Manfred Schubert (27 April 1937 – 10 June 2011)^[1] was a German composer, conductor and music critic.

Life

Schubert was born the son of a lawyer in Berlin-Charlottenburg.^[2] In his youth, he received violin and piano lessons; he passed his Abitur in Berlin-Köpenick.^[2] From 1955 to 1960, he studied music education with Fritz Reuter,^[3] Georg Knepler and Siegfried Bimberg and Slavic studies at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.^[2] Von 1960 bis 1963 war er Meisterschüler [de] for musical composition with Rudolf Wagner-Régeny at the Academy of Arts, Berlin.^[2] From 1962 to 1990, he worked regularly as a music critic for the Berliner Zeitung, after that only sporadically. In 1978, he conducted the Staatskapelle Berlin at a guest concert in Lyon. From 1984 to 1985, he worked as a lecturer in composition and instrumentation at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler". Since 1963, he lived in Berlin as a freelance composer.^[4]

Schubert died in Berlin at the age of 74.^[2] His estate is owned by the Berlin State Library.^[1]

Work

Compositions

Source:^[5][6]

Orchestral works

• 1965: Tanzstudien, for small orchestra (15')
• 1966: Orchestermusik 66 (Paean) (7')
• 1966: Suite für Orchester (22')
• 1970: Divertimento für Orchester (14')
• 1971: Konzert für Klarinette und Orchester (22')
• 1972: Hommage à Rudolf Wagner-Régeny, Concertante meditations for harp solo, 13 string instruments, percussion and celesta (20')
• 1974: Cantilena e Capriccio, per violino ed orchestra (16')
• 1979–82: I. Sinfonie, for large orchestra (32')
• 1988: Konzert für zwei Violinen und Orchester (25')
• 1990: Vogelreden III, Capriccio für 6 Flöten (1 Spieler) und Streichorchester (22')
• 1998–05: Ein ökumenisches Te Deum, for four solo voices, speaker, eight-part mixed choir, organ and large orchestra (75')^[4]

Chamber music

• 1961: Musik für sieben Instrumente (12')
• 1963: I. Streichquartett (16')
• 1966: Sonata per flauto solo (15')
• 1967: Moments musicaux, for wind quintet (12')
• 1967: Septett (11')
• 1967/68: Nachtstück und Passacaglia, for octet (17')
• 1970: II. Streichquartett (14')
• 1975: Evocazione, per undici esecutori (10')
• 1984/85: Vogelreden II, Concertante Duo for Flute and Harp (12')
• 1987: Elegia con elgeganza, Canto aleatorio V per contrabbasso solo (9')
• 1987: Ramificazioni, Canto aleatorio VI per arpa sola (9')
• 2002: Trazóm Suédama, Trio for oboe, violin and violoncello (18')

Piano pieces

• 1960: Variazioni per pianoforte (11')
• 1961: I. Klaviersonate (10')
• 1963: II. Klaviersonate (11')
• 1967: Serenata semplice (3')
• 1969: Vier Cembalostücke (7')
• 1976: Esde Hafis, Canto aleatorio II per pianoforte solo (7')

Vocal music

• 1964: Acht Lieder, on poems by Bertolt Brecht (9')
• 1964: Traumwald, Four Lieder on poems by Christian Morgenstern for baritone and String Orchestra (6')
• 1973: Canzone amorose, Concerto for baritone and large orchestra on poems by Johannes Bobrowski (22')
• 1986: Nachtgesänge, after Carl Friedrich Zelter together with two intermezzi for medium voice and small orchestra (Goethe) (20')
• 1992: Miserere, for eight–part mixed choir and organ (8')
• 1996: Misericordia ejus, antiphon for 2 mixed choirs a cappella (12')
• 1995–97: Missa viadrina, for eight–part mixed choir a cappella (50')
• 2006: Zweite Romantik, seven sonnets for medium voice and piano (32')

Poetry collections

• 1997–2009: Blaues Haus auf rotem Grund; Reisegedichte
• 1998–2006: Muse und Metier; Künstlerprobleme
• 1993–2009: Wetterleuchten; Gedichte zwischen Hoffnung und Zweifel

Prizes

• Composition Prize at the Prague Spring International Music Festival (1966)
• Ernst-Zinna-Preis der Stadt Berlin [de] (1966)^[6]
• Prize of the Verband der Komponisten und Musikwissenschaftler der DDR [de] (1966, 1969)^[6]
• Hanns Eisler Prize of the Rundfunk der DDR (1977)^[6]
• Recognition by the International Rostrum of Composers of the UNESCO in Paris (1984)^[6]