Gottfried von Einem

Gottfried von Einem was son of a military attaché and educated abroad in Germany and England * Studied composition with Boris Blacher in Berlin * First ballet, Princess Turandot, won him post of composer to the Dresden State Opera * Radical use of jazz elements in the Concerto for Orchestra led to conflict with the Nazi authorities * After the war, closely associated with the rejuvenation of the Salzburg Festival * Operas, including Dantons Tod, Der Prozess, Der Zerrissene and Der Besuch der alten Dame, soon brought recognition as Austria's leading composer, and rapidly attracted international performances * Orchestral music conducted by the twentieth century's leading maestros including Karajan, Furtwängler, Böhm, Ormandy, Sawallisch, Giulini, Dohnányi, Ozawa and Mehta

Works by Gottfried von Einem include:
Concerto for Orchestra (1944)
Violin Concerto (1966)
The Visit of the Old Lady (Der Besuch der alten Dame) (1968-70) Opera in three acts
Arietten (1977) for piano and orchestra

Looking Ahead: The Einem centenary is celebrated in 2018

_"With my music I would like to stimulate people to think and feel." — Gottfried von Einem

_Also visit the Gottfried von Einem website at www.gottfried-von-einem.at