Siegfried Borris (Composer)

Born: November 4, 1906 - Berlin, Germany
Died: August 23, 1987 - Berlin, Germany

The respected German music scholar, pedagogue, and composer, Siegfried Borris, studied economics at the University of Berlin (1925-1927), where he then pursued training in musicology with Arnold Schering (Ph.D., 1933, with the disserstation Kirnbergers Leben und Werk); he also studied composition with Paul Hindemith at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik (1927-1929).

After finishing his studies, Siegfried Borris taught at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik from 1929 to 1933, when he was dismissed due to his Jewish ancestry. After teaching privately, he rejoined its faculty as a lecturer in music history in 1945. He spent the rest of his career teaching, and championing new music, and writing for younger musicians. He was also director of Berlin's Julius Stern Institute from 1967. He was president of the Association of German Music Educators and, until 1976, a member and president of the German Music Council.

Siegfried Borris composed in an accessible style, highlighted by an effective use of folk music.

Works

Dramatic:
2 radio operas: Hans im Glück (1947) and Hirotas und Gerline (1948)
Die Rübe, Märchenoper (1953)
Frühlingsgesellen, Liederspiel (1951)
Ruf des Lebens, scenic cantata (1954)
Das letzte Spiel, ballet (1955)

Orchestral.:
Suite (1938)
5 symphonies (1940, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1943)
Aeolische Suite for Strings (1943)
Concertino for English Horn and Strings (1949)
Divertimento for 5 Winds and Strings (1951)
Concerto for Harpsichord, Flute, Bassoon, and Strings (1952)
Concertino for Flute and Strings (1953)
Concertino for Accordion and Orchestra (1955)
Concerto for Violas da Gamba, 3 Woodwind Instruments, and Strings (1957)
Piano Concerto (1962)
Hymnus for Oboe and Orchestra (1964)
Concerto for Orchestra (1964)
Organ Concerto (1965)
Saxophone Concerto (1966)
Horn Concerto (1967)
Concerto for Strings (1968)
Evolution for 19 Winds, 3 Double Basses, Harp, and Percussion (1972)

Chamber:
Oboe Quartet (1938)
Wind Quintet (1938)
3 string quartets (1938, 1941, 1953)
Wind Octet (1941)
Octet for Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Strings (1960)
Piano Quintet (1960)
Wind Sextet (1966)
Also 15 sonatas, 16 duos, 16 trios, and many keyboard pieces

Vocal:
Sacred works, including Missa "Dona nobis pacem" (1953), Weihnachtsmotette (1955), and Psalm CXXXV for Solo Voices, Chorus, and Orchestra (1963)
Secular works, including 14 sets of Lieder

Writings:
Praktische Harmonielehre (Berlin, 1938; 2^nd edition, revised, 1972)
Der grosse Acker (Berlin, 1946)
Beiträge zu einer neuen Musikkunde (Berlin, 1947-1948)
Einführung in die moderne Musik (Halle, 1951)
Klingende Elementarlehre (Berlin, 1951; 2^nd edition, 1973)
Modern Jazz (Berlin, 1962)
Die Dper im 20.]ahrhundert (Wolfenbüttel, 1962-1973)
Der Schlüssel zur Musik von heute (Düsseldorf, 1967)
Musikleben in Japan (Kassel, 1967)
Die grossen Orchester (Düsseldorf, 1969)

Source: Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of 20^th Century Classical Musicians (1997); Bits & pieces from other sources
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (August 2011)

Siegfried Borris: Short Biography | Arrangements/Transcriptions: Works | Recordings

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