Kurt-Heinz Stolze
Encyclopedia
Kurt-Heinz Stolze was a German pianist, harpsichordist and composer.
He was born in Hamburg
. He studed piano, organ and conducting at the Hamburg Conservatory with Wilhelm Brückner-Rüggeberg. His first engagement was as repetiteur at the Royal Opera, Copenhagen
. In 1957 he joined the Württemberg State Theatre in Stuttgart
. That year he accompanied Fritz Wunderlich
on his recording of Franz Schubert
’s Die schöne Müllerin
. He can also be heard as one of the harpsichordists on a recording of concertos for three and four harpsichords by Johann Sebastian Bach
, conducted by Gunther Kehr.Thereafter, he focussed mainly on ballet, and worked principally with John Cranko
.
Kurt-Heinz Stolze composed or arranged the music for Cranko’s ballets Wir reisen nach Jerusalem (1963), L’Estro Armonico (1963, after Antonio Vivaldi
), Der widerspenstigen Zähmung (The Taming of the Shrew) (1969; to the Shakespeare
story; music based on sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti
), and Kyrie eleison (1968; based on music by Bach).
However, he is perhaps best known for the ballet Onegin (1965), based on Alexander Pushkin’s verse play Eugene Onegin
, for which Stolze used the music of Tchaikovsky
, but not a note from Tchaikovsky’s opera of the same name
. Instead, he orchestrated some little-known piano works by Tchaikovsky such as The Seasons
, along with themes from the opera Cherevichki
and the latter part of the symphonic fantasia Francesca da Rimini
. He also produced Cranko’s Swan Lake
and Les Sylphides
and worked in radio and cinema.
In 1968 he appeared as harpsichordist with the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra conducted by Jörg Faerber in the Queen Elizabeth Hall
in London. He died in Munich in August 1970, aged 44.
He was born in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. He studed piano, organ and conducting at the Hamburg Conservatory with Wilhelm Brückner-Rüggeberg. His first engagement was as repetiteur at the Royal Opera, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. In 1957 he joined the Württemberg State Theatre in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
. That year he accompanied Fritz Wunderlich
Fritz Wunderlich
Friedrich "Fritz" Karl Otto Wunderlich was a German lyric tenor, famed for his singing of the Mozart repertory and Italian and German opera and lieder. He died in an accident when he was only 35...
on his recording of Franz Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
’s Die schöne Müllerin
Die schöne Müllerin
Die schöne Müllerin , is a song cycle by Franz Schubert on poems by Wilhelm Müller. It is the earliest extended song cycle to be widely performed. The work is considered one of Schubert's most important, and it is widely performed and recorded....
. He can also be heard as one of the harpsichordists on a recording of concertos for three and four harpsichords by Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
, conducted by Gunther Kehr.Thereafter, he focussed mainly on ballet, and worked principally with John Cranko
John Cranko
John Cyril Cranko was a choreographer with the Sadler's Wells Ballet and the Stuttgart Ballet....
.
Kurt-Heinz Stolze composed or arranged the music for Cranko’s ballets Wir reisen nach Jerusalem (1963), L’Estro Armonico (1963, after Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi , nicknamed because of his red hair, was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice. Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was widespread over Europe...
), Der widerspenstigen Zähmung (The Taming of the Shrew) (1969; to the Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
story; music based on sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti
Domenico Scarlatti
Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti was an Italian composer who spent much of his life in the service of the Portuguese and Spanish royal families. He is classified as a Baroque composer chronologically, although his music was influential in the development of the Classical style...
), and Kyrie eleison (1968; based on music by Bach).
However, he is perhaps best known for the ballet Onegin (1965), based on Alexander Pushkin’s verse play Eugene Onegin
Eugene Onegin
Eugene Onegin is a novel in verse written by Alexander Pushkin.It is a classic of Russian literature, and its eponymous protagonist has served as the model for a number of Russian literary heroes . It was published in serial form between 1825 and 1832...
, for which Stolze used the music of Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"...
, but not a note from Tchaikovsky’s opera of the same name
Eugene Onegin (opera)
Eugene Onegin, Op. 24, is an opera in 3 acts , by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto was written by Konstantin Shilovsky and the composer and his brother Modest, and is based on the novel in verse by Alexander Pushkin....
. Instead, he orchestrated some little-known piano works by Tchaikovsky such as The Seasons
The Seasons (Tchaikovsky)
The Seasons, Op. 37a is a set of twelve short character pieces for solo piano by the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Each piece is the characteristic of a different month of the year in the northern hemisphere. The work is also sometimes heard in orchestral and other arrangements by...
, along with themes from the opera Cherevichki
Cherevichki
Cherevichki [alternative renderings are The Little Shoes, The Tsarina's Slippers, Les caprices d'Oxane, and Gli stivaletti] is a comic-fantastic opera in 4 acts, 8 scenes, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It was composed in 1885 in Maidanovo, Russia...
and the latter part of the symphonic fantasia Francesca da Rimini
Francesca da Rimini (Tchaikovsky)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's symphonic poem Francesca da Rimini: Symphonic Fantasy after Dante, Op. 32, was composed in less than three weeks during his visit to Bayreuth in the autumn of 1876....
. He also produced Cranko’s Swan Lake
Swan Lake
Swan Lake ballet, op. 20, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composed 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger...
and Les Sylphides
Les Sylphides
Les Sylphides is a short, non-narrative ballet blanc. Its original choreography was by Michel Fokine, with music by Frédéric Chopin orchestrated by Alexander Glazunov. Glazunov had already set some of the music in 1892 as a purely orchestral suite, under the title Chopiniana, Op. 46...
and worked in radio and cinema.
In 1968 he appeared as harpsichordist with the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra conducted by Jörg Faerber in the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival...
in London. He died in Munich in August 1970, aged 44.