Wilhelm Georg Berger
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Georg Berger was a Romanian composer
, musicologist, violist
and conductor
.
, Romania
. He learned to play the violin
and viola
under the instruction of Cecilia Nitulescu-Lupu, Anton Adrian Sarvaş, and Alexandru Rădulescu. He was a violinist with the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra
and was also a member of the Romanian Composer Association string quartet
.
, 18 string quartets, oratories
, sonata
s, concerto
s, and organ
and mass
pieces, a number of which garnered him notable awards. He won the Prince Rainier III Composition Award in Monaco for a violin sonata in 1964, and First Prize in Liège in 1965 for his Sixth String Quartet. One of his violin concertos earned him the First Prize in Brussels
in 1966. Several of his works are published by the Romanian record label Electrecord, such as his Tenth Symphony.
His musicological work consists of, among others, a series of books about the artistic qualities of sonatas, another series about string quartets, a guidebook for concertos and books about classical composition theory.
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...
, musicologist, violist
Violist
-Notable violists:A* Julia Rebekka Adler * Sir Hugh Allen , conductor* Kris Allen * Johann Andreas Amon * Paul Angerer , composer* Steven Ansell * Atar Arad * Cecil Aronowitz...
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...
.
Biography
Berger was born in RupeaRupea
Rupea is a town in Braşov County in Transylvania, Romania. It administers one village, Fișer, which has a fortified church. Older Romanian names for the settlement include Cohalm and Holuma....
, 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 learned to play the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
under the instruction of Cecilia Nitulescu-Lupu, Anton Adrian Sarvaş, and Alexandru Rădulescu. He was a violinist with the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra
George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra
The George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra is a musical institution of Romania.Founded in 1886, under the supervision of Eduard Wachman, the Romanian Philharmonic Society had as purpose the creation of a permanent symphonic orchestra in Bucharest...
and was also a member of the Romanian Composer Association string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
.
Works
Berger had a prolific career as a composer. Among his numerous compositions were 21 symphoniesSymphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
, 18 string quartets, oratories
Oratory
Oratory is a type of public speaking.Oratory may also refer to:* Oratory , a power metal band* Oratory , a place of worship* a religious order such as** Oratory of Saint Philip Neri ** Oratory of Jesus...
, 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, 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...
s, and organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
and mass
Mass (music)
The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the invariable portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
pieces, a number of which garnered him notable awards. He won the Prince Rainier III Composition Award in Monaco for a violin sonata in 1964, and First Prize in Liège in 1965 for his Sixth String Quartet. One of his violin concertos earned him the First Prize in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in 1966. Several of his works are published by the Romanian record label Electrecord, such as his Tenth Symphony.
His musicological work consists of, among others, a series of books about the artistic qualities of sonatas, another series about string quartets, a guidebook for concertos and books about classical composition theory.