Carmen Petra Basacopol (born 5 September 1926) is a Romanian

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and music teacher.

Life

Petra-Basacopol was born in

Sibiu Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...

. She studied at the Bucharest Conservatory of Music between 1949–1956 with Ioan D. Chirescu (music theory),

Leon Klepper Leon Klepper (24 April 1900 in Iași, Romania – 7 December 1991 in Freiburg Brsg., Germany) was a Romanian composer of classical music. Born to a Jewish family in Iași, Klepper studied in Vienna with Joseph Marx, in Berlin with Franz Schreker ...

, and

Mihail Jora Mihail Jora (; 2 August 1891, Roman, Romania - 10 May 1971, Bucharest, Romania) was a Romanian composer, pianist, and conductor. Jora studied in Leipzig with Robert Teichmüller. From 1929 to 1962 he was a professor at the Bucharest Conservatoir ...

(composition), Paul Constantinescu (harmony) and Tudor Ciortea (musical analysis), Nicolae Buicliu (counterpoint), Theodor Rogalski (orchestration), Ion Vicol and Ion Marian (choir, choral conducting), Adriana Sachelarie and George Breazul (music history), Tiberiu Alexandru and Emilia Comișel (folklore), Silvia Căpățână and Ovidiu Drimba (piano). She attended improvisation classes at Darmstadt (1968) with

György Ligeti György Sándor Ligeti (; ; 28 May 1923 – 12 June 2006) was a Hungarian-Austrian composer of contemporary classical music. He has been described as "one of the most important avant-garde composers in the latter half of the twentieth century" ...

, Erhard Karkoschka, Günther Becker,

Christoph Caskel Christoph Caskel (born 12 January 1932) is a German percussionist and teacher. Life Born in Greifswald, Caskel began learning percussion at an early age, taking lessons at the age of five with a military musician and as a schoolboy with a percus ...

, Saschko Gawriloff, and

Aloys Kontarsky Aloys (14 May 1931 – 22 August 2017) and Alfons (9 October 1932 – 5 May 2010) Kontarsky were German duo-pianist brothers who were associated with a number of important world premieres of contemporary works. They had an international reputatio ...

. Petra-Basacopol received her PhD from the

University of Sorbonne The University of Paris (french: link=no, Université de Paris), Metonymy, metonymically known as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, active from 1150 to 1970, with the exception between 1793 and 1806 under the French Revo ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. She became teaching assistant at the

National University of Music Bucharest The National University of Music Bucharest ( ro, Universitatea Naţională de Muzică București, UNMB) is a university-level school of music located in Bucharest, Romania. Established as a school of music in 1863 and reorganized as an academy in ...

in 1962, becoming lecturer (1966–1972) and teacher of musical analysis and harmony later (1976–2003). She was also a teacher of harmony, counterpoint, music history and improvisation at the conservatory of

Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populati ...

(Morocco) between 1974 and 1976. She attended conferences, lectures, scientific communications in Romania and abroad (France, Angola, San Tomé and Principe). Her music has been performed internationally and she has won a number of honors and awards.

Awards

She won the 4th place of the International Contest in Bucharest (1953), the International Youth Contest in Warsaw (1955), ''Meritul Cultural'' Order cls. IV (1969), The Composers Union Award (1974, 1979, 1999, 2003), The Romanian Composers Academy Award (1980), ''Meritul Cultural'' Order in knight rank (2004). She was jury member of the Harp Contest in Jerusalem (1979).

Writings

She has published a number of professional articles, studies, music chronicles in papers as ''Muzica, Contemporanul, Informația Bucureștiului, Revista de Etnografie și Folclor'' and a book, ''L'originalité de la musique roumaine: á travers des oeuvres de chambre et de scène d'Enesco, Jora et Constantinesco'', Editura Muzicală, București, 1979.

Works

Petra-Basacopol composes for orchestra, opera, chamber ensemble, harp, piano, vocal and ballet performance, often using themes and instruments from folk music. Among the 80 signed opuses, chamber music has a special place. Selected works include:

Theatre music

1970 – ''Fata și masca'' op. 32, ballet 1980 – ''Miorița'' op. 47, ballet 1983 – ''Inimă de copil'' op.52, 2 acts opera for children 1986–1987 – ''Ciuleandra'', op. 54, 2 acts ballet 1988–1990 – ''Apostol Bologa'', op. 58, 2 acts opera 1995–1996 – ''Cei șapte corbi'', op. 73, ballet for children

Vocal-symphonic music

1966 – ''Crengile'' op.26, vision for moving choir and orchestra 1966 – ''Moartea căprioarei'', op. 27- ballad for strings orchestra, clarinet, piano, percussion and solo baritone 1967 – ''Un cântec despre jertfe mari și despre lumină'', op.28- cantata 1970 – ''Pulstio vitae'' op. 33 for harp, clarinet, xylophone, bells, percussion and moving choir

Symphonic music

1956 – Symphony op. 6 1959 – Symphonic suite ''Țară de piatră'' op. 13 1961 – Piano and orchestra concert op. 19 1962 – Symphonic triptic op.20 1963 – Violin and orchestra concertino, op. 21 1965 – Violin and orchestra concert, no.2, op. 25 1975 – Harp, strings orchestra and timpani concert, op.40 1981 – Strings orchestra concert, op. 49 1982 – Cello and orchestra concert, op.51 1994 – Flute and chamber orchestra concert, op.71 1996 – Harp and strings orchestra concert, no.2, ''Rituale'' op. 75

Chamber music

1950 – Flute and piano suite, op. 3 1952 – Cello and piano sonata, op. 4 1954 – Violin and piano sonata, op. 5 1957 – Three sketches for oboe and piano, op.8 nr. 2 1957 – Seven songs for soprano and piano, op.8 no. 1 1958 – Three Lieders for the mezzo-soprano and piano op. 9, nr. 1/ Three Lieders for Soprano and Piano Op. 9, nr. 2 1959 – Trio for Violin, cello and piano, op. 11/Lieders for mezzo-soprano and piano op. 12 nr. 1/''Seasons'' op. 12 nr. 2 for soprano and piano 1960 – ''Images from Valea Crişului'' op. 16, no. 1 for harp and violin 1961 – Sonata for flute and harp op. 17/Three Lieders for Soprano and Piano Op. 18 no. 1 1963 – Five Lieders for tenor and harp op. 22, nr. 1 1964 – ''Nostalgia'' for baritone and English horn op. 23. nr. 1 1964 – ''Opium Flower'' Op. 23 nr. 2 for baritone and piano 1965 – Two Lieders for Soprano and Piano Op. 18 no. 2 1968 – ''Ofrnade'' op. 29 – two lieders for soprano and piano 1969 – Entertainment for harp, wind quartet, double bass and xylophone, octet op.30 1971 – Two Lieders for bass and harp op. 22 nr. 2/Propas op. 34 – three Lieders for soprano, flute and piano 1972 – ''Elegy'' for violin and piano op. 35 1972 – ''Moments'' for trumpet and piano op. 36 1974 – Trio for flute, clarinet and bassoon op. 39 1976 – ''Cântece haiducești'' for Baritone and Piano Op. 41. nr.1 1977 – ''Acuarele argheziene'' op. 91. nr. 2, two Lieders for the soprano and the lion 1978 – ''Craiul munților'' quartet op. 43 for flute, violin, cello and piano/Moroccan poems op.42 – three Lieders for mezzo-soprano and wind quartet 1979 – Variations on a Macedonian-Romanian theme op. 44 for harp and cello 1980 – ''Tablouri dacice'' op. 46, trio for pan flute, vibraphone and cello 1984 – ''Cântecele vieții'' op. 53-cycle 5 lieders for soprano and piano 1987 – Trio Op. 57 for flute, harp and clarinet/''Sângele pământului'' op. 55 – three Lieders for bass and piano 1991– ''Ecouri'' op. 63 for 2 harps 1991 – Triptych for pan flute, and harp op.64 1992 – Entertainment op. 67 for wind quintet 1993– Imne op. 65 for soprano and piano/''File de acatist'' for voice and flute/Low voice and piano Lieders. 70 1994 – ''Musica per cinque'' op. 72 for flute, harp, violin, viola and cello 1996 – ''Songs of Exile'' Op. 74; seven songs for soprano and piano 1998 – Triptych op. 79 for soprano and piano 1999 – Character pieces, op. 80 for oboe and piano 1999 – ''Lamaneto'' Op. 82 for 2 flutes and percussion 2000 – Dramatic Sonata Op. 83 for cello and piano/Psalms of David op.84 – five Lieders for soprano and piano/Meșterul Manole op.85 – five Lieders for soprano and piano 2001 – ''Viziuni dansante'' op. 86 for violin and piano/Naive paintings op. 91 for instrumental ensemble 2002 – Serenada op. 92 for 4 cellos/Fantasy Op. 94 for horn in F and piano/''Măiastra'' op. 95 for instrumental ensemble/Hymn II op.93 – four Lieders for soprano and piano/''Îngerul a strigat'' op. 96 – three Lieders for soprano and piano 2003 – ''Legandă'' op. 97 for violin and organ/ ''Elegie'' op. 96 for harp and clarinet/ Duo Opus op.100 for violin and viola/ ''Cântece imaginare'' op.99 for soprano and piano/ ''Diptic bucovian'' op.101/ ''Cântece naive pentru Nichita'' op.102/''Mărturisiri'' op.104 for mezzo-soprano and piano 2004 – Piccolo sonata op. 105 for flute, contralto flute in G and pian/''Variațiuni pe o temă elegiacă'' op.106 for 2 harps/''Tristeți bacoviene'' op. 107 for low voice and piano

