Morawetz, Oskar
Morawetz, Oskar
Morawetz, Oskar, significant Czech-born Canadian composer; b. Světlá nad Sázavou, Jan. 17,1917. He studied with Jaroslav Kříčka at the Univ. of Prague (1933–36); after the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Nazis in 1938, he went to Vienna, where he studied with Julius Isserlis, and then to Paris, where he had lessons with Lévy; emigrated to Canada in 1940, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1946; completed his training at the Univ. of Toronto (B.M., 1944; D.Mus., 1953). He taught at the Royal Cons, of Music of Toronto (1946–51) and at the Univ. of Toronto (1951–82). In 1989 he received the Order of Canada. His music is Classical in format, Romantic in spirit, impressionistic in coloring, and modernistic in harmonic usage.
Works
orch.:Carnival Overture (1945; Montreal, July 1, 1947); Divertimento for Strings (1948; rev. 1954); 2 syms.: No. 1 (1950–53; 1st complete perf., Toronto, March 5, 1956; each movement is titled for separate perf.: Fantasy, Dirge, and Scherzo) and No. 2 (1959; Toronto, Feb. 2, 1960); Overture to a Fairy Tale (Halifax, Feb. 8, 1957); Capriccio (1960); Piano Concerto (1962; Montreal, April 23, 1963); Sinfonietta for Strings (1963; rev. 1983, 1989); Passacaglia on a Bach Chorale (Toronto, Nov. 24, 1964); Sinfonietta for Winds and Percussion (1965; Montreal, Feb. 22, 1966); Concerto for Brass Quintet and Chamber Orch. (Toronto, March 28, 1968); Memorial to Martin Luther King, elegy for Cello and Orch. (1968; the last movement employs the popular spiritual Free at Last; rev. 1973); Reflections after a Tragedy (1968); Harp Concerto (1976); Concerto for Clarinet and Chamber Orch. (1989). chamber: 5 string quartets (1944; 1952–55; 1959; 1978; 1990); Duo for Violin and Piano (1947; rev. 1959); 3 violin sonatas (1956; 1965, rev. 1976; 1985); Trio for Flute, Oboe, and Harpsichord or Piano (1960); 2 Fantasies for Cello and Piano (1962; rev. 1970); 2 Preludes for Violin and Piano (1965); Flute Sonata (1980); Horn Sonata (1980); Oboe Sonata (1980–81); Clarinet Sonata (1981); Bassoon Sonata (1981); Sonata for Viola and Harp (1985–86); Trumpet Sonata (1986). piano:Sonata tragica (1945); Ballade (1946; rev. 1982); Scherzo (1947); Fantasy in D minor (1948); Fantasy on a Hebrew Theme (1951); Scherzino (1953); Fantasy, Elegy and Toccata(1956); 10 Preludes (1961); Suite (1968); Fantasy (1973); 4 Contrasting Moods (1985–86). vocal:Keep Us Free for Chorus and Orch. (1951); From the Diary of Anne Frank for Soprano or Mezzo-soprano, and Orch. (CBC, May 20, 1970); A Child’s Garden of Verses for Mezzo-soprano or Alto or Baritone and Orch., after R.L. Stevenson (Toronto, Feb. 10, 1973); Psalm 22: God, Why Have You Forsaken Me? for Baritone or Mezzo-soprano or Contralto, and Piano or Orch. (1980; orch. version, Toronto, Jan. 4,1984); 5 Biblical Songs for Chorus (1981; Vancouver, Sept. 12, 1982); solo songs.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis Mclntire