Sutermeister, Heinrich

Sutermeister, Heinrich, distinguished Swiss composer; b. Feuerthalen, Aug. 12, 1910; d. Vaux-sur-Morges, March 16, 1995. He received training in music history from Karl Nef and in piano from Charlotte Schrameck, and also took courses in philology at the univs. of Basel and Paris (1930-31). After further studies with Walter Courvoisier (harmony and counterpoint) and Hugo Röhr (conducting) at the Munich Akademie der Tonkunst (1931-34), he returned to Switzerland and devoted himself principally to composition. He also was president of the Swiss Copyright Soc. (1958-80) and a teacher of composition at the Hannover Hochschule für Musik (1963-75). In 1965 he won the opera prize of the City of Salzburg, in 1967 the prize of the Swiss Composers Union, and in 1991 the Prix de la Fondation Pierre et Louisa Meylan in Lausanne. In 1977 he was made a member of the Bavarian Akademie der Schönen Künste in Munich. In his music, Sutermeister placed prime importance upon the composer’s responsibility to communicate directly with his listeners. While he utilized discordant combinations of sounds as a legitimate means of expression, he rejected what he considered artificial doctrines and opted instead for an effective and melodic style of wide appeal.

Works

dramatic: Opera: Die schwarze Spinne, radio opera (1935; Bern Radio, Oct. 15, 1936; first stage perf., St. Gallen, March 2, 1949); Romeo und Julia (1938-40; Dresden, April 13, 1940; orch. suite, Berlin, April 9, 1941); Die Zauberinsel (1941-2; Dresden, Oct. 31, 1942); Niobe (1943-45; Zürich, June 22, 1946); Raskolnikoff (1945-47; Stockholm, Oct. 14, 1948); Der rote Stiefel (1949-51; Stockholm, Nov. 22, 1951); Titus Feuerfuchs, oder Liebe, Tücke und Perücke, burlesque opera (1956-58; Basel, April 14, 1958); Seraphine, oder Die stumme Apothekerin, opera buffa (Swiss TV, Zürich, June 10, 1959; first stage perf., Munich, Feb. 25, 1960); Das Gespenst von Canterville, television opera (1962-63; ZDF, Mainz, Sept. 6, 1964); Madame Bovary (1966; Zürich, May 26, 1967); Der Flaschenteufel, television opera (1969-70; ZDF, 1971); Le Roi Bérenger (1981-83; Munich, July 22, 1985). B a 1 1 e t : Das Dorf unter dem Gletscher (1936; Karlsruhe, May 2, 1937); Max und Moritz (Bern Radio, 1951). ORCH.: 2 divertimentos: No. I for Strings (1936; Basel, May 28, 1937) and No. 2 (1959-60; Lausanne, Nov. 21, 1960); Lieder und Tänze for Little String Orch. (1939); Symphonic Suite from the opera Romeo und Julia (1940; Winterthur, April 9, 1941); 3 piano concertos: No. 1 (1943; Dresden, April 14, 1944), No. 2 (1953; Hamburg, Oct. 17, 1954), and No. 3 (1961-62; Bern, Dec. 6, 1990); Die Alpen for Orch. and Speaker Obbligato (Bern, May 11, 1948); Marche fantasque (Bern, Oct. 1950); 2 cello concertos: No. 1 (1954-55; Zürich, June 19, 1956) and No. 2 (1971; Geneva, Nov. 27, 197A); Poème funèbre: En mémoire de Paul Hindemith for Strings (Lucerne, Aug. 26, 1965); Sérénade pour Montreux for 2 Oboes, 2 Horns, and Strings (Montreux, Sept. 17, 1970); Clarinet Concerto (1975; Geneva, Jan. 19, 1977); Quadrifoglio, concerto for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Orch. (1976-77; Bern, Dec. 1, 1977); Aubade pour Morges (Morges, April 28, 1979). CHAMBER: Concertino for Piano and Wind Quintet (1932; Chicago, March 23, 1994); String Quartet No. 3 (1933); Capriccio for Clarinet (1946); 2 serenades: No. 1 for 2 Clarinets, Trumpet, and Bassoon (1949) and No. 2 for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Trumpet (1961); Gavottte de Concert for Trumpet and Piano (1950); Modeste Mignon for 10 Wind Instruments (1973; Hannover, Oct. 30, 1975). Piano: 12 zweistimmige Inventionen (1934); Bergsommer (1941); Sonatina (1948); Hommage à Arthur Honegger (1955); Winterferien (1977). VOCAL: Sieben Liebesbriefe for Tenor and Orch. (1935); 8 cantatas: No. 1, Andreas Gryphius, for Chorus (1935-36; Zürich, March 20, 1938), No. 2 for Alto, Chorus, and 2 Pianos (1944; Zürich, May 18, 1946), No. 3, Dem Allgegenwärtigen, for Soprano, Bass-baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (1957-58; Duisburg, June 8, 1958), No. 4, Das Hohelied, for Soprano, Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (1960; Amriswil, June 30, 1962), No. 5, Der Papagei aus Kuba, for Chorus and Chamber Orch. (1961; Bern, March 5, 1962), No. 6, Erkennen und Schaffen, for Soprano, Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (1963; Lausanne, April 30, 1964), No. 7, Sonnenhymne des Echnaton, for Men’s Chorus and Orch. (1965; Lucerne, May 17, 1967), and No. 8, Omnia ad Unum, for Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (1965-66; Hannover, Nov. 18, 1966); Vier Lieder for High Voice and Piano (1945); Der 70. und 86. Psalm for Alto and Organ (1947); Missa for Chorus (1948); Gloriola for Chorus, Strings, and Piano (1952); Max und Moritz for Vocal Quartet and Piano, 4-Hands (1953); Zwei Barocklieder for Vocal Quartet and Chorus (1953); Missa da Requiem for Soprano, Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (RAI, Rome, Dec. 21, 1953); Vier Lieder for Baritone, Violin, Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, and Harpsichord (1967; also for Baritone and Piano, 1968); La Croisade des Enfants for Soprano, Tenor, Bass, Speaker, Children’s Chorus, Mixed Chorus, and Orch. (1968); Ecclesia for Soprano, Bass, Chorus, and Orch. (1972-73; Lausanne, Oct. 18, 1975); Te Deum 1975 for Soprano, Chorus, and Orch. (1974; Zürich, Nov. 25, 1975); Consolatio philosophiae for High Voice and Orch. (1977; Geneva, Feb. 21, 1979); Sechs Liebesbriefe for Soprano and Orch. (1979; Geneva, Aug. 13, 1980); Gloria for Soprano, Chorus, and Orch. (1988; Morges, Nov. 10, 1991); various a cappella choruses.

Bibliography

D. Larese, H. S.(Amriswil, 1972).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire