Killmayer, Wilhelm
Killmayer, Wilhelm
Killmayer, Wilhelm, German composer and teacher; b. Munich, Aug. 21, 1927. He received training in composition and conducting from Waltershausen (1945–51), and also studied musicology at the Univ. of Munich (1949–52). Following private lessons with Orff (1951–53), he attended the master class given by Orff at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Munich (1953–54). From 1955 to 1958 he taught at the Trapp Cons, in Munich. In 1958 and in 1965-66 he held the Villa Massimo scholarship in Rome. In 1970 he held a scholarship of the Cité des Arts in Paris. From 1973 to 1992 he was prof, of composition at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Munich. In 1972 he was made a full member of the Bayerischen Akademie der Schönen Künste in Munich, in 1980 a member of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin, and in 1993 a member of the Bavarian Maximilian Order of Science and Art.
Works
dramatic:Opera: Lfl Buffonata, ballet-opera (1959-60; concert perf., South German Radio, Stuttgart, Oct. 21, 1960; stage perf., Heidelberg, April 30, 1961); La Tragedia di Orfeo (1960-61; Munich, June 9, 1961); Yolimba oder Oie Grenzen der Magie (1962-63; Wiesbaden, March 15, 1964; rev. version, Munich, May 9, 1970); Une leçon de français (Eine Französischstunde) (concert perf., South German Radio, Stuttgart, Oct. 20, 1964; stage perf., Stuttgart, Oct. 19, 1966). b a 1 1 e t:Pas de deux classique (1964; Munich, May 12, 1965); Encore (Munich, May 9, 1970); Paradies (1972-7’4). orch.:Sechs leichte Stücke for Strings (1952); Piano Concerto (1955; Munich, April 21, 1956); Divertissement (Stuttgart, Oct. 1957); 3 syms.: No. 1, Fogli (1968; Hannover, Feb. 9, 1971), No. 2, Ricordanze (1968-69; Berlin, May 14, 1969), and No. 3, Menschen-Los (1972-73; Nuremberg, April 19, 1974; rev. version, Munich, April 29, 1988); Pezzi ed Intermezzi for Piano, Cello, and Orch. (1968; Chicago, Feb. 21, 1971); Fin al punto for Strings (1970; Munich, Jan. 14, 1971); Nachtgedanken (Salzburg, Aug. 7, 1973); The Broken Farewell for Trumpet and Small Orch. (Braunschweig, Nov. 28, 1977); Jugendzeit, symphonic poem (1977; Freiburg im Breisgau, Jan. 16, 1978); Verschüttete Zeichen, symphonic essay (1977-78; Munich, March 20, 1981); Überstehen und Hoffen, symphonic poem (1977-78; Munich, May 6, 1978); Im Freien, symphonic poem (1980; Munich, March 20, 1981); Grande Sarabande for Strings (Zürich, May 2, 1980); Zittern un Wagen (Stuttgart, Oct. 4, 1980); Sostenuto for Cello and Strings (Deut-schlandsberg, Oct. 4, 1984); Le joie de vivre for Small Orch. and Oboe Obbligato (Berlin, March 5, 1996). chamber:Kammermusik for Jazz Instruments (1957; Munich, Nov. 28, 1958); Balletto for Recorders and Rhythmic Instruments (1959); Tre danze for Oboe and Percussion (Munich, Dec. 1959); Per nove strumenti for 9 Instruments (1968; Munich, Jan. 21, 1969); Tre pezzi for Trumpet and Piano (1968); String Quartet (Munich, Oct. 7, 1969); The woods so wilde: Kammermusik No. 1 for Flute, 3 Percussionists, Viola, and Guitar (1970; Munich, Jan. 26, 1971); Schumann in Endenich: Kammermusik No. 2 for Piano, Electric Organ or Harmonium, and 5 Percussionists (Munich, May 8, 1972); Kindertage: Kammermusik No. 3 for Flute, Viola, Electric Organ, Piano, Accordion, Zither, Guitar, and 5 Percussionists (Bonn, Nov. 6, 1973); Führe mich, Alter, nur immer in Deinen geschnörkelten Frühlings-Garten! Noch duftet und taut frisch un würzig sein Flor for Chamber Ensemble (1974; Nuremberg, May 1975); Quartet for 2 Violins, Cello, and Piano (1976; Munich, May 8, 1975); Brahms-Bildnis for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1976; Munich, Feb. 19, 1978); Trio for 2 Violins and Cello (Hamburg, Dec. 7, 1984); Fünf Romanzen for Violin and Piano (Hall am Tirol, March 