Rudolf Komorous

Rudolf Komorous (born December 8, 1931 in Prague ) is a Canadian composer, bassoonist and music teacher of Czech origin.

Komorous studied from 1946 to 1952 bassoon at the State Conservatory and from 1956 to 1956 bassoon with Karel Pivonka and composition with Pavel Bořkovec at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague . In 1957 he won the International Music Interpreting Competition in Geneva, and from 1959 to 1961 he taught at the Beijing Conservatory.

On his return he became principal bassoonist in the orchestra of the National Theater in Prague . In 1959 he attended a special course in electronic music in Warsaw, and in 1961 he was one of the founders of the Musica Viva Pragensis . In 1969 he emigrated to Canada. After teaching as visiting professor at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota for two years , he became a professor at the University of Victoria in 1971 . There he taught composition and music theory, founded a studio for electronic music and headed the music school from 1975. From 1989 to 1994 he was director of the School for the Contemporary Arts at Simon Fraser University .

Komorous' extensive catalog raisonné includes six symphonies, two operas, numerous chamber music and electroacoustic compositions, piano and vocal works. He has written commissioned compositions for Paul Brodie ( Dingy Yellow ), Peggie Sampson ( At Your Memory the Transparent Tears Are Like Molten Lead ,), the Vancouver New Music Society ( Twenty-three Poems about Horses and No no miya ), Norbert Kraft ( Amaryllis ) , the Esprit Orchestra ( Symphony No. 1 "Stardust" ), the Toronto Symphony Orchestra ( Demure Charm ), the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra ( Sinfony No. 2 "Canadian" ), and others.

Works

• Duettino for clarinet and bassoon, 1954
• Still Life with Florets , for clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, three violas and cymbal, 1961
• The Sweet Queen for melodica, bass harmonica, piano and bass drum, 1962
• Le Trille du diable for piano, 1964
• Olympia for melodica, bass harmonica, flexatone and percussion, 1964
• Lady Blancarosa , opera based on her own libretto, 1964–66
• The Tomb of Malevich for Electronics, 1965
• Mignon for four string instruments, 1965
• Minute Waltz for Melodica and Cowbell, 1965
• Chanson for guitar, viola and clockwork, 1965
• York for instrumental ensemble, 1967
• Piccolomini for four piccolo flutes, 1967
• The Gloomy Grace for instrumental ensemble, 1968
• Gone for Electronics, 1969
• Bare and Dainty for orchestra, 1969–70
• To Anna Blume (text by Kurt Schwitters ) for mixed choir, 1971
• Dingy Yellow for soprano saxophone, piano and electronics, 1972
• Untitled 1 for electronics, 1973
• Untitled 2 for trumpet, 1973
• Slowfox for piano, 1973
• The Grand Chopper for Electronics, 1974
• Anatomy of Melancholy for electronics, 1974
• Untitled 3 for instrumental ensemble, 1974
• Untitled 4 for four oboes, two trumpets and violin, 1974
• Untitled 5 for flute, horn, viola and double bass, 1974
• Preludes for 13 Early Instruments , 1974
• Wang Wei Songs (lyrics by Wang Wei ) for baritone and piano, 1974–84
• Rossi for small orchestra, 1974, 1975
• Untitled 6 for viol and harpsichord, 1976
• Midnight Narcissus for alto flute, horn, cello, piano and triangle, 1977
• Twenty-three Poems about Horses (text by Li He translated by JD Frodsham ) for speaker, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello and double bass, 1978 (orchestral version 1985)
• About Scales for flute, trombone, violin, viola, cello, piano and vibraphone, 1979
• Vermilion Dust (text by Li Shangyin , translated by James JY Liu ) for baritone, mixed choir and small orchestra, 1980, 1984
• Amaryllis for guitar, 1981
• Trio for violin, viola and cello, 1981
• Fumon Manga for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon, 1981, 1983
• Serenade for string orchestra, 1982
• Quartettino (Les Amours jaunes) for bassoon, violin, viola and cello, 1983
• Li Ch'ing Chao Madrigals (text by Li Qingzhao ) for mixed choir, 1985
• Passacaille for bass flute and harpsichord, 1985
• Tango (Seven Autumn Haiku and Three Winter Tanka) for instrumental ensemble, 1985–86
• Listening to the Rain for electronics, 1986
• The Necklace of Clear Understanding for baroque flute, 1986
• Nocturne for Winds (The Rainbow of Forgetting) for flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, double bassoon and horn, 1986
• Cold Mountain Songs (lyrics by Han-Shan translated by Red Pine ) for soprano and cello, 1987
• Symphony No. 1, "Stardust" , 1988
• No no miya , chamber opera, libretto based on Zeami Motokiyo , 1988
• Ritratto di Laura Battiferri for two violins, two violas and two cellos, 1989
• Aokigahara , for bass flute and tingsha, 1989
• Demure Charm for obbligato flute, bassoon and string orchestra, 1990
• Symphony No. 2, "Canadian" , 1990
• Dames' Rocket for clarinet, trumpet, double bass, piano, vibraphone and marimba, 1991
• Hermione Dreaming for baroque ensemble, 1992
• Slow Rant Boogie for flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, cello, double bass, piano and percussion, 1994
• Symphony No. 3, "Ex C" for string orchestra, 1995
• Chamber Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra, 1995
• Symphony No. 4, "La Tireuse de cartes" , 1997
• Seven Sides of Maxine's Silver Die for piano and nine players, 1997–98
• Lurid Bride for alto flute, oboe, bass clarinet, violin, cello, double bass, piano and percussion, 1999
• The Chinese Box for piano, 2000
• The White Shift (String Quartet No. 1) , 2000
• Like that Drake for flute. Clarinet, bass clarinet, electric guitar, violin, viola, cello, piano and accordion, 2000
• Aurélia for bass flute, bass clarinet, basset horn, two violins, two violas, two cellos, two double basses and two anvils, 2001
• Symphony No. 5, "The Spiffy Nude," 2001
• Symphony No. 6, "Verdigris" , 2002
• The Atonement (String Quartet No. 2) , 2002

swell

• Rudolf Komorous ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia .
• Rudolf Komorous ( English, French ) In: Encyclopedia of Music in Canada . published by The Canadian Encyclopedia .
• Canadian Music Center - Rudolf Komorous
• The Living Composers Project - Rudolf Komorous