Krzysztof Meyer

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Krzysztof Meyer (born August 11, 1943 in Cracow, Poland) is a Polish composer.

He studied composition with Stanisław Wiechowicz (1954-1964) and Krzysztof Penderecki (1965) in Cracow, took courses with Nadia Boulanger in Paris (1964, 1966, and 1968). At the State College of Music in Cracow he studied also general music theory (diploma in 1966). From 1965 to 1967 he appeared as pianist with the contemporary Music group "MW2 Ensemble". Later he continued to be active as a soloist specialized in modern repertory. From 1966 to 1987 Meyer taught theory at the State College of Music (now Academy of Music) in Cracow, holding the chairmanship of the Department of Music Theory from 1972 to 1975. Since 1987 he has been professor of composition at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne. Between the years 1985-1989 he was the president of the Union of Polish Composers.

In his early compositions (String Quartets Nos. 1-4, symphonies nos. 1-3) he experimented with unconventional sonorities, typical of the Polish avant-garde music in the 1960s. The style of Meyer's later works reflects his interest in tradition; even his use of titles such as "string quartet", "sonata", "concerto", "symphony" are indicators of the traditional trend in his aesthetic. "There are contemporary textures and timbres, but they are usually incidental to a language in which tonal pulls and familiar signposts govern the overall flow and structure"^[1]

Selected awards: the First Prize for Symphony No. 3 (1968) at the Fitelberg Composers’ Competition Prix de Composition Musicale of the Prince Pierre de Monaco Foundation for opera Cyberiada (1970) Special Mention at Tribune Internationale des Compositeurs UNESCO in Paris for String Quartet No. 2 (1970) and String Quartet No. 3 (1976) the First Prize at the Karol Szymanowski Competition in Warsaw for Symphony No. 4 ( Gottfried-von-Herder-Preis (Vienna, 1984) Award of the Union of Polish Composers (1992), Alfred Jurzykowski Award (New York, 1994) Johann-Stamitz-Preis (Mannheim, 1996)

1 Selected works

[edit] Selected works

[edit] Stage works

Cyberiada. Fantastic Comic Opera (1970). Libretto by the composer, based upon Stanisław Lem's novel
The Countess [Hrabina]. Ballet on the motives from Stanisław Moniuszko's opera (1980)
The Gamblers [Igroki]. A Completed Version of Dmitri Shostakovich's opera after N. Gogol - 1981 (soloists of the "Bolshoi" in Moscow, Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, Michail Jurowski, Capriccio 60 062-2)
The Maple Brothers [Klonowi bracia]. Children Opera, (1989). Libretto by the composer after E. Szwartz

[edit] Works for orchestra

5 symphonies for orchestra: No. 1 (1964), No. 4 (1973), No. 5 (1979),

No. 6 "Polish" Symphony - 1982 (Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Antoni Wit, ISPV 179 CD)

No. 7 Sinfonia del tempo que passa (2002-2003)

for orchestra:

Fireballs - 1976 (Silesian Philharmonic, Karol Stryja, Polish Information Center 007)

Symphony in D major in Mozartean style (1976)

Hommage a Johannes Brahms - 1982 (Kölner-Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester, Antoni Wit, KOCH 3-5037-2)

Musica incrostata - 1988 (WOSPRiT, Antoni Wit, Koch Schwann 3-1573-2)

Carillon (1993), Farewell Music (1997)

2 Flute concertos (1964, 1983)
2 Violin concertos

No. 1 - 1965 (Roman Lasocki, WOSPRiT, Karol Stryja, Olympia OCD 323)

No. 2 - 1996 (Magdalena Rezler, NOSPR, Gabriel Chmura, DUX 0594)

Concerto da camera for oboe, percussione ed archi (1972)
Concerto for trumpet and orchestra (1973)
Concerto for piano - 1989 (Pavel Gililov, WOSPRiT, Antoni Wit, Koch Schwann 3-1573-2)
Concerto for saxophone and string orchestra (1992)
Canti Amadei per violoncello ed orchestra - 1984 (Ivan Monighetti, Capella Cracoviensis, Stanislaw Gałoński, ISPV 179 CD)
Concerto for violoncello and orchester - 1995 (Boris Pergamenschikov, NOSPR, Antoni Wit, DUX 0594)
Concerto for harp, cello and string orchestra (1984)
Caro Luigi per 4 Violoncelli ed orchestra d'archi (1989)
Concerto for clarinet and orchestra - 2001 (Eduard Brunner, NOSPR, Gabriel Chmura, DUX 0594)
Double concerto for violin, violoncello and orchestra (2006)

[edit] Vocal works

Symphony No. 2 Epitaphium Stanislaw Wiechowicz in memoriam for choir and orchestra (1967)
Symphony No. 3 Symphonie d'Orphée for choir and orchestra (1968)
Liryc Triptych for tenor and chamber orchestra (1976)
Mass for mixed choir and orchestra (1996)
Wjelitchalnaja for mixed choir -1988 (Polish Nightingales, Wojciech A. Krolopp, Azymuth AZ AZ CD 11.045)
Creation (Schöpfung), oratorio for soli, choir and orchestra (1999)

[edit] Chamber music

12 String Quartets

No. 1 - 1963 (Wilanow String Quartet, ISPV 151 CD; - Kairos Quartett, polmic 016)

No. 2 - 1969 (Wilanow String Quartet, ISPV 184 CD)

No. 3 - 1971 (Wilanow String Quartet Veriton ECD 035 & ISPV 184 CD)

No. 4 - 1974 (Wilanow String Quartet, ISPV 162 CD)

No. 5 - 1977 (Wilanow String Quartet, ISPV 162 CD)

No. 6 - 1981 (Wilanow String Quartet, ISPV 162 CD)

No. 7 - 1985 (Wilanow String Quartet, ISPV 151 CD)

No. 8 - 1985 (Wilanow String Quartet, ISPV 151 CD; - Dafô Quartet, DUX 10190)

No. 9 - 1990 (Wilanow String Quartet, ISPV 171 CD)

No. 10 - 1994 (Wilanow String Quartet, ISPV 184 CD)

No. 11 - 2001 (Wilanow String Quartet, ISPV 192 CD)

No. 12 - 2005 (Wilanow String Quartet, ISPV 192 CD; - Dafô Quartet, polmic 027)

Hommage a Nadia Boulanger for flute, viola and harp - 1971 (rec. E. Gajewska, R. Duź, H. Storck, ISPV 189 CD)
Quattro colori for clarinet, trombone, 'cello and piano (1970)
Concerto retro for flute, violin, violoncello and harpsichord - 1976 (E. Gajewska, T. Gadzina, M. Wasiółka, K. Meyer, Acte Préalable AP0076)
Piano Trio - 1980 (Trio Wawelskie, ISPV 176 CD; - Arcadia Trio, Bella Musica 31.2415)
Canzona per violoncello e pianoforte - 1981 (David Geringas, Tanja Schatz, ISPV 192 CD)
Sonata per violoncello e pianoforte No.1 (1983)
Clarinet Quintet - 1986 (Eduard Brunner, Wilanow String Quartet, ISPV 147 CD; - Paweł Drobnik, Kwartet Wieniawski; Dux 0507/0508)
Capriccio per sei strumenti - 1988 (E. Gajewska, T. Gadzina, R. Duź, M. Wasiółka, ISPV 189 CD)
Piano Quintet - 1991 (Wilanow String Quartet & K. Meyer; ISPV 171 CD; - Wieniawski Quartet & Andrzej Tatarski; Dux 0507/0508)
Trio for flute, viola and guitar - 1992 (Robert Aitken, Eckart Schloifer, Reibert Evers; ISPV 176 CD)
String Trio - 1993 (Deutsches Streichtrio; ISPV 176 CD; - T. Gadzina, R. Duź, M. Wasiółka; Acte Préalable AP0146)
Misterioso for violin and piano - 1994 (Albrecht Breuninger, Irene Berger; Ars Musici AM 1204-02)
Trio for clarinet, violin and piano - 1998 (Eduard Brunner, Ivan Monighetti, Pavel Gililov; ISPV 189 CD)
Capriccio interotto for violin and piano (2000)
Impromptu multicolore for two pianos - 2000 (Adrienne Soós, Ivo Haag, MGB CTS-M 107)
Cinque colori for flute, violin, violoncello, percussion and piano (2001)
Trio for oboe, basson and piano - 2002 (Tomohara Yosiba, Koji and Etsuko Okazaki, ISPV 194)
Sonata per violoncello e pianoforte No.2 (2004)
Duetti concertanti for bassoon and piano - 2004 (Koji and Etsuko Okazaki, ISPV 194 CD)
Metamorphoses for saxophone and piano - 2004 (John-Edward Kelly, Bob Versteegh, ISPV 194)

6 Sonatas for Piano

No. 1 - 1962 (Krzysztof Meyer, Acte Préalable AP0076)

No. 2 - 1963 (Bettina Otto, Sächsische Tonträger LC 9930)

No. 3 - 1966; No. 4 - 1968; No. 5 - 1975; No. 6 - 2006

Quasi una Fantasia for piano (2005)
Sonata for harpsichord - 1973 (Elisabeth Chojnacka, ERATO Japan CD 056044
Sonata for violino solo - 1975 (Wolfgang Marschner, ISPC 192 CD)
Sonata per flauti soli - 1980 (Elżbieta Gajewska, Acte Préalable AP0076; - Beate-Gabriela Schmitt, ISPV 194 CD)
24 Preludes for piano - 1978 (K. Meyer, ISPV CD 174; - Paweł Kubica, SMS RP 12691 CD )
Fantasy for organ - 1990 (Stefan Palm; KR 10068)