7, 1987); Humoreske for Violin and Piano (Hall am Tirol, March 7, 1987); Fünf Romanzen for Cello and Piano (Salzburg, Aug. 26, 1989); Acht Bagatellen for Cello and Piano (1990-91; Munich, Nov. 14, 1991); Fantasie for Violin and Piano (Cologne, Sept. 5, 1992); Die Schönheit des Morgens for Viola and Piano (Dresden, June 3, 1994). Piano: Paradies for Piano, 3-Hands or 2 Pianos (1972; Zürich, Nov. 6, 1974); An John Field (1975; Hamburg, March 14, 1978); Drei Klavierstücke (1982); Fünf neue Klavierstücke (1986-88; Witten, April 23, 1989); Trois Etudes blancs (1990-91; Munich, June 6, 1991); Douze Etudes transcen-dentales (1991-92; Frankfurt am Main, Sept. 24, 1994); Rundgesänge und Morgenlieder (Munich, Dec. 11, 1993). vocal:Drei Lieder for Tenor and Piano, after Heine (1947; Munich, Nov. 25, 1992); Reveries for Soprano, Piano, and Percussion (Bayreuth, July 30, 1953); Canti amorosi for Soprano, Tenor, and Chorus (1953–54); Romanzen for Soprano, Piano, and Percussion, after Garciä Lorca (1954; Chicago, April 25, 1955); Acht Shakespeare- Lieder for Tenor, Violin, Clarinet, Bassoon, Piano, and Percussion (1955; Frankfurt am Main, May 26, 1956); Le petit Savoyard for Soprano and 7 Instrumentalists (Stuttgart, Oct. 22, 1956); Sappho for Soprano and Small Orch. (1959-60; Stuttgart, Feb. 8, 1961); Lieder, Oden und Szenen for Chorus, after Goethe (1962; South German Radio, Stuttgart, Aug. 16, 1963; concert perf., Munich, April 20, 1964); Geistliche Hymnen und Gesänge for Chorus, after Racine (1964; Berlin, May 4, 1965); Romantische Chorlieder for Men’s Chorus, after Tieck (1965); Tre Canti di Leopardi for Baritone and Orch. (1965; Munich, July 11, 1967); Drei Gesänge for Baritone and Piano, after Hölderlin (1965; Munich, April 23, 1968); Antiphone for Baritone, Orch., and Small Men’s Chorus ad libitum (1967); Lauda for Double Chorus with or without Orch. (Stuttgart, June 27, 1968); Blasons anatomiques du corps féminin I for Soprano, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, and Piano (1968; Munich, July 6, 1969) and II for Soprano and Piano (1991); Altissimu for Soprano, Recorder, Bongo, 3 Tom-toms, and Timpani (Munich, July 7, 1969); Preghiere for Baritone and Orch. (1969; RIAS, Berlin, May 24, 1971); Salvum mefac for Baritone and Orch. (1969-71; Munich, Nov. 16, 1971); Vier Chorstücke for Chorus (1971-90; 1st complete perf., Munich, May 11, 1990); Tamauam sponsus for Soprano and Instruments (1974; Hamburg, Jan. 1975); Französisches Liederbuch for Soprano, Baritone, and Chamber Ensemble (1979-80; Schwetzin-gen, May 3, 1980); Merlin-Liederbuch for 4 Voices and Chamber Ensemble (1981-96; Munich, Jan. 11, 1996); Hölderlin- Lieder I for Tenor and Piano (1982-85; Frankfurt am Main, Aug. 23, 1989; also for Tenor and Orch., Munich, Feb. 3, 1986), II for Tenor and Piano (1983-87; Frankfurt am Main, Aug. 23, 1989; also for Tenor and Orch., Salzburg, Aug. 14, 1987), and III for Tenor and Piano (1983-91; Vienna, Nov. 22, 1991); Aussicht for Baritone and 9 Instruments, after Hölderlin (Frankfurt am Main, Sept. 8, 1989); Drei Lieder for Tenor and Piano, after Eichendorff (1991; Munich, Nov. 25, 1992); Acht Lieder for Tenor and Piano, after Trakl (1993); Die Zufriedenheit for Tenor and Piano, after Hölderlin (Munich, July 8, 1993); Neun Lieder for Mezzo-soprano and Piano (Stuttgart, Nov. 27, 1993); Huit Poéses de Mallarmé for Soprano and Piano (1993; also for Soprano and Small Orch., 1994-95; Munich, May 12, 1995); Fünf Lieder der Sappho for Soprano and Piano (1993-95; Munich, July 16, 1995); Heine-Portrait for Tenor and Piano, after Heine (1994-95; Stuttgart, Nov. 16, 1995); …was dem kaum bewusst …for Men’s Chorus, after Eichendorff (1995).
Bibliography
S. Mauser, ed., Der Komponist W. K. (Mainz, 1992).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire