Hermann Haller (composer)

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Hermann Haller (born June 9, 1914 in Burgdorf BE ; † August 13, 2002 in Küsnacht ZH ) was a Swiss composer .

Life

After graduating from the Burgdorfer Gymnasium in 1933, in the midst of the economic depression and at the beginning of National Socialism, Hermann Haller began studying music at the Zurich Conservatory. His teachers were Volkmar Andreae , Paul Müller-Zurich and Rudolf Wittelsbach. He completed his studies with a counterpoint and piano diploma. Following this, in 1938 and 1939, Haller went to Paris, where he further developed his compositional craft with Nadia Boulanger . For the young Haller, Paris was rich in artistic inspiration, as it was for many others, so that it was a painful turning point for him to return to Switzerland when the Second World War broke out and to have to do active service there for months .

Even before this stay in France, Hermann Haller, incidentally a nephew of the sculptor Hermann Haller , had published his first work, the Toccata in C for organ (1937). Here he approached baroque forms, which can be partly explained by the fact that there was a corresponding tendency, especially in German-speaking countries. However, he chose a form that is not characterized by a standardized scheme.

And even during the Second World War, Haller - he completed his piano studies with Czesław Marek - was chosen to teach piano and theory at the Zurich Conservatory. Between 1951 and 1954 he attended Paul Hindemith's lectures at the University of Zurich , which in turn opened up new horizons for him. Shortly after the war, however, Haller switched to the Küsnacht cantonal teacher training college , where he worked full-time as a piano teacher until his retirement in 1979, i.e. 24 hours a week.

Nevertheless, Hermann Haller created a considerable musical oeuvre over the course of almost five decades, comprising around seventy works and in which - apart from ballet and opera - all genres are represented.

Hermann Haller also held important positions such as the presidium of the Swiss Tonkünstlerverein (1968–1973), the Swiss Society for New Music SGNM (1968–73) and the Swiss Copyright Society SUISA (1979–1987).

In 1976 he received the Music Prize of the City of Zurich in recognition of his artistic work and in 1985 the composer prize of the Swiss Tonkünstlerverein.

Hermann Haller stopped composing shortly after his 80th birthday because he was taking care of his seriously ill wife. His last work was entitled Blätterfall… , a piece for baritone and string sextet (1994) based on a poem by Adrien Turel .

Works (selection)

Chamber music

  • Sonata for flute and piano (1945)
  • String Quartet (1961)
  • 6 Inventions for flute and harpsichord (1966)
  • "In memoriam" 5 pieces for piano trio (1968)
  • Sonata per pianoforte (1969)
  • 2nd string quartet (1971)
  • 3 Nocturnes pour alto et piano (1972)
  • Octet for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, string quartet and piano (1976)
  • 5 pieces en forme de variations pour quintette à vent (1980)
  • "Blue Wall" , impressions based on a picture by Hans Fischli for flute, string sextet and piano (1986)
  • String Quartet No. 3 (1992)

Orchestral works

Solo concerts

  • Concerto for Organ and String Orchestra (1957)
  • 1st Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1959)
  • Double Concerto for flute, clarinet and string orchestra (1961)
  • Piano Concerto No. 2 with String Orchestra (1962)
  • Extension - Contraction , musique élégiaque pour violoncelle et orchester (1980/81)
  • «Episodes» for viola and orchestra (1990/91)

Vocal works

  • «Exoratio» for alto and strings (1956)
  • 5 songs after Hölderlin for alto and orchestra (1961)
  • "Job" , oratorio for soprano, baritone, mixed choir, organ and orchestra (1974)
  • Psalm 103 for soprano, mixed choir and organ (1976)
  • "Ed è subito sera" , cinque liriche su versi di Salvatore Quasimodo per baritono e orchestra (1978); Sound recording: Philippe Huttenlocher, bass, Basel Radio Symphony Orchestra, conductor Räto Tschupp ; Volkshaus Basel, June 1, 1984; Fonoteca Svizzera, Lugano (BSFILE10522) https://www.fonoteca.ch/cgi-bin/oecgi4.exe/inet_fnbasedetail?REC_ID=10522.046&LNG_ID=DEU
  • Farewell for soprano and string orchestra (1984) (based on the poem "El viaje definitivo" by Juan Ramón Jiménez , from the Poemas agrestes collection , translated by Hans Leopold Davi )
  • Blätterfall ... for baritone and string sextet based on a poem by Adrien Turel (1994)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ On the history of the SGNM. iscm-switzerland.ch
personal data
SURNAME Haller, Hermann
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss composer
DATE OF BIRTH June 9, 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH Burgdorf BE
DATE OF DEATH August 13, 2002
Place of death Küsnacht ZH