Wildberger, Jacques

Wildberger, Jacques, Swiss composer and teacher; b. Basel, Jan. 3, 1922. He received training in piano from Eduard Ehrsam, Eduard Henneberger, and Paul Baumgartner and in theory from Gustav Güldenstein at the Basel Cons., and later pursued studies in composition with Vogel in Ascona (1948-52). From 1959 to 1966 he taught composition, analysis, and instrumentation at the Karlsruhe Hochschule für Musik. After living in Berlin on a Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst scholarship (1967), he taught composition, analysis, and counterpoint at the Basel Academy of Music until 1987. In 1981 he was awarded the composition prize of the Swiss Musicians Assn. In his music, he developed a sui generis serial system, with a total emancipation of dissonances.

Works

dramatic: Epitaphe pour Evariste Galois,“documented action” for Narrator, Soprano, Baritone, Speaking Chorus, Tape, and Orch. (1962; Basel, May 20, 1964). ORCH.: Tre mutazioni for Chamber Orch. (1953); Intensio-Centrum-Remissio (1958); Musik for 22 Solo Strings (1960); Oboe Concerto (1963); Mouvements (1964); Contratempi for Flute and 4 Orch. Groups (1970); Konzertante Szenen for Saxophone and Orch. (1981); Canto (1982); ...und füllet die Erde und machet sie euch Untertan...(1988-89); Concerto for Orchestra (1991-92); Kammerkonzert for Strings and Synthesizer (1995-96). CHAMBER: Quartet for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, and Cello (1952); Trio for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1952); Concentrum for Harpsichord (1956); Zeitebenen for 8 Players (1958); Musik for Cello and Piano (1959); Rondeau for Oboe (1962); Quartet for Flute, Oboe, Harp, and Piano (1967); Recontres for Flute and Piano (1967); Diario for Clarinet (1971-75); Retrospective I and Í7 for Flute (both 1972); Prismes for Alto Saxophone (1975); Portrait for Alto Saxophone (1983); Kanons und Interludien for 4 Clarinets (1984); Diaphonie for Viola (1986); Los pajarillos no cantan for Guitar (1987); Notturno for Viola and Piano (1990); Tantôt libre, tantôt recherchée for Cello (1992-93); Commiato for String Quartet (1997); piano pieces; organ music. VOCAL: Vom Kommen und Gehen des Menschen, cantata for Soprano, Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (1954); Ihr meint, das Leben sei kurz..., cantata for Chorus and 10 Instruments (1957); In My End Is My Beginning, cantata for Soprano, Tenor, and Small Orch. (1964); La Notte for Mezzo-soprano, 5 Instruments, and Tape (1967); Double Refrain for Flute, English Horn, Guitar, and Tape (1972); ...die Stimme, die alte schwächer werdende Stimme... for Soprano, Cello, Orch., and Tape (1973-74); Tod und Verklärung for Baritone and Chamber Orch. (1977); An die Hoffnung for Soprano, Narrator, and Orch. (1979); Du holde Kunst for Narrator, Soprano, and Orch. (1987-88).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire