Boris Blacher (30 January 1975) was a German composer and

librettist A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major litu ...

Life

Blacher was born when his parents (of German-Estonian and Russian backgrounds) were living within a Russian-speaking community in the

Manchuria Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer M ...

n town of Niuzhuang () (hence the use of the

Julian calendar The Julian calendar, proposed by Roman consul Julius Caesar in 46 BC, was a reform of the Roman calendar. It took effect on , by edict. It was designed with the aid of Greek mathematicians and astronomers such as Sosigenes of Alexandri ...

on his birth record). He spent his first years in China and in the Asian parts of Russia, and in 1919, he eventually came to live in

Harbin Harbin (; mnc, , v=Halbin; ) is a sub-provincial city and the provincial capital and the largest city of Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China, as well as the second largest city by urban population after Shenyang and largest c ...

. In 1922 he went to Berlin where he began to study first architecture, mathematics, and then music at the

Berlin Hochschule fuer Musik The Universität der Künste Berlin (UdK; also known in English as the Berlin University of the Arts), situated in Berlin, Germany, is the largest art school in Europe. It is a public art and design school, and one of the four research univers ...

. He found work arranging popular and film music. Two years later, he turned to music and studied composition with Friedrich Koch. His career was interrupted by

National Socialism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Naz ...

. He was accused of writing degenerate music and lost his teaching post at the

Dresden Conservatory Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...

. His career resumed after 1945, and he later became president of the

Academy of Arts, Berlin The Academy of Arts (german: Akademie der Künste) is a state arts institution in Berlin, Germany. The task of the Academy is to promote art, as well as to advise and support the states of Germany. The Academy's predecessor organization was fo ...

, and is today regarded as one of the most influential music figures of his time. His students include

Aribert Reimann Aribert Reimann (born 4 March 1936) is a German composer, pianist and accompanist, known especially for his literary operas. His version of Shakespeare's ''King Lear'', the opera ''Lear'', was written at the suggestion of Dietrich Fischer-Dieska ...

, Isang Yun,

Maki Ishii was a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music, and brother of composer Kan Ishii. Biography Born in Tokyo, Ishii studied composition privately (with Akira Ifukube and Tomojiro Ikenouchi) and conducting with Akeo Watanabe from 195 ...

Fritz Geißler Fritz Geißler (or Geissler) (16 September 1921 in Wurzen, Saxony – 11 January 1984 in Bad Saarow, Brandenburg) was one of the most important composers of the German Democratic Republic. The son of Elsa and Walther Geißler, he was raised in ...

Giselher Klebe Giselher Wolfgang Klebe (28 June 19255 October 2009) was a German composer, and an academic teacher. He composed more than 140 works, among them 14 operas, all based on literary works, eight symphonies, 15 solo concerts, chamber music, piano work ...

Heimo Erbse Heimo Erbse (27 February 1924 – 22 September 2005) was a German composer from Rudolstadt. Erbse studied in Weimar, and then worked from 1947 to 1950 in the theater before studying under Blacher in 1950. He lived most of his life in Austri ...

, Richard Aaker Trythall,

Klaus Huber Klaus Huber (30 November 1924 – 2 October 2017) was a Swiss composer and academic based in Basel and Freiburg. Among his students were Brian Ferneyhough, Michael Jarrell, Younghi Pagh-Paan, Toshio Hosokawa, Wolfgang Rihm, and Kaija Saariaho ...

, Francis Burt, Gottfried von Einem, Kalevi Aho and Richard Wernick. Blacher was married to the pianist . They had four children including the German actress

Tatjana Blacher Tatjana Blacher (born 18 May 1956 in Berlin) is a German actress. She is the daughter of composer Boris Blacher and pianist Gerty Blacher-Herzog. Blacher studied at the Max Reinhardt seminar and at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute ...

and the international violinist

Kolja Blacher Kolja Blacher (born 1963) is a German violin player. He plays the 1730 "Tritton" Stradivarius.

. He died in Berlin in 1975, aged 72. He was buried in an ''

Ehrengrab An ''Ehrengrab'' (English: 'grave of honor') is a distinction granted by certain German, Swiss and Austrian cities to some of their citizens for extraordinary services or achievements in their lifetimes. If there are no descendants or instituti ...

'' in the Waldfriedhof Zehlendorf, Berlin.

Works

List of works: *1915-17: ''Visions fugitives'', Op. 22 (arranged 1935) *1929: ''Habemeajaja'',

chamber opera Chamber opera is a designation for operas written to be performed with a chamber ensemble rather than a full orchestra. Early 20th-century operas of this type include Paul Hindemith's '' Cardillac'' (1926). Earlier small-scale operas such as Pergol ...

