Carlos Ehrensperger

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Carlos Ehrensperger (born October 14, 1911 in Medellín , Colombia ; † September 7, 2001 in Winterthur ) was a Swiss composer , pianist , choir director and school musician .

biography

Carlos Ehrensperger grew up as a Swiss abroad in Colombia in a Spanish-speaking environment. In 1923 he returned to his parents' homeland in Winterthur to attend schools there. He trained as a primary school teacher and then earned his concert diploma as a pianist. His composition teachers were Ernst Hess , Walther Reinhart, Hermann Scherchen and Paul Hindemith . After 1950 he worked as a music teacher at the cantonal school in Winterthur, where he emphatically strived for a fusion of music and poetry. He set the spring celebration (with readings of the poems by Stefan Georges ) and Hölderlin's hymn Der Rhein to music for the school choir . The cantata Veni creator Spiritus (with a recitation of Hölderlin's peace celebration ) was written for the «Kammerchor Winterthur», which he founded . In December 1976 his great Christmas oratorio Magnum Mysterium was performed with the Winterthur City Orchestra . In 1954 he was honored with the Carl Heinrich Ernst Prize for his compositional work. After his retirement there followed another intensive creative years until shortly before his death on September 7, 2001 in Winterthur.

Ehrensperger left around 20 compositions for large orchestra, 6 operas, 10 extensive choral works with orchestra, numerous choral and solo songs as well as chamber music. His compositional estate is in the Winterthur Collection of the Winterthur Libraries .

Works (selection)

Stage works

  • Clarius based on the book L'homme claire by Gaston Cauvin
  • The Marquise of O ...
  • King Drosselbart
  • O you beautiful rose garden (or: the case of Dr. Mann ); based on the novel The Way to Isabelle by Frank Thiess
  • Una Noche Estrellada (Swiss German: Stëërnenacht )
  • The love herb

Choral works (secular and spiritual)

  • Peace celebration
  • Magnum Mystery (1976)
  • Pentecost hymn for gem. Choir and organ
  • Sapphos singing for mixed Choir and ensemble
  • Veni creator spiritus

Chamber music

  • 2 string quartets
  • Suite on French Folk Songs for Viola and Piano
  • Rossignol du bois for alto flute (piccolo) and harp

orchestra

  • Orchestral suite from King Drosselbart
  • Concert piece No. 1 (1964)

Solo concerts

  • Music for bass violin and small orchestra
  • Concert wind instruments and orchestra

Vocal works

  • The great death. Song sequence based on poems from three millennia for baritone, string quartet, timpani and percussion

Awards

Catalog raisonné

  • Catalog raisonné Carlos Ehrensperger, compiled by Alfred Vogel (2006)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Regula Puskás: Walther Reinhart. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
personal data
SURNAME Ehrensperger, Carlos
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss composer, pianist, choir director and school musician
DATE OF BIRTH October 14, 1911
PLACE OF BIRTH Medellin , Colombia
DATE OF DEATH September 7, 2001
Place of death Winterthur