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Heino Eller (1887-1970)

Heino Eller, composerHeino Eller is one of Estonia’s most important instrumental music composers – with almost 300 works to his credit: 3 symphonies, about 40 smaller works for orchestra, a violin concerto, 5 string quartets, 4 piano and 2 violin sonatas, chamber ensembles for different instruments, about 200 pieces for the piano, and a few choral and solo songs. Eller’s best-known symphonic works are the tone poems Dawn and Twilight. During his years of development as a composer Eller was influenced most by the music of Grieg, Scriabin, Sibelius and Chopin. Eller’s compositional style is a mixture of principals of classical form, national intonations and expressions of 20th century music. In 1920-1940 Eller taught theory and composition at the Tartu Higher School for Music. In 1940 he moved to Tallinn where he became a professor at the Tallinn State Conservatory and worked until his death in 1970. For decades he taught many Estonian composers, including Eduard Tubin, Jaan Rääts, Arvo Pärt, Alfred Karindi, Uno Naissoo, Aarne Oit and Valter Ojakäär.

COMPOSITIONS                                                            Eller Links     ~ ~ ~     Works by Genre
[under construction]


WORKS BY GENRE                                                            Eller Links     ~ top of page ~
Orchestra
Pastime, suite for orchestra (1914 [for piano]; orchestrated 1930)
Twilight, symphonic picture, chamber orchestra (1917)
Dawn, symphonic poem (1915-18 [for piano]; orchestrated 1920)
Night Calls, symphonic poem, orchestra (1921/1960)
Symphonic Scherzo in A, orchestra (1921/1960)
Symphonic Legend, orchestra (1923/1938)
Phantoms, symphonic poem, orchestra (1924/1932)
In the Shade and in the Sunshine, symphonic picture, orchestra (1926/1969)
Symphonic Burlesque, orchestra (1928)
Nenia, string orchestra (1928/1969)
An Episode from the Revolution Time, symphonic picture, orchestra (1934/1967)
Waltz-Fantasy in B minor, orchestra (1936)
Symphony No. 1, "In modo mixolydio", orchestra (1936)
White Night, suite for orchestra (1939)
Music for Strings (1942/1963) [1st red. "Introduction and Fugato"]
Lyrical Suite, string orchestra (1945) [based on selections from piano work "10 Lyrical Pieces", 1942-43]
Dance Suite, orchestra (1944)
Festive Overture in D, orchestra (1945)
Symphony No. 2 in E minor, orchestra (1948, unfinished)
Flight of the Eagle, symphonic poem, orchestra (1950/1962)
The Singing Fields, symphonic poem, orchestra (1951)
Five Pieces for String Orchestra (1953) [from piano works dating from 1916-53]
Andante moderato (Romance) [D minor] and Dance [in G], string orchestra (1953?)
Symphony No. 3 in C minor, orchestra (1955-61)
Sinfonietta in G minor, string orchestra (1967)

Band or Wind Orchestra
Overture in C, wind orchestra (1948)
Festive March in B flat, wind orchestra (1951)

Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Prelude in G minor, cello and orchestra (1917)
Elegy in E minor, harp and string orchestra (1931/1969)
Lyrical Piece No. 1 in B flat minor, oboe and orchestra (1932)
Violin Concerto in B minor (1937/1964)
Ballad in E minor, cello and orchestra (1944/1966)
Capriccio in D dorian, violin and orchestra (1968) [3rd mvt of violin and piano work "Three Pieces", 1949]
Three Pieces, flute and piano (or string orchestra (1952)
Lyrical Piece No. 2 in G major, oboe and string orchestra (1955)
Fantasy in G minor, violin and orchestra (1964)

Choral
On the River (At the Riverside), male chorus (1951) [text: Otto Roots]
Song About a Smith, male chorus (1951) [text: Ilmar Sikemäe]
On the Sea, male chorus (1951) [text: Otto Roots]

Chamber
Lyrical Piece No. 1 in E, violin, cello and piano (1915)
Lyrical Piece No. 2 in F minor, violin, cello and piano (1915)
String Quartet No. 1 in C minor (1925)
String Quartet No. 2 in F minor (1931)
Two Subminiatures, string quartet (1960) [from 2 mvts of piano work "13 Pieces on Estonian Motifs"1940–41]
String Quartet No. 3 in B flat (1945)
String Quartet No. 4 in D minor (1953)
Four Pieces, string quartet (1954)
String Quartet No. 5 in G minor (1959)
Lento assai in D minor (Sad Song), string quartet (1950-60)
Intermezzo in G minor, string quartet (1960?)
Allegro moderato in G, string quartet (196?)

