Helmut Eder (Composer)

Born: December 26, 1916 - Linz, Austria
Died: February 8, 2005 - Salzburg, Austria

Helmut Eder was an Austrian composer and conductor. He began to study music seriously after World War II; his principal teachers included Heinrich Schiff, Orff, Fritz Lehmann and Johann Nepomuk David.

From 1950 to 1967 Helmut Eder taught at the Linz Conservatory, where he also conducted and organized concerts of avant-garde music. He was appointed to a professorship in composition at the Salzburg Mozarteum in 1967, a post he held until his retirement in 1986. While in Salzburg, he was in close artistic contact with many distinguished visiting soloists and ensembles. His honours include the Salzburg music prize (1992) and commissions from the Salzburg Festival, the Easter Festival and the Mozart Week of the Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum.

A versatile and prolific composer, Helmut Eder has written in a wide range of genres and styles. In the late 1940's and early 1950's he was influenced by the neo-classicism of Paul Hindemith and Johann Nepomuk David. This was followed by a period of dodecaphonic composition that lasted into the 1960s. Later, he became preoccupied with Klangflächen music, writing works concerned with the depth and density of planes of sound. His openness to new techniques has been demonstrated by his electronic music experiments of 1959 and his television opera Der Kardinal.

Works (selective list)

For complete list see Gruber and Kraus (1988)

Stage:
Das Teehaus (ballet), 1954, frag.; Moderner Traum (ballet), 1957, Linz, September 29, 1957; Oedipus (op, H. Weinstock, after Sophocles), 1958, Linz, September 30, 1960; Der Kardinal (op, 1, E. Brauner), 1962, Linz, May 29, 1965; Anamorphose (ballet), 1963, Linz, June 22, 1963; Die Irrfahrten des Odysseus (ballet, after O. Abt), 1965, Bregenz, August 11, 1965; Die weisse Frau (op, 1, K. Kleinschmidt, after J.L.C. and W.C. Grimm), 1966; Konjugation 3 (op, R. Bayr), 1969, Vienna, July 1969; Georges Dandin (Der betrogene Ehemann) (op, 3), 1979, Linz, October 6, 1979; Mozart in New York (op, 3, H. Rosendorfer), 1989-91, Salzburg, August 15, 1991

Orchestral:
Prelude and Ricercare on a Song from the 30 Years’ War, strings, 1949, rev. 1953; Tanzreihen, ballet suite, 1954; Divertissement on a Theme of C.M. von Weber, 1957 [from the ballet Moderner Traum]; Pezzo sereno, 1958; Symphony no.3, 1959; Concerto semiserio, 2 piano, orchestra, 1960; Violin Concerto, 1960-63; Symphony no.1, 1962; Symphony no.2, 1962; Concerto a dodici, str, 1963; Danza a Solatio, 1963; Concerto no.2, violin, strings, 1964-5; nil admirari, 1966; Syntagma, 1967; Concerto, bassoon, chamber orchestra, 1968; Organ Concerto ‘L’homme armé’, 1969; Metamorphosen über ein Fragment von Mozart, flute, oboe, string quartet, orchestra, 1970

Prelude and Chorale on ‘Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland’, oboe, strings, 1970; Memento, positive organ, string quartet, strings, 1970-71; Symphony no.4 ‘Choral’, 1973–5; Pastorale, strings, 1974; Jubilatio, 1976; Serenade, 6 horn, strings, 1977, rev. 1978, 1981; Double Concerto, vc, db, orchestra, 1977-8, rev. 1980; Variations on ‘O Heiland, reiss die Himmel auf’, flute, oboe, strings, 1979; Symphony no.5 ‘Org’, 1979–80; Violoncello Concerto. ‘… wo die Trompete das Thema beginnt’, 1980-81; Violin Concerto no.3, 1981-2; Conc. A.B., chamber orchestra, 1982, arr. orch, 1983; Haffner Concerto, flute, orchestra, 1983-4

Notturni ‘von Tänzern, Träumern und allerlei Vogelsang’, fl, ob, strings 1983; Concertino, 1984; Pièce de concert, str, 1984; Schwanengesang, vc, chbr orch, 1987; Intrada, brass, org, perc, 1988; Froh zu sein bedarf es wenig, youth orch, 1989; Duetto-Conc., 2 fl, orch, 1991–2; Vertraute Räume, chbr orch, 1992; Sym. no.6 ‘Ombrage’, 1994; Ob Conc., 1996; Pf Conc. ‘Episoden’, 1998; Sym no.7 ‘Burleska’, 1998–9; Va Conc. ‘Der reisende Schatten’, 1999; Musica concertante, 3 cl, orch, 2000; Mozarteum-Konzert, str, perc, 2000; Conc. mobile, cl, orch, 2001

