Erik Werba (23 May 1918 – 9 April 1992) was an Austrian classical pianist who is especially known as an accompanist of singers. He was also a music critic, conductor, composer, author and academic teacher.
Career
Werba was born in
Baden bei Wien, the son of Ludwig Werba (1884–1945), who was born in
Graz and became a composer, music director and vice-president of the ''Österreichisch-ungarischer Musikerverband'', founded in 1896. Ludwig Werba died in a bombing raid on 2 April 1945.
Werba completed the
Matura
or its translated terms (''Mature'', ''Matur'', , , , , , ) is a Latin name for the secondary school exit exam or "maturity diploma" in various European countries, including Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, C ...
at the Baden
Gymnasium in 1936. He then studied at both the
Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna and the
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich hist ...
, where he earned a PhD in 1940. He worked as a music critic and teacher, and directed the
Mozartgemeinde after World War II. Werba was
Kapellmeister at the from 1945 to 1946.
[Franziska Dzugan: ''Chamäleons im Blätterwald. Die Wurzeln der ÖVP-ParteijournalistInnen in Austrofaschismus, Nationalsozialismus, Demokratie und Widerstand. Eine kollektivbiografische Analyse an den Beispielen Wiener Tageszeitung und Linzer Volksblatt 1945 bzw. 1947 bis 1955''. Dissertation. Universität Wien, Wien 2011, p. 171. â€]
Volltext online (PDF; 1,4 MB)
As a pianist, he focused on accompanying
lieder singers.
He collaborated with
Irmgard Seefried
Irmgard Seefried (9 October 191924 November 1988) was a distinguished German soprano who sang opera, sacred music, and lieder.
Maria Theresia Irmgard Seefried was born in , near Mindelheim, Bavaria, Germany, the daughter of educated Austrian ...
,
Christa Ludwig,
Walter Berry,
Kim Borg
Kim Borg (August 7, 1919April 28, 2000) was a Finnish bass, teacher and composer. He had a wide-ranging, resonant, warm voice.
Biography
Kim Borg was born in Helsinki. He studied voice with Heikki Teittinen at the Sibelius Academy (1936–1941 ...
,
["Seefried, Ludwig, Berry und Borg waren die Sänger mit denen ich die Welt bereist habe." – Erik Werba in an earlier studio discussion. Broadcast on 24 May 2018 in ''Stimmen hören'' on ]Ö1
Österreich 1 (Ö1) is an Austrian radio station: one of the four national channels operated by Austria's public broadcaster ORF. It focuses on classical music and opera, jazz, documentaries and features, news, radio plays and dramas, ''Kabarett' ...
Brigitte Fassbaender
Brigitte Fassbaender (; born 3 July 1939), is a German mezzo-soprano opera singer and a stage director. From 1999 to 2012 she was intendant (managing director) of the Tyrolean State Theatre in Innsbruck, Austria. She holds the title Kammersäng ...
,
Peter Schreier
Peter Schreier (29 July 1935 – 25 December 2019) was a German tenor in opera, concert and lied, and a conductor. He was regarded as one of the leading lyric tenors of the 20th century.
Schreier was a member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor conduct ...
and
Nicolai Gedda
Harry Gustaf Nikolai Gädda, known professionally as Nicolai Gedda (11 July 1925 – 8 January 2017), was a Swedish operatic tenor. Debuting in 1951, Gedda had a long and successful career in opera until the age of 77 in June 2003, when he made h ...
,
appearing internationally.
Werba was a professor of
lied and
oratorio
An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is ...
at the Wiener Musikakademie from 1949 to 1990,
and from 1964 to 1971 also at the
Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Graz. As a journalist, he worked for the newsletters of the Mozartgemeinde, the ''Wiener Figaro'', the
Österreichische Musikzeitschrift
The ''Österreichische Musikzeitschrift'' (ÖMZ, Austrian music magazine) was a monthly music magazine published in Vienna, Austria, by Verlag Musikzeit. It was established in 1945 by the Austrian cultural politician and music critic . It appear ...
and the periodical ''Musikerziehung''. As a composer, he wrote incidental music, chamber music and lieder.
Werba died on 9 April 1992 in
Hinterbrühl
Hinterbrühl () is a town in the district of Mödling in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is home to the Seegrotte, a system of caves including Europe's largest underground lake. During World War II, a satellite camp of Mauthausen concentra ...
. He is buried at the
Maria Enzersdorf
Maria Enzersdorf (Central Bavarian: ''Maria Enzasduaf'') is a small city in the district of Mödling in the Austrian state of Lower Austria.
There are several castles and ruins in the forests surrounding Maria Enzersdorf, including Liechtenstei ...
cemetery.
Compositions
Werba composed lieder, including:
* "Ich bin...", for high voice and piano (1936)
* "Neige dein Köpfchen", for high voice and piano (1936)
* "Ich saß vor dunklem Walde", for high voice and piano (1936)
Publications
* ''Richard Strauss zum 85. Geburtstag'', 1949
* ''Tenoralbum'', 1951
* ''Bariton-Baß-Album'', 1953
* ''Josef Marx, eine Studie'', 1962
* ''Hugo Wolf oder – Der zornige Romantiker'', 1971
* ''Erich Marckhl'', 1972
* ''Hugo Wolf und seine Lieder'', 1984
Hugo Wolf und seine Lieder
Österreichischer Bibliothekenverbund
Awards
* 1960: Mozartmedaille awarded by the