Stasys Šimkus
Encyclopedia
Stasys Šimkus was a Lithuania
n composer
.
Šimkus studied in Vilnius
and Warsaw
and later became the pupil of Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov
, Jāzeps Vītols
, and Maximilian Steinberg
. After visiting the United States
, he went to Leipzig
for further studies with Paul Graener
and Sigfrid Karg-Elert
. A national Romantic, Šimkus helped resurrect the Lithuanian cultural organization Daina
in 1916. In 1923, he opened a private music school in Klaipėda
, which was soon converted into the national Lithuanian conservatory (now called the Klaipėda Stasys Šimkus Conservatoire). He was a professor of composition
at the Conservatoire from 1931 to 1937 and also conducted
the State Opera at Kaunas.
Šimkus composed several opera
s, a cantata
, a symphonic poem
, a piano
suite
, a ballade
, choral
works, lied
er, and church music
. He composed the music for Lietuvininks we are born
by Georg Sauerwein
.
His son Algis Šimkus also became a renowned conductor, pianist, and composer.
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n 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...
.
Šimkus studied in Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
and Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
and later became the pupil of Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov
Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov
Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov or Liadov was a Russian composer, teacher and conductor.- Biography :Lyadov was born in St. Petersburg into a family of eminent Russian musicians. He was taught informally by his conductor father from 1860 to 1868, and then in 1870 entered the St. Petersburg...
, Jāzeps Vītols
Jazeps Vitols
-Biography:Vītols, the son of a schoolteacher, began his studies in composition in 1880 at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. After graduating in 1886, he remained at the Conservatory to teach composition and reached the rank of Professor in 1901. His pupils there...
, and Maximilian Steinberg
Maximilian Steinberg
Maximilian Osseyevich Steinberg was a Russian composer of classical music born in what is now Lithuania.-Life:...
. After visiting the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he went to Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
for further studies with Paul Graener
Paul Graener
Paul Graener was a German composer and conductor.-Biography:Graener was born in Berlin and orphaned as a young child. A boy soprano, he taught himself composition and in 1896 moved to London, where he gave private lessons and served briefly as conductor at the Haymarket Theatre...
and Sigfrid Karg-Elert
Sigfrid Karg-Elert
Sigfrid Karg-Elert was a German composer of considerable fame in the early twentieth century, best known for his compositions for organ and harmonium.-Biography:...
. A national Romantic, Šimkus helped resurrect the Lithuanian cultural organization Daina
Daina (organization)
Daina was a Lithuanian cultural organization promoting Lithuanian folk traditions and songs.During the Lithuanian national revival, several organizations committed to promoting and maintaining Lithuanian folk traditions were formed. The most prominent of these was Daina, formed by composer Juozas...
in 1916. In 1923, he opened a private music school in Klaipėda
Klaipeda
Klaipėda is a city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Nemunas River where it flows into the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County....
, which was soon converted into the national Lithuanian conservatory (now called the Klaipėda Stasys Šimkus Conservatoire). He was a professor of composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
at the Conservatoire from 1931 to 1937 and also conducted
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...
the State Opera at Kaunas.
Šimkus composed several 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...
s, a cantata
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
, a symphonic poem
Symphonic poem
A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of orchestral music in a single continuous section in which the content of a poem, a story or novel, a painting, a landscape or another source is illustrated or evoked. The term was first applied by Hungarian composer Franz Liszt to his 13 works in this vein...
, a 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...
suite
Suite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
, a ballade
Ballade (musical form)
A ballade refers to a one-movement musical piece with lyrical and dramatic narrative qualities.- Medieval ballades :The term ballade was used to describe one type of musical setting of French poetry common in the 14th and 15th centuries...
, choral
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
works, lied
Lied
is a German word literally meaning "song", usually used to describe romantic songs setting German poems of reasonably high literary aspirations, especially during the nineteenth century, beginning with Carl Loewe, Heinrich Marschner, and Franz Schubert and culminating with Hugo Wolf...
er, and church music
Christian music
Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world....
. He composed the music for Lietuvininks we are born
Lietuvininks we are born
Lietuvininkai we are born is a Lithuanian-language patriotic and sentimental poem written by the German linguist Georg Sauerwein in 1879. It is a passionate defense of Prussian Lithuanian language and culture, rallying people to resist Germanisation attempts...
by Georg Sauerwein
Georg Sauerwein
Georg Julius Justus Sauerwein Georg Julius Justus Sauerwein Georg Julius Justus Sauerwein (15 January 1831 in Hanover – 16 December 1904 in Christiania (now Oslo) was a German publisher, polyglot, poet, and linguist. He is buried at Gronau....
.
His son Algis Šimkus also became a renowned conductor, pianist, and composer.