Nikos Skalkottas

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Nikos Skalkottas ( Greek Νίκος Σκαλκώτας Níkos Skalkótas , born March 21, 1904 in Chalkida , † September 19, 1949 in Athens ) was a Greek composer . Alongside Dimitri Mitropoulos , he is considered the most important representative of early new music in Greece .

Life

Memorial plaque on the house at Nürnberger Strasse  19, in Berlin-Charlottenburg

Skalkottas came from a family of musicians. The paternal line originally came from Tinos : A great-grandfather Alekos is said to have been a folk musician and played the violin and laouto . Grandfather Nikos traveled through Greece as a marble sculptor and finally settled in Chalkida, where Skalkottas' father Alekos and his uncle Dimitris were professional musicians, gave instrumental lessons and played many different instruments, including in brass bands. Both were probably his first violin teachers too. Because of the talent of the young Nikos, but probably also because of the better work opportunities for father and uncle, the family moved to Athens between 1906 and 1911, where the young musician was accepted at the Athens Conservatory in 1914 (Greek Ωδείο Odio ), where he studied violin Tony Schultze enjoyed a comprehensive basic musical education. Here he was considered one of the particularly talented students early on, and his first public appearance as a violinist is documented in 1917 at the latest. As a violinist in the school orchestra, he got to know the symphonic repertoire of his time. An encounter with Camille Saint-Saëns , who was visiting Athens at the time, is recorded. In the same year he passed his diploma with distinction in all subjects. A scholarship then enabled him to continue studying abroad.

Skalkottas decided on Berlin , where he arrived in autumn 1921. He initially took private violin lessons from Willy Hess , and in April 1922 he entered his master class at the Hochschule für Musik . Robert Kahn and Paul Juon are named as teachers of music theory, both of whom were teaching at the university at the time. Skalkottas finished his violin studies with the end of his Athens scholarship in June 1924, probably by this time his decision had already matured to give up a career as a virtuoso and devote himself to composition. It is very likely that he took lessons from Kurt Weill between 1923 and 1926, and from 1925 to 1927 from his teacher Philipp Jarnach . He financed these private studies by performing as a violinist, pianist or conductor, mostly for light music, in coffeehouses and silent film cinemas, and later as an instrumentator for the Odeon record company . He turned down offers for a position at the Athens Odio and an orchestral position in the Athens Orchestra. Only in 1928 did his financial situation improve with a private scholarship from Manolis Benakis.

In October 1927 Skalkottas entered Arnold Schönberg's master class at the Prussian Academy of Arts , where he stayed until his return to Athens in 1933. Many records attest to Schönberg's extraordinary appreciation for his pupil; conversely, Skalkottas reports that he saw Schönberg as having a decisive influence on his artistic work. Skalkottas' compositions - also with his participation - were often performed in the concerts of the academy. In the winter of 1930/31 he spent five months in Athens, where he conducted his own works and where his chamber music was performed. He also wrote articles and reviews for the Athens magazine Mousiki Zoi (Μουσική Ζωή). Despite these relative artistic successes, Skalkottas' financial situation remained precarious, and the scholarship also ended in 1931. From this point onwards, the biographers report that the composer, previously known as sociable and cheerful, “slipped into the depression”, during which time he participated the master class looser, his relationship with Mathilde Temko broke up. With great effort he was persuaded to return to his family in Athens in March 1933. Skalkottas left most of his notes in Berlin, some of which were lost. Apparently he planned to return to Berlin all his life.

In Athens he became a violinist on the second violin desk in the Athens State Orchestra . Almost without publishing, he composed a large number of works that only gradually came to light after his death in 1949.

plant

Skalkottas' works, which stylistically cannot be assigned to any musical direction of the 20th century, remained practically unknown during his lifetime and have only recently been performed more frequently. He composed a wind symphony and a sinfonietta , an overture , two suites , Greek dances for orchestra, three piano, one cello and one violin concerto, a concerto for two violins, a double concerto for violin and viola , chamber music works, piano pieces and songs .

List of works

  • Greek Dances for Strings , 1936
  • The Maiden and Death , ballet suite, 1938
  • The Homecoming of Odysseus , Symphony, 1942
  • Largo symphonico , 1944
  • Ouverture concertante , 1944-45
  • May Magic Suite , 1944–49
  • Thalassa (The Sea), Ballet Suite, 1948–49
  • Chamber music
    • Octet for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and string quartet A / K 30 (1931)
    • String quartets
      • String Quartet No. 1 A / K 32 (1928)
      • String Quartet No. 2 A / K 33 (1929)
      • String Quartet No. 3 A / K 34 (1935)
      • String Quartet No. 4 A / K 35 (1940)
      • 9 Greek dances for string quartet A / K 37 (1938–1947)
      • Gero Dimos for string quartet A / K 37a (1939)
      • 10 small sketches for string quartet A / K 38 (1938–1947)
    • Quartets and trios
      • Scherzo for piano, violin, viola, violoncello A / K 39 (1939?)
      • Quartet for piano, oboe, bassoon and trumpet No. 1 A / K 40 (1940–42)
      • Quartet for piano, oboe, bassoon and trumpet No. 2 A / K 40a (1940–42)
      • String Trio No. 2 A / K 41 (1935)
      • Piano trio A / K 42 (1936)
      • 8 Variations on a Greek Folk Song for Piano Trio A / K 43 (1938)
    • Duos for strings
      • Duo for violin and violoncello A / K 44 (1946/47)
      • Duo for violin and viola A / K 45 (1938)
    • Works for violin and piano
      • Sonatina No. 2 A / K 47 (1929)
      • Sonatina No. 3 A / K 48 (1935)
      • Sonatina No. 4 A / K 49 (1935)
      • Sonata A / K 50 (1939-1940)
      • Small Suite No. 1 A / K 51 (1946)
      • Small Suite No. 2 A / K 52 (1949)
      • March of the Little Soldiers A / K 53 (1937/38)
      • Rondo A / K 54 (1937/38)
      • Nocturne A / K 55 (1937/38)
      • Small chorale and fugue A / K 56 (1937/38)
      • Gavotte A / K 57 (1939)
      • Scherzo and Menuetto Cantato A / K 58 (1939/40)
      • 6 Greek dances A / K 59 (1940-1947)
      • 3 Greek folk songs A / K 60 (1945/46)
    • Works for violoncello and piano
      • Sonatine A / K 62 (1949)
      • Bolero A / K 63 (1945)
      • Little Serenade A / K 64 (1945)
      • Delicate Melody A / K 65 (1949)
      • Largo A / K 66 (1941/42)
    • Works for piano and wind instruments
      • Sonata Concertante for bassoon and piano A / K 67 (1943)
      • Concertino for trumpet and piano A / K 68 (1940–1942)
      • Concertino for oboe and piano A / K 28 (1939)
    • Solo works
      • Sonata for solo violin A / K 69 (1925)
      • Echo , little dance piece for harp A / K 77b (?)

literature

  • Nina-Maria Jaklitsch: Manolis Kalomiris (1883–1962), Nikos Skalkottas (1904–1949). Greek art music between national school and modernity . In: Studies in Musicology 51 . Tutzing 2003

Web links

Commons : Nikos Skalkottas  - collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Skalkottas, Nikos
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Skalkótas, Níkos; Σκαλκώτας, Νίκος
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Greek composer
DATE OF BIRTH March 21, 1904
PLACE OF BIRTH Chalkida
DATE OF DEATH September 19, 1949
Place of death Athens