Zechlin, Ruth

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Zechlin, Ruth

Zechlin, Ruth, German composer, pedagogue, organist, and harpsichordist; b. Grosshartmannsdorf, near Freiberg, Saxony, June 22, 1926. She studied at the Leipzig Hochschule für Musik (1943-45; 1946-49), where her mentors included J.N. David and Wilhelm Weismann (composition), Anton Rohden and Rudolf Fischer (piano), and Karl Sträube and Günther Ramin (organ). In 1950 she went to East Berlin as a teacher at the Hochschule für Musik, and then was a prof, of composition at that city’s Hanns Eisler Hochschule für Musik from 1969 to 1986. In 1970 she was made a member of the Akademie der Künste of the German Democratic Republic. From 1990 to 1993 she was vicepresident of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin. Among her honors were the Goethe Prize of the City of Berlin (1962), as well as the Arts Prize (1965) and 2 National Prizes (1975,1982) of the German Democratic Republic, and the Cross of Merit, 1^st Class, of the Federal Republic of Germany (1997).

Works

dramatic: Reineke Fuchs, opera (1967; Berlin, April 1968); La Vita, ballet (1983; Berlin, Feb. 2, 1985); Sommernachtsträume or Die Salamandrin und die Bildsäule (1990); Die Reise, chamber opera (1992; Saarbrücken, Feb. 28,1998); Un baiser pour le Roi, dance piece (Passau, June 16, 1995). ORCH.: Violin Concerto 1963 (1963; Gera, Feb. 28, 1964); 3 syms.: No. 1 (Leipzig, Sept. 12, 1965), No. 2 (Potsdam, Nov. 16, 1966), and No. 3 (1971; Berlin, Jan. 7, 1972); 2 chamber syms.: No. 1 (1967; Leoben, Nov. 18, 1968) and No. 2 (1973; Stralsund, Feb. 25, 1974); Piano Concerto (1974; Berlin, Feb. 17, 1975); 2 organ concertos: No. 1 (1974; Leipzig, Sept. 20, 1975) and No. 2 (Frankfurt an der Oder, Oct. 2, 1975); Kristalle for Harpsichord and Strings (1975; Freiberg, Saxony, Nov. 2, 1976); Briefe (1978; Halle, Jan. 28, 1980); Situationen (1980; Berlin, Feb. 19, 1981); Musik (1980; Berlin, Oct. 2, 1981); Metamorphosen (1982; Berlin, Feb. 24,1983); Musik zu Bach (1983; Berlin, Feb. 28,1985); Linien for Harpsichord and Orch. (1986; Schwerin, June 22, 1988); Kristallisation (1987; Cologne, Jan. 27, 1989); Violin Concerto: Hommage à György Kurtág (1990; Chemnitz, June 6,1994); Stufen (Hamburg, Dec. 12, 1993); Venezianisches, concerto for Harpsichord and Strings (1994; Flensburg, Nov. 7, 1995); Varianten zu Goethes Märchen for Chamber Orch. (1998; Passau, July 8,1999); Triptychon 2000 (Passau, July 28, 2000). CHAMBER: 7 string quartets: No. 1 (Leipzig, Oct. 4, 1959), No. 2 (Berlin, July 5, 1965), No. 3 (1970; Berlin, Nov. 22,1971), No. 4 (Berlin, Oct. 27, 1971), No. 5 (1971; Frankfurt an der Oder, March 9, 1972), No. 6 (1977; Berlin, Jan. 28, 1978), and No. 7 (1995; Chemnitz, Oct. 28, 1996); Amor und Psyché, chamber music with Harpsichord (1966; Berlin, Feb. 4, 1967); Hommage à PHL for String Quintet and Percussion (Berlin, Dec. 6, 1973); pour la flûte (1973; Berlin, Sept. 22, 1975); Begegnungen, chamber music (1977; Berlin, Feb. 4, 1978); Hommage à Shakespeare, scene for Chamber Ensemble (1978; Schwerin, March 9, 1980); Reflexionen for 14 Strings (Berlin, Nov. 5, 1979); Beschwörungen for Percussionist (1980; Dresden, May 25, 1981); Katharsis for Oboe, Cello, and Percussion (1981; Leipzig, Feb. 5,1982); da capo for Violin (1982; Berlin, Nov. 3, 1986); Musik for Cello (1983; Berlin, March 22, 1986); Konstellationen for 10 Brass Instruments (1985; Eisenach, June 14,1986); Synthese for Organ and Percussion (1986; Vienna, July 24,1987); 7 Versuche und l Ergebnis for Saxophone Quartet (1988; Berlin, Feb. 20, 1989); 5 Mobiles for Harp (1988); Szenische Kammermusik nach Heiner Müllers Hamletmaschine for 5 Instrumentalists (Berlin, Dec. I, 1991); Musik zu Kafka II for Percussionist (Heidelberg, Sept. 25, 1992); 3 Briefe an HWH for Oboe (1992; Stuttgart, Nov. 24,1993); Alternativer Baukasten for Chamber Ensemble (Nuremberg, Nov. 12, 1993); Akzente und Flächen for 5 Percussionists (1993; Berlin, Feb. 22, 1994); Circulation for 8 Percussion (1994); Musik for 3 Percussionists (1995; Saarbrücken, May 8,1996); In memoriam Witold Lutosiawski for Viola (1995; Flensburg, April 14, 1996); 5 Studien and 1 Collage for Chamber Ensemble (1996; Potsdam, April 20,1997); Epigramme for Cello and Contrabass (1997; Rheinsberg, March 7,1998); An Aphrodite for Oboe (1998; Passau, June 18,1999); Aphorismen zu Goethes Urworte Orphisch for Oboe and Harpsichord (1998; Passau, June 18,1999); Musikalische Antworten auf Johann Sebastian Bach for Flute and Organ (1999; Rheinsberg, June 17, 2000). KEYBOARD: Harpsichord: 11 pieces (1957-94). O r g a n : 12 pieces (1969-93). VOCAL: Mass for Chorus (1945-93; Berlin, Nov. 10, 1996); Keunergeschichten for Speaker and Chamber Ensemble, after Bertolt Brecht (Berlin, Nov. 16, 1966); Ode an die Luft for Mezzo-soprano and Orch., after Pablo Neruda (1974); Canzoni alla notte for Baritone and Orch., after Quasimodo (1974; Leipzig, Oct. 15,1976); An Aphrodite for Alto, Baritone, Pantomime, and 7 Musicians (Berlin, Feb. 25, 1977); Das Hohelied for Tenor and Orch. (1979; Leipzig, Nov. 5, 1980); Angelus-Silesius-Sprüche for Chorus (1983); Hommage à Bach for Chorus (1985); Prometheus for Speaker, Piano, and Percussion (1986; Berlin, May 8, 1987); Das A und das O for Alto (1990; Kassel, June 26,1991); Frühe Kafka-Texte for Mezzo-soprano and Instruments (1990; Heidelberg, Sept. 25, 1991); Geistliche Kreise for 3 Choruses (1995; Passau, June 21,1996); 3 Lieder nach Texten der Hildegard von Bingen for Mezzo-soprano and Flute (1996; Weimar, Aug. 8, 1998); 2 Gesänge nach Friederike Mayröcker for Mezzo-soprano (1997); Stabat Mater for Tenor and Organ (1999); Dies irae for Mezzo-soprano and Organ (1999).