Ruth Schönthal (1924-2006)
Ruth Schönthal
was an American composer and pianist of German birth whose eclectic
music brought together elements as diverse as European Romanticism,
Mexican folk song and Minimalism. Schönthal began her
musical
studies at the Stern Conservatory in Berlin when she was 5. In 1935,
she was expelled, along with other Jewish students, at the insistence
of the Nazis, and in 1938 she emigrated with her family to Sweden,
where she enrolled at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. In 1941,
the family fled Stockholm; unable to obtain a visa for the United
States, they went to Mexico City. In Mexico, Schönthal studied
composition with Rodolfo Halffter and Manuel Ponce, and in 1946 she
gave the premiere of her Concerto
Romantico for Piano and Orchestra.
The composer Paul Hindemith, who was in the audience, invited her to
study with him at Yale. She graduated from Yale in 1948, and at first
earned a living by writing advertising jingles and popular songs. But
she also performed as a concert pianist and was highly regarded for her
improvisatory skills. And she composed prolifically, often drawn to
social, historical and religious themes. Among her chamber works, for
example, are The
Wall Before and After (1994), about the
reunification of Berlin; Bells
of Sarajevo (1997), for clarinet and prepared
piano; and her String
Quartet No. 3, "Holocaust in Memoriam" (1997). She also
wrote Fantasy-Variations
on a Jewish Liturgical
Theme (1994), for electric guitar; a handful of orchestral
scores,
including The
Beautiful Days of Aranjuez (1981), for harp and strings;
and three operas: The
Courtship of Camilla (1979), Princess
Maleen (1989) and Jocasta (1997),
which offers a feminist view of
the Oedipus story. But her music found an audience in Germany, and in
1994 she was awarded the Heidelberg International Composition Prize for
Women Composers. The same year, a biography, Ruth Schonthal: A
Composer’s Musical Development in Exile,
by Martina Helmig, was
published in Germany, and later in an English translation.
Schönthal was also on the composition faculty at New
York University
and the Westchester Conservatory of Music.- Allan Kozinn/The New York Times
COMPOSITIONS Schönthal Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre ~ ~ ~ Schönthal on Schönthal
Seven Lyrical Pieces, piano (????, unpublished)
[Didaktische Kleine Klavierstücke I] (????, unpublished)
[Didaktische Kleine Klavierstücke II] (????, unpublished)
Impressions from Spain, piano (????, unpublished)
Kleine Impressionen für ganz junge Klavierspieler, piano (????, unpublished)
Lilliputms, piano (????, unpublished)
Shadow Plays (and Other Imitative Musical Divertissments), piano (????, unpublished)
Two Easy Pieces, [piano] (????, unpublished)
Violin Solos (????, unpublished)
Autum, voice and piano (????, unpublished) [text: Lucy G. Moses]
Sonate [D-Dur], piano (1936, unpublished)
Sonatina in A, piano (1939)
[Kleine Klavierstücke] (1939-1941, unpublished)
Romanze, violin and piano (1940-41, unpublished)
Prélude: Pierrot Dansant, piano (1940-41, unpublished)
Jüdisches Lied, [voice and piano] (1942, unpublished) [text: Fritz Schönthal]
Concierto Romantico, piano and orchestra (1941-45; fp. 1946)
Six Preludes, piano (1944-45, unpublished) [arr. for orchestra, 1945-46; fp. 1949]
- Six Preludes, orchestra (1945-46; fp. 1949, unpublished) [from original work for piano]
Syncopated Valse, violin and piano (fp. 1945, unpublished)
Capricho Español, piano (1945, unpublished) [arr. for piano, harp and strings]
- Capricho Español, piano, harp and strings (1945, unpublished) [from original piano work]
Wiegenlied, piano (1945, unpublished)
Two Songs, voice and piano (1945; fp. 1946) [text: Li Po] ["Three Songs", fp. 1942 - same works?]
Early Songs (8 songs), voice and piano (1941-46) [text: Rainer Maria Rilke]
Two Songs, mezzo-soprano and piano (1946) [text: García Lorca] [1943?]
Die Liebste sprach, soprano and piano (1946, unpublished) [text: Hugo von Hofmannsthal] [lost?]
Man, 5-part chorus (1946-47) [text: John Davis] [lost?]
New Hampshire, chorus (1946-47) [text: T.S. Eliot] [lost?]
Orpheus, 5-part chorus (1946-47, unpublished?) [text: Shakespeare]
Winter, 5-part chorus (1946-47, unpublished?) [text: Shakespeare]
Fugue, piano (1946-47, unpublished) [2 Voci]
Epitaph, mezzo-soprano and piano (1946-47) [text: Robert Herrick] [lost?]
Even such is Time, soprano, alto [and piano] (1946-47) [text: ???] [lost?]
Symphony No. 1, orchestra (pub. 1947)
Präludium und Fuge in F, piano (1947, unpublished)
Präludium und Fuge in H, piano (1947, unpublished)
The Dolls, voice and piano (1947) [text: William Butler Yeats]
Sonata in E Flat, piano (1948) [1947?]
Two Pieces for Piano Four-Hands (1949, unpublished)
Nine Lyric Dramatic Songs, for mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra or piano (1949) [text: W.B. Yeats]
Piano Sonata No. 2 (1950, unpublished?)
Six Songs for Children, soprano and orchestra (1951) [text: A.A. Milne]
El Hijo de Malte, ballet, piano (1952, unpublished)
Totentanz, ballet, violin, piano and percussion (1952, unpublished)
The Transposed Heads (An Indian Legend), ballet, piano (1952) [after Thomas Mann's "Die vertauschten Köpfe"]
- The Transposed Heads (An Indian Legend), orchestra (1952) [arr. from music for ballet]
Lantern Love, film score (1952)
Miniatures, piano, Book 1, elementary [Grade 1] (pub. 1954) [study and recital pieces for the early grades]
Candide, suite, orchestra (1955, unfinished)
La Belle Dame Sans Merci, soprano and piano (1955) [text: John Keats]
Homage à Garcia Lorca (3 songs), soprano, flute, viola, cello, harp and timpani (1956; rev. 1993)
Symphony in B minor, orchestra (1954-57; fp. 1961, unpublished?)
Marcia funebre, 2 cellos and piano (1957, unpublished?)
Miniatures, piano, Book 2, junior [Grade 2] (pub. 1961) [study and recital pieces for the early grades]
Fiestas y Danzas (7 pieces), piano (1961)
Sonata in e, violin and piano (1961-62) [arr. for clarinet and piano, 1975]
Serenade, strings (1962, unpublished?)
String Quartet No. 1 (1962)
Totengesänge (Songs Of Death), song cycle (8 songs), soprano and piano (1962-63) [text: R. Schonthal]
Sinfonia Breve, orchestra (1963)
Preludes in Blue (Blue Preludes) (3 pieces), piano (1963) [MS facsimile only]
Sonata quasi un 'Improvisazione', piano (1964)
Miniatures, piano, Book 3, lower intermediate [Grade 3] (pub. 1964) [study and recital pieces for the early grades]
Sonata Concertante, cello and piano (1973) [arr. for viola & pf, 1975; clarinet & pf, 1976]
Sonatensatz, piano (1973)
Sonata Breve, piano (1973)
Minuscules (10 pieces), piano (pub. 1973) [Grade I] [sometimes listed as "Miniscules"] ["early grade piano pieces"]
Nachklänge (Reverberations) (9 pieces), piano w/added timbres (1967–74) [1971?]
