Peter Ury (3 November 1920 – 20 September 1976) was a Jewish composer, playwright and journalist. Born in

Ulm Ulm () is the sixth-largest city of the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with around 129,000 inhabitants, it is Germany's 60th-largest city. Ulm is located on the eastern edges of the Swabian Jura mountain range, on the up ...

, where he played the organ in the synagogue, he escaped from Nazi persecution in 1939 by emigrating to England. He translated for the British Army, worked at the Deutscher Kulturbund until 1946, taught music at

Trinity College London Trinity College London (TCL) is an examination board based in London, United Kingdom which offers graded and diploma qualifications across a range of disciplines in the performing arts and English language learning and teaching. Trinity Colleg ...

, and was music assistant to the theatre school at the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...

. He composed songs and some instrumental music, and for musical theatre and the ballet. ''Timothy'', a children's opera with a libretto by the theatre director

Peter Zadek Peter Zadek (; 19 May 1926 – 30 July 2009) was a German director of theatre, opera and film, a translator and a screenwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest directors in German-speaking theater. Biography Peter Zadek was born on 19 May ...

, is based on the story 'Heinzelmeier' by

Theodor Storm Hans Theodor Woldsen Storm (; 14 September 18174 July 1888), commonly known as Theodor Storm, was a German-Frisian writer and poet. He is considered to be one of the most important figures of German realism. Life Storm was born in the small t ...

.Peter Ury: personal papers, European Holocaust Research Infrastructure
/ref> Another collaboration with Zadek was ''Der Judaskuss'' (''The Kiss of Judas''), a miracle play with music. Ury also worked with the dancers Lotte and Ernest Berk, providing music for ballet productions, including ''The Family Suite''.Ernest Berk Collection, Laban Archive
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance Ury was the London correspondent for the regional West Deutsche Rundfunk radio station in Cologne for many years. In 1950 he married Sylvia Unger (1926–1998), another Nazi refugee and the daughter of the German playwright Alfred H. Unger. In the 1970s they were living at 16 Daleham Gardens, London NW3. There were three children, including the activist, author and artist Tanya Ury.Peter Ury estate. European Center for Jewish Music
/ref> The Piano Sonata, ''Lullaby for Tanya'' and some of the songs have been published by NovaScribe Editions in Canada. Ury's personal papers are held at the Wiener Holocaust Library.

Selected compositions

* ''The Brothers'', music for Peter Zadek's production of the play by Philippa Burrell ( Watergate Theatre, 1951) * ''The Enchanted Apple'', ballet (1951)'Summer Theatre', in ''The Stage'', 16 August 1951. p. 9 * ''The Family Suite'', ballet (1949) * ''Four Elderberry Songs'' * ''Judas Passion'' * ''Kinderlieder'' (Children's Songs), 23 songs with piano accompaniment * ''The Kiss of Judas'', miracle play with music (published 1976) * ''Lullaby for Tanya'' for piano * Piano Sonata in three movements * Serenade for Strings * ''Singspiel Der Judaskuss'' * Symphony No. 1 (incomplete) * ''Three Songs for Shoshanah'' * ''Timothy'', children's opera (libretto Peter Zadek)

References

External links

Peter Ury: Stolpesteine, Part 1: memorial stones

Peter Ury: Stolpesteine, Part 2: ''Elderberry Songs''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ury, Peter Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United Kingdom 1920 births 1976 deaths Jewish classical composers