Willy Burkhard


Willy Burkhard 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.
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Life

Burkhard was born in Evilard, Canton of Bern. He attended and graduated from a teachers' training college. 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 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. In 1950 he received a prize from the Schweizerischer Tonkünstlerverein. 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Burkhard published 98 works with Opus numbers, and left a large amount of unpublished works held as manuscripts by the. 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 and Das Jahr, and the cantata Die Sintflut. 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, 1938–9Laupenspiel, Op. 56, radio score, 1939Oedipus rex, Op. 72, incidental music to Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, speaking choruses, wind instruments, timpani, 1944Die 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, 1926–28Till Ulenspiegel, cantata, Op. 24, T, B, male chorus, orch, 1929Vorfrühling, cantata, text by Morgenstern, Op. 27, chorus, str, 1930
  • Te Deum, Op. 33, choir 2vv, tpt, trombone, timp, org, 1931Spruchkantate, Op. 38, text by Joseph von Eichendorff, male chorus, str, 1933Musikalische Übung, Op. 39, Psalm 12 translate by Martin Luther, choir and organ, 1934Das Gesicht Jesajas, oratorio, Op. 41, solo voice, choir, organ and orchestra, 1933–5Die Versuchung Jesu, cantata, Op. 44, A/B, unison vv ad lib, org, 1936Ps xciii, Op. 49, Psalm 17, unison vv, org, 1937Genug ist nicht genug, cantata, text by Meyer, Op. 53, chorus, 2 tpt, timp, str, 1938–9Lob der Musik, cantata, Op. 54, solo vv, chorus, orch, c1939
  • Cantate Domino, Op. 61/2, S, chorus, str, timp, 1940Heimatliche Kantate, text by Gottfried Keller, Op. 61/3, Mez/Bar, unison vv ad lib, orch, 1940Kreuzvolk der Schweiz, text by Meyer, Op. 61/4, chorus, org, 1941Das Jahr, oratorio, text by H. Hiltbrunner, Op. 62, solo vv, chorus, orch, 1942Christi Leidensverkündigung, cantata, Op. 65, T, small chorus, org, 1942Cantique de notre terre, text by J. P. Zimmermann, Op. 67, solo vv, chorus, orch, 1943
  • Mass, Op. 85, soprano, bass, choir and orchestra, 1951Psalmen-Kantate, Op. 90, S, chorus, org, chbr orch, 1952Ps 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, 19258 Sprüche aus dem ‘Cherubinischen Wandersmann’, 2 sets, Op. 17/1, text by Angelus Silesius, 1927Ezzolied, Op. 19, motet, 19275 Gesänge, text by Richard Dehmel, Op. 26, 193024 Melodien aus den Hassler’schen Choralgesängen, Op. 30, 4vv, 1931Das deutsche Sanctus, 2 unison choruses, 1932Neue Kraft, suite, text from the Bible etc., Op. 34, 1932
  • 4 Choruses, Op. 35, male chorus, 1936Der Tod, chorus 4vv, 1933Vermahnlied, 2–4vv, 1934Bärnerlüt, male chorus 4vv, 19352 Gesänge, chorus 4vv, 1936Choruses, Op. 47, male chorus, 1936Die Verkündigung Mariä, motet, Op. 51, 19385 Choräle, chorus, 1939Sommerzeit, Op. 61/1, 1940
  • 9 folksong arrangements, s. and chorus, female chorus, 19422 Choruses: Mon âme, bénis l’éternel, Oui, glorifiez l’éternel, 1942Kleiner Psalter, Op. 82, 1949Frühlingsglaube, text by Keller, male chorus, 1950Wer das längere Lebensteil wünscht, male chorus 4vv, 19502 Gesänge, 2vv, 1952Die Sintflut, cantata, Op. 97, chorus 8vv, 195

Orchestral works

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

Chamber music

Fantasie, Op. 1, pf, 1922Variationen über ein Volkslied, Op. 8, pf, 1925Inventionen, Op. 14, pf, 1926
  • String Trio No, 1, Op. 13, 1 movt, 1926Kleine zweistimmige Suite, Op. 14a, 11 insts, 1926
  • 3 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 16, pf, 1927
  • 2 Trio Sonatas, Op. 18, org, 1927Kleine Serenade, Op. 15, vn, va, 1927Stinis Puppe Theresli, pf, 1928
  • String Quartet No. 1, Op. 23, 1929
  • Variations on a *Minuet by Haydn", Op. 29, pf, 1930Variations on Chorale settings by Hassler, Op. 28, org, 1930Kleine Stücke, Op. 31, pf, 1931Fantasie, v32, org, 1931Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten, partita, org, 1932Grosser Gott wir loben dich, partita, org, 1932Praeludium und Fuge, E, org, 1932Was die Hirten alles erlebten, pf, 1935
  • Piano Trio, Op. 43, 1936
  • Sonatina, Op. 45, vn, pf, 1936
  • Suite, Op. 48, 2 vn, 19378 kleine Klavierstücke, 1938
  • Sonatina, Op. 52, org, 1938Fantasy and Chorale "Ein feste Burg", op.58, org, 1939
  • Sonata, Op. 59, va, 1939Etude concertante, vc, pf, 1940
  • Sonatina, pf, 1940 Weichnachtssonatine, Op. 71/1, pf, 1940
  • Sonata, Op. 66, pf, 1943
  • String Quartet No. 2, Op. 68, 1943Suite 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, 1952Lyrische Musik, Op. 88, fl, va, vc, pf, c1952Choral-Triptychon, Op. 91, org, 1953
  • Serenade, Op. 92, fl, cl, 1953
  • Suite, Op. 98, fl, 1955
  • 6 Preludes, Op. 99, pf, 1955Romanze, hn, pf

Solo vocal music

  • 7 Songs, Op. 4, 1v, pf, 1924–5
  • 6 Songs, Op. 5, 1v, pf, 1923–54 Nachtlieder, Op. 6, 1v, pf, 1924Frage, Op. 9, song cycle, 1v, pf, 1925
  • 3 Duets, Op. 11, text by Friedrich Hebbel, 2S, vn, 19262 Rilke Cycles, Op. 20/1, B, chbr orch, op.20/2, S, chbr orch, 1927
  • 10 Songs, Op. 25, 1v, pf, 1930Herbst, cantata, text by Morgenstern, Op. 36, S, pf trio, 1932Das ewige Brausen, text by K. L. Hamsun, Op. 46, B, orch, 1936Der 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, 1943Und als der Tag der Pfingsten erfüllt war, Op. 84, A/B, org, 1951Psalmenmusik, soprano and orchestra, 1953