Günter Raphael was born in Berlin in 1903, and became an outstandng twentieth- century composer.
He attended the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, where he studied composition, the organ and piano.
His output may be divided into threeperiods. Until 1934 he wrote in a style reminiscent of Brahms and Reger. The Requiem opus 20 is the masterpiece from this period; its five movements revolve around the keys of G major/minor and B major/minor and their dominants, with some of the movements exhibiting progressive tonality.
The second period was a time of transition. Diatonicism, modality, rhythmic ostinatos and sparser textures began to appear in Raphael’s music, and he reached further into the past for his models: to Bach and Schütz (Geistliche Chormusik, 1938).
Raphael’s last 15 years may be considered a third period, in which the new style crystallized and expanded to include some use of 12-note technique. The series is usually found as an ostinato; for example, in Gesang der Erzengel opus 79, the 12 notes are paired in an ostinato, while in the Viola Sonata opus 80 the series serves as a theme in the first and third movements.
He gave us five profound symphonies:
symphony no. 1, a, opus 16, 1926
symphony no. 2, b, opus 34, 1932
symphony no. 3, F, opus 60, 1942
symphony no. 4, C, opus 62, 1947
symphony no. 5, B, opus 75, 1953
He also gave us two concertos for violin:
no. 1, c, opus 21, 1929
no. 2, opus 87, 1960
and one for organ, in D minor, opus 57, 1936
and his greatest gift to us may well be the vast collection of glorious chamber musc.
He attended the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, where he studied composition, the organ and piano.
His output may be divided into threeperiods. Until 1934 he wrote in a style reminiscent of Brahms and Reger. The Requiem opus 20 is the masterpiece from this period; its five movements revolve around the keys of G major/minor and B major/minor and their dominants, with some of the movements exhibiting progressive tonality.
The second period was a time of transition. Diatonicism, modality, rhythmic ostinatos and sparser textures began to appear in Raphael’s music, and he reached further into the past for his models: to Bach and Schütz (Geistliche Chormusik, 1938).
Raphael’s last 15 years may be considered a third period, in which the new style crystallized and expanded to include some use of 12-note technique. The series is usually found as an ostinato; for example, in Gesang der Erzengel opus 79, the 12 notes are paired in an ostinato, while in the Viola Sonata opus 80 the series serves as a theme in the first and third movements.
He gave us five profound symphonies:
symphony no. 1, a, opus 16, 1926
symphony no. 2, b, opus 34, 1932
symphony no. 3, F, opus 60, 1942
symphony no. 4, C, opus 62, 1947
symphony no. 5, B, opus 75, 1953
He also gave us two concertos for violin:
no. 1, c, opus 21, 1929
no. 2, opus 87, 1960
and one for organ, in D minor, opus 57, 1936
and his greatest gift to us may well be the vast collection of glorious chamber musc.