Erik Werba
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Classical pianist
- Academic teacher
- Conductor
- Composer
- Writer
- Music critic
Erik Werba | |
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 Erik Werba (left) with Raili Kostia in Helsinki, 1960 | |
| Born | 23 May 1918 Baden bei Wien, Austro-Hungarian Empire |
| Died | 9 April 1992 (aged 73) Hinterbrühl, Austria |
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Erik Werba (23 May 1918 – 9 April 1992) was an Austrian classical pianist who is especially known as an accompanist of singers. He was also a music critic, conductor, composer, author and academic teacher.[1]
Werba was born in Baden bei Wien,[2] the son of Ludwig Werba (1884–1945), who was born in Graz and became a composer, music director and vice-president of the Österreichisch-ungarischer Musikerverband, founded in 1896. Ludwig Werba died in a bombing raid on 2 April 1945.[3]
Werba completed the Matura at the Baden Gymnasium in 1936. He then studied at both the Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna and the University of Vienna,[4] where he earned a PhD in 1940.[5] He worked as a music critic and teacher, and directed the Mozartgemeinde after World War II. Werba was Kapellmeister at the Stadttheater Baden from 1945 to 1946.[6] As a pianist, he focused on accompanying lieder singers.[7] He collaborated with Irmgard Seefried, Christa Ludwig, Walter Berry, Kim Borg,[8] Brigitte Fassbaender,[7] Peter Schreier[9] and Nicolai Gedda,[10] appearing internationally.[8]
Werba was a professor of lied and oratorio at the Wiener Musikakademie from 1949 to 1990,[1] and from 1964 to 1971 also at the Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Graz. As a book author, he received a lukewarm, if not cold reception; thus his 1971 monograph of the composer Hugo Wolf was charged for "a remarkable lack of insight into the actual problems of Hugo Wolf′s work and its reception history".[11] He was more successful as a journalist, working for the newsletters of the Mozartgemeinde, the Wiener Figaro, the Österreichische Musikzeitschrift and the periodical Musikerziehung.[12] As a composer, he wrote incidental music, chamber music and lieder, often performed during his lifetime.[1]
Werba died on 9 April 1992 in Hinterbrühl. He is buried at the Maria Enzersdorf cemetery.[1]
Compositions
Werba composed lieder, including:[13]
- "Ich bin...", for high voice and piano (1936)
- "Neige dein Köpfchen", for high voice and piano (1936)
- "Ich saß vor dunklem Walde", for high voice and piano (1936)