Variations in Search of a Theme, piano (1974)
Near and Far, 13 musical scenes for the older student, piano (pub. 1975) [Grade II] [for young performers]
Four Epiphanies, viola (1976)
Potpourri, 10 piano pieces in a (mostly) festive mood, piano (pub. 1976) [for young performers]
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 (1977)
Seven Songs of Love and Sorrow, soprano and piano (1977)
By the Roadside, soprano and piano (1975-78) [text: Walt Whitman]
Music for Horn and Piano (1977-78; fp. 1980) [also arr. as "Music for Horn and Chamber Orchestra"]
- Music for Horn and Chamber Orchestra (1977-78; fp. 1980) [arr. from work for horn and piano]
Fantasia in a Nostalgic Mood, guitar (1978)
Gestures (11 short pieces), piano (1978)
In Homage of ... (24 short preludes), piano (1978)
The Solitary Reaper, medium voice, flute, cello and piano (1978; rev. 1981) [text: W. Wordsworth]
Letters to Cunegonde, clarinet in A and cello (1979; fp. 1981) [also called: "Love Letters to Cunegonde"; "Loveletters"]
The Courtship of Camilla, opera in 1 or 2 acts (1979-80) [libretto: based on A.A. Milne]
The Beautiful Days of Aranjuez (are but a memory), après H. Heine, string orchestra, w/opt. harp (1981)
- The Beautiful Days of Aranjuez, solo harp and string orchestra (or large orchestra) (1982; rev. 1983)
Bird Calls, piano (1981) [for young performers]
Three Elegies, piano (1982) [in memoriam Gregg Vance]
Fragments From A Woman's Diary (19 pieces), piano (1982)
Five Easy Pieces Chopin Never Wrote, piano (1982)
3 Celebrations, "Happy Birthday Variations", orchestra (1983) [for children's concerts]
String Quartet No. 2, "in the Viennese Manner" (1983; rev. 1996)
Evocation, orchestra (1984)
Fourteen Inventions, harpsichord or piano (1984)
From North and South of the Border (4 pieces), piano (pub. 1985) [Grade II-III] [for young performers]
The Canticles of Hieronymus, piano (1986) [based loosely on Hieronymus Bosch's triptych "The Garden of Delights"]
The Young Dead Soldiers, cantata, chorus and chamber orchestra (fp. 1987) [1986?] [text: A. MacLeish]
Interlude, harp (pub. 1987)
Operatic Cradle Song, duet for soprano and alto, with piano (1987) [text: F. Garcia Lorca, "The Blood Wedding"]
Six Times Solitude, soprano and piano (1987; rev. 1990) [text: 6 settings of "Solitude", from "Now We Are Six" by A. A. Milne]
Princess Maleen, opera in 1 act (1988-89) [libretto: based on Grimm fairytale]
Sonata in Two Movements, cello and piano (1988-89) [???arr. from "Letters to Cunegonde", 1979]
Toccata and Arietta, piano (1989) [brilliant and expressive recital piece for the young virtuoso]
The Temptation of St. Anthony (9 pieces), organ (1989-90) [based on the painting by Hieronymus Bosch]
Evening Music, Nocturnal Fantasy with Ocean Waves, orchestra [and tape] (1990-91; fp. 1992)
A Bird's Song About ..., flute and piano (1991)
Sonata for Viola and Piano (1991)
Self-Portrait of the Artist as an Older Woman, piano (1991)
Collagen, soprano, flute, 2 cl, vc, pf, synthesizer and perc (1991) [from "Songs of my Childhood"/'Des Knaben's Wunderhorn']
Soundtrack for a Dark Street, orchestra, w/electric guitar (1992; fp. Jan 1993)
A Bird Over Jerusalem, flute, piano and tape (of Arabic chant) (1992)
Improvisations in Three Interconnected Sections, violin (1992)
Ingrid's Songs (4 songs), mezzo-soprano and piano (1992) (Olbricht) [expanded in "Wildunger Liederzyklus", 1997]
- Ingrids Lieder, , mezzo-soprano and piano [text: Ingrid Olbricht] (1992) [pub. as Vol. 1 of "Wildunger Liederzyklus"]
Abendruhe mit süßem Traum, cello, piano and vibraphone (1993) [rev. 1996 for cello, piano, vibraphone and timpani]
Fantasy-Variations upon a Jewish Liturgical Theme, guitar (pub. 1993) [1994?] ["Fantasy-Variations on a Jewish ..."]
