!!!Wellesz, Egon Joseph

b. Vienna, Oct. 21, 1885, 
d. Oxford (United Kingdom), Nov. 9, 1974. Composer, musicologist. 
Pupil of A.  Schoenberg and G.  Adler, friend of A. von  Webern. 
Turned away from studying baroque music and took up Byzantine studies 
from around 1920. Wrote seminal works in this field (1929-1938 
university professor in Vienna); 1932 honorary doctorate from Oxford 
University; emigrated to England in 1938, university professor in 
Oxford. As a composer he remained faithful to G.  Mahler's and R.  
Strauss' tonal language and used the twelve-tone technique in a free 
form. Awarded the Grand Austrian State Prize in 1961 and the Austrian 
Decoration for Science and Art in 1971.

!Works
10 works for the stage, including: Alkestis, 1923 (textbook by 
H. v. Hofmannsthal); Die Bakchantinnen, 1931. - Choir and orchestra 
music, masses, songs, chamber music. - Writings: A. Schoenberg, 1921; 
Der Beginn des musikalischen Barock und die Anfaenge der Oper in Wien, 
1922; Byzantinische Kirchenmusik, 1927; Die neue Instrumentation, 2 
vols., 1929; A History of Byzantine Music and Hymnography, 1949; Die 
Hymnen der Ostkirchen, 1962. - Co-ed.: Monumenta Musicae Byzantinae, 
1935ff.

!Literature
R. Schollum, E. W., 1964; G. Schneider, E. W., 1980; 
autobiography, 1981; C. Cepin Benser, W., 1985; D. Symons, E. W., 
1997; H. Heher (ed.), E. W., exhibition catalogue, Vienna 2000; NOeB.



%%language
[Back to the Austrian Version|AEIOU/Wellesz,_Egon_Joseph|class='wikipage austrian']
%%

[{FreezeArticle author='AEIOU' template='Lexikon_1995_englisch'}]
[{ALLOW view All}][{ALLOW comment All}][{ALLOW edit FreezeAdmin}]