Eric Gross
Encyclopedia
Eric Gross AM was an Austria
n-Australia
n pianist
and composer
.
and emigrated to England in 1938. From the age of fourteen, he worked as a pianist in bands and orchestras. He studied at Trinity College of Music
, with Wilfrid Dunwell (piano), and the University of Aberdeen
, with (amongst others) Reginald Barrett-Ayres, and where he received an MA in 1957 (Crotty 2001). Following professional engagements in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka
) and New Caledonia
, he settled in Sydney
in 1958.
Initially teaching at the NSW State Conservatorium of Music
, he joined the staff of the Department of Music at the University of Sydney
in 1960 and remained there until retiring in 1991 as Associate Professor of Music. In 1989 he was visiting Professor at the University of Guyana
. He was President of the Fellowship of Australian Composers, and from 1981 to 1984 he was also Treasurer and Executive Board Member of the Asian Composers' League. Apart from teaching, Gross was active as composer, arranger and conductor. He received numerous commissions for film scores for Film Australia
and TV scores for Screen Gems Columbia, as well as numerous commissions from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
. In 1976 he received the Albert H. Maggs Composition Award
from Melbourne University.
While working as a conductor of the Pro Musica Society of Sydney University and the St. Andrew's Cathedral Choral Society, Gross wrote numerous works for the orchestras and choirs associated with these societies. Political statements were made in the orchestral work Na Shledanou v Praze (premiered in Olomouc
, Czechoslovakia
during a period of Russian occupation) which used the Czech national anthem as its main theme. In other works, such as the cantata Pacem in Terris, Gross used pertinent philosophical or political texts. He is also well known for Dussekiana, an orchestral suite based on piano works by František Xaver Dušek
.
In addition to a predilection for jazz
idioms, Gross's worldwide travels and cultural experiences tended to give his music a cosmopolitan flavour, with traces of Austrian, Scottish, Asian and South American influences emerging from time to time. He also enjoyed experimentation, especially when a sympathetic virtuoso or ensemble such as bass-baritone Alan Light, trombonist Greg van der Struik or Adrian Hooper's Sydney Mandolins, was available.
Gross was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia
in the Queen's Birthday Honours of June 1998. On Australia Day
2006 he was declared to be the City of Canada Bay
Cultural and Artistic Citizen of the Year. He remained active as a composer and examiner until shortly before his death, which occurred on 17 April 2011. His wife Pamela died less than a week before he did.
Orchestral
Band
Concertante
Chamber music
Harpsichord
Organ
Piano
Vocal
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n-Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n pianist
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Biography
Gross was born in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and emigrated to England in 1938. From the age of fourteen, he worked as a pianist in bands and orchestras. He studied at Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music is one of the London music conservatories, based in Greenwich. It is part of Trinity Laban.The conservatoire is inheritor of elegant riverside buildings of the former Greenwich Hospital, designed in part by Sir Christopher Wren...
, with Wilfrid Dunwell (piano), and the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
, with (amongst others) Reginald Barrett-Ayres, and where he received an MA in 1957 (Crotty 2001). Following professional engagements in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
) and New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, he settled in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 1958.
Initially teaching at the NSW State Conservatorium of Music
Sydney Conservatorium of Music
The Sydney Conservatorium of Music is one of the oldest and most prestigious music schools in Australia...
, he joined the staff of the Department of Music at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
in 1960 and remained there until retiring in 1991 as Associate Professor of Music. In 1989 he was visiting Professor at the University of Guyana
University of Guyana
The University of Guyana, in Georgetown, Guyana is a public university established in 1963 by the Guyanese government.-History:Cheddi Jagan, then Premier of British Guiana considered that the University of the West Indies, to which his government had contributed since 1948, was not meeting the...
. He was President of the Fellowship of Australian Composers, and from 1981 to 1984 he was also Treasurer and Executive Board Member of the Asian Composers' League. Apart from teaching, Gross was active as composer, arranger and conductor. He received numerous commissions for film scores for Film Australia
Film Australia
Film Australia was a company established by the Government of Australia to produce films about Australia. Its mission was to create an audio-visual record of Australian culture, through the commissioning, distribution and management of programs that deal with matters of national interest or...
and TV scores for Screen Gems Columbia, as well as numerous commissions from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
. In 1976 he received the Albert H. Maggs Composition Award
Albert H. Maggs Composition Award
The Albert H. Maggs Composition Award is a commission-based Australian classical composition award given in order to "encourage and assist composers who might otherwise abandon their efforts for want of means"....
from Melbourne University.
While working as a conductor of the Pro Musica Society of Sydney University and the St. Andrew's Cathedral Choral Society, Gross wrote numerous works for the orchestras and choirs associated with these societies. Political statements were made in the orchestral work Na Shledanou v Praze (premiered in Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
during a period of Russian occupation) which used the Czech national anthem as its main theme. In other works, such as the cantata Pacem in Terris, Gross used pertinent philosophical or political texts. He is also well known for Dussekiana, an orchestral suite based on piano works by František Xaver Dušek
František Xaver Dušek
František Xaver Dušek , was a Czech composer and one of the most important harpsichordists and pianists of his time....