- Fantasy-Variations upon a Jewish Liturgical Theme I, electric guitar (1997)
Trompetengesänge (4 songs), medium voice, tpt, vln, vc, pf and drums (snare-drum and high-hat) (1993) [text: R. Schonthal]
65 Celebrations, piano (or organ) (1993-94) [inteludes & postludes in different keys for year round Church Holy Days]
Improvisation, cello (1994)
Die Mauer: vorher und nachher (The Wall: before and after), narrator, fl, vln, vc, pf or synth. & perc (1994) [text: R. Schonthal]
Heidelberger Fanfare with Variations, piano (1995; fp. 1996) [for 500th Anniversary of Heidelberg]
Drei Liebeslieder, mezzo-soprano and piano (1995; rev. 1997) [text: Lotte Kottek]
Four Songs, voice and piano (pub. 1995) - previously published songs
Ode to a Departing Swan, violin and piano (1996)
Pentatonics, piano (pub. 1996) [for young performers]
Jocasta, a post modern opera in 2 acts (1996-97) [libretto: Helene Cicoux]
String Quartet No. 3, "In memoriam Holocaust" (1997)
Divertimenti for Diverse Instruments for Young Virtuosi, fl, 2 cl, hn, 3 tpt, pf, 2 vln, va, vc, drums (1997)
Bells of Sarajevo, clarinet and timbered piano (1997)
Japanese Sketches, piano (1997)[using pentatonic scales in many keys, bitonality & interesting textures][for young performers]
Lieder auf Texte von Lotte Kottek, mezzo-soprano and piano (1997) [pub. as Vol. 2 of "Wildunger Liederzyklus"]
Wildunger Liederzyklus (1992/97) [contains "Ingrids Lieder", 1992; and "Lieder auf Texte von Lotte Kottek", 1997]
Final Ascencion, multiple flutes (or 4 flutes) (1999)
Tristana, violin and piano (1999)
Glockenläuten (Bildnis einer frommen Frau / From the Life of a Pious Woman), piano (1999-2000)
Bouquets for Margaret M. (5 pieces), piano 4-hands (1999-2000)
Concerto Piccolo, flute, bassoon and harpsichord (2000)
Five Oceanic Preludes, piano (2000)
Vier Liebeslieder, soprano and piano (pub. 2000) [3 previously published songs, plus one new song]
Happy Birthday, piano (2001)
Contemplating the Oceanwaves, piano (2004) [for Josef Mayr]
WORKS BY GENRE Schönthal Links ~ ~ ~ Schönthal on Schönthal ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
El Hijo de Malte, ballet, piano (1952, unpublished)
Totentanz, ballet, violin, piano and percussion (1952, unpublished)
The Transposed Heads (An Indian Legend), ballet, piano (1952) [after Thomas Mann's "Die vertauschten Köpfe"]
The Courtship of Camilla, opera in 1 or 2 acts (1979-80) [libretto: based on A.A. Milne]
Princess Maleen, opera in 1 act (1988-89) [libretto: based on Grimm fairytale]
Jocasta, a post modern opera in 2 acts (1996-97) [libretto: Helene Cicoux]
Orchestra
Six Preludes, orchestra (1945-46; fp. 1949, unpublished) [from original work for piano]
Symphony No. 1, orchestra (pub. 1947)
The Transposed Heads (An Indian Legend), orchestra (1952) [arr. from music for ballet]
Candide, suite, orchestra (1955, unfinished)
Symphony in B minor, orchestra (1954-57; fp. 1961, unpublished?)