Vocal:
2 Bücherchöre (C. Weigel, H. Sachs), chorus, 1949–51; Der Einslieder (A. da Cruz), chorus, 1954; 3 Tierlieder (F.K. Ginzkey, J. Trojan, W. Busch), 1v, pf, 1963, arr. 1v, orch, 1966; Cadunt umbrae (Bayr), A, 8 female vv, orch, tape, 1974-83; Non sum qualis eram (orat, H. Vogg), S, Bar, B, chorus, orch, 1975; Divertimento, S, orch, 1976; Der Schneider von Ulm (B. Brecht), chorus, 1981; Missa est, 3 solo vv, 2 mixed choruses, orch, 1986; Die eine Rose überwältigt alles (E. Strittmatter), 1v, pf, 1987, arr. 1v, orch, 1988

Chamber and Solo Instrumental:
Str Trio, 1957; Wind Qnt, 1958; Ottetto breve, fl + pic, ob, cl, bn, str qt, 1960; Sonatine, vn, pf, 1963; Sonatine, va, pf, 1963; Sonatine, bn, pf, 1963; Sonatine, fl, pf, 1964; Sonatine, cl, pf, 1964; Sonatine, hn, pf, 1965–6; Impressioni, str qt, 1966; Septuagesima instrumentalis, wind qnt, 1968–9; Sonatine, vc, pf, 1969; Septet, fl, ob, cl, bn, 2 hn, tpt, 1970; Pf Trio no.2, 1970–71; Piècen a rec, hpd, 1971; Melismen, s rec, a rec, hpd/pf, 1972–3; Melodia-Ritmica, 12 vc, 1972–3; Pastorale, str qt/str qnt, 1974

So-no-ro I, cl, va, pf/cel, org, 1974; Litzlberg-Serenade, 2 cl, tpt, hn, bn, 1976; Szene, 6 hn, 1977 [from Serenade, orch]; Suite with Intermezzi, 2 ob, 2 cl, 2 bn, dbn, 4 hn, 1979; 4 Pieces, 2 vn, 1980; 6 Bagatelles, 3 vn, 1980; Vorspiel, Zwischenspiel und Melodie, 3 fl, 1981; 3 Intermezzi, 4 hn, 1982; Cl Qnt, 1982; 3 Sätze, va, db, pf, 1983; S.C.H., fl qt, 1983; Str Qt no.3, 1985; 3 Salonstücke, vc, db, 1986; Aulodie, fl, bn/vc, db, perc, 1986; Wind Qnt no.3, 1987–8; Intrada zu Heinrich Isaaks Innsbruck-Lied, 8/16 hn, 1991

Str Qt no.4, 1991; Mosaik, vn, hn, pf, 1991; Qnt, str qt, pf, 1992; Kammermusik, str septet, 1993; Kontraste, 10 vn/(8 vn, 2 va), pf, 1993; Jeu parti, va, pf, 1993; 4 Fantasiestücke, hn, pf, 1993; Trio, cl, va, pf, 1994; 4 Capriccios, 2 fl, 1995; Mirómanze, vn, pf, 1995–6; Str Qnt, 1996; Mallorquinische Impressionen, fl, ob, 1998; 2 Rhythmic-metrical Pieces, 2 hn, 1998; Kommunication, fl, cl, vn, va, vc, perc, pf, 1998; Annäherung, fl, 1998; Penultima, fl, ob, hp, vn, va, vc, 1999; Qnt, str qt, db, 2001; Entrée, chbr ens, 2001; Str Sextet, 2001

Keyboard:
Sonatine, piano (1953); Rhythmische Klavierstücke, piano (1953); Mouvements, harpsichord (1965); 5 Stücke, organ (1966); Chorale Variations ‘O Heiland, reiss die Himmel auf’, organ (1967); Choral-Suite, org, 1967; Chorale Variations ‘Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig’, organ (1968); Chorale Variations ‘Es sungen drei Engel’, organ (1969); Vox Media, organ (1970); Chorale Variations ‘Gen Himmel aufgefahren ist’, organ (1970-71); Chorale Variations ‘Nun danket all und bringet Her’, organ (1971); Variations on Old Folksongs, organ (1974-5); Idylle, piano (1979); Variation, piano (1981); Pierrot, piano (1987)

MSS in A-Wn

Principal publisher:
Doblinger

Source: Grove Music Online, © Oxford University Press 2006, acc. 5/24/06 (Author: Gernot Gruber)
Contributed by Thomas Braatz (May 2006)

Use of Chorale Melodies in his works

Title

Chorale Melody

Year

Chorale Variations: Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig, for organ

Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig

1968

Prelude and Chorale on Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, oboe, strings

Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland

1970

Links to other Sites

Bibliography

LZMÖ [incl. further bibliography, discography]
G. Gruber: Zum Werk Helmut Eders, Musikalische Dokumentation Helmut Eder (Vienna, 1987), 7-11
G. Gruber and G. Kraus: Helmut Eder (Vienna, 1988)