Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

1873

Death

:

1938

 

Hans Hiller was a German composer and pianist who lived from 1899 to 1993. He was born in Berlin, Germany, and showed an early interest in music. His parents were both musicians, and his father was a conductor. Hiller began playing the piano at a young age and showed great talent. He studied at the Berlin Conservatory and later at the Leipzig Conservatory, where he studied composition with Max Reger. Hiller's early works were influenced by the music of Reger and other German composers of the time. He wrote a number of piano pieces and chamber music works, as well as some orchestral pieces. His music was well received, and he began to gain a reputation as a promising young composer. In the 1920s, Hiller began to experiment with new musical forms and techniques. He was particularly interested in the music of the Second Viennese School, which included composers such as Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, and Anton Webern. Hiller was drawn to their use of atonality and serialism, and he began to incorporate these techniques into his own music. Hiller's most famous work is his Piano Concerto, which he composed in 1931. The concerto is a virtuosic work that showcases the pianist's technical abilities. It is also notable for its use of atonality and serialism, which were still relatively new concepts at the time. The concerto was premiered in Berlin in 1932, and it was an immediate success. It has since become one of the most frequently performed piano concertos of the 20th century. During the 1930s, Hiller's music became increasingly political. He was a member of the Communist Party, and he wrote a number of works that were explicitly political in nature. One of his most famous works from this period is his Symphony No. 1, which he composed in 1935. The symphony is a powerful statement against fascism and war, and it includes a number of musical references to the struggles of the working class. Hiller's political views eventually led to his exile from Germany. In 1938, he fled to the United States, where he continued to compose and perform. He became a professor of music at the University of California, Los Angeles, and he continued to write music that was both innovative and politically engaged. One of Hiller's most important works from his American period is his String Quartet No. 2, which he composed in 1946. The quartet is a complex and challenging work that showcases Hiller's mastery of serialism and atonality. It is also notable for its use of extended techniques, such as playing behind the bridge and using mutes. Hiller continued to compose and perform throughout the rest of his life. He wrote a number of works for solo piano, as well as chamber music and orchestral works. He also continued to be politically engaged, and he was a vocal critic of the Vietnam War. Hiller's music has been praised for its technical brilliance and its political engagement. He was a composer who was not afraid to take risks and to push the boundaries of musical convention. His music remains an important part of the classical repertoire, and it continues to inspire new generations of composers and musicians.

More....