Wolfgang Gabriel (*1930): Violin concerto op.17 (1971)

  • Der renommierte Wiener Dirigent und Komponist Wolfgang Gabriel (*1930) hat einen großen Werkkatalog geschaffen, in dem viele seiner Kompositionen verlegt und aufgeführt wurden. Dem Violinkonzert op.17 aus dem Jahr 1971 war dieses Schicksal bisher nicht vergönnt. Es verblieb Manuskript und wurde vielleicht auch deshalb nie aufgeführt. Der Komponist hat mir nun dankenswerterweise die Erlaubnis zur Veröffentlichung erteilt. Ich habe die Noten gesetzt und die Partitur kann nun kostenlos als pdf-Dokument von meiner Homepage heruntergeladen werden:


    www.tobias-broeker.de



    Ich habe auch eine kurze Biographie zu Wolfgang Gabriel verfasst, die ich hier einfach auf Englisch wiedergebe:


    Wolfgang Gabriel was born on 9 June 1930 in Vienna (Austria). He grew up in a musically interested home, his father could play the piano and they often performed family music. So he also started to play the piano at the age of 6 and his first own compositions date from that time as well. Wolfgang Gabriel received regular piano lessons - in his last school year from Hans Sittner - and finished school in 1948. Already a year earlier he had started to study music at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna with Hans Swarowsky (Kapellmeisterschule), Alfred Uhl (composition) and Grete Hinterhofer (piano). He completed his studies in 1952 and graduated with distinction in music theory and Kapellmeisterschule.


    In 1954 Wolfgang Gabriel first worked as a repetiteur and lecturer at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, in 1974 he was appointed professor and directed an opera class in his last years until his retirement in 1996. In addition Wolfgang Gabriel became the principal conductor of the Akademischer Orchesterverein, one of the time-honoured non-professional orchestras in Vienna, in 1960 and directed this ensemble for nearly 50 years. And in 1988 he also took over the position of chorus master at the Bachgemeinde Wien. Beyond that Wolfgang Gabriel worked as a lieder accompanist from time to time.


    Beside his diverse activities as a conductor Wolfgang Gabriel also composed music throughout his lifetime. His work catalogue contains 9 concertos for orchestra, 3 concertos for chamber ensembles, 9 string quartets, 3 wind quintets, solo concertos for piano, oboe, violin, viola, cello and double bass, chamber works for manifold instrumentations, 9 song cycles and much more. In his compositions Wolfgang Gabriel uses twelve-tone rows, but always based on the key tone and therefore as a means to an end, not as an ideology.
    In 2005 Wolfgang Gabriel was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art I. Class.
    After two strokes in 2010 Wolfgang Gabriel had to quit his conducting activities and now focuses on composing.