Kauder, Hugo

(b Tobitschau, Moravia [now Tovocov, Czech Republic], 9 June 1888; d Bussum, Netherlands, 22 July 1972). Austrian composer, violinist and writer on music. His formal musical training consisted of violin lessons in his home town. In 1905 he moved to Vienna, where he played in the orchestra of the Konzertverein (1910--19). Self-taught as a composer, he studied the scores of Josquin Des Prez and other 15th- and 16th-century Franco-Flemish composers while a student at the Technische Hochschule and Vienna University. His own style is characterized by contrapuntal textures and conservative harmonies. Other influences include the conductors Ferdinand Lowe and Franz Schalk, the poets Rudolf Pannwitz and Otto zur Linde, and the linguist and anthropologist Helen Guttman, whom he married in 1923. His writings include two books, Entwurf einer neuen Melodie- und Harmonielehre (Vienna, 1932) and Counterpoint: an Introduction to Polyphonic Composition (New York, 1960/R), critical essays on musical events (1920--50) and articles for Musikblatter des Anbruch (1919--22). He moved to the Netherlands in 1938, but went on to England two years later. He settled in the USA in 1940. His honours include the City of Vienna composition prize (1928) for his First Symphony and a Fromm Foundation Award (1953).

WORKS
(selective list)
Stage: Das Reich der Seele (H.D. Tang), 3 songs, chorus, str, 1928--9; Der Mensch in der Hohle der Volker (R. Pannwitz), 1935--8; Vorspiel zu einem Weltspiel (Pannwitz), 1935; Die Suche nach dem Traum (Tang, trans. V. Hundhausen), 1937--8; The Bride's Tragedy (Pannwitz), S, A, T, chorus, orch, 1938; Merlin (musikdrama, prol, 2, Pannwitz), 1955--62
Orch: Sym. no.1, a, 1921; Vn Conc., 1925; Double Conc., vn, va, orch, 1926; 6 Preludes, Passacaglias and Fugues, 1927--54; Ob Conc., 1928; Hn Conc., 1930; Va Conc., 1932; Kleines Konzert, pf, orch, 1933; Prelude and Rondo, D, 1934; Suite concertante, ob, orch, 1935; Sym. no.2, 1939; Sym. no.3, 1939; Pf Conc., 1950; Sym. no.4, 10 insts, 1956; Passacaglia, 1961; Sym. no.5, 1965; 4 other works
Vocal: Auf die sistinische Madonna (A. Schopenhauer), 1v, orch, 1916; Das Lied des Zwerges, 1v, orch, 1919; Die Welt ist Grun, 1v, orch, 1921; Venedig (F. Nietzsche), 1v, orch, 1925; Die Sonne sinkt (Nietzsche), S, A, T, Bar, chorus, orch, 1933; Chorbuchlein I--IV, chorus (1937); Gesang der Geister uber den Wassern (J.W. von Goethe), mixed chorus, str qnt, 1937; Requiem (F. Hebbel), A, chorus, orch, 1949; Chbr Music (J. Joyce), S, A, T, str qt, 1951; c100 lieder, 1v, pf; duos, 1v, inst; other choral works; other solo vocal works
Chbr and solo inst: 8 sonatas, vn, pf, 1913--56; 4 sonatas, va, pf, 1918--58; 19 str qts, 1921--69; Str Qnt, 1924; 3 suites, solo inst, 1925--6; Qnt, ob, vn, 2 va, vc, 1933; 6 sonatinas, vn, pf, 1934--41; 5 sonatas, 2 vn, 1940--61; 3 sonatas, hn, pf, 1944--7; Little Suite, 2 tpt, 2 hn, 3 trbn, tuba, 1954; Qnt, hp, str qt, 1954; 3 sonatas, vn, va, 1955; Sym. no.4, fl, ob, cl, bn, hn, str qt, db, 1956; c28 trios, various insts; many other chbr works; c25 kbd works
Arrs. of works by J.S. Bach, G.F. Handel, W.A. Mozart, R. Schumann, G.M. Tartini, F.M. Veracini, H. Wolf
Principal publishers: Universal, Doblinger, N.V. Uitgeverij-C.A. Mees, Boosey & Hawkes, Braude, E.C. Schirmer, Southern

BIBLIOGRAPHY
O. Kauder: Hugo Kauder: Biografie und Wersverzeichnis (New York, 1975)
W. Pass, G. Scheit and W. Svoboda: Orpheus im Exil: die Vertreibung der osterreichischen Musik von 1938--45 (Vienna, 1994)
 

THOMAS L. GAYDA