Manfred Schubert (27 April 1937 – 10 June 2011) was a German composer, conductor and

music critic ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of mus ...

Life

Schubert was born the son of a lawyer in

Berlin-Charlottenburg Charlottenburg () is a Boroughs and localities of Berlin, locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. Established as a German town law, town in 1705 and named after Sophia Charlotte of Hanover, Queen consort of Kingdom ...

. In his youth, he received violin and piano lessons; he passed his

Abitur ''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...

in Berlin-Köpenick. From 1955 to 1960, he studied

music education Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do origina ...

with

Fritz Reuter Fritz Reuter (7 November 1810 – 12 July 1874; born as ''Heinrich Ludwig Christian Friedrich Reuter'') was a novelist from Northern Germany who was a prominent contributor to Low German literature. Early life Fritz Reuter was born at Stavenha ...

Georg Knepler Georg Knepler (21 December 1906 – 14 January 2003) was an Austrian pianist, conductor and musicologist. Life Born in Vienna, Knepler was a son of the composer and librettist and nephew of the music publisher and impresario . He studied pi ...

and

Siegfried Bimberg Siegfried Bimberg (5 May 1927 – 2 July 2008) was a German composer, conductor and musicologist Life Born in Halle (Saale), After his return from the war and captivity, Bimberg completed his pedagogical studies. After working briefly at a one ...

and

Slavic studies Slavic (American English) or Slavonic (British English) studies, also known as Slavistics is the academic field of area studies concerned with Slavic areas, languages, literature, history, and culture. Originally, a Slavist or Slavicist was prim ...

at the

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative o ...

. Von 1960 bis 1963 war er for

musical composition Musical composition can refer to an original piece or work of music, either vocal or instrumental, the structure of a musical piece or to the process of creating or writing a new piece of music. People who create new compositions are called ...

with

Rudolf Wagner-Régeny Rudolf Wagner-Régeny (28 August 1903, Szászrégen, Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Reghin, Romania) – 18 September 1969, Berlin) was a composer, conductor, and pianist. Born in Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary, ...

at the Academy of Arts, Berlin. From 1962 to 1990, he worked regularly as a music critic for the ''

Berliner Zeitung The ''Berliner Zeitung'' (, ''Berlin Newspaper'') is a daily newspaper based in Berlin, Germany. Founded in East Germany in 1945, it is the only East German paper to achieve national prominence since reunification. It is published by Berliner ...

'', after that only sporadically. In 1978, he conducted the Staatskapelle Berlin at a guest concert in Lyon. From 1984 to 1985, he worked as a

lecturer Lecturer is an List of academic ranks, academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. T ...

in composition and instrumentation at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler". Since 1963, he lived in Berlin as a freelance composer. Schubert died in Berlin at the age of 74. His estate is owned by the Berlin State Library.

Work

Compositions

Source:

Orchestral works

* 1965: ''Tanzstudien'', for small orchestra (15') * 1966: ''Orchestermusik 66'' (Paean) (7') * 1966: ''Suite für Orchester'' (22') * 1970: ''Divertimento für Orchester'' (14') * 1971: ''Konzert für Klarinette und Orchester'' (22') * 1972: ''Hommage à

'', Concertante meditations for harp solo, 13 string instruments, percussion and celesta (20') * 1974: ''Cantilena e Capriccio'', per violino ed orchestra (16') * 1979–82: ''I. Sinfonie'', for large orchestra (32') * 1988: ''Konzert für zwei Violinen und Orchester'' (25') * 1990: ''Vogelreden III'', Capriccio für 6 Flöten (1 Spieler) und Streichorchester (22') * 1998–05: ''Ein ökumenisches Te Deum'', for four solo voices, speaker, eight-part mixed choir, organ and large orchestra (75')

Chamber music

* 1961: ''Musik für sieben Instrumente'' (12') * 1963: ''I. Streichquartett'' (16') * 1966: ''Sonata per flauto solo'' (15') * 1967: ''Moments musicaux'', for wind quintet (12') * 1967: ''Septett'' (11') * 1967/68: ''Nachtstück und Passacaglia'', for octet (17') * 1970: ''II. Streichquartett'' (14') * 1975: ''Evocazione'', per undici esecutori (10') * 1984/85: ''Vogelreden II'', Concertante Duo for Flute and Harp (12') * 1987: ''Elegia con elgeganza'', Canto aleatorio V per contrabbasso solo (9') * 1987: ''Ramificazioni'', Canto aleatorio VI per arpa sola (9') * 2002: ''Trazóm Suédama'', Trio for oboe, violin and violoncello (18')

Piano pieces

* 1960: ''Variazioni per pianoforte'' (11') * 1961: ''I. Klaviersonate'' (10') * 1963: ''II. Klaviersonate'' (11') * 1967: ''Serenata semplice'' (3') * 1969: ''Vier Cembalostücke'' (7') * 1976: ''Esde Hafis'', Canto aleatorio II per pianoforte solo (7')

Vocal music

* 1964: ''Acht Lieder'', on poems by

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

(9') * 1964: ''Traumwald'', Four Lieder on poems by Christian Morgenstern for baritone and String Orchestra (6') * 1973: ''Canzone amorose'', Concerto for baritone and large orchestra on poems by

Johannes Bobrowski Johannes Bobrowski (originally ''Johannes Konrad Bernhard Bobrowski''; 9 April 1917 – 2 September 1965) was a German lyric poet, narrative writer, adaptor and essayist. Life Bobrowski was born on 9 April 1917Bobrowski, Johannes (1984). ''S ...

(22') * 1986: ''Nachtgesänge'', after Carl Friedrich Zelter together with two intermezzi for medium voice and small orchestra (

Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as treat ...

) (20') * 1992: ''Miserere'', for eight–part mixed choir and organ (8') * 1996: ''Misericordia ejus'', antiphon for 2 mixed choirs a cappella (12') * 1995–97: ''Missa viadrina'', for eight–part mixed choir a cappella (50') * 2006: ''Zweite Romantik'', seven sonnets for medium voice and piano (32')

Poetry collections

* 1997–2009: ''Blaues Haus auf rotem Grund''; Reisegedichte * 1998–2006: ''Muse und Metier''; Künstlerprobleme * 1993–2009: ''Wetterleuchten''; Gedichte zwischen Hoffnung und Zweifel

Prizes

* Composition Prize at the Prague Spring International Music Festival (1966) * (1966) * Prize of the (1966, 1969) * Hanns Eisler Prize of the Rundfunk der DDR (1977) * Recognition by the

International Rostrum of Composers The International Rostrum of Composers (IRC) is an annual forum organized by the International Music Council that offers broadcasting representatives the opportunity to exchange and publicize pieces of contemporary classical music. It is funded by c ...

of the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

in Paris (1984)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Schubert, Manfred German music critics German conductors (music) 20th-century German composers 20th-century classical composers Academic staff of the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin 1937 births 2011 deaths Musicians from Berlin