Walter Courvoisier

Walter Courvoisier (7 February 1875 – 27 December 1931) was a Swiss composer.

Life

Born in Riehen, Courvoisier was a son of the surgeon Ludwig Georg Courvoisier. He initially studied medicine and worked as a doctor after obtaining his doctorate. In 1902 he went to Munich to study music. He was a student of Selmar Bagge and Ludwig Thuille - whose son-in-law he became - and then taught at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, first music theory, and later music composition.

Courvoisier died in Locarno at the age of 76.

Compositions

Operas
  • Lanzelot und Elaine, musical drama in four acts; libretto: Berta Thiersch, pseudonym "Walter Bergh" (1910-12, first performance Munich 1917)
  • Die Krähen (The Crows), comedy in one act; libretto: Alois Wohlmuth (1919/20, first performance Munich 1920)
  • Der Sünde Zauberei (The Sin of Magic), opera in one prelude and two scenes; libretto: Joseph von Eichendorff after Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1929, unperformed) online

Vocal works
  • The Muse, for baritone and orchestra op. 4; after Heinrich Leuthold (1903)
  • Gruppe aus dem Tartarus, ballad for mixed choir and orchestra Op. 5; after Friedrich Schiller (1904)
  • Der Dinurstrom, ballad for mixed choir and orchestra op. 11; after Wilhelm Hertz (1906)
  • Das Schlachtschiff Téméraire (1796), Ballad for male chorus and orchestra Op. 12; after Detlev von Liliencron (1906)
  • Auferstehung (former title: Totenfeier), Cantata for four soloists, mixed choir and orchestra op. 26; after words of the Bible, arranged by Alfred Bertholet (1915)
  • Three Choirs a cappella Op. 33; after Joseph von Eichendorff (1931)
  • Five Songs for mixed choir a cappella Op. 34 (1931)

Lieder with piano accompaniment
  • Sechs Lieder für tiefe Stimme op. 1 (1903)
  • Sieben Lieder op. 2 (1903)
  • Acht Gedichte von Anna Ritter op. 3 (1903)
  • Sechs Lieder op. 6 (1904)
  • Fünf Lieder für tiefe Stimme op. 7 (1904)
  • Sieben Gedichte von Peter Cornelius op. 8 (1905)
  • Sechs Gedichte von Theodor Storm op. 9 (1905)
  • Zwei Gedichte von Theodor Storm, Vier Gedichte von Klaus Groth op. 13 (1906)
  • Fünf Gedichte von Wilhelm Hertz op. 14 (1903/04)
  • Drei Gedichte von Emanuel Geibel op. 15 (1906)
  • Fünf Gedichte von Friedrich Hebbel op. 16 (1907/08)
  • Fünf Gedichte von Peter Cornelius op. 17 (1908)
  • Zwei Sonette von Michelangelo und altitalienisches Sonett op. 18 (1906/08)
  • Sieben Gedichte von Emanuel Geibel op. 19 (1906/08)
  • Sieben alte deutsche Gedichte op. 23 (1909/10)
  • Gedichte von Hermann Hesse op. 24 (1917, then 1929)
  • Geistliche Lieder in fünf Bänden op. 27 (1917–1919)
  • Kleine Lieder zu Kinderreimen in four volumes op. 28 (1916–1919)
  • Lieder auf alte Deutsche Gedichte op. 29 (1912/14, 1920–1925)

Instrumental works

Sonatina for piano Op.

  • Piano Trio Op. (1902)
  • Symphonic Prologue to Carl Spitteler's Olympic Spring for Orchestra Op. 10 (1905)
  • Passacaglia and Fugue in B flat minor for piano op. 20 (1908/09)
  • Variations and Fugue on a separate theme in E flat major for piano Op. 21 (1909)
  • Variations on an own theme D major for piano Op. 22 (1909)
  • Festival Overture for Orchestra (1920s)
  • Six Suites for violin solo Op. 31 (1921/22)
  • Slow movement for string quartet Op. (1921/22)

Students

Further reading
  • Theodor Kroyer: Walter Courvoisier,[1] Munich 1929.
  • Erich Valentin (1957), "Courvoisier, Walter", Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB) (in German), 3, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 384–384; (full text online)
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gollark: You can arrange things so that NOBODY can move.

References
  1. Walter Courvoisier. Mit einem Bildnis und vielen Notenbeispielen on WorldCat
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