Wolfgang Fortner

Vocation

German composer, composition teacher and conductor. Fortner studied music and philosophy at the Leipzig Conservatory and the University of Leipzig, and at the age of 24 he went to Heidelberg as professor at the Institute for Evangelical Church Music. He later taught in Detmold and in Freiburg im Breisgau. Besides concerti, orchestral works, chamber and church music, Fortner composed distinguished operas and music for the stage. His choral works and solo instrumental pieces also enjoyed success, especially in Germany. His early style was held to be much influenced by Baroque music; it is highly contrapuntal and melodically severe. Later his music expanded in emotional scope and power. The Symphony (1947), an aggressive, poignant work, exemplifies the composer’s maturity. Its four movements abound in contrapuntal complexities, the resulting musical texture being harmonically and rhythmically very intense. Fortner’s operas include two works based on plays by Federico García Lorca: DieBluthochzeit (Blood Wedding, first performed, 1957; incidental music to the same play, 1950) and In seinem Garten liebt Don Perlimplin Belisa (1962; In His Garden Don Perlimplin Belisa Loves). He died 5 September 1987, Heidelberg. Link to Wikipedia biography