Willy Burkhard (17 April 1900 – 18 June 1955) was a Swiss composer and academic teacher, influential in both capacities. He taught music theory at the Berne Conservatory and the Zürich Conservatory. His works include an opera, oratorios, cantatas, and many instrumental genres from piano pieces to symphonies.
From 1924, he began teaching composition, theory and the piano in Berne.[1] He was appointed professor at the
Berne Conservatory [
de] in 1928.[4] He conducted several choirs and small orchestras there.[4] In 1932 he was struck with
tuberculosis,[3] and was compelled to live for several years in Montana and Davos.[1] During that time, he turned more towards composition.[4] He settled in Zürich in 1942 and taught composition and music theory at the
Zürich Conservatory,[1] where his students included
Klaus Huber,
Rudolf Kelterborn, Ernst Pfiffner,
Armin Schibler and
Ernst Widmer [
de].[2] In 1950 he received a prize from the Schweizerischer Tonkünstlerverein (Swiss Association of Musicians). He died in Zürich in 1955 at the age of 55.[1][4]
Work
Burkhard published 98 works with
Opus numbers, and left a large amount of unpublished works held as manuscripts by the
Paul Sacher Foundation [
de]. He began to compose in late-Romantic style. His personal style developed from 1930, comparable to
Paul Hindemith and
Frank Martin. Late in life, he used some features of
twelve-tone composition, but remained within tonality.[4] He was interested to compose for voices, and regarded for renovated sacred music.[1]
Burkhard is known for sacred choral music, including
oratoriosDas Gesicht Jesajas (
Isaiah's vision) and Das Jahr (The year), and the cantata Die Sintflut (The Flood). He composed an opera, Die Schwarze Spinne based on
Gotthelf's novella The Black Spider. He wrote song settings for solo voice and choirs, chamber music and piano works. His orchestral music was often dedicated to
Paul Sacher's Sinfonietta, including a Violin Concerto, and two symphonies.[4]
Dramatic works
Im Zeichen des Kreuzes, incidental music, 1938–9
Laupenspiel, Op. 56, radio score, 1939
Oedipus rex, Op. 72, incidental music to
Oedipus Rex by
Sophocles, speaking choruses, wind instruments, timpani, 1944
Die schwarze Spinne, text by R. Faesi and G. Boner based on Gotthelf's The Black Spider, Op. 80, 1948, rev. 1954