Born in
Bern, Huber first studied violin and music pedagogy from 1947 to 1949 at the
Zurich Conservatory[3] with
Stefi Geyer.[4] From 1949 to 1955, he was a violin teacher at the Zurich Conservatory.[5] At the same time he studied composition with
Willy Burkhard.[6] He continued his composition studies with
Boris Blacher in Berlin.[4]
As a composer, Huber began with
serial music influenced by
Anton Webern.[5] His international breakthrough came in 1959 with the world premiere of his chamber cantata Des Engels Anredung an die Seele at the Weltmusiktage (World Music Days) of the
Internationale Gesellschaft für Neue Musik in Rome.[5][7] Unusually for the time, he used consonant intervals within a strictly serial context.[8]
He became one of the leading figures of his generation in Europe, compared to
Pierre Boulez and
Karlheinz Stockhausen.[5] He composed extensively for chamber ensembles, choirs, soloists and orchestra. His works for the theatre look for scenes beyond
opera and
oratorio. Huber was a socially and politically conscious composer and his music often conveys a humanistic message. He set texts by biblical prophets and medieval mystics such as
Hildegard of Bingen.[5] He was also inspired by texts of
Augustine,
Andreas Gryphius,
Ernst Bloch,
Heinrich Böll, and of Latin American
liberation theologians.[6] From the 1980s, Huber studied
Arabic music and
poetry and included their influences in his works.[5]
An inventory of Huber's music manuscripts at the Paul Sacher Foundation was published in 2009.[12]
Stage works
Jot oder Wann kommt der Herr zurück / Dialektische Oper in zwei Teilen (1973) Opera in two parts. Text: Philip Oxman, in German by Kurt Marti and Dietrich Ritschl [13]
Schwarzerde (1997–2001) Stage work in nine sequences. Text: Michael Schindhelm in cooperation with Klaus Huber, based on poems and prose texts by
Osip Mandelstam[10]
Lamentationes de fine vicesimi saeculi (1992/94) for orchestra in four groups with
Sufi-singer (ad libitum) [10]
Quod est pax? – Vers la raison du coeur... (2006/07) for orchestra with five solo voices and one Arabic percussion. Text:
Jacques Derrida,
Octavio Paz,
Mahmoud Darwish, Klaus Huber [10]
Ensemble works
Des Engels Anredung an die Seele (1957) for tenor, flute, clarinet, horn, and harp. Text:
Johann Georg Albini[15]
"Erinnere dich an G..." (1977) for double bass solo and 18 instrumentalists [16]
Cantiones de Circulo gyrante (1985), Space music for three groups and five single players. Text:
Hildegard of Bingen,
Heinrich Böll, for soloists, speaker, choir, orchestra, two conductors [10]
La terre des hommes In memoriam
Simone Weil (1987–89) for mezzo-soprano, countertenor/speaker, and eighteen instruments. Text: Simone Weil, Ossip Mandelstam [10]
Die umgepflügte Zeit In memoriam
Luigi Nono (1990) Space music for viola d'amore, mezzo-soprano, high tenor, female speaker, 2 mixed ensembles, choir voices and instruments. Text: Ossip Mandelstam [10]
Intarsi In memoriam
Witold Lutosławski (1993/94) Chamber concerto for piano and 17 instruments [10]
Lamentationes Sacrae et Profanae ad Responsoria Iesualdi (1993/1996–97) for six singers and two instrumentalists. Text:
Jeremiah, Klaus Huber, Ernesto Cardenal,
Mahmoud Dowlatabadi[10]
L'ombre de notre âge (1998/1999) for chamber ensemble [10]
Die Seele muss vom Reittier steigen... (2002) for cello solo, baritone solo, countertenor (or alto) and 37 instrumentalists. Text: Mahmoud Darwish [10]
Miserere hominibus... (2005/2006) Cantata for seven solo voices and seven instrumentalists. Text:
Psalm 51,
Octavio Paz (Il Cántaro Roto), Mahmoud Darwish (Murale),
Carl Améry (Global Exit), Jacques Derrida (Un très proche Orient, Paroles de paix) [10]
Vocal music
...inwendig voller Figur... (1971) for choir, loudspeakers, tape, and large orchestra. Text: From
Revelation and by
Albrecht Dürer[17]
"...Ausgespannt..." / Geistliche Musik in memoriam Kurt Wolfgang Senn (1972) Sacred music in memory of Kurt Wolfgang Senn, for high baritone, five instrumental groups, percussion, organ, loudspeakers, and tape [18]
Kleines Requiem for Heinrich Böll (1991, excerpts from Cantiones de Circulo Gyrante) Little Requiem for Heinrich Böll, for choir a cappella and bass-baritone (ad lib.). Text:
Hildegard von Bingen (in Latin) [10]
Chamber music
...von Zeit zu Zeit... (1984/85) string quartet No. 2 [10]
Des Dichters Pflug (1989) for violin, viola, and violoncello (all in three-tone tuning, Dritteltonstimmung) [10]
Ein Hauch von Unzeit (1972): No. I for flute and other instruments; no. II for piano; no. V for guitar; no. VI for accordion; no. VII for double bass; no. VIII for cello [22]
From Time – To Time: The Complete Œuvre (2010), translation of Von Zeit zu Zeit: Das Gesamtschaffen (2009): a book Huber wrote in the format of a dialogue with
Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf.[25]
Awards and recognition
Awards and recognitions received by Huber include: