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Francis Burt (composer)

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Francis Burt
Born(1926-04-28)28 April 1926
London, UK
Died3 October 2012(2012-10-03) (aged 86)
Hartberg, Styria, Austria
Education
Occupations
  • Composer
  • Academic teacher
Organizations
Awards

Francis Burt (28 April 1926 – 3 October 2012) was a British composer and academic teacher[1] who spent most of his life in Austria. He was professor of composition at the Musikhochschule Wien, and organised the 1 Long Night of New Sounds concert series at the Vienna Konzerthaus. He composed the ballet Der Golem, operas, orchestral works, and music for ensembles and for voices.

Life

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Born in London, Burt attended St Edward's School in Oxford in 1944 and 1945 as part of an officer's training. He completed a course as an engineer at Cambridge University and served as a first lieutenant in Nigeria from 1946 to 1947. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music from 1948 to 1951, where he became a composition pupil of Howard Ferguson. He also attended the Summer School of Music at Bryanston and Dartington. Subsequently, he was a student at the Musikhochschule Berlin, studying composition with Boris Blacher.[1]

After spending a year in Rome and London,[2] Burt moved to Vienna in 1956[1] where he knew Gottfried von Einem.[2] From 1973, Burt was professor of composition at the Musikhochschule Wien, where he also headed the Institute for Electroacoustics from 1989 to 1991.[1] He was emerited in 1992.[2] In 1987, Burt was the organiser of the 1 Long Night of New Sounds at the Vienna Konzerthaus.[1]

Burt died in Hartberg, Styria, at the age of 86,[3] and was buried at the Vienna Central Cemetery.[4]

Awards

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Work

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Burt's compositions were inspired by African traditions, such as the drumming of Nigerian Ibo people.[3] He focused on dance elements with rhythmic gestures, for example in his ballet Der Golem of 1963.[1][3] The ballet was premiered at the Landestheater Hannover on 31 January 1965, choreographed by Yvonne Georgi and conducted by Günther Wich.[7] It was performed at the Vienna State Opera in 1983, conducted by Stefan Soltesz.[8]

In a 1976 song cycle with orchestra, Unter der blanken Hacke des Monds after poetry by Peter Huchel, Burt began to compose layers of sounds rather than rhythmic structures.[3] Later, he was influenced by electronic music, but still with noticeable tonal centres.[1] His compositions were published by Universal Edition.[9]

Burt wrote works of many genres, including operas, choral and vocal compositions and works for instruments:[10]

Stage works

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  • Volpone or The Fox, opera in four acts based on the play by Ben Jonson, op. 9 (1952–1961)
  • Der Golem, ballet in one scene by Erika Hanka, Yvonne Georgi and Francis Burt, op. 11 (1959–1963)
  • Barnstable oder Jemand auf dem Dachboden, opera in one act based on the play Barnstable by James Saunders in the translation by Hilde Spiel, op. 13 (1967–1969)
  • Mahan, opera in seven scenes after a libretto by Richard Bletschacher (1996–2007)

Ensemble

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  • String Quartet No. 1, op. 2 (1951–1952)
  • Musik für zwei Klaviere, for two pianos (1953)
  • Duo, for clarinet and piano, op. 7 (1954)
  • For William, for nine players (1988)
  • Echoes, for nine players (1988–1989)
  • Für Alfred Schlee, a postmodern birthday greeting for string quartet (1991)
  • Hommage à Jean-Henri Fabre, a bucolic fantasy, for five players (1993–1994)
  • String Quartet No. 2 (1993–1994)
  • Bavarian Gentians, for chamber choir and six instrumental soloists (2001)
  • Variationen eines alten Liedes, variations of an old song for clarinet, akkordion, viola and double bass (2012)

Orchestral

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  • Jamben, for orchestra (1953)
  • The Skull, cantata for tenor and orchestra (revised), op. 6 (1955)
  • Espressione Orchestrale, for orchestra (1958–1959)
  • Fantasmagoria, for orchestra, op. 12 (1963)
  • Unter der blanken Hacke des Monds, for baritone and orchestra, after poems by Peter Huchel (1974–1976)
  • Und GOtt der HErr sprach, reflections after a Golden Wedding for mezzo-soprano, baritone, bass, two mixed choirs and large orchestra (1983)
  • Morgana, five scenes for orchestra (1985–1986)
  • Blind Visions, for oboe and small orchestra (1995)
  • Mohn und Gedächtnis (for Paul Celan), for ensemble (2010)

Choral music

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  • Two songs of David, for choir a cappella, op. 1 (1951)
  • Mariens Wiegenlied, for choir a cappella (2011)

Solo

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  • Three little piano pieces for J. J. (1949)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Harten, Uwe: Burt, Francis, in Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon online, Vienna 2002, retrieved 6 August 2021
  2. ^ a b c "Francis Burt". musicaustria.at (in German). 23 March 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "Komponist Francis Burt gestorben". Wiener Zeitung (in German). 8 October 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  4. ^ Grabstelle William Francis Stuart Burt[permanent dead link], Vienna, Central Cemetery, Group 33, Group Extension E, Row 12, Nr. 21.
  5. ^ Preis der Stadt Wien - Preisträger auf Wien Geschichte Wiki (retrieved 6 August 2021)
  6. ^ Aufstellung aller durch den Bundespräsidenten verliehenen Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich ab 1952 parlament.gv.at 23 April 2012
  7. ^ "Francis Burt / Der Golem" (in German). Universal Edition. 23 March 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Der Golem / Ballett" (in German). Vienna State Opera. 3 May 1983. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Works by Francis Burt". Universal Edition. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Werkverzeichnis von Francis Burt". musicaustria.at (in German). 23 March 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
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