Camus (1969-70; Hamburg, Jan. 13, 1970); Yebell, action for Soloists and Chamber Ensemble (Munich, Sept. 1, 1972); Apocalyptica, multimedia ballet-opera (concert perf., Graz, Oct. 10, 1979). orchPreludio, Aria e Finale for Strings (Zagreb, May 20, 1948); Sinfonietta for Chamber Orch. (Zagreb, May 4, 1950); Sym. (Zagreb, Feb. 18, 1952); Piano Concerto (Zagreb, Feb. 22, 1953); Violin Concerto (Zagreb, June 20, 1957); Koncertantne improvizacije for Strings (Zagreb, Oct. 10, 1955); Adagio ed Allegro for Strings (Zagreb, Feb. 16, 1956); Concerto for Bassoon and Strings (Zagreb, May 13, 1957); Concerto giocoso for Chamber Orch. (Zagreb, Jan. 10, 1957); Concertino for Double Bass or Cello and Strings (Zagreb, April 20, 1957); Skolion (Cologne, June 12, 1960); Transfigura-tionen for Piano and Orch. (April, Hamburg 6, 1962); Équilibres for 2 Orchs. (Bonn, March 19, 1962); Sub Rosa (Zagreb, May 12, 1965); Surprise for Strings (Zagreb, May 12, 1967); Composé for 2 Pianos and Orch. Groups (Donaueschingen, Oct. 23, 1967); Changeant for Cello and Orch. (Cologne, Nov. 8, 1968); Floreal (Washington, D.C., Oct. 30, 1970); Olifant for 5 Winds and 2 Orch. Groups (Royan, April 8, 1971); Passionato for Flute and 3 Orch. Groups (Berlin, Oct. 18, 1972); Abecedarium for Strings (Graz, Oct. 13, 1974); Mirabilia for Piano, Ring Modulator, and 2 Orch. Groups (Paris, April 21, 1975); Mageia (Augsburg, June 12, 1978); Infinity (Zagreb, May 18, 1979); Grand Jeu Classique for Violin and Orch. (Metz, Nov. 21, 1982); Drammatico for Cello and Orch. (Stuttgart, March 2, 1985); Phantasmes for Viola and Orch. (Stuttgart, Dec. 16, 1985); Archetypon (Hannover, Jan. 10, 1986); Antiphony for Organ and Orch. (1987). chamber:Musika for Violin (Zagreb, April 4, 1958); Études contrapuntiques for Wind Quintet (Paris, Nov. 14, 1959); Studie for Flute (Darmstadt, Sept. 5, 1959); Oboe Sonata (Darmstadt, July 7, 1960); Radiant for Chamber Ensemble (Darmstadt, July 16, 1963); Entrances for Wind Quintet (Hanover, N.H., June 10, 1966); Motion for String Quartet (Madrid, March 4, 1969); Fabliau I for Flute (Stockholm, Oct. 20, 1972), II for Organ (Düsseldorf, May 10, 1972), and III for Flute and Harpsichord (Siena, Aug. 10, 1980); Varia melodia for String Quartet (Düsseldorf, Sept. 21, 1972); Tantana, improvisations for 10 to 20 Performers (Opatija, Nov. 12, 1975); Splintery for String Quartet (Paris, Dec. 5, 1977); Rontondo I for Wind Trio (Cologne, April 27, 1977) and II for Harmonica and Wind Trio (Stuttgart, Oct. 3, 1980); Love Song for Saxophone Quartet (Stuttgart, Sept. 6, 1985); Memories for String Trio (1986; Zagreb, Jan. 30, 1987); Sonette for String Quartet (Bomberg, May 22, 1987). vocal: Die Spiele, song cycle for Baritone and Strings (Strasbourg, May 13, 1958); Epitaph for Mezzo-soprano, Viola, and Percussion (Darmstadt, Sept. 8, 1961); Hommage à Heinrich Schütz for Solo Voices and Chorus (Berlin, May 12, 1965); O Primavera, cantata for Tenor and Strings (Zagreb, May 19, 1965); Die Wörter, cantata for Mezzo-soprano and Orch. (Lübeck, May 9, 1966); Musik für Heinssen-büttel for Mezzo-soprano, Violin, Cello, and Clarinet (Rome, Feb. 24, 1968); Gasho for 4 Choral Groups (Tokyo, April 20, 1974); Die sieben Plagen for Mezzo- soprano (Vienna, Nov. 19, 1975); Drei irische Volkslieder (Cork, Ireland, May 10, 1980); Landschaftbilder for Mezzo-soprano and String Quartet (1985; Graz, Oct. 24, 1986).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire