Spies, Leo

Spies, Leo, German conductor and composer; b. Moscow, June 4, 1899; d. Ahrenshoop an der Ostsee, May 1, 1965. He studied with Oskar von Riesemann (1913–15), then continued his training with Schreyer in Dresden and with Kahn and Humperdinck at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik (1916–17). He worked as a répétiteur and conductor in German theaters and with the Universum Film AG; then was in Berlin as conductor of the ballet at the State Opera (1928–35) and the Deutsche Opernhaus (1935—44); subsequently was director of studies and conductor at the Komische Oper (1947–54). In 1956 he was awarded the National Prize of the German Democratic Republic. His compositions followed Romantic lines.

Works

DRAMATIC: Ballet : Apollo und Daphne (1936); Der Stralauer Fischzug (1936); Seefahrt (1937); Die Sonne lacht (1942); Pastorale (1943); Die Liebenden von Verona (1944); Don Quijote (1944). Other: Incidental music. ORCH.: Sal-tabile for Strings (1929); Cello Concerto (1940); Divertimento notturno for Piano and Orch. (1941); Fröhliche Ouvertüre (1951); Trauermusik (1951); Violin Concerto (1953); Orchesterfantasie “Friedrich Engels” (1955); 2 syms. (1957, 1961); Viola Concerto (1961); Festmusik (1964). CHAMBER: 2 string quartets (1939, 1961); Divertimento goldoniano for 9 Instruments (1939); Serenade for 6 Winds, Harp, Percussion, and Double Bass (1946); Sonata for 3 Violins (1958); Trio for 2 Cellos and Piano (1959); 2 sonatas for Wind Quintet (1959, 1963); Rustikale Fantasien for 9 Instruments (1962); piano pieces, including 3 sonatas (1917, 1938, 1963). VOCAL: Cantatas; choruses; lieder; mass songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire