Erik Werba (23 May 1918 – 9 April 1992) was an Austrian classical pianist who is especially known as an accompanist of singers. He was also a music critic, conductor, composer, author and academic teacher.

Career

Werba was born in

Baden bei Wien Baden (Central Bavarian: ''Bodn''), unofficially distinguished from Baden (disambiguation), other Badens as Baden bei Wien (Baden near Vienna), is a spa town in Austria. It serves as the capital of Baden (district of Austria), Baden District in t ...

, the son of Ludwig Werba (1884–1945), who was born in

Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...

and became a composer, music director and vice-president of the ''Österreichisch-ungarischer Musikerverband'', founded in 1896. Ludwig Werba died in a bombing raid on 2 April 1945. Werba completed the

Matura or its translated terms (''mature'', ''matur'', , , , , ', ) is a Latin name for the secondary school exit exam or "maturity diploma" in various European countries, including Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech ...

at the Baden Gymnasium in 1936. He then studied at both the Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna and the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...

, where he earned a PhD in 1940. He worked as a music critic and teacher, and directed the Mozartgemeinde after World War II. Werba was

Kapellmeister ( , , ), from German (chapel) and (master), literally "master of the chapel choir", designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term has evolved considerably in i ...

at the from 1945 to 1946.Franziska Dzugan: ''Chamäleons im Blätterwald. Die Wurzeln der ÖVP-ParteijournalistInnen in Austrofaschismus, Nationalsozialismus, Demokratie und Widerstand. Eine kollektivbiografische Analyse an den Beispielen Wiener Tageszeitung und Linzer Volksblatt 1945 bzw. 1947 bis 1955''. Dissertation. Universität Wien, Wien 2011, p. 171. �
Volltext online (PDF; 1,4 MB)
As a pianist, he focused on accompanying

lied In the Western classical music tradition, ( , ; , ; ) is a term for setting poetry to classical music. The term is used for any kind of song in contemporary German and Dutch, but among English and French speakers, is often used interchangea ...

er singers. He collaborated with

Irmgard Seefried Irmgard Seefried (9 October 191924 November 1988) was a distinguished German soprano who sang opera, sacred music, and lieder. Maria Theresia Irmgard Seefried was born in , near Mindelheim, Bavaria, Germany, the daughter of educated Austri ...

, Christa Ludwig, Walter Berry, Kim Borg,"Seefried, Ludwig, Berry und Borg waren die Sänger mit denen ich die Welt bereist habe." – Erik Werba in an earlier studio discussion. Broadcast on 24 May 2018 in ''Stimmen hören'' on Ö1

Brigitte Fassbaender Brigitte Fassbaender (; born 3 July 1939), is a German mezzo-soprano opera singer and a stage director. From 1999 to 2012 she was Theater manager, intendant (managing director) of the Tyrolean State Theatre in Innsbruck, Austria. She holds the ti ...

, Peter Schreier and Nicolai Gedda, appearing internationally. Werba was a professor of

and

oratorio An oratorio () is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble. Similar to opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguisha ...

at the Wiener Musikakademie from 1949 to 1990, and from 1964 to 1971 also at the Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Graz. As a journalist, he worked for the newsletters of the Mozartgemeinde, the ''Wiener Figaro'', the Österreichische Musikzeitschrift and the periodical ''Musikerziehung''. As a composer, he wrote incidental music, chamber music and lieder. Werba died on 9 April 1992 in

Hinterbrühl Hinterbrühl () is a town in the district of Mödling in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is home to the Seegrotte, a system of caves including Europe's largest underground lake. During World War II, a satellite camp of Mauthausen concentr ...

. He is buried at the

Maria Enzersdorf Maria Enzersdorf (Central Bavarian: ''Maria Enzasduaf'') is a small city in the district of Mödling (district), Mödling in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. There are several castles and ruins in the forests surrounding Maria Enzersdorf, in ...

cemetery.

Compositions

Werba composed lieder, including: * "Ich bin...", for high voice and piano (1936) * "Neige dein Köpfchen", for high voice and piano (1936) * "Ich saß vor dunklem Walde", for high voice and piano (1936)

Publications

* ''Richard Strauss zum 85. Geburtstag'', 1949 * ''Tenoralbum'', 1951 * ''Bariton-Baß-Album'', 1953 * ''Josef Marx, eine Studie'', 1962 * ''Hugo Wolf oder – Der zornige Romantiker'', 1971 * ''Erich Marckhl'', 1972 * ''Hugo Wolf und seine Lieder'', 1984Hugo Wolf und seine Lieder
Österreichischer Bibliothekenverbund

Awards

* 1960: Mozartmedaille awarded by the Mozart Society of Vienna

References

External links

*
Erik Werba
im Austria-Forum * {{DEFAULTSORT:Werba, Erik 1918 births 1992 deaths Musicians from Baden bei Wien Austrian composers Austrian classical pianists Austrian male classical pianists Austrian music critics Classical accompanists 20th-century Austrian classical composers University of Vienna alumni Academic staff of the University of Vienna 20th-century Austrian male musicians