Choral music

1960 – ''Fetelor, surorilor'', op. 16 nr. 2 – female choir 1979 – ''Seasons'', op. 45 nr.2 – 2 voice children choir 1980 – ''Salutul păcii'', op.48 nr. 2 – 2 voice female choir 1992 – ''Psalmii'' op. 66 mixt choir 2001 – Sacred sings, mist a cappella choir

Instrumental music

1949 – Rondo for piano op.2 1956 – 24 ''Imagini pitorești'' for piano op. 7 1958 – Solo harp suite op. 10 1973 – Solo flute improvisation op. 37 1978 – Cinci miniaturi pentru copii, op. 45 nr.1 pentru pian 1980 – Odă op. 48 nr. 1 pentru contrabas solo 1981 – Solo Cello Suite op. 50 1987 – Incantațiile pământului op. 56 pentru harpă solo 1990 – Imagini europene op 59 pentru harpă solo/Preludiu, Interludiu, Postludiu, op. 60 pentru orgă 1992 – The jungle book, op. 61; șapte piese pentru copii și pentru harpă solo 1993 – Mica sirenă op. 69 pentru harpă solo 1997 – Trei dansuri op 76 pentru harpă solo 1998 – 7 viziuni ale Profetului Ezechiel op. 78 pentru orgă 2001 – Improvizații op. 87 pentru pian/Incantații op. 88 pentru corn solo/Fantezii op. 89 pentru fagot solo

Discography

Mansi Barberis, Carmen Petra-Basacopol, Liana Alexandra Șaptefrați, Irina Odăgescu-Țuțuianu, Cvartettino pentru coarde în stil neoclasic, Sonata pentru flaut și harpă, „Colaje” Pentru cvintet de alămuri, Sonata pentru vioară și pian, LP, Electrecord, ST-ECE 01545 Concert pentru harpă și orchestră, LP, Electrecord, ECE 01862 Concert pentru violoncel și orchestră Op. 51, Orchestra simfonică a Filarmonicii „George Enescu”, dirijor Cristian Mandeal, soloist Marin Cazacu; Ciuleandra – balet Op. 54, Orchestra simfonică a Radioteleviziunii Române, dirijor Modest Cichirdan, LP, Electrecord, ST-ECE 03736 Damase, Inghelbrecht, Lauber, Petra-Basacopol, Takemitsu, ... Muzică pentru Flaut și Harpă ..., BIS-CD-650, 1998 Elena Moșuc, Notre Amour, ... Zorile-si mâna cerbii de foc ..., CD, Arte Nova, 2002

References

Viorel Cosma Viorel Cosma (30 March 1923 – 15 August 2017) was a Romanian musician and teacher who came to wider prominence as an exceptionally prolific musicologist and a pioneering lexicographer. Through his scholarship he also achieved distinction as a ...

, Muzicieni români. Lexicon biobibliografic, Editura Muzicală, București, 2004, p. 353. # Șerban Marcu, Repetitivitate și fantezie în „Primăvara”, poem pentru soprană, clarinet și pian de Carmen Petra-Basacopol, în revista Studia Musica, Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai, nr. 1 / 2013 #

External links

List of works
{{DEFAULTSORT:Petra Basacopol, Carmen 1926 births Living people 20th-century classical composers Women classical composers Romanian classical composers Musicians from Sibiu National University of Music Bucharest alumni University of Bucharest alumni Academic staff of the National University of Music Bucharest Women music educators 20th-century women composers