Instrument and Piano
Réverie, violin and piano (1912, lost)
Northern Tune in E minor, violin and piano (1912)
Moment musicale in F sharp minor, violin and piano (1912)
Canzonetta in G, violin and piano (1912)
Old Dance in G, cello and piano (1913)
Scherzo in D, violin and piano (1914)
Intermezzo in E flat, violin and piano (1916)
Fantasy in G minor, violin and piano (1916)
Allegretto in D, violin and piano (1917)
In the Moonlight, violin and piano (1918)
Berceuse (Lullaby) in E minor, violin and piano (1920?)
Poem in A flat, cello and piano (1921)
Evening Song in G, cello and piano (1921?)
Violin Sonata No. 1 in A minor (1922)
Romance in G, cello and piano (1924)
Pines, violin and piano (1929)
Lyrical Waltz in D minor, violin and piano (1930?/1931)
Improvisation in C minor, violin and piano (1931?)
Andante religioso (Andante serioso) in D minor, cello and piano (or organ) (1931)
Andante and Allegro, violin and piano (1932)
Valse mélancolique in G minor, violin and piano (1933)
Prelude in G minor, cello and piano (1933)
Méditation in B minor, double bass and piano (1935)
Ballad in B minor, violin and piano (1937)'Little Waltz in E, violin and piano (194?)
Sostenuto in B minor, violin and piano (194?)
Prelude in E minor, cello and piano (1956) [from piano work "10 Lyrical Pieces", 1942-43]
Ballad in E minor, cello and piano (1944)
Violin Sonata No. 2 in D minor (1946)
Three Pieces, violin and piano (1949)
Molto sostenuto–Allegro vivo–Molto sostenuto in D, violin and piano (195?)
Wedding Song and Dance, violin and piano (1951)
Three Pieces, flute and piano (1952)
Evening Song in G flat, violin and piano (1952?)
Lyrical Piece No. 2 in G, oboe and piano (1955)
Old Dance in G, basson and piano (1956?)
Adagio in A minor, violin and piano (1956)
Evening Song in C, horn and piano (1957?)
Dance in G, violin and piano (1960?)
Violin Sonata No. 3 (1969, unfinished)

Solo Instrument
Fantasy, violin (1931)
Open Spaces, violin (1940)

Piano
Piano Music in Folk Tune (14 pieces) (1965)
12 Bagatelles, piano (1961)
Allegro animato in F minor, piano (196?)
Waltz in B flat minor, piano 4-hands (196?)
Romance in B flat major, piano (1950-60)
Piano Sonata No. 4 in E minor (1958)
Sonatina in F sharp minor, piano (1956?)
Ballad in C sharp minor, piano (1955)
Six Pieces, piano (1953)
Moderato cantando in D, piano (195?)
Eight Pieces, piano (1948)
Four Lyrical Pieces, piano (1945-47)
Six Pieces (Estonian Suite), piano (1941-47)
Sonatina in G minor, piano (1946)
Piano Sonata No. 3 in E flat minor, piano (1944)
14 Piano Pieces (1943)
Intermezzo in G minor, piano (1943)
10 Lyrical Pieces, piano (1942-43)
Prelude in C sharp minor, piano (1942)
Prelude in E minor, piano (1942)
Prelude in B minor, piano (1942)
In the Character of a Dance, in F sharp minor, piano (1941)
13 Pieces on Estonian Motifs, piano (1940-41)
Piano Sonata No. 2 in C sharp minor (1940)
Sostenuto for left hand, in C sharp minor, piano (1940)
Estonian Wedding March in D, piano (194?)
Lyrical Waltz in D minor, piano (194?)
Moderato assai in G, piano (194?)
Allegro animato in D sharp minor, piano (1939)
Moderato assai (Variations) in B minor, piano (1939)
Tempo di marcia in F sharp minor, piano (1939?)
Allegro scherzando in D, piano (1938)
Intimate Moment in E flat minor, piano (1938)
Rumination in B, piano (1938)
Prelude in G minor, piano (1938?)
Danse-caprice, piano (1936?)
Méditation, piano (1936)
Butterfly, piano (1935)
Scherzino in B minor, piano (1935)
Little Waltz in E, piano (1935)
Estonian Dance, piano (1934)
Nocturne in E flat minor, piano (1934?)
Five Preludes, piano (1932-34)
Perpetuum mobile in D, piano (1933)
Four Preludes (Book III), piano (1921-32)
Waltz in B, piano (1931)
Prelude in B flat minor, piano (1930)
Dance in B minor, piano (193?)
Vivace in A flat, piano (193?)
Bells, piano (1929)
Prelude in B flat minor, piano (1929)
Prelude in C, piano (1929)
Prelude in E flat minor, piano (1929?)
Evening Song in G flat, piano (1921)
Elegiac Dance in C minor, piano (1921)
Spiritoso in D flat, piano (1921)
Toccata in B minor, piano (1921)
Piano Sonata No. 1 in A minor, piano (1920)
Seven Preludes (Book II), piano (1920)
Allegro (Toccata) in B, piano (1919)
Andante sostenuto in G, piano (1919?)
Etude in G flat, piano (1919)
La fille du nord, piano (1919)
Largo in E minor, piano (1919)
Moderato sostenuto in B minor, piano (1919/1960)
Pastorale in A flat, piano (1919)
Etude (Allegro) in A flat, piano (1918)
Homeland Tune in E, piano (1918/1945?)
Caprice in B minor, piano (1917/1924)
Danse du Faune, piano (1917)
Episode from "Revolution Time" in A flat minor, piano (1917)
Etude in G flat, piano (1917)
Sheperd’s Song in F sharp minor, piano (1917?)
Seven Preludes (Book I), piano (1914-17)
Etude in F minor, piano (1916)
Humoresque (Annoying Fly) in F, piano (1916)
Two Dances, piano, piano (1916)
Miniature in G sharp minor, piano (1916)
Veloce e leggiero in A flat, piano (1916)
Impromptu in B flat minor, piano (1915)
Moderato assai in B flat minor, piano (1915)
Musical Moment in F sharp minor, piano (1915)
Nocturne in B, piano (1915)
Waltz in B flat minor, piano (1915)
Allegro con fuoco in F minor, piano (1914)
Andante moderato in G minor, piano (1914/1942)
Furioso in E flat minor, piano (1914?)
Molto vivo in F sharp minor, piano (1914?)
Presto in F sharp major, piano (1914?)
Romance in F sharp, piano (1914)
Allegretto No. 1 in F sharp minor, piano (1913)
Allegretto No 2 in F sharp minor, piano (1913)
Andantino in B minor, piano (1913)
Berceuse (Lullaby) in A flat, piano (1913)
Etude in E flat minor (time signature 12/8), piano (1913)
Etude in E flat minor (time signature 3/8), piano (1913)
Moderato in F, piano (1913)
Waltz in A flat, piano (1913)
Waltz in B flat, piano (1913)
Fantasy in B flat minor, piano (1912)
Musical Box in G major, piano (1912)
Moderato in A minor, piano (1912)
Theme and Variations in E, piano (1912)
Caprice in F sharp minor, piano (1911)
Andante in E, piano (1910)
Ballad in B flat minor, piano (1910)
Chanson triste in D minor, piano (1910)
Impromptu in F minor, piano (1910?)
Fantasy in F minor, piano (1910?)
Allegro moderato in C minor, piano (1909)
Larghetto in A, piano (1909)
Sostenuto in G minor, piano (1909)

Vocal
Vocalise in G, voice and piano (1917)
Moderato sostenuto in D minor, voice, viola and piano (1921)
Three Songs from the collection “Aino Tamm’s repertoire of Estonian folk songs”, voice and piano (1922)
    - Slave’s sigh
    - An orphan
    - Cuckoo, sing
Stalin – Flag Carrier of Peace, voice and piano (1951) [text: Lea Rummo]
In Spring Morning, voice and piano (1952) [text: Otto Roots]
Mother Volga, voice and piano (1952) [text: Otto Roots]


ELLER  LINKS                                                            Works by Genre      ~ top of page ~
Remembering Heino Eller (Arvo Pärt , The Cambridge Companion to Arvo Pärt)
Heino Eller: Complete Piano Works (Sten Lassmann, Scribd)    Also   here

Composer website (at Estonian Music Information Centre)   . . .   inquire about Heino Eller:  here

Eller @ Wikipedia
Eller @ Wikipedia.fr (in French)
Eller @ Answers.com
Eller @ Classic Cat
Eller @ Classical Archives
Eller @ Classical CD Review (via Google Advanced Search)
Eller @ Classical Composers Database
Eller @ ECM Records
Eller @ ERP Music
Eller @ EstonianMusic.com
Eller @ Estonian Music Information Centre
Eller @ Estonian Theatre and Music Museum
Eller @ Finugor
Eller @ Facebook
Eller @ Heino Elleri nimeline Tartu muusikakool (translated by Google)
Eller @ InstantEncore
Eller @ Klassika
Eller @ Modern Classical
Eller @ MusicWeb International
Eller @ The New York Times
Eller @ opetaja.edu.ee (translated by Google)
Eller @ Piano Society
Eller @ Unsung Composers

Publisher
Eller @ Antes Edition
Eller @ Edition Karlsruhe Edition 49 [Antes Edition]
Eller @ Eesti Muusikafond
Eller @ Eres-Ed.
Eller @ Estonian Music Information Centre
Eller @ Muzyka
Eller @ NSVL Muusikafondi EV Osakond

Streaming Audio
Eller @ Classical Archives
Eller @ last.fm
Eller @ Rhapsody.com

Recordings
Eller @ Amazon.com
Eller @ ArkivMusic
Eller @ CD Universe
Eller @ ClassicsOnline
Eller @ Discogs
Eller @ ECM Records
Eller @ ERP Music
Eller @ itunes (via Google Advanced Search)
Eller @ Naxos

Video
Eller @ YouTube
Eller @ Google Video
Eller @ Vimeo (via Google Advanced Search)
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