Philip herschkowitz

Philipp Herschkowitz [Hershkowitz, Philip; Herşcovici, Filip; Gershkovich, Filip; Гершкович, Филипп] (b Iaşi, 7 Sept 1906; d Vienna, 5 Jan 1989) a Rumanian-born composer and music theorist who studied in Vienna with Berg and Webern but who spent almost half a century (1940 to 1987) in the Soviet Union. His profound teaching was highly influential for a few generations of Russian musicians, including leading figures of the so called ‘Underground division’, favouring the changes of the cultural climate in that country.

Works:

1929 Waltz for piano (planned as part of a larger composition) 1930 Die Tulpen (Tulips). Melodrama after Peter Altenberg (project) 1930 Fugue for 14 solo instruments (flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, alto saxophone, horn, trumpet, harp, percussion, violin, viola, cello, double bass and piano (planned as part of a larger composition) 1932 Wie des Mondes Abbild zittert (Heinrich Heine) for voice and piano 1947 Vesennie tsvety (Spring Flowers) for piano 1950s Capriccio, 2 pf. ‘Sovetsky Kompozitor’, Moscow, 1957 1960s Drei Klavierstücke (Three Piano Pieces) 1960s Fünf Klavierstücke (Five Piano Pieces) 1962 Vier Lieder (Four Songs, Paul Celan) for mezzo-soprano and piano 1965–6 3 lieduri (Three Songs, Ion Barbu) for voice and piano 1960s Brandmal (Paul Celan) for voice and piano 1968 Vier Stücke (Four Pieces) for cello and piano 1969 Klavierstiück (Piano Piece) in 4 movements: 1971 Brandmal (Paul Celan) for mezzo-soprano, flute, 2 clarinets, piano in 4 hands, percussion, 6 violas and double bass early 1970s Espenbaum (Paul Celan) for mezzo-soprano, flute, 2 clarinets, percussion, piano in 4 hands, 6 violas and double bass early 1970s Leuchten (Paul Celan) for mezzo-soprano, 2 flutes, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, piano, 4 violins, 2 violas and 2 celli

Bibliography:

Herschkowitz, Philipp: On music. Books I–IV. Ed. L. Herschkowitz, Moscow, 1991–7 (collected writings in Russian, but some fragments in English and German) Dmitri Smirnov:A Geometer of Sound Crystals – A Book on Herschkowitz: by Verlag Ernst Kuhn – Berlin in 2003 (in English) – (See A Geometer) Klaus Linder: ‘Philip Herschkowitz: article in Grove dictionary H. Krellman: Anton Webern in Selbstzeugnissen und Bilddokumenten (Hamburg, 1975) H. Scherchen: Aus meinem Leben, Ruβland in jenen Jahren: Erinnerungen, ed. E. Klemm (Berlin, 1984)