Willy Burkhard

Biography

Willy Burkhard (17 April 1900 – 18 June 1955) was a Swiss composer and academic teacher, influential in both capacities. He taught music theory at the Berne Conservatory and the Zürich Conservatory. His works include an opera, oratorios, cantatas, and many instrumental genres from piano pieces to symphonies.

Life

Burkhard was born in Evilard, Canton of Bern. He attended and graduated from a teachers' training college Evangelisches Lehrerseminar Muristalden. He also study with Ernst Graf, organist at the Berner Münster. He moved to Leipzig to study piano with Robert Teichmüller and composition with Sigfrid Karg-Elert. After Leipzig, he moved on to Munich to study with Walter Courvoisier and later to Paris to work with Max d'Ollone.
From 1924, he began teaching composition, theory and the piano in Berne. He was appointed professor at the Berne Conservatory in 1928. He conducted several choirs and small orchestras there. In 1932 he was struck with tuberculosis, and was compelled to live for several years in Montana and Davos. During that time, he turned more towards composition. He settled in Zürich in 1942 and taught composition and music theory at the Zürich Conservatory, where his students included Klaus Huber, Rudolf Kelterborn, Ernst Pfiffner, Armin Schibler and Ernst Widmer. In 1950 he received a prize from the Schweizerischer Tonkünstlerverein (Swiss Association of Musicians). He died in Zürich in 1955 at the age of 55.

Work

Burkhard published 98 works with Opus numbers, and left a large amount of unpublished works held as manuscripts by the Paul Sacher Foundation. He began to compose in late-Romantic style. His personal style developed from 1930, comparable to Paul Hindemith and Frank Martin. Late in life, he used some features of twelve-tone composition, but remained within tonality. He was interested to compose for voices, and regarded for renovated sacred music.
Burkhard is known for sacred choral music, including oratorios Das Gesicht Jesajas (Isaiah's vision) and Das Jahr (The year), and the cantata Die Sintflut (The Flood). He composed an opera, Die Schwarze Spinne based on Gotthelf's novella The Black Spider. He wrote song settings for solo voice and choirs, chamber music and piano works. His orchestral music was often dedicated to Paul Sacher's Sinfonietta, including a Violin Concerto, and two symphonies.

Dramatic works

Im Zeichen des Kreuzes, incidental music, 1938–9
Laupenspiel, Op. 56, radio score, 1939
Oedipus rex, Op. 72, incidental music to Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, speaking choruses, wind instruments, timpani, 1944
Die schwarze Spinne, text by R. Faesi and G. Boner based on Gotthelf's The Black Spider, Op. 80, 1948, rev. 1954

Accompanied choral works

Choral duets, Op. 22/1, text by Christian Morgenstern, men's choir, tpt, trombones, Op. 22/2, text by Conrad Ferdinand Meyer, choir, vn, fl, 1926–28
Till Ulenspiegel, cantata, Op. 24, T, B, male chorus, orch, 1929
Vorfrühling, cantata, text by Morgenstern, Op. 27, chorus, str, 1930
Te Deum, Op. 33, choir 2vv, tpt, trombone, timp, org, 1931
Spruchkantate, Op. 38, text by Joseph von Eichendorff, male chorus, str, 1933
Musikalische Übung, Op. 39, Psalm 12 translate by Martin Luther, choir and organ, 1934
Das Gesicht Jesajas, oratorio, Op. 41, solo voice, choir, organ and orchestra, 1933–5
Die Versuchung Jesu, cantata, Op. 44, A/B, unison vv ad lib, org, 1936
Ps xciii, Op. 49, Psalm 17, unison vv, org, 1937
Genug ist nicht genug, cantata, text by Meyer, Op. 53, chorus, 2 tpt, timp, str, 1938–9
Lob der Musik, cantata, Op. 54, solo vv, chorus, orch, c1939
Cantate Domino, Op. 61/2, S, chorus, str, timp, 1940
Heimatliche Kantate, text by Gottfried Keller, Op. 61/3, Mez/Bar, unison vv ad lib, orch, 1940
Kreuzvolk der Schweiz, text by Meyer, Op. 61/4, chorus, org, 1941
Das Jahr, oratorio, text by H. Hiltbrunner, Op. 62, solo vv, chorus, orch, 1942
Christi Leidensverkündigung, cantata, Op. 65, T, small chorus, org, 1942
Cantique de notre terre, text by J. P. Zimmermann, Op. 67, solo vv, chorus, orch, 1943
Mass, Op. 85, soprano, bass, choir and orchestra, 1951
Psalmen-Kantate, Op. 90, S, chorus, org, chbr orch, 1952
Ps clxviii, Op. 96, Psalm ?, unison vv, insts, 1954

