Peter Eötvös
Encyclopedia
Péter Eötvös (ˈpɛtɛr.ˈøtvøʃ; Hungarian
: Eötvös Péter) (born January 2, 1944) is a Hungarian composer
and conductor
.
Eötvös was born in Odorheiu Secuiesc
/Székelyudvarhely, Szeklerland, Transylvania
(then part of Hungary
, now in Romania
). He studied composition in Budapest
and Cologne
. From 1962, he composed for film in Hungary. Eötvös played regularly with the Stockhausen Ensemble between 1968 and 1976. From 1979 to 1991, he was Musical Director and conductor of the Ensemble InterContemporain
(EIC). From 1985 to 1988, he was principal guest conductor with the BBC Symphony Orchestra
. He is principal guest conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
since 2003. The recording of Berio’s Sinfonia with Peter Eötvös and London Voices (DG) received the BBC Music Magazine’s Award for “Technical excellence in recording” in 2006.
Eötvös's music shows the influence of a variety of composers. As director of the Ensemble InterContemporain, he was exposed to many exotic and respected samples of concert music, as is evidenced in the variety of timbres and sound-worlds within his music. Extended techniques such as over-pressure bowings coexist with lyrical folk songs, and synthesized sounds. Eötvös also is technologically competent, and provides detailed instructions on how to mix instruments for electronic manipulation or amplification. His first large scale compositions were for film. This often reflects on his later pieces in moments of atmospheric airiness. Two of his compositions for orchestra and voice, Atlantis and Ima, were inspired by Sándor Weöres
' poem Néma zene.
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
: Eötvös Péter) (born January 2, 1944) is a Hungarian 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...
and conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
.
Eötvös was born in Odorheiu Secuiesc
Odorheiu Secuiesc
Odorheiu Secuiesc is the second-largest city in Harghita County, Transylvania, Romania. In its short form, it is also known as Odorhei in Romanian and Udvarhely in Hungarian...
/Székelyudvarhely, Szeklerland, Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
(then part of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, now in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
). He studied composition in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
and Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. From 1962, he composed for film in Hungary. Eötvös played regularly with the Stockhausen Ensemble between 1968 and 1976. From 1979 to 1991, he was Musical Director and conductor of the Ensemble InterContemporain
Ensemble InterContemporain
The Ensemble InterContemporain is a French chamber orchestra, based in Paris at the Cité de la musique and IRCAM, which specialises in contemporary classical music....
(EIC). From 1985 to 1988, he was principal guest conductor with the BBC Symphony Orchestra
BBC Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:...
. He is principal guest conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
The Göteborgs Symfoniker is an orchestra based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Founded in 1905, it was granted the title of the "National Orchestra of Sweden" in 1997...
since 2003. The recording of Berio’s Sinfonia with Peter Eötvös and London Voices (DG) received the BBC Music Magazine’s Award for “Technical excellence in recording” in 2006.
Eötvös's music shows the influence of a variety of composers. As director of the Ensemble InterContemporain, he was exposed to many exotic and respected samples of concert music, as is evidenced in the variety of timbres and sound-worlds within his music. Extended techniques such as over-pressure bowings coexist with lyrical folk songs, and synthesized sounds. Eötvös also is technologically competent, and provides detailed instructions on how to mix instruments for electronic manipulation or amplification. His first large scale compositions were for film. This often reflects on his later pieces in moments of atmospheric airiness. Two of his compositions for orchestra and voice, Atlantis and Ima, were inspired by Sándor Weöres
Sándor Weöres
Sándor Weöres was a Hungarian poet and author.Born in Szombathely, Weöres was brought up in the nearby village of Csönge. His first poems appeared when he was nineteen, being published in the influential journal Nyugat through the acceptance of its editor, the poet Mihály Babits...
' poem Néma zene.
Works
- Angels in America, opera (2002–2004)
- As I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams, opera (1998–99)
- Atlantis, for Orchestra (1995)
- Le Balcon, opera (2001/02)
- Der Blick, tape (1997)
- Drei Madrigalkomödien, for 12 voices:
- "Insetti galanti" (1970–90)
- "Hochzeitsmadrigal" (1963–76)
- "Moro Lasso" (1963–72)
- CAP-KO, concerto for piano, keyboard and orchestra (2005)
- Cello Concerto Grosso (2011)
- Chinese Opera, for orchestra (1986)
- Cricketmusic, tape (1970)
- Elektrochronik, tape (1974)
- Endless Eight I., for ensemble (1981)
- Endless Eight II. — Apeiron musikon, for ensemble (1988–89)
- Erdenklavier-Himmelklavier, for solo piano (2003)
- Harakiri, opera (1973)
- IMA, for choir and orchestra (2002)
- Intervalles-Interieurs, ensemble and electronics (1981)
- Jet Stream, trumpet concerto (2002)
- Korrespondenz, for string quartet (1992)
- Lady Sarashina, opera (4 March 2008, Opéra de LyonOpéra National de LyonOpéra National de Lyon is an opera company in Lyon, France which performs in the Nouvel Opéra, a modernized version in 1993 of the original 1831 opera house.The inaugural performance of François-Adrien Boïeldieu's La Dame blanche was given on 1 July 1831...
) - Love and Other DemonsLove and Other DemonsLove and Other Demons is an opera in two acts by Hungarian composer Péter Eötvös to a libretto by the Hungarian author Kornél Hamvai. It premiered on 10 August 2008 at the Glyndebourne Festival. The libretto is based on the novel Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel García Márquez...
, operaOperaOpera 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...
(10 August 2008, Glyndebourne FestivalGlyndebourne Festival OperaGlyndebourne Festival Opera is an English opera festival held at Glyndebourne, an English country house near Lewes, in East Sussex, England.-History:...
) - Mese (Märchen /Tale/Conte), tape (1968)
- Paris–Dakar, for ensemble (2000)
- Psalm 151, for percussion (1993)
- Psy, for ensemble (1996)
- Psychokosmos, zymbalon concerto (1993)
- Radames, chamber operaChamber operaChamber opera is a designation for operas written to be performed with a chamber ensemble rather than a full orchestra.The term and form were invented by Benjamin Britten in the 1940s, when the English Opera Group needed works that could easily be taken on tour and performed in a variety of small...
(1975/97) - Replica, viola concerto (1998) - recorded by Kim KashkashianKim KashkashianKim Kashkashian is an Armenian-American violist.-Professional career:Kim Kashkashian studied the viola with Karen Tuttle. She also studied at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. She won the 2nd prize at the 1980 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and the 1980 ARD International Music...
on ECM Records - Shadows (1996)
- Snatches of a conversation, for ensemble (2001)
- Steine, for ensemble (1985–90)
- Three sisters, opera (1996–97)
- Thunder, solo timpani (1993)
- The Tragedy of the Devil (Die Tragödie des Teufels), opera (February 2010, Bavarian State OperaBavarian State OperaThe Bavarian State Opera is an opera company based in Munich, Germany.Its orchestra is the Bavarian State Orchestra.- History:The opera company which was founded under Princess Henriette Adelaide of Savoy has been in existence since 1653...
) - Triangel, percussionist and ensemble (1993)
- Two monologues, for baritone and orchestra (1998)
- Two poems to Polly, solo cello (1998)
- Windsequenzen, for ensemble (1975/1987)
- zeroPoints, for orchestra (1999)
As Conductor
- Elliott CarterElliott CarterElliott Cook Carter, Jr. is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer born and living in New York City. He studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris in the 1930s, and then returned to the United States. After a neoclassical phase, he went on to write atonal, rhythmically complex music...
: What Next? (ECM 1817) - Friedrich CerhaFriedrich CerhaFriedrich Cerha is an Austrian composer and conductor.-Biography:Cerha was born in Vienna.He received his education at the Viennese Music Academy and at the University of Vienna...
: Konzert für Violoncello und Orchester / Franz SchrekerFranz SchrekerFranz Schreker was an Austrian composer, conductor, teacher and administrator. Primarily a composer of operas, his style is characterized by aesthetic plurality , timbral experimentation, strategies of extended tonality and...
: Kammersymphonie (ECM 1887) - Helmut LachenmannHelmut LachenmannHelmut Lachenmann is a German composer associated with musique concrète instrumentale.-Life and works:...
: Schwankungen am Rand (ECM 1789)
External links
- Official Peter Eötvös website
- www.opera-lyon.com Lyon National Opera where Three Sisters premiered in 1998, and where Lady Sarshina premiered in March 2008]