2013 centenarians

[guest145]

The festivities are already underway to commemorate Lutoslawski's centenary, and he will likely be the major recipient of attention this year from this list. I don't begrudge him the attention, but there are certainly many others whose anniversary will go largely unnoticed this year. Of these, Karl Michael Komma almost made it to his 100th, passing away just a few months ago. It would appear that possibly the only living representative is Bashkir composer Gabdurakhim Sabitov, for whom I cannot find a death date in either English or Russian sources.

COMPOSERS BORN IN 1913:

Adolphus, Milton (1913-1988)                  American
Archer, Violet (1913-2000)                                      Canadian
Bahatyrou, Anagol [Bogatyryev, Anatoly] (1913-2003)      Belarusian
Barati, George (1913-1996)                  Hungarian-American
Bettinelli, Bruno (1913-2004)                  Italian
Bogoslovsky, Nikita (1913-2004)               Russian
Bonds, Margaret (1913-1972)                  American
Bonneau, Paul (1918-1995)                       French
Brant, Henry (1913-2008)                  American
Bresgen, Cesar (1913-1988)                  German-Austrian
Britten, Benjamin (1913-1976)               English
Burton, Eldin (1913-1979)                  American
Center, Ronald (1913-1958)                  Scottish
Cheesman, Oswald (1913-1985)               New Zealander
Cilenšek, Johann (1913-1999)                  German
Coolidge, Peggy Stuart (1913-1982)            American
Dávid, Gyula (1913-1977)                  Hungarian
Dello Joio, Norman (1913-2008)                                   American
Delvaux, Albert (1913-2007)                  Belgian
Domažlický, František (1913-1997)               Czech
Dumitrescu, Ion (1913-1996)                  Rumanian
Elmore, Robert Hall (1913-1985)               American
Etler, Alvin (1913-1973)                          American
Eyken, Ernest van der (1913-2010)               Belgian
Fine, Vivian (1913-2000)                  American
Fleishman, Venyamin (1913-1941)               Russian
Fletcher, Grant (1913-2002)                            American
Gabichvadze, Revaz (1913-1999)               Georgian
Golts, Boris (1913-1942)                  Russian
Gould, Morton (1913-1996)                  American
Grundman, Clare (1913-1996)                  American
Hanson, Raymond (1913-1976)               Australian
Helm, Everett (1913-1999)                  American
Henkemans, Hans (1913-1995)               Dutch
Holoubek, Ladislav (1913-1994)               Slovak
Hyde, Miriam (1913-2005)                  Australian
Jersild, Jørgen (1913-2004)                  Danish
Jodál, Gábor (1913-1989)                  Rumanian
Kapp, Vilem (1913-1964)                  Estonian
Kennan, Kent (1913-2003)                  American
Khasanov, Nabi (1913-1972)                  Uzbek
Khrennikov, Tikhon (1913-2007)               Russian
Komma, Karl Michael (1913-2012)               German
Krein, Julian (1913-1996)                  Russian
List, Kurt (1913-1970)                     Austrian-American
Lloyd, George (1913-1998)                  English
Lolov, Vassil (1913-1992)                  Bulgarian
Lutosławski, Witold (1913-1994)               Polish
Machavariani, Alexei (1913-1995)               Georgian
Maiboroda, Georgy (1913-1992)               Ukrainian
Martorell [i Miralles], Antoni (1913-2009)            Spanish
Meyerowitz, Jan (1913-1998)                  German-American
Moross, Jerome (1913-1983)                  American
Nordgren, Erik (1913-1992)                  Swedish
Polyakov, Valery (1913-1969)                  Moldavian
Read, Gardner (1913-2005)                  American
Rudziński, Witold (1913-2004)                       Polish
Sabitov, Gabdurakhim (1913-                  Bashkir
San Pedro, Lucio (1913-2002)                  Filipino
Schollum, Robert (1913-1987)                  Austrian
Schultz, Svend S. (1913-1998)               Danish
Silvestri, Constantin (1913-1969)               Rumanian-British
Sokola, Miloš (1913-1976)                  Czech
Tobar, Alex (1913-1975)                          Colombian
Weinzweig, John (1913-2006)                  Canadian

[kyjo]

Many thanks for that list, Maris :) There's lots of fine composers on there that we should pay tribute to! What a coincidence that we have been discussing Machavariani so much recently ;D

[guest2]

Paul Bonneau oops!

[David Carter]

How extraordinary. I only know 11 of those composers and some of those only from 1 or 2 works. I expect in these parts Benjamin Britten will be getting slightly more attention than Lutoslawski or indeed all the other composers put together.

[kyjo]

Of these, Karl Michael Komma almost made it to his 100th, passing away just a few months ago.

A highly interesting composer! Here's his obituary from artsjournal.com:

Karl-Michael Komma came from the Sudetenland. During the Hitler years, he was an outspoken nationalist and inflammatory anti-semite. His teacher at Heidelberg, Heinrich Bessler, was an SA stormtrooper. Komma wrote an ode for the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia and a poisonous monograph against Gustav Mahler.

Like many Sudeten Germans, Komma was expelled by the Czechs in 1945 and made his home in the West German town of Reutlingen, where he seems to have repented of his previous enthusiasms. He refused to join rightwing Sudeten exile groups and once said that ‘Sudeten’ is a defunct term, belonging to the first half of the 20th century. Among other gestures, he wrote a set of variations on a work by Victor Ullmann, a Czech-Jewish composer who was murdered in Auschwitz by the Hitler machine that Komma once supported. He died on Sunday, in his 99th year.