Unaccompanied choral works

2 Choruses, Op. 2, 1923
Cantata, text from the Bible, Op. 3, tenor and choir, 1923
Motets, Op. 10, boys' choir, 1925
8 Sprüche aus dem ‘Cherubinischen Wandersmann’, 2 sets, Op. 17/1, text by Angelus Silesius, 1927
Ezzolied, Op. 19, motet, 1927
5 Gesänge, text by Richard Dehmel, Op. 26, 1930
24 Melodien aus den Hassler’schen Choralgesängen, Op. 30, 4vv, 1931
Das deutsche Sanctus, 2 unison choruses, 1932
Neue Kraft, suite, text from the Bible etc., Op. 34, 1932
4 Choruses, Op. 35, male chorus, 1936
Der Tod, chorus 4vv, 1933
Vermahnlied, 2–4vv, 1934
Bärnerlüt, male chorus 4vv, 1935
2 Gesänge, chorus 4vv, 1936
Choruses, Op. 47, male chorus, 1936
Die Verkündigung Mariä, motet, Op. 51, 1938
5 Choräle, chorus, 1939
Sommerzeit, Op. 61/1, 1940
9 folksong arrangements, s. and chorus, female chorus, 1942
2 Choruses: Mon âme, bénis l’éternel, Oui, glorifiez l’éternel, 1942
Kleiner Psalter, Op. 82, 1949
Frühlingsglaube, text by Keller, male chorus, 1950
Wer das längere Lebensteil wünscht, male chorus 4vv, 1950
2 Gesänge, 2vv, 1952
Die Sintflut, cantata, Op. 97, chorus 8vv, 195

Orchestral works

Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 7, 1925
Suite aus der Musik zu einem Weihnachtsmärchen, Op. 12, 1926
Symphony, Op. 21, 1926–8
Ulenspiegel-Variationen, Op. 37 [prelude to op.24], 1932
Fantasy, Op. 40, str, 1934
Kleine Serenade, Op. 42, str, 1935
Concerto, Op. 50, str, 1939
Hymnus, Op. 57, 1939
Concertino, Op. 60, vc, str, 1940
Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 69, 1943
Symphony No. 2 (one movement), Op. 73, 1944
Concerto, Op. 74, org, str, brass, 1945
Konzertstück, Op. 75, org, orch, 1945
Canzona, Op. 76, 2 fl, low str, 1945
Kleine konzertante Suite, Op. 79, 1946
Piccola sinfonia giocosa, Op. 81, small orchestra, 1949
Fantasia mattutina, Op. 83, 1949; Toccata, op.86, 1951
Sonata da camera, Op. 89, str, perc, 1952
Viola Concerto, Op. 93, 1953
Concertino, Op. 94, 2 fl, hpd, str, 1954
Divertimento, Op. 95, str, 1954

Chamber music

Fantasie, Op. 1, pf, 1922
Variationen über ein Volkslied, Op. 8, pf, 1925
Inventionen, Op. 14, pf, 1926
String Trio No, 1, Op. 13, 1 movt, 1926
Kleine zweistimmige Suite, Op. 14a [arr. op.14], 11 insts, 1926
3 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 16, pf, 1927
2 Trio Sonatas, Op. 18, org, 1927
Kleine Serenade, Op. 15, vn, va, 1927
Stinis Puppe Theresli, pf, 1928
String Quartet No. 1, Op. 23, 1929
Variations on a *Minuet by Haydn", Op. 29, pf, 1930
Variations on Chorale settings by Hassler, Op. 28, org, 1930
Kleine Stücke, Op. 31, pf, 1931
Fantasie, v32, org, 1931
Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten, partita, org, 1932
Grosser Gott wir loben dich, partita, org, 1932
Praeludium und Fuge, E, org, 1932
Was die Hirten alles erlebten, pf, 1935
Piano Trio, Op. 43, 1936
Sonatina, Op. 45, vn, pf, 1936
Suite, Op. 48, 2 vn, 1937
8 kleine Klavierstücke, 1938
Sonatina, Op. 52, org, 1938
Fantasy and Chorale "Ein feste Burg", op.58, org, 1939
Sonata, Op. 59, va, 1939
Etude concertante, vc, pf, 1940
Sonatina, pf, 1940
Weichnachtssonatine, Op. 71/1, pf, 1940
Sonata, Op. 66, pf, 1943
String Quartet No. 2, Op. 68, 1943
Suite en miniature, Op. 71/2, vn, pf, 1944
Serenade, Op. 71/3, fl, gui, c1945
Serenade, Op. 77, fl, cl, bn, hn, vn, va, db, hp, 1945
4 Intermezzi, Op. 77a, hp, 1945
Sonata, Op. 78, vn, pf, 1946
Canzona, Op. 76a, 2 fl/fl, ob, pf/org, 1947
Sonata, Op. 87, vc, pf, 1952
Lyrische Musik, Op. 88, fl, va, vc, pf, c1952
Choral-Triptychon, Op. 91, org, 1953
Serenade, Op. 92, fl, cl, 1953
Suite, Op. 98, fl, 1955
6 Preludes, Op. 99, pf, 1955
Romanze, hn, pf

Solo vocal music

7 Songs, Op. 4, 1v, pf, 1924–5
6 Songs, Op. 5, 1v, pf, 1923–5
4 Nachtlieder, Op. 6, 1v, pf, 1924
Frage, Op. 9, song cycle, 1v, pf, 1925
3 Duets, Op. 11, text by Friedrich Hebbel, 2S, vn, 1926
2 Rilke Cycles, Op. 20/1, B, chbr orch, op.20/2, S, chbr orch, 1927
10 Songs, Op. 25, 1v, pf, 1930
Herbst, cantata, text by Morgenstern, Op. 36, S, pf trio, 1932
Das ewige Brausen, text by K. L. Hamsun, Op. 46, B, orch, 1936
Der Sonntag, cantata, text by Gotthelf, Op. 63, Mez/Bar, pf trio, 1942
Magnificat, Op. 64, S, org, 1942, arr. as op.64a, S, str, 1942
9 Songs, Op. 70, text by Morgenstern, 1v, pf, 1943
Und als der Tag der Pfingsten erfüllt war, Op. 84, A/B, org, 1951
Psalmenmusik, soprano and orchestra, 1953