Sinfonia Breve, orchestra (1963)
The Beautiful Days of Aranjuez (are but a memory), après H. Heine, string orchestra, w/opt. harp (1981)
- The Beautiful Days of Aranjuez, solo harp and string orchestra (or large orchestra) (1982; rev. 1983)
3 Celebrations, "Happy Birthday Variations", orchestra (1983) [for children's concerts]
Evocation, orchestra (1984)
Evening Music, Nocturnal Fantasy with Ocean Waves, orchestra [and tape] (1990-91; fp. 1992)
Soundtrack for a Dark Street, orchestra, w/electric guitar (1992; fp. Jan 1993)
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Concierto Romantico, piano and orchestra (1941-45; fp. 1946)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 (1977)
Music for Horn and Chamber Orchestra (1977-78; fp. 1980) [arr. from work for horn and piano]
The Beautiful Days of Aranjuez, solo harp and string orchestra (or large orchestra) (1982; rev. 1983)
Chorus w/Orchestra
The Young Dead Soldiers, cantata, chorus and chamber orchestra (fp. 1987) [1986?] [text: A. MacLeish]
Choral
Man, 5-part chorus (1946-47) [text: John Davis] [lost?]
New Hampshire, chorus (1946-47) [text: T.S. Eliot] [lost?]
Orpheus, 5-part chorus (1946-47, unpublished?) [text: Shakespeare]
Winter, 5-part chorus (1946-47, unpublished?) [text: Shakespeare]
Chamber
Capricho Español, piano, harp and strings (1945, unpublished) [from original piano work]
Marcia funebre, 2 cellos and piano (1957, unpublished?)
Serenade, strings (1962, unpublished?)
String Quartet No. 1 (1962)
Letters to Cunegonde, clarinet in A and cello (1979; fp. 1981) [also called: "Love Letters to Cunegonde"; "Loveletters"]
String Quartet No. 2, "in the Viennese Manner" (1983; rev. 1996)
Abendruhe mit süßem Traum, cello, piano and vibraphone (1993) [rev. 1996 for cello, piano, vibraphone and timpani]
String Quartet No. 3, "In memoriam Holocaust" (1997)
Divertimenti for Diverse Instruments for Young Virtuosi, fl, 2 cl, hn, 3 tpt, pf, 2 vln, va, vc, drums (1997)
- Series A [for string instruments]
- Two Duets, violin and viola (pub. 2002) [Grade 3-5]
- Duo concertante
- Piccolo duo
- ???Piccolo Partita for Violin and Viola (easier version)
- ???Piccolo Partita for Violin and Viola (more difficult version)
- Suite, violin and cello [???Little Suite]
- Little Suite, 2 violins [???Piccolo Partita for 2 Violins]
- Series B [for wind instruments]
- Two Fanfares for Two Trumpets
- Fanfare for Three Trumpets, Two Trumpets and a Drum
- Two Short Divertimenti, 2 clarinets
- Little Suite (6 mvts), 2 clarinets
- Tango for 2, clarinet (or viola) and cello [Tango for Two]
- Duo, clarinet or viola and cello [Duo for French Horn or Clarinet or Viola & Cello]
- Duet for Flute & Piano - ????
Final Ascencion, multiple flutes (or 4 flutes) (1999)
Concerto Piccolo, flute, bassoon and harpsichord (2000)
Instrument and Piano
Romanze, violin and piano (1940-41, unpublished)
Syncopated Valse, violin and piano (fp. 1945, unpublished)
Sonata in e, violin and piano (1961-62) [arr. for clarinet and piano, 1975]
Sonata Concertante, cello and piano (1973) [arr. for viola & pf, 1975; clarinet & pf, 1976]
Music for Horn and Piano (1977-78; fp. 1980) [also arr. as "Music for Horn and Chamber Orchestra"]
Sonata in Two Movements, cello and piano (1988-89) [???arr. from "Letters to Cunegonde", 1979]
A Bird's Song About ..., flute and piano (1991)
Sonata for Viola and Piano (1991)
A Bird Over Jerusalem, flute, piano and tape (of Arabic chant) (1992)
Ode to a Departing Swan, violin and piano (1996)
Bells of Sarajevo, clarinet and timbered piano (1997)
Tristana, violin and piano (1999)
Improvisation For Clarinet & Piano - on "New York Women Composers" website/listed nowhere else
Solo Instrument
Violin Solos (????, unpublished)
Four Epiphanies, viola (1976)
Fantasia in a Nostalgic Mood, guitar (1978)
Interlude, harp (pub. 1987)
Improvisations in Three Interconnected Sections, violin (1992)
Improvisation, cello (1994)
Fantasy-Variations upon a Jewish Liturgical Theme, guitar (pub. 1993) [1994?] ["Fantasy-Variations on a Jewish ..."]
- Fantasy-Variations upon a Jewish Liturgical Theme I, electric guitar (1997)
Piano or Organ
Seven Lyrical Pieces, piano (????, unpublished)
[Didaktische Kleine Klavierstücke I] (????, unpublished)
[Didaktische Kleine Klavierstücke II] (????, unpublished)
Impressions from Spain, piano (????, unpublished)
Kleine Impressionen für ganz junge Klavierspieler, piano (????, unpublished)
Lilliputms, piano (????, unpublished)
Shadow Plays (and Other Imitative Musical Divertissments), piano (????, unpublished)
Two Easy Pieces, [piano] (????, unpublished)
Sonate [D-Dur], piano (1936, unpublished)
Sonatina in A, piano (1939)
[Kleine Klavierstücke] (1939-1941, unpublished)
Prélude: Pierrot Dansant, piano (1940-41, unpublished)
Six Preludes, piano (1944-45, unpublished) [arr. for orchestra, 1945-46; fp. 1949]
Capricho Español, piano (1945, unpublished) [arr. for piano, harp and strings]
Wiegenlied, piano (1945, unpublished)
Fugue, piano (1946-47, unpublished) [2 Voci]
Präludium und Fuge in F, piano (1947, unpublished)
Präludium und Fuge in H, piano (1947, unpublished)
Sonata in E Flat, piano (1948) [1947?]
Two Pieces for Piano Four-Hands (1949, unpublished)
Piano Sonata No. 2 (1950, unpublished?)
Miniatures, piano, Book 1, elementary [Grade 1] (pub. 1954) [study and recital pieces for the early grades]
- Peter's in the wagon
- Stealing from the apple tree
- Locomotive coming and going
- Cowboy serenade
- Hurry! Make room for the first chief
- Uproar among the roosters
- The stubborn mule
- Old grandfather's clock
- Following the Indian trail
- How I lost my penny
Miniatures, piano, Book 2, junior [Grade 2] (pub. 1961) [study and recital pieces for the early grades]
- Duet for cello and oboe
- Two little donkeys
- Three little frogs
- Big Ben
- Games
- Country fair
- The sandcastle and the waves
- Insects
- Dancing in 3's and 2's
- March of the galaxy invaders
Fiestas y Danzas (7 pieces), piano (1961)
- Fiesta
- Danza No. 1
- Danza No. 2
- Danza No. 3
- Borrachera No. 1
- Danza No. 4
- Borrachera No. 2
Preludes in Blue (Blue Preludes) (3 pieces), piano (1963) [MS facsimile only]
- Allegro moderato
- Allegro
- Recitativo
Sonata quasi un 'Improvisazione', piano (1964)
Miniatures, piano, Book 3, lower intermediate [Grade 3] (pub. 1964) [study and recital pieces for the early grades]
- Toreador
- For those who love the waves
- Pastorale
- A Chinese bedtime story
- The little soldier who went to war
- Visit to the circus
- Lullaby
- Pony ride
- Sad story
- The broken music box
- Last ride on a merry-go-round before closing down for the winter
Sonatensatz, piano (1973)
Sonata Breve, piano (1973)
Minuscules (10 pieces), piano (pub. 1973) [Grade I] [sometimes listed as "Miniscules"] ["early grade piano pieces"]
- Bugles From Afar
- Frolic
- Hopscotch
- Little Dance
- Little Pony on a Stony Road
- Over the Meadow and Over the Hill
- Sunsets
- The Bells on Top of the Hill
- The Two Trumpets
- Walking Down the Road
Nachklänge (Reverberations) (9 pieces), piano w/added timbres (1967–74) [1971?]
- Preludium
- Choral
- Sehnsuchtstema
- Der Krieg