, premiered 1987 *1929: ''Jazz-Koloraturen'', Op. 1 for coloratura soprano, alto saxophone and bassoon. *1930: String Quartet No. 1, Op. 11 *1931: String Trio - Three Studies on Jewish folksongs *1931: ''Fünf Sinnsprüche Omars des Zeltmachers'', Op. 3 for mezzo-soprano and piano *1931: Konzert-Ouvertüre *1931: Two Toccatas for piano *1932: ''Kleine Marschmusik'', Op. 2 for orchestra *1933: Orchester-Capriccio über ein Volkslied, Op. 4 for orchestra *1934: ''Alla Marcia'' for orchestra *1935: ''Divertimento'' for string orchestra *1935: Etüde for string quartet *1935: ''Fest im Süden'', Op. 6 Danse-drama in one act by Ellen Petz *1935: ''Fest im Süden'' - Suite for orchestra *1936: Divertimento for wind orchestra, Op. 7 *1937: Concertante Musik, Op. 10 for orchestra *1938: Symphony, Op. 12 *1938: Dance Scenes ''La Vie'', ballet in one act *1938: Rondo for orchestra *1939: ''Harlekindae'', Op. 13 ballet in one act with prologue and epilogue by Jens Keith *1940: ''Fürstin Tarakanowa (Princess Tarakanova)'', Op. 19 opera in three acts *1940: ''Fürstin Tarakanowa'', Op. 19a - Suite for orchestra *1940: String Quartet No. 2, Op. 16 *1940: Flute Sonata, Op. 15 *1940: Concerto for String Orchestra, Op. 20 *1940: ''Hamlet''; Symphonic Poem, Op. 17 for orchestra *1940: Two Sonatinas, Op. 14 for piano *1940-41: Cello Sonata *1941: Violin Sonata, Op. 18 *1942: Sonatina for Piano Four Hands *1942: ''Der Großinquisitor (The Grand Inquisitor)'', Op.21 - Oratorio after Dostoyevsky by Leo Borchard *1943: Three Pieces for piano, Op. 23 *1943: ''Romeo und Julia'', Op. 22 chamber opera, premiered

Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival (german: Salzburger Festspiele) is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer (for five weeks starting in late July) in the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Ama ...

1950 *1943: Drei Psalmen for baritone & piano (Psalms 142, 141 & 121). Arranged for chamber ensemble in 1966 by Beyer *1943: Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 14/1 *1943: Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 14/2 *1944: String Quartet No. 3, Op. 32 *1944: ''Vier Chöre'' on texts by Francois Villon *1945: Partita for strings & 6 percussion, Op. 24a *1945: Concerto for Jazz Orchestra *1946: ''Chiarina'', Op. 33 - ballet in one act by Paul Strecker *1946: ', Op. 24b radio opera *1946: Divertimento for trumpet, trombone and piano, Op. 31 *1946: ''Die Flut (The Tide)'', Chamber opera in one act (text by Heinz von Cramer) *1947: Piano Concerto No. 1. Op. 28 *1947: Orchestral Variations on a Theme by Paganini, Op.26 *1947: '' (The Night Swallow)'', Op. 27 Zeitoper in one act *1947: Four Songs, Op. 25 for soprano and piano. Text by Friedrich Wolf *1948: Violin Concerto, Op 29 *1949: ''Hamlet'', Op. 35 - ballet in a prologue and three scenes after Shakespeare by

Tatjana Gsovsky Tatjana Gsovsky (/''Tatjana Wassiljewna Gsowskaja'', born Issatschenko ; 18 March 1901 – 29 September 1993) was an internationally known ballet dancer and choreographer who was ballet mistress of the Berlin State Opera, Teatro Colón, Deutsch ...

*1949: ''Hamlet'' - Suite for orchestra *1949/52: ''

Preußisches Märchen ''Preußisches Märchen'' (Prussian Legend) is a 1952 opera buffa with simultaneous ballet by Boris Blacher to a libretto by Heinz von Cramer based on the real life con-man '' Captain of Köpenick'' and Zuckmayer's play of the same title. The oper ...

(A Prussian Fairytale) '', ballet-opera in six scenes *1950: ''Ornamente, Sieben Studien über variable Metren"'', Op. 37 for piano *1950: ''Lysistrata'', Op. 34 ballet in three scenes after

Aristophanes Aristophanes (; grc, Ἀριστοφάνης, ; c. 446 – c. 386 BC), son of Philippus, of the deme Kydathenaion ( la, Cydathenaeum), was a comic playwright or comedy-writer of ancient Athens and a poet of Old Attic Comedy. Eleven of his ...

*1950: ''Lysistrata'' - Suite, Op. 34a from ballet for orchestra *1950: Concerto for Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Trumpet and Harp, Op. 36. *1951: Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 39 *1951: Divertimento for four woodwinds, Op. 38 *1951: ''Epitaph: In memory of

Franz Kafka Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-speaking Bohemian novelist and short-story writer, widely regarded as one of the major figures of 20th-century literature. His work fuses elements of realism and the fantastic. It typ ...

,'' (String Quartet No. 4), Op. 41 *1951: Sonata for solo violin, Op. 40 *1951: Dialog for flute, violin, piano and string orchesra *1951: Nebel, for voice and piano *1952: Piano Concerto No. 2 (in variable metres), Op. 42 *1953: Orchester-Ornament, Op. 44 *1953: ''Studie im Pianissimo'', Op. 45 for orchestra *1953/57: ', Op. 43

experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when a ...

opera in one act *1954: Two Inventions, Op. 46 for orchestra *1954: Viola Concerto, Op. 48 *1954: ''Francesca da Rimini'', Op. 47 - fragment from Dante's ''Divina Commedia'', for soprano and solo violin *1955: ''Der Mohr von Venedig'', Op. 50 - ballet in 6 scenes and an epilogue after Shakespeare by Erika Hanka *1955: ''Träume vom Tod und vom Leben'', Op. 49 - Cantata after a poem by

Hans Arp Hans Peter Wilhelm Arp (16 September 1886 – 7 June 1966), better known as Jean Arp in English, was a German-French sculptor, painter, and poet. He was known as a Dadaist and an abstract artist. Early life Arp was born in Straßburg (now Str ...

for tenor, choir and orchestra *1956: Orchester-Fantasie, Op. 51 *1956: ''Hommage à Mozart'' - Metamorphoses on a group of Mozart themes, for orchestra *1957: ''Music for Cleveland'', Op. 53 for orchestra *1957: ''Two Poems'', Op. 55 for jazz quartet *1957/64 ''Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird'', Op. 54 for soprano and string quartet (or piano) *1958: Aprèslude, Op. 57 for voice and piano *1958: Songs of the Sea Pirate O'Rourke'', Op. 56 for solo voices and orchestra *1958: Requiem, Op. 58 *1959: ''Musica giocosa'', Op. 59 for orchestra *1960: ''Rosamunde Floris'', Op. 60 - opera (libretto by

Gerhart von Westerman Gerhart von Westerman (19 September 1894 – 14 February 1963) was a German composer, artistic director and music writer. Life Born in Riga, after graduating from high school Westerman studied composition at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin ...

, based on the play by Georg Kaiser) *1961: ''Jüdische Chronik (A Jewish Chronicle)'', for chorus and orchestra *1961: Variations on a theme of

Muzio Clementi Muzio Filippo Vincenzo Francesco Saverio Clementi (23 January 1752 – 10 March 1832) was an Italian composer, virtuoso pianist, pedagogue, conductor, music publisher, editor, and piano manufacturer, who was mostly active in England. Encourag ...

, Op. 61 for piano and orchestra *1962: ''Five Negro Spirituals'', for mezzo-soprano and ensemble *1962: Multiple Raumperperspektiven: piano and electronics *1963: ''Perpetuum Mobile'' for solo violin *1963: Konzertstück for wind quintet and strings *1963: ''Demeter'', ballet in four scenes by

Yvonne Georgi Yvonne Georgi (29 October 1903 – 25 January 1975) was a German dancer, choreographer and ballet mistress. She was known for her comedic talents and her extraordinary jumping ability. In her roles as a dancer, choreographer, and ballet mistres ...

*1963: ''Demeter'' - Suite for orchestra *1963: Drei Chansons aus Shakespeare's Romeo und Juliet for voice and Piano. *1964: Cello Concerto, premiered by Siegfried Palm *1964: ''Zwischenfälle bei einer Notlandung (Incidents after a Crash-landing)'', electronic opera *1964: ''Skalen 2:3:4'', electronic *1964/67: Four Studies for harpsichord *1965: ''Elektronische Impulse'', electronic *1965: Octet for clarinet, bassoon, horn and strings *1965: ''Tristan'', ballet in seven scenes by Tatjana Gsovsky *1966: ''Tristan'' - Suite for orchestra *1966: ''Virtuose Musik'' for solo violin, 10 winds, timpani, percussion and harp *1966: ''Plus Minus One'' for string quartet and jazz ensemble *1967: ''Spiel mit (mir)'', for 2 violins and recorder *1967: ''Ungereimtes, nach Kinderreimen komponiert'' for baritone/mezzo-soprano and piano *1967: String Quartet No. 5 ''Variationen über einen divergierenden c-moll-Dreiklang'' *1968: ''Ariadne'', duodrama for two speakers and electronics *1968: ''Collage'' for orchestra *1969: ''Anacaona'', six poems by Alfred Tennyson for mixed chorus a cappella about the Indian Queen Anacaona *1969: ''

200 000 Taler ''200 000 Taler'' is an opera by Boris Blacher after Sholem Aleichem's story "Dos groijse Gewins" (The big win) about tailor Schimele Soroker and his family after he comes to great fortune by winning the lottery. The opera was premiered at the Deu ...

'', opera after

Sholem Aleichem ) , birth_date = , birth_place = Pereiaslav, Russian Empire , death_date = , death_place = New York City, U.S. , occupation = Writer , nationality = , period = , genre = Novels, sh ...

's story "Dos groijse Gewins"; premiered at the

Deutsche Oper Berlin The Deutsche Oper Berlin is a German opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin. The resident building is the country's second largest opera house (after Munich's) and also home to the Berlin State Ballet. Since 2004, the D ...

"200000-Taler-Mißverständnis"
by Heinz Josef Herbort, ''

Die Zeit ''Die Zeit'' (, "The Time") is a German national weekly newspaper published in Hamburg in Germany. The newspaper is generally considered to be among the German newspapers of record and is known for its long and extensive articles. History Th ...

'', 3 October 1969 *1969: Vier Ornamente for violin and piano ad lib. *1970: ''Musik für Osaka'', electronic *1970: Concerto for piccolo trumpet and string orchestra *1970: Piano Trio *1971: Clarinet Concerto *1972: ''Blues, Espagnola und Rumba philharmonica'', for 12 solo cellos *1972: ''Stars and Strings'', for jazz ensemble and strings *1972: Duo for flute and piano *1972: Sonata for two cellos and 11 instruments ad libitum *1973: ''Variationen über eine Tonleiter'' for solo violin *1973: '' Yvonne, Prinzessin von Burgund'', opera in 4 acts. Libretto based on the play by

Witold Gombrowicz Witold Marian Gombrowicz (August 4, 1904 – July 24, 1969) was a Polish writer and playwright. His works are characterised by deep psychological analysis, a certain sense of paradox and absurd, anti-nationalist flavor. In 1937 he published his fi ...

*1973: ''For Seven = 3(6+x)'' for soprano and jazz ensemble *1973: Vokalisen for chorus a cappella *1973-74: Quintet for flute, oboe, violin, viola and cello *1974: 24 Preludes for Piano *1974: Poem for large orchestra (1974), dedicated to Tatjana Gsovsky *1974: Variationen über ein Thema von Tschaikowsky ("Rokoko-Variationen"), for cello and piano *1974: ''Pentagramm'' for 16 strings *1974: Poème for orchestra *1974: Prelude and Concert Aria for mezzo-soprano and orchestra *1975: ''Das Geheimnis des entwendeten Briefes (The Secret of the Stolen Letter)'', chamber opera *1975: Fragment for string quartet Blacher wrote the libretto for Gottfried von Einem's operas ''

Dantons Tod ' (German for ''Danton's Death'') is an opera by Gottfried von Einem to a libretto by Boris Blacher and Gottfried von Einem after Georg Büchner's 1835 play of the same name. Its first performance took place in Salzburg on 6 August 1947. It was r ...

'' (1947) and '' Der Prozeß'' (1953).

References

External links

Boris Blacher
page on

Boosey & Hawkes Boosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and woodwind musical instruments. Formed in 1930 thro ...

website
Boris Blacher
A Centenary Sketch by Dr David C F Wright {{DEFAULTSORT:Blacher, Boris 1903 births 1975 deaths 20th-century classical composers 20th-century German composers 20th-century German male musicians 20th-century German male writers 20th-century German dramatists and playwrights German classical composers German male classical composers German opera librettists German male dramatists and playwrights German people of Estonian descent Ballet composers Jazz-influenced classical composers Academic staff of the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany People from Yingkou People of Baltic German descent Burials at the Waldfriedhof Zehlendorf Soviet emigrants to Germany Expatriates from the Russian Empire in China