.
In addition to a predilection for jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
idioms, Gross's worldwide travels and cultural experiences tended to give his music a cosmopolitan flavour, with traces of Austrian, Scottish, Asian and South American influences emerging from time to time. He also enjoyed experimentation, especially when a sympathetic virtuoso or ensemble such as bass-baritone Alan Light, trombonist Greg van der Struik or Adrian Hooper's Sydney Mandolins, was available.
Gross was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
in the Queen's Birthday Honours of June 1998. On Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
2006 he was declared to be the City of Canada Bay
City of Canada Bay
The City of Canada Bay is a Local Government Area of New South Wales, Australia and located in the metropolitan area of Sydney. The city was formed in December 2000, following the merger of Concord and Drummoyne councils...
Cultural and Artistic Citizen of the Year. He remained active as a composer and examiner until shortly before his death, which occurred on 17 April 2011. His wife Pamela died less than a week before he did.
Selected works
Opera- Amorous Judge, Opera in 1 act, Op. 51 (1965)
Orchestral
- Concert Overture, Op. 1 (1957)
- Sinfonietta, Op. 9 (1961)
- Antubconseas, Op. 11 (1973)
- Fanfopus, Op. 13 (1973)
- Moonscape for string orchestra, Op. 32 (1972)
- Of Strings and Things, Op. 53 (1970)
- Overture "Cymbeline", Op. 90 (1975)
- Na shledanou v Praze (Good-bye in Prague), Op. 94 (1976)
- Concertino for orchestra, Op. 108 (1979)
- Trilogy, Op. 112 (1979)
- Symphony No. 2, Op. 123 (1980)
- Fanfare Scholastic, Op. 129 (1982)
- Golden Jubilee Fantasy, Op. 158 (1987)
- Songs of Australia for string orchestra (1989)
- Little Challenge for string orchestra, Op. 254 (2002)
- Cherries in the Brook, Op. 291 (2006)
Band
- Brassophony for brass band, Op. 146 (1985)
- Concertino for brass band (1987)
- Fanfare for George for brass band, Op. 157 (1987)
- Anniversary fantasy for concert band, Op. 199 (1995)
- Anniversary fantasy revisited for concert band, Op. 199a (1996)
- Penshurst on parade for concert band, Op. 217 (1997)
- March ceremonial: Order of Australia for brass band (2002)
Concertante
- Dussekiana I for violin and orchestra (1975)
- Dussekiana II for violin and orchestra, Op. 56 (1975)
- Dussekiana III for violin and orchestra, Op. 58 (1975)
- Concerto for piano and orchestra, Op. 135 (1983)
- Concerto No. 2 for mandolin and orchestra (1986)
- Concerto for oboe and string or chamber orchestra, Op. 152 (1987)
Chamber music
- Trio for flute, oboe and clarinet, Op. 10 (1962)
- Merry Peasant Band for wind quintet, Op. 30 (1959)
- Three Bagatelles for flute solo, Op. 37 (1965)
- Eugel and Marmaduke, Duet for 2 cellos, Op. 62 (1973)
- Three Bagatelles for saxophone solo, Op. 96 (1976)
- Silas Pilgrim Trio for flute, clarinet and bassoon, Op. 97 (1977)
- Plymouth for string quartet, Op. 98 (1976)
- Drummoyne for string quartet, Op. 99 (1976)
- Six Miniatures for trumpet, trombone and tuba, Op. 103 (1978)
- Three Sketches for trumpet and piano, Op. 121 (1980)
- Study No. 1 for Misha for violin and piano, Op. 130 (1982)
- Cadenza I for mandolin solo, Op. 153, No. 1 (1986)
- Cadenza II for mandolin solo, Op. 153, No. 2 (1986)
- Cadenza III for mandolin solo, Op. 153, No. 3 (1990)
- Saxophone Quartet No. 1, Op. 155 (1987)
- Mandigar I for 2 mandolins, mandola and guitar, Op. 156 (1987)
- Paul and Adrian, Duet for 2 mandolins, Op. 165 (1989)
- Tres Piezas para Teresa for guitar solo, Op. 166 (1989)
- Two Pieces for violin and organ, Op. 167 (1989)
- Barbara and Deborah, Duet for 2 mandolins, Op. 175 (1990)
- Romance for mandolin and organ, Op. 177 (1990)
- Sonata for violin and piano, Op. 183 (1992)
