Grete von Zieritz
Encyclopedia
Grete von Zieritz was an Austrian-German composer and pianist.
, Austria
, the daughter of peerage, and grew up in Vienna
, Innsbruck
and Graz
. She received her first piano lessons at the age of six, and later studied with Hugo Kroemer (piano) and Roderick Mojsisovics (composition). She gave her first concert at age eight.
In Berlin
, she continued her studies with Martin Krause
, a student of Franz Liszt
, and Rudolf Maria Breithaupt. After the successful performance of her "Japanese Songs" in 1921, she decided to become a composer. Von Zieritz worked as a music teacher and continued to study in Berlin
from 1926 to 1931 under Franz Schreker
. In 1939 she was the only woman at the International Music Festival in Frankfurt Main among composers from 18 nations. In 2009 in Vienna Donaustadt the Zieritzgasse was named after her. She died in Berlin in 2001.
Life
Grete von Zieritz was born in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, the daughter of peerage, and grew up in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
and Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
. She received her first piano lessons at the age of six, and later studied with Hugo Kroemer (piano) and Roderick Mojsisovics (composition). She gave her first concert at age eight.
In Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, she continued her studies with Martin Krause
Martin Krause
Martin Krause was a German concert pianist, piano teacher, music critic, and writer.- Career :Martin Krause was born in Lobstädt, Saxony as the youngest son of the choirmaster and church schoolmaster Johann Carl Friedrich Krause in Lobstädt...
, a student of Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
, and Rudolf Maria Breithaupt. After the successful performance of her "Japanese Songs" in 1921, she decided to become a composer. Von Zieritz worked as a music teacher and continued to study in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
from 1926 to 1931 under Franz Schreker
Franz Schreker
Franz Schreker was an Austrian composer, conductor, teacher and administrator. Primarily a composer of operas, his style is characterized by aesthetic plurality , timbral experimentation, strategies of extended tonality and...
. In 1939 she was the only woman at the International Music Festival in Frankfurt Main among composers from 18 nations. In 2009 in Vienna Donaustadt the Zieritzgasse was named after her. She died in Berlin in 2001.
Awards
- 1928: MendelssohnMendelssohnMendelson is a Polish/German Jewish family name, meaning "son of Mendel", Mendel being a Yiddish diminutive of the Hebrew given name Menahem, meaning "consoling" or "one who consoles".Mendelssohn is the surname of a number of people:...
-State Award - 1928: Schubert scholarship to Columbia Phonograph Company
- 1978: Merit First Class for Science and the Arts
- 1979: Order of Merit
- 1982: PRS-Medal of Honour for 50-year membership
- 1999: Badge of Honour of the National Music Council, Berlin
- 1999: German Critics' Award (Special)
Works
Grete von Zieritz wrote over 250 works for various ensembles. Selected works include:- Japanese Songs for soprano and piano (1919)
- Prelude and Fugue in C minor for piano (1924)
- Sonata for viola and piano, Op. 67 (1939)
- Kaleidoskop, Duo for violin and viola, Op. 127 (1969)
- Suite for viola solo, Op. 141 (1976)
- Prelude and Fugue for organ (1977)
- Organ Concerto for organ solo (1995)
Additional reading
- Aigner, Rita. (1991) Grete von Zieritz: Life and Work. Berlin. Ries & Erler.
- Olivier, Antje & Karin wine Gartz-Perschel. (1988) Composers AZ. Düsseldorf. Toccata publisher for women's studies.
- Stürzbecher, Ursula. (1973) Workshop Discussions with Composers. Munich. P. 130-139.
- Sadie, Julie Anne & Rhian, Samuel, Ed. (1994) The Norton/Grove Dictionary of Women Composers. New York and London. Norton.