Does anyone know these CDs of his orchestral music, and if so, what is Komma's compositional style like?




 :)

[guest140]

Paul Bonneau oops!

Gentlemen,

Does anyone have any recording of the violin concerto "American dream: I want to rule the world" by Paul Bonneau?

Thankyou.

[guest145]

A highly interesting composer! Here's his obituary from artsjournal.com: ...

Does anyone know these CDs of his orchestral music, and if so, what is Komma's compositional style like?

Another composer whose music was well-crafted, but quite unmemorable (to me, at least). I recall having a cello concerto of his at one time, listening to it a couple of times, and then selling the disc because I didn't think I'd ever bother listening to it again.

Thanks for the bio, though -- a very intreresting life, to say the least!

[Dundonnell]

How extraordinary. I only know 11 of those composers and some of those only from 1 or 2 works. I expect in these parts Benjamin Britten will be getting slightly more attention than Lutoslawski or indeed all the other composers put together.

I would think that Britten will receive a great deal more attention than Lutoslawski or any other of these composers.

[ahinton]

How extraordinary. I only know 11 of those composers and some of those only from 1 or 2 works. I expect in these parts Benjamin Britten will be getting slightly more attention than Lutoslawski or indeed all the other composers put together.

I would think that Britten will receive a great deal more attention than Lutoslawski or any other of these composers.

Whilst I fear that, as the year progresses, he probably will, in Britain, at least, it has to be said that BBC has already done well for Lutosławski even though we're only three weeks or so into the year; that said, Lutosławski's birthdate is in January whereas Britten's is famously on St. Cecilia's Day in November, so it remains to be seen how coverage of the two might compare as the year wears on. Also, I assume that you're thinking mainly of coverage in Britain rather than elsewhere. Despite Britten's kindness towards me, I have never personally warmed to much of his music but I do respect him and his legacy immensely (not only as a composer but also as a pianist and conductor); the rather less prolific Lutosławski wrote far more music that immediately gets to me. I think that the two of them were notable for a generosity of spirit, despite the fact that Britten's insecurities sometimes led him to be quite barbed about other living composers from time to time, even when he still encouraged their work being performed at Aldeburgh (witness, for example, his pouring of barely concealed scorn upon Richard Rodney Bennett's opera The Mines of Sulphur in contrast to his being more than happy for Bennett's work to continue to feature in Aldeburgh Festival programmes); I somehow suspect that Lutosławski felt generally rather less "threatened" by other composers and he not only did much to encourage and help his younger compatriots but also spoke and wrote with great warmth about his elder compatriots Szymanowski (who is far better appreciated today than was once the case) and Bacewicz (a splendid composer whose time has still to come, it seems).

[Dundonnell]

There have been a number of articles about Britten in the press over the past couple of weeks. These articles have lauded BB to the skies, applauding his courage and conviction in refusing to follow contemporary fashion in music and pointing out in considerable detail the absolute genius of the publicity machine which Britten built around himself. The way in which the Aldeburgh Festival was used as a means of promoting his music and the superb support he received(and his music still receives) from his publisher, Boosey and Hawkes is contrasted with the "other-worldliness" of a composer like Tippett.

I still however find it somewhat distasteful to reflect on the way in which Britten appears to have used other people and their friendship but then excluded them from his circle. Even, apparently, a composer like Sir Lennox Berkeley, with whom Britten collaborated earlier in his career, found his friendship withering on the vine.

No matter however much I may dislike the man (or at least the image of the man)  I cannot deny the magic of the Violin Concerto or the incredible orchestral power and vehemence of the Sinfonia da Requiem or "Peter Grimes".

[guest145]

Quite right -- Britten will surely receive the most attention worldwide. When I made my comment on Lutoslawski, I had just glanced over the list and somehow my eye didn't alight on Britten's name.

Colin, I've heard and read from others of Britten's unpleasantness and manipulations. While his purported shortcomings as a person sadden me, I certainly can't deny his brilliant imagination and  originality. I've had occasion to perform a number of his works, both as singer and conductor, and they have always been memorable experiences musically. I consider his War Requiem to be one of the supreme masterpieces of music from any era.

[rbert12]

Let me add some more names

Joan Comellas (1913-1999) Spain
John Edmunds (1913-1986) USA
Cedric Thorpe Davie (1913-1983) UK
Saburo Takata (1913-2000) Japan
Réné Leibowitz  (1913-1972) Poland-France
Valery Zhelobinsky (1913-1946)  Russia
Paulino Paredes  (1913-1957) Mexico
Lauro Ayestarán (1913-1966)  Uruguay
Mukan Tulebayev (1913-1960) Kazajstan                     

and finally one that is (hopefully) alive and well today, and playing Friedman Bach at the piano as you can see in some YT videos from May 2012:

André Lavagne born in Paris, July 12 1913.

I will upload his psaume 41 at French Music

[guest145]

rbert12, thanks for the additional names.

I look forward to the Lavagne work -- another name that was hitherto unknown to me!

[kyjo]

A highly interesting composer! Here's his obituary from artsjournal.com: ...

Does anyone know these CDs of his orchestral music, and if so, what is Komma's compositional style like?

Another composer whose music was well-crafted, but quite unmemorable (to me, at least). I recall having a cello concerto of his at one time, listening to it a couple of times, and then selling the disc because I didn't think I'd ever bother listening to it again.

Thanks for the bio, though -- a very intreresting life, to say the least!

Thanks for sharing your opinion of Komma's music!