Goldberg, Theo

Goldberg, Theo, German-born Canadian composer and teacher; b. Chemnitz, Sept. 29, 1921. He received training in composition from Blacher at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik (1945-50). In 1954 he emigrated to Canada and in 1973 became a naturalized Canadian citizen. He taught school in Vancouver but pursued his education at Washington State Univ. in Pullman (M.A., 1969) and the Univ. of Toronto (D.Mus., 1972). From 1970 to 1987 he taught music education at the Univ. of British Columbia in Vancouver. In his output from 1975, he placed special emphasis on mixed media, tape, and computers.

Works

DRAMATIC Opera : Nacht mit Kleopatra, opera-ballet (1950; Karlsruhe, Jan. 20, 1952); Robinson und Freitag, radio opera (1951); Engel-Etude, chamber opera (Berlin, Sept. 20, 1952); Galatea Elettronica, chamber opera (1969); The Concrete Rose, rock opera (1970); Orphée aux enfers, “opéra son et lumières” (1975); Daedalus, “opéra son et lumieres” (1977). ORCH.: Liebesliederwaher Variations, on a theme by Strauss (1952); Sinfonia Concertante for Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet, Violin, Cello and Orch. (1967); Canadiana: Suite fiir Piano und Orchester nach Canadischen Volksweisen (1971); Songs of the Loon and the Raven for Orch. and Tape (1975); The Beaux’ Stratagem (1978); Fliigelhorn Concerto, II Caro Sassone (1981). CHAMBER: Samogonski-Trio for Baritone, Clarinet, Cello, and Piano (1951); Clarinet Quintet (1951); 3 Movements for Bassoon and Buchla (1971); Antithesis for Saxophone and Tape (1974); St. Francis’ Sermon to the Birds for Bassoon and Tape (1975). OTHER: Orion, sound images (1978); incidental music for stage, radio, and television; various multimedia pieces, among them Variations of a Mandala (1973), The Magic Carpet (1982), and The Hoard of the Nibelungen, as performed by a company of Baenkelsaengers (1988).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire