Willy Burkhard (17 April 1900 – 18 June 1955) was a Swiss composer and academic teacher, influential in both capacities. He taught music theory at the Berne Conservatory and the Zürich Conservatory. His works include an opera, oratorios, cantatas, and many instrumental genres from piano pieces to symphonies.

Life Burkhard was born in Evilard, Canton of Bern. He attended and graduated from a teachers' training college . He also study with Ernst Graf, organist at the Berner Münster. He moved to Leipzig to study piano with Robert Teichmüller and composition with Sigfrid Karg-Elert. After Leipzig, he moved on to Munich to study with Walter Courvoisier and later to Paris to work with Max d'Ollone.

From 1924, he began teaching composition, theory and the piano in Berne. He was appointed professor at the in 1928. He conducted several choirs and small orchestras there. In 1932 he was struck with tuberculosis, and was compelled to live for several years in Montana and Davos. During that time, he turned more towards composition. He settled in Zürich in 1942 and taught composition and music theory at the Zürich Conservatory, where his students included Klaus Huber, Rudolf Kelterborn, Ernst Pfiffner, Armin Schibler and . In 1950 he received a prize from the Schweizerischer Tonkünstlerverein (Swiss Association of Musicians). He died in Zürich in 1955 at the age of 55.

Work Burkhard published 98 works with Opus numbers, and left a large amount of unpublished works held as manuscripts by the . He began to compose in late-Romantic style. His personal style developed from 1930, comparable to Paul Hindemith and Frank Martin. Late in life, he used some features of twelve-tone composition, but remained within tonality. He was interested to compose for voices, and regarded for renovated sacred music.

Burkhard is known for sacred choral music, including oratorios Das Gesicht Jesajas (Isaiah's vision) and Das Jahr (The year), and the cantata Die Sintflut (The Flood). He composed an opera, Die Schwarze Spinne based on Gotthelf's novella The Black Spider. He wrote song settings for solo voice and choirs, chamber music and piano works. His orchestral music was often dedicated to Paul Sacher's Sinfonietta, including a Violin Concerto, and two symphonies.

Dramatic works Im Zeichen des Kreuzes, incidental music, 1938–9 Laupenspiel, Op. 56, radio score, 1939 Oedipus rex, Op. 72, incidental music to Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, speaking choruses, wind instruments, timpani, 1944 Die schwarze Spinne, text by R. Faesi and G. Boner based on Gotthelf's The Black Spider, Op. 80, 1948, rev. 1954

Accompanied choral works Choral duets, Op. 22/1, text by Christian Morgenstern, men's choir, tpt, trombones, Op. 22/2, text by Conrad Ferdinand Meyer, choir, vn, fl, 1926–28 Till Ulenspiegel, cantata, Op. 24, T, B, male chorus, orch, 1929 Vorfrühling, cantata, text by Morgenstern, Op. 27, chorus, str, 1930 Te Deum, Op. 33, choir 2vv, tpt, trombone, timp, org, 1931 Spruchkantate, Op. 38, text by Joseph von Eichendorff, male chorus, str, 1933 Musikalische Übung, Op. 39, Psalm 12 translate by Martin Luther, choir and organ, 1934 Das Gesicht Jesajas, oratorio, Op. 41, solo voice, choir, organ and orchestra, 1933–5 Die Versuchung Jesu, cantata, Op. 44, A/B, unison vv ad lib, org, 1936 Ps xciii, Op. 49, Psalm 17, unison vv, org, 1937 Genug ist nicht genug, cantata, text by Meyer, Op. 53, chorus, 2 tpt, timp, str, 1938–9 Lob der Musik, cantata, Op. 54, solo vv, chorus, orch, c1939 Cantate Domino, Op. 61/2, S, chorus, str, timp, 1940 Heimatliche Kantate, text by Gottfried Keller, Op. 61/3, Mez/Bar, unison vv ad lib, orch, 1940 Kreuzvolk der Schweiz, text by Meyer, Op. 61/4, chorus, org, 1941 Das Jahr, oratorio, text by H. Hiltbrunner, Op. 62, solo vv, chorus, orch, 1942 Christi Leidensverkündigung, cantata, Op. 65, T, small chorus, org, 1942 Cantique de notre terre, text by J. P. Zimmermann, Op. 67, solo vv, chorus, orch, 1943 Mass, Op. 85, soprano, bass, choir and orchestra, 1951 Psalmen-Kantate, Op. 90, S, chorus, org, chbr orch, 1952 Ps clxviii, Op. 96, Psalm ?, unison vv, insts, 1954

Unaccompanied choral works 2 Choruses, Op. 2, 1923 Cantata, text from the Bible, Op. 3, tenor and choir, 1923 Motets, Op. 10, boys' choir, 1925 8 Sprüche aus dem ‘Cherubinischen Wandersmann’, 2 sets, Op. 17/1, text by Angelus Silesius, 1927 Ezzolied, Op. 19, motet, 1927 5 Gesänge, text by Richard Dehmel, Op. 26, 1930 24 Melodien aus den Hassler’schen Choralgesängen, Op. 30, 4vv, 1931 Das deutsche Sanctus, 2 unison choruses, 1932 Neue Kraft, suite, text from the Bible etc., Op. 34, 1932 4 Choruses, Op. 35, male chorus, 1936 Der Tod, chorus 4vv, 1933 Vermahnlied, 2–4vv, 1934 Bärnerlüt, male chorus 4vv, 1935 2 Gesänge, chorus 4vv, 1936 Choruses, Op. 47, male chorus, 1936 Die Verkündigung Mariä, motet, Op. 51, 1938 5 Choräle, chorus, 1939 Sommerzeit, Op. 61/1, 1940 9 folksong arrangements, s. and chorus, female chorus, 1942 2 Choruses: Mon âme, bénis l’éternel, Oui, glorifiez l’éternel, 1942 Kleiner Psalter, Op. 82, 1949 Frühlingsglaube, text by Keller, male chorus, 1950 Wer das längere Lebensteil wünscht, male chorus 4vv, 1950 2 Gesänge, 2vv, 1952 Die Sintflut, cantata, Op. 97, chorus 8vv, 195

Orchestral works Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 7, 1925 Suite aus der Musik zu einem Weihnachtsmärchen, Op. 12, 1926 Symphony, Op. 21, 1926–8 Ulenspiegel-Variationen, Op. 37 [prelude to op.24], 1932 Fantasy, Op. 40, str, 1934 Kleine Serenade, Op. 42, str, 1935 Concerto, Op. 50, str, 1939 Hymnus, Op. 57, 1939 Concertino, Op. 60, vc, str, 1940 Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 69, 1943 Symphony No. 2 (one movement), Op. 73, 1944 Concerto, Op. 74, org, str, brass, 1945 Konzertstück, Op. 75, org, orch, 1945 Canzona, Op. 76, 2 fl, low str, 1945 Kleine konzertante Suite, Op. 79, 1946 Piccola sinfonia giocosa, Op. 81, small orchestra, 1949 Fantasia mattutina, Op. 83, 1949; Toccata, op.86, 1951 Sonata da camera, Op. 89, str, perc, 1952 Viola Concerto, Op. 93, 1953 Concertino, Op. 94, 2 fl, hpd, str, 1954 Divertimento, Op. 95, str, 1954

Chamber music Fantasie, Op. 1, pf, 1922 Variationen über ein Volkslied, Op. 8, pf, 1925 Inventionen, Op. 14, pf, 1926 String Trio No, 1, Op. 13, 1 movt, 1926 Kleine zweistimmige Suite, Op. 14a [arr. op.14], 11 insts, 1926 3 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 16, pf, 1927 2 Trio Sonatas, Op. 18, org, 1927 Kleine Serenade, Op. 15, vn, va, 1927 Stinis Puppe Theresli, pf, 1928 String Quartet No. 1, Op. 23, 1929 Variations on a *Minuet by Haydn", Op. 29, pf, 1930 Variations on Chorale settings by Hassler, Op. 28, org, 1930 Kleine Stücke, Op. 31, pf, 1931 Fantasie, v32, org, 1931 Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten, partita, org, 1932 Grosser Gott wir loben dich, partita, org, 1932 Praeludium und Fuge, E, org, 1932 Was die Hirten alles erlebten, pf, 1935 Piano Trio, Op. 43, 1936 Sonatina, Op. 45, vn, pf, 1936 Suite, Op. 48, 2 vn, 1937 8 kleine Klavierstücke, 1938 Sonatina, Op. 52, org, 1938 Fantasy and Chorale "Ein feste Burg", op.58, org, 1939 Sonata, Op. 59, va, 1939 Etude concertante, vc, pf, 1940 Sonatina, pf, 1940 Weichnachtssonatine, Op. 71/1, pf, 1940 Sonata, Op. 66, pf, 1943 String Quartet No. 2, Op. 68, 1943 Suite en miniature, Op. 71/2, vn, pf, 1944 Serenade, Op. 71/3, fl, gui, c1945 Serenade, Op. 77, fl, cl, bn, hn, vn, va, db, hp, 1945 4 Intermezzi, Op. 77a, hp, 1945 Sonata, Op. 78, vn, pf, 1946 Canzona, Op. 76a, 2 fl/fl, ob, pf/org, 1947 Sonata, Op. 87, vc, pf, 1952 Lyrische Musik, Op. 88, fl, va, vc, pf, c1952 Choral-Triptychon, Op. 91, org, 1953 Serenade, Op. 92, fl, cl, 1953 Suite, Op. 98, fl, 1955 6 Preludes, Op. 99, pf, 1955 Romanze, hn, pf

Solo vocal music 7 Songs, Op. 4, 1v, pf, 1924–5 6 Songs, Op. 5, 1v, pf, 1923–5 4 Nachtlieder, Op. 6, 1v, pf, 1924 Frage, Op. 9, song cycle, 1v, pf, 1925 3 Duets, Op. 11, text by Friedrich Hebbel, 2S, vn, 1926 2 Rilke Cycles, Op. 20/1, B, chbr orch, op.20/2, S, chbr orch, 1927 10 Songs, Op. 25, 1v, pf, 1930 Herbst, cantata, text by Morgenstern, Op. 36, S, pf trio, 1932 Das ewige Brausen, text by K. L. Hamsun, Op. 46, B, orch, 1936 Der Sonntag, cantata, text by Gotthelf, Op. 63, Mez/Bar, pf trio, 1942 Magnificat, Op. 64, S, org, 1942, arr. as op.64a, S, str, 1942 9 Songs, Op. 70, text by Morgenstern, 1v, pf, 1943 Und als der Tag der Pfingsten erfüllt war, Op. 84, A/B, org, 1951 Psalmenmusik, soprano and orchestra, 1953

References

External links

Willy Burkhard (in German) paul-sacher-stiftung.ch Willy Burkhard (Composer) Bach Cantatas Website