Composer Joseph Horovitz died.

Photo: WASBE

In an obituary on BR-Classic, his compositional style was described as humorous and versatile. Ich lernte Joseph Horwoitz anlässlich der WASBE-Conference 1997 in Schladming kennen, als er unsere Ausstellung dort besuchte. Bei einem intensiven Gespräch rund um die Musik leuchteten seine Augen immer wieder schalkhaft auf, wenn über die Grenzen von “E und U-Musik” gesprochen wurde. In seinen Kompositionen spielte er leidenschaftlich mit diesen beiden Polen. Bemerkenswert in dem Zusammenhang sind etwa sein Cembalo-Jazzkonzert (1965) oder das “Concertino Classico” (1985) für zwei Solo-Trompeten und Band. Not to forget the children’s pop cantata “Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo” (1970), which Horovitz jokingly called his “biggest hit”.

With nothing more than a rucksack full of belongings, Joseph Horovitz, the child of Jewish parents, landed in England in the spring of 1938. The escape from the Nazis was disguised as a “late ski trip”. And it succeeded. At the age of 11, Horovitz came to London via Tyrol together with his sister and began a second life there. One that was entirely dedicated to music. He studied music at Oxford with Egon Wellesz, among others, at the Royal College of Music in London with Gordon Jacob and for a year in Paris with Nadia Boulanger. 

Since 1962, his activities have shifted more and more to the field of composition, but he still travels frequently as a guest conductor of his own works. His oeuvre includes 15 ballet scores (including “Alice in Wonderland”, 1953, which has recently been performed again in England and Germany), two operas (one-act operas); concertos for violin, clarinet, trumpet and euphonium (baritone horn); and a frequently performed jazz concerto for clavicembalo. His chamber music output includes five string quartets and works for clarinet and oboe.

His catalogue also includes several works for brass bands and harmony orchestras. Here we have listed these works by Joseph Horovitz.

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