Klatzow, Peter (James Leonard)
Klatzow, Peter (James Leonard)
Klatzow, Peter (James Leonard), South African composer and teacher; b. Springs, Transvaal, July 14, 1945. After training with Richard Cheery and Aïda Lovell, he obtained a scholarship that allowed him to pursue his training in London at the Royal Coll. of Music (1964–65), where he took courses in piano with Kathleen Long, Angus Morrison, and Frank Merrick, in composition with Bernard Stevens, in orchestration with Gordon Jacob, and in conducting with Sir Adrian Boult; he subsequently completed his studies in Paris with Nadia Boulanger (1965–66). He taught at the Rhodesian Coll. of Music in Salisbury (1966–68) and then was active with the music dept. of the South African Broadcasting Corp. (1968–72). In 1973 he became a prof, of composition at the Univ. of Cape Town. With Robert Grishkoff, he founded the music publishing concern Musications in 1981. He ed. the vol. Composers in South Africa Today (Cape Town, 1987). In his compositions, Klatzow generally follows the tonal path but he has not been adverse to utilizing serial and aleatorie procedures in some of his works.
Works
dramatic:Opera: The Begger’s Opera (1986). Ballet: Drie Diere (1980); Vespers (1986); Hamlet (1993).orch.:Variations (1964; London, Feb. 10, 1966); Interactions for Piano, Percussion, and Chamber Orch. (1971); The Temptation of St. Anthony after Hieronymus Bosch for Cello and Orch. (1972; Barcelona, May 14, 1977); Symphony 1972, Phoenix (1972; 1st public perf., Cape Town, Oct. 21, 1975); Time Structure II (1974); Still Life, with Moonbeams (1975); Horn Concerto (Cape Town, June 16, 1978); Organ Concerto (1981); Incantations (1984); Concerto for Marimba and Strings (1985); Figures in a Landscape (1985); Citiscape (1986); A Chrysalis in Flames (1988); Concerto for Clarinet and Chamber Orch. (1991). chamber:The Garden of Memories and Discoveries for 2 Pianos, 2 Guitars, 2 Percussion, Harpsichord, and Electric Organ (1975); The World of Paul Klee for Flute and Piano (1977); Night Magic for Violin, Horn, and Piano (1978); Chamber Concerto for 7 for Flute, Clarinet, Horn, Guitar, Percussion, and Electric Organ (1979); Cythera Among the Lynxes for Flute and Harp (1982); Figures in a Landscape I for Flute and Marimba (1985); String Quartet (1987). Piano: Moments of Night (1969); Piano Piece I (1970); Time Structure I (1973); 3 Movements (1980); Murmurs of Tiger and Flame (1982); A Branch of Dreams (1986). vocal:In Memoriam N.P. van Wyk Louw for Soprano and Strings (1970); Charms and Incantations for Soprano, Tenor, Horn, and Guitar (1979); Mass for Chorus, Horn, Marimba, and Strings (1988; rev. 1990); Congregational Eucharist for Chorus and Organ (1990); Praise the Lord, O My Soul for Chorus and Organ (1990).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire