Ervin Schulhoff
born: 1894-06-08died: 1942-08-18
birthplace: Praha
diedplace: Wulzburg
Born to german speaking Jewish musical family in Prague. In age of 10, he started his conservatory studies at Prague Conservatory, on personal recommendation of Antonin Dvorak. Later continued musical studies in Vienna, Leipzig and Köln. He fought in World War I. as an Italian legionary. Between wars he became a pioneer of the newest musical trends (impressionism, expressionism, dada, jazz, quarter-tone music). During the expansion of Nazism in Germany, he became a passionate supporter of communist ideas. He began composing much simpler, easy-to-understand music; even put Communist Manifesto to music. Besides that, he went on playing and composing jazz. After occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1939, he wanted to emigrate to Soviet Union, but before he got visa, he was imprisoned in 1941 and transferred to the concentration camp in Wülzburg, Bavaria, where he died of tuberculosis a year later.
Work:
- 10 symphonies
- stage music
- opera
- ballet
- piano concertos and sonatas
- jazz oratorium
- strings and winds chamber music
Sources:
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