Thomas Schmidt-Kowalski

Thomas Schmidt-Kowalski (born June 21, 1949 in Oldenburg (Oldb) , Lower Saxony ; † January 5, 2013 ibid) was a German composer .

Life

Schmidt-Kowalski began to occupy himself intensively with music at the age of 12 and acquired a musical education by himself. From 1971 he studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Berlin and from 1972 to 1977 composition with Alfred Koerppen at the Hanover University of Music . In the course of his studies, Schmidt-Kowalski completely turned away from the musical avant-garde, which repeatedly led to conflicts with his teachers. Since the end of the 1970s he worked as a freelance composer and wrote mainly commissioned works for soloists or events. From 2002 Schmidt-Kowalski also appeared through CD productions. His compositions have been presented internationally in London, Oxford, Cambridge, Sidney, Melbourne and Mexico City. On September 21, 2007, the 4th Symphony was premiered in Japan at Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall. Schmidt-Kowalski has also emerged as a conductor of his own works. In contrast to his international recognition, the Schmidt-Kowalskis stood in his hometown of Oldenburg: only after his death was his 3rd Symphony (1997-2000) heard there for the first time, in a live recorded castle concert of the Chamber Symphony Oldenburg am, then conducted by the conductor Olaf Wiechmann November 24, 2013. Even the extensive legacy of the deceased composer did not initially remain in the city of Oldenburg, but instead became the property of the Hanover State Property Fund. It has not yet been decided (as of 2013) whether the efforts of the Oldenburg landscape, stimulated by the Oldenburg Palace Concert on November 24, 2013, to make the sheet music available to the Oldenburg State Archives and through this in the future to anyone interested in inspection or performance, will be successful.

Audio language

Schmidt-Kowalski saw the musical romanticism, which he understood not as an epoch, but as an intellectual attitude, as the point of reference for his work. His role models were Robert Schumann , Johannes Brahms and Anton Bruckner ; his music is entirely committed to tonality . The form and harmony of his works are essentially based on the music of the 19th century. The basic mood of his music is lyrical to epic in nature; The composer attached great importance to the melodic element. The focus of his work was on chamber music and orchestral works. According to his own statement, he strived for a tonal language that would do justice to the "human longing for harmony" (postulated by him).

Works

• Orchestral works
  • Symphony No. 1 in D major, op.15 (1981)
  • Symphony No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 57 "Symphony at the turn of the millennium" (1996)
  • Symphony No. 3 in D minor, Op. 67 (1997-2000)
  • Symphony No. 4 in C major, Op. 96 (2003/04)
  • Chamber Symphony No. 1 in F major, Op. 32 (1988)
  • Chamber Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 35 (1990)
  • "Starry Night" for large orchestra op. 34,2 (1990/2007)
  • "Passion and Early Death", Symphonic Fantasy op. 69 (1999)
  • "Return of Atlantis ", symphonic poem op. 103 (2005)
• Works for wind orchestra
  • Three mood pictures in G major op.68 (1998)
  • "The Hymn to the Infinite" op. 89 (2003)
  • Fantasy based on the poem "Gesang der Geister über den Wassern" by Goethe for wind orchestra and choir op. 92 (2002/03)
  • "Atlantis Trilogy", Three Fantasy Pieces op. 102 (2005)
  • Symphonic fantasy for large orchestra on "The Song of the Bell" (by Friedrich Schiller) op. 112
• Works for string orchestra
  • "Impressions in G minor" for string orchestra op. 101
  • "Meditations zum Volkstrauertag" for string orchestra op. 105 (2006/07) (commissioned for the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge )
• Concerts
  • Violin Concerto No. 1 in D minor op.50 (1994)
  • Violin Concerto No. 2 in B minor, Op. 100 (2005)
  • Violoncello Concerto in A minor, Op. 84 (2002)
  • Elegy in F sharp minor for viola and orchestra op.106 (2007/08)
  • Piano Concerto in G minor op.108 (2010)
  • Viola Concerto in F sharp minor op.111 (2010)
• Vocal music
  • "The Search for the Lost Land", Oratorio op. 21 (1982)
  • Missa in C minor op.85 (2002)
  • Songs
• Chamber music
  • 3 violin sonatas (No. 1 in B minor, Op. 10, 1980, No. 2 in G major, Op. 17, 1982, No. 3 in E major, Op. 33, 1985-88)
  • Viola Sonata in C major op.39 (1992)
  • 3 cello sonatas (No. 1 in D minor, Op. 4, 1979, No. 2 in F sharp minor, Op. 12, 1980/81, No. 3 in B flat major, Op. 99 "Atlantis", 2005)
  • 3 piano trios (No. 1 in A minor op.13, 1981, No. 2 in D minor, op.18, 1981/82, No. 3 in A major, op.38, 1992)
  • 4 piano quartets (No. 1 in B minor, Op. 7, 1978/79, No. 2 in E major, Op. 9, 1980, No. 3 in E major, Op. 63, 1997, No. 4 in E flat major, Op. 104 , 2006)
  • 2 string quartets (No. 1 in D major op. 47, 1993, No. 2 in G major, op. 98, 2004)
  • 2 string sextets (No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 45, 1992, No. 2 in C minor, Op. 53, 1994)
• Piano works
  • 7 piano sonatas
  • Fantasies
  • Piano pieces

swell

• Supplement to CD Schmidt-Kowalski: Symphony No. 3, Cello Concerto , Naxos 8.551212
• Supplement to CD Schmidt-Kowalski: Symphonic Seals , Naxos 8.551281
• Hollfelder, Peter: The Piano Music , Hamburg 1999

Web links

• Works by and about Thomas Schmidt-Kowalski in the catalog of the German National Library
• Homepage of the composer