Georg Büchner Prize
1 appearances
Wilhelm Petersen
ヴィルヘルム・ペーターゼン
Viruherumu Pētāzen
Pen Names:
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1890-03-15 （Athens）
- Died
- 1957-12-18 （Darmstadt） age 67
- Nationality
- Germany
- Languages
- German
- Residence History
- Darmstadt (childhood) → Munich (studies/activity) → Lübeck (apprenticeship) → Mannheim (professorship)
Career
- Occupations
- composer, conductor, music teacher, poet
- Active Years
- 1919-1957
- Affiliations
- Darmstadt Music Academy (lecturer), Mannheim (professorship)
- Influenced By
- Friedrich Klose, Felix Mottl, Rudolf Louis, Wilhelm Furtwängler (apprenticeship), Stefan George (poet; peripheral circle)
- Influenced
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Munich (music studies; studied with Friedrich Klose, Felix Mottl, Rudolf Louis) | — | Composition | — | 1908-1913 | Germany |
Munich (music studies; studied with Friedrich Klose, Felix Mottl, Rudolf Louis)
Composition
Period:
1908-1913
Year of Graduation:
1913
Country:
Germany
Studied in Munich with Friedrich Klose, Felix Mottl and Rudolf Louis
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Grosse Messe, Op. 27
1929 sacred music (large mass)Composed 1928-29 and completed in 1929; a large-scale mass premiered in Darmstadt (1930). Exemplifies Petersen's monumental tonal style.
religiositymonumental tonalityexpressionist elements
Opera 'Der goldene Topf'
1941 operaAn opera premiered in Darmstadt in 1941, linking the original's fantastic elements with Petersen's musical language.
fantasyfolkloric elementspsychological depiction
Symphonies (a cycle of five major symphonies)
symphonyA set of five major symphonies showing a distinctive tonal language located between late Romanticism and Modernism.
heroic elementslarge-scale structuretonal development
Piano Concerto / Violin Concerto
concertoConcertos for solo instrument and orchestra reflecting Petersen's distinctive tonal language and virtuosity.
dialogue between soloist and orchestravirtuosity and expression
Bibliography
- Grosse Messe, Op. 27 (1928-29)
- Opera 'Der goldene Topf' (premiered 1941)
- Symphonies No.1–No.5 (major symphonic cycle)
- Piano Concerto
- Violin Concerto
- Numerous choral pieces, chamber music and songs
Adaptations
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- tonal language positioned between late Romanticism and Modernismblend of expressionist tendencies and monumental tonalitydistinctive personal tonal idiom
- Recurring Motifs
- religious/ liturgical themesnature and heroic imageryspiritual and introspective exploration
Legacy
Wilhelm Petersen was a German composer and conductor who established a distinctive tonal idiom between late Romanticism and Modernism. Through teaching and performance in Darmstadt and Mannheim he left regional and academic influence; recordings and scholarship have led to continued reevaluation of his work.
Museums
- Wilhelm-Petersen-Society (associated organization) Darmstadt, Germany
Academic Societies
- Wilhelm-Petersen-Society
Archives
- Wilhelm Petersen archival materials (Darmstadt)
Quotes
-
Petersen's works are mostly composed in his own distinctive tonal language positioned at the vague boundary between late Romanticism and Modernism.
Source: Wikipedia (Wilhelm Petersen (composer))
Trivia
- Born in Athens in 1890 and spent his childhood in Darmstadt.
- Studied in Munich with Friedrich Klose et al. from 1908 to 1913.
- Apprenticed under Wilhelm Furtwängler in Lübeck in 1913–14.
- Grosse Messe (Op.27, composed 1928–29) premiered in Darmstadt in 1930.
- Opera 'Der goldene Topf' premiered in Darmstadt in 1941.