Role

:

Composer

Country

:

Switzerland

Birth

:

August 12, 1910 in Zürich, Switzerland

Death

:

March 18, 1995 in Vaux-sur-Morges

Period

:

Modern

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Choral

 

 

Concerto

 

 

Opera

 

Heinrich Sutermeister was a Swiss composer and conductor who was born on August 12, 1910, in Feuerthalen, Switzerland. He was the son of a music teacher and grew up in a musical family. His father, Hans Sutermeister, was a composer and conductor, and his mother, Marie Sutermeister, was a pianist. Heinrich Sutermeister began his musical education at a young age, studying piano and violin with his mother and later studying composition with his father. Sutermeister's early compositions were influenced by the music of Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler. He studied at the Zurich Conservatory and later at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik. In 1935, he won the Mendelssohn Prize for his composition "Kleine Suite für Orchester" (Little Suite for Orchestra). Sutermeister's career as a composer and conductor began to take off in the 1940s. He conducted the Zurich Opera from 1941 to 1947 and was the conductor of the Basel Symphony Orchestra from 1947 to 1956. During this time, he composed several operas, including "Die schwarze Spinne" (The Black Spider), which premiered in 1948 and is considered one of his most important works. In 1956, Sutermeister moved to Rome, where he lived for the rest of his life. He continued to compose and conduct, and his works were performed by orchestras and opera companies around the world. He also taught composition at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. Sutermeister's music is characterized by its lyrical melodies, lush harmonies, and dramatic intensity. His operas, in particular, are known for their psychological depth and exploration of human emotions. In addition to "Die schwarze Spinne," his other notable operas include "Raskolnikoff" (1953), based on Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment," and "Madame Bovary" (1967), based on Flaubert's novel. Sutermeister also composed several orchestral works, including symphonies, concertos, and tone poems. His "Concerto for Violin and Orchestra" (1951) is considered one of his finest works in this genre. He also wrote chamber music, choral music, and songs. In addition to his work as a composer and conductor, Sutermeister was also a writer. He wrote several books on music, including "Musik und Sprache" (Music and Language) and "Musik und Theater" (Music and Theater). Heinrich Sutermeister died on March 16, 1995, in Rome, Italy. He left behind a legacy of music that continues to be performed and admired by musicians and audiences around the world.

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