Olivier Greif
Encyclopedia
Olivier Greif was a French
composer
of Polish-Jewish parentage. His father was an Auschwitz survivor, a fact which affected Greif deeply and led him to compose a number of Holocaust-themed works, notably Todesfuge
, based on the poem by Paul Celan
, and Lettres de Westerbork, a song cycle which uses letters written by Etty Hillesum
http://www.oliviergreif.com/biographie/.
Greif began composing at the age of 9, and studied at the Paris Conservatoire and the Juilliard School
. He is best known for his solo piano
music and songs for voice. He left over 100 works completed at his death, along with several still in progress. He was interred at the Montparnasse cemetery
.
His career was spent teaching composition and directing music festivals such as the Académie-Festival des Arcs.
and Dmitri Shostakovich
with a strong element of folk music
, as well as a gestural affinity for Franz Liszt
. There is often a dark colouration to the sound, with a favoring of minor modes even in the context of works with a major pull to their tonality. His 23 sonata
s for the piano have not been recorded as a complete cycle, and many of his works have been played only once.
Major works include the Sonate de Requiem for cello
and piano, a cello concerto
entitled Durch Adams Fall, four string quartets, the Petite Messe Noire, the chamber opera
Nô, and a set of 23 études for piano.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
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...
of Polish-Jewish parentage. His father was an Auschwitz survivor, a fact which affected Greif deeply and led him to compose a number of Holocaust-themed works, notably Todesfuge
Todesfuge
Todesfuge is a German language poem written by the Romanian poet Paul Celan and first published in 1948. It is Celan's most famous poem.- Composition and Publication :...
, based on the poem by Paul Celan
Paul Celan
Paul Celan was a poet and translator...
, and Lettres de Westerbork, a song cycle which uses letters written by Etty Hillesum
Etty Hillesum
Esther "Etty" Hillesum was a young Jewish woman whose letters and diaries, kept between 1941 and 1943 describe life in Amsterdam during the German occupation...
http://www.oliviergreif.com/biographie/.
Greif began composing at the age of 9, and studied at the Paris Conservatoire and the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
. He is best known for his solo piano
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...
music and songs for voice. He left over 100 works completed at his death, along with several still in progress. He was interred at the Montparnasse cemetery
Montparnasse Cemetery
Montparnasse Cemetery is a cemetery in the Montparnasse quarter of Paris, part of the city's 14th arrondissement.-History:Created from three farms in 1824, the cemetery at Montparnasse was originally known as Le Cimetière du Sud. Cemeteries had been banned from Paris since the closure, owing to...
.
His career was spent teaching composition and directing music festivals such as the Académie-Festival des Arcs.
Major works
Greif's music is rooted in the late twentieth century tonal styles of Benjamin BrittenBenjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
and Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century....
with a strong element of folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, as well as a gestural affinity for Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
. There is often a dark colouration to the sound, with a favoring of minor modes even in the context of works with a major pull to their tonality. His 23 sonata
Sonata
Sonata , in music, literally means a piece played as opposed to a cantata , a piece sung. The term, being vague, naturally evolved through the history of music, designating a variety of forms prior to the Classical era...
s for the piano have not been recorded as a complete cycle, and many of his works have been played only once.
Major works include the Sonate de Requiem for cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
and piano, a cello concerto
Concerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
entitled Durch Adams Fall, four string quartets, the Petite Messe Noire, the chamber opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
Nô, and a set of 23 études for piano.