Hubert du Plessis OMSG (7 June 1922 – 12 March 2011) was a South African composer, pianist, and professor of music whose career spanned several decades. Along with

Arnold van Wyk Arnoldus Christiaan Vlok van Wyk (26 April 1916 – 27 March 1983) was a South African art music composer, one of the first notable generation of such composers along with Hubert du Plessis and Stefans Grové. Despite the strict laws impose ...

and

Stefans Grové Stefans Grové (23 July 1922 – 29 May 2014) was a South African composer. Before his death the following assessment was made of him: "He is regarded by many as Africa's greatest living composer, possesses one of the most distinctive composit ...

, du Plessis was one of the foremost South African composers of the 20th century.

Biography

Hubert du Plessis was born to an

Afrikaner Afrikaners () are a South African ethnic group descended from Free Burghers, predominantly Dutch settlers first arriving at the Cape of Good Hope in the 17th and 18th centuries.Entry: Cape Colony. ''Encyclopædia Britannica Volume 4 Part 2: ...

family on a farm called Groenrivier in

Malmesbury Malmesbury () is a town and civil parish in north Wiltshire, England, which lies approximately west of Swindon, northeast of Bristol, and north of Chippenham. The older part of the town is on a hilltop which is almost surrounded by the up ...

in the

Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...

on 7 June 1922. A musical prodigy from a young age, he began writing his own piano compositions by the time he was seven years old. In 1940 he enrolled in

Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch University ( af, Universiteit Stellenbosch) is a public research university situated in Stellenbosch, a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Stellenbosch is the oldest university in South Africa and the oldest extant ...

, becoming the first student at the university to graduate with a

Bachelor of Music Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of prescr ...

degree. In 1943 he briefly worked for the South African Broadcasting Company in

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

, but soon after accepted a position with the department of music at

Rhodes University Rhodes University is a public university, public research university located in Makhanda, Eastern Cape, Makhanda (Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is one of four universities in the province. Established in 1904, ...

, where he became a lecturer. From 1951 to 1954, he studied at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, and upon his return to South Africa he accepted a teaching position at Stellenbosch University, quickly becoming senior lecturer of the music department. In 1963 he was honored for his musical contributions by the South African Academy of Science and Art (commonly known as ''Die Akademie''). Du Plessis' compositions were varied and included both choral and instrumental pieces. He is noted for his contributions to both South African chamber music and orchestral music. Initially opposed to the idea, du Plessis included Afrikaans folk music in some of his later compositions. In the 1960s, he composed some

nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...

works, which were endorsed by the National Party government, which he actively supported. He attributed his nationalistic music to a "growing consciousness" of his Afrikaner heritage, and therefore was not opposed to his music being used for political purposes. Despite the strict laws against homosexuality in

Apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

South Africa, du Plessis was spared public disgrace and legal troubles by the government, and lived unashamedly as an outspoken and openly gay man. He appeared in front of the

South African Parliament The Parliament of the Republic of South Africa is South Africa's legislature; under the present Constitution of South Africa, the bicameral Parliament comprises a National Assembly and a National Council of Provinces. The current twenty-seve ...

to campaign against tightening of anti-homosexuality laws in the late 1960s.James May (2011) Obituary – Hubert du Plessis, Journal of the Musical Arts in Africa, 8:1, 115-116, DOI: 10.2989/18121004.2011.652401 He died at his home in

Stellenbosch Stellenbosch (; )A Universal Pronounc ...

on 12 March 2011 at the age of 88.

Works by genre

Piano

* Vier klavierstukke, op. 1, 1944-1945 (1. Prelude, 2. Studie, 3. Elegie, 4. Dans) * Ses minature, op. 3, 1945-1949 * Sonate no.1, op. 8, 1952 * Sonate vir klavierduet, op. 10, 1954 "Composed for H. Ferguson and D. Matthews" * Cunctipotens genitor Deus, fantasie oor ’n 11de-eeuse organum, 1956 * Prelude, fuga en postludium, op. 17, 1958 * Sewe preludes, op. 18, 1964 * Inspiré par mes chats, suite, op. 27. (1. Déplotarion sur la mort de Dodo, 2. L’allégresse et la sagesse de Josquin, 3. Les petits pas amoureux de Tristan, 4. La tendresse d’Isolde, 5. Gaspard et sa souris, pas de deux, 6. Tombeau de Joséphine) * Vier klavierstukke, op. 28 in opdrag van UNISA, 1964 (1. Hommage à Fauré, 2. Hommage à Ravel, 3. Hommage à Chopin, 4. Hommage à François Couperin) * When I was a child-Toe ek ’n kind was, suite, op. 33, 1972 (1. Speeldoos, 2. Die tjellis, 3. Vleivolk, 4. Klawerliefde, 5. Rivierdroom, 6. Die skool sluit, 7. Kaleidoskoop, 8. Naggeluide) * Sonate no. 2, op. 40, in opdrag van SAMRO, 1974-1975. * Tien klavierwerke vir kinders en jongmense, op. 41, 1975 (Afd. I (vir kinders): 1. Heimwee van ’n Amerikaanse teddiebeer, 2. Angus en oom Koos maak maats, 3. Wispelturige Wilhelmina, 4. Ouboet en Kleinboet voel olik, 5. In die pretpark Afd. II (vir jongmense): 6. Hartseerwals, 7. Kwêla, 8. Mars, 9. Studie, 10. Scherzo)

Harp

* Variasies op ’n volkswysie, vir harpsolo, op. 31, 1967-1968

Chamber music

* Strykkwartet, op. 13, 1957 * Trio vir klavier, viool en tjello, op. 20, for the

SABC The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is the public broadcaster in South Africa, and provides 19 radio stations ( AM/ FM) as well as six television broadcasts to the general public. It is one of the largest of South Africa's state ...

, 1957-1960 * Drie stukke vir fluit en klavier, op. 25, 1962-1963 (1. Sarabande, 2. Wals, 3. Wiegelied) * Vier antieke danse vir fluit en klavesimbel, op. 35 (1. Siciliano, 2. Tambourin, 3. Sarabande, 4. Gigue) * Sonate vir altviool en klavier, op. 43, 1977

Orchestral

* Simfonie in a, op. 14, 1953-1954 * Musiek by drie skilderye van Henri Rousseau, op. 24, for the SABC, 1962 (1. Un soir de carnaval, 2. Pour fêter le bébé, 3. Le rêve) * Die Stem van Suid-Afrika, for the SABC, 1960 * Vallée d’Obermann (Liszt) 1961 * Drie outas het in die haai Karoo, for the SABC, 1973

Other music

* ''Huberta the hippo'' (hoorbeeld deur Cecil Jubber), 1960 * ''Periandos van Korinte'' (Opperman), 1972

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Du Plessis, Hubert 1922 births 2011 deaths 20th-century classical composers Afrikaner nationalists South African composers South African male composers LGBT classical composers South African LGBT composers Gay composers White South African people Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Male classical composers 20th-century male musicians Stellenbosch University alumni South African expatriates in the United Kingdom