- Cadenza IV for mandolin solo, Op. 185, No. 2 (1991)
- Cadenza V for mandolin solo, Op. 185, No. 3 (1991)
- Triptych for violin solo (1992)
- Mandigar II for 2 mandolins, mandola and guitar, Op. 190 (1993)
- Bagatelle for trombone and piano, Op. 196 (1994)
- Four Movements for horn, trumpet, flugelhorn and 2 trombones, Op. 201 (1995)
- Three Simple Pieces for trumpet and piano, Op. 205 (1995)
- Fantasia for trumpet and piano, Op. 213 (1996)
- Invention No. 1 for viola and piano, Op. 216, No. 1a (1998)
- Five Dialogues for 2 flutes, Op. 219 (1997)
- Concerto da camera for mandolin, violin, viola, cello, Op. 220 (1997)
- Cadenza VI for mandolin solo, Op. 220a (1998)
- Suite for trombone quartet, Op. 221 (1997)
- Sequence of Happiness for mandolin and piano, Op. 222 (1997)
- Frantaphonics for saxophone solo, Op. 228 (1998)
- Euphonism I B for viola and piano, Op. 230 (1998)
- Cadenza VII for mandolin solo, Op. 231 (1998)
- Cadenza VIII for mandolin solo, Op. 239 (1999)
- For a Gentle Soul for 2 mandolins, mandola, guitar and double bass, Op. 248 (2000)
- Sonata for mandolin and piano, Op. 251 (2001)
- Three Inventions for saxophone solo, Op. 253 (2001)
- Cadenza X for mandolin solo, Op. 255 (2001)
- Euphonics for cello and piano, Op. 256 (2002)
- Euphonics II for bassoon and piano, Op. 258 (2002)
- Euphonics III for bass clarinet and piano, Op. 259 (2002)
- Altophonics for clarinet and piano, Op. 260 (2002)
- Romance Bitonal for violin and piano, Op. 263 (2002)
- Violamorosa for viola and piano, Op. 268 (2002)
- Cadenza XI for trombone solo, Op. 272 (2003)
- Cadenza XII for trombone solo, Op. 272b (2007)
- Two Cellos Go Meandering, Duet for 2 cellos, Op. 284 (2005)
- Discussion for flute and viola, Op. 296 (2006)
- Trialogue for mezzo-soprano (and claves), flute and viola, Op. 296a (2006)
- Cadenza 10.5 for mandolin solo, Op. 299 (2007)
- Suite Latin American for saxophone quartet, Op. 302 (2008)
Harpsichord
- Toccata "Not at Three", Op. 226 (1998)
Organ
- Wedding March, Op. 61 (1971)
- Two Pieces, Op. 42 (1972)
- Processional (1972)
- Organ Prelude on "The Shepherd of Bethlehem", Op. 95 (1976)
- Bridal March, Op. 104 (1978)
- Recessional, Op. 126 (1981)
- Centormedique, Op. 136 (1983)
- Postlude for Carol and Paul, Op. 218 (1997)
- Meditation on a Blessed Spirit, Op. 235 (1999)
- Sydney Sojourn, Op. 246 (2000)
- Music of the Heart, Op. 271 (2003)
- Grace of Our Lord, Op. 276 (2004)
- Mary Immaculate, Op. 277 (2004)
- Hymn to the Virgin Mary, Op. 278 (2004)
- In the Stillness of the Evening, Op. 280 (2004)
- O God beyond All Time and Space, Op. 285 (2005)
Piano
- Moon Interlude (1972)
- Little Jazzeroo (1989)
- Klavierstucke I, Op. 120 (1982)
- Klavierstucke II, Op. 127 (1982)
- Thanksgiving, Op. 149 (1986)
- Klavierstucke III, Op. 150 (1986)
- Five Simple Pieces, Op. 169 (1989)
- No. 4 Sydney Harbour Blues (1989)
- Sonata piccola, Op. 188 (1992)
- Miniature for Ray, Op. 195 (1994)
- Glebe Island Minuet, Op. 204 (1995)
- Pensive Prelude, Op. 208 (1996)
- Nostalgic Interlude, Op. 209 (1996)
- Klavierstück IV, Op. 225 (1998)
- Klavierstück V, Op. 243 (2000)
- Idyll for Idil, Op. 244 (2000)
- Jeanelligans, Op. 247 (2000)
- Sally in the Mallee, Op. 250 (2001)
- Sallymede, Op. 262 (2002)
- Sally in a Maze, Op. 290 (2004)
- Golden Swan, Op. 292 (2006)
- Marita's Farewell, Op. 294 (2006)
- Three Fancies, Op. 298 (2007)
- Playful Sally, Op. 300 (2007)
- What Is Time, Op. 301 (2007)
Vocal
- Two Songs for soprano and piano, Op. 45 (1958)
- Five Burns Settings for bass and piano, Op. 49 (1970)
- Three Songs for soprano, clarinet and piano, Op. 139
- Sweet Silence after Bells for mezzo-soprano and piano, Op. 206 (1995)
- The Maid's Lament for mezzo-soprano, flute, viola and harp, Op. 293 (2006)
- Donne Trilogy for tenor and piano, Op. 281 (2005)