Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

May 14, 1891 in Olomouc, Moravia

Death

:

October 28, 1959 in Vienna, Austria

Genre

:

Chamber

 

Egon Kornauth was an Austrian composer born on January 25, 1891, in Vienna. He was the son of a piano teacher and grew up in a musical family. Kornauth began his musical education at a young age, studying piano and composition with his father. He later studied at the Vienna Conservatory, where he was a student of Franz Schreker and Joseph Marx. Kornauth's early works were heavily influenced by the late Romantic style of his teachers. However, he soon began to develop his own unique voice, incorporating elements of folk music and modernist techniques into his compositions. His music was characterized by its lyricism, rhythmic vitality, and colorful orchestration. Kornauth's breakthrough came in 1921 with the premiere of his Symphony No. 1, which was well-received by audiences and critics alike. The symphony was notable for its use of folk melodies and its innovative orchestration, which included a prominent role for the percussion section. Over the next few years, Kornauth continued to compose prolifically, producing a wide range of works in various genres. He wrote several operas, including Der Tod des Empedokles (The Death of Empedocles) and Der verlorene Sohn (The Prodigal Son), as well as numerous orchestral works, chamber music pieces, and songs. One of Kornauth's most famous works is his Piano Concerto, which was premiered in 1930. The concerto is notable for its virtuosic piano writing and its use of jazz-inspired rhythms and harmonies. It remains a popular work in the piano repertoire to this day. Kornauth's music was well-regarded during his lifetime, and he received numerous honors and awards for his work. He was a member of the Vienna Academy of Music and the Austrian State Prize for Music in 1949. Despite his success, Kornauth's career was cut short by the rise of the Nazi regime in Austria. He was forced to flee the country in 1938 and spent the rest of his life in exile in Switzerland. He continued to compose during this time, but his output was greatly reduced due to the difficult circumstances of his life in exile. Kornauth died on August 23, 1959, in Zurich, Switzerland. His music remains an important part of the Austrian classical music tradition and continues to be performed and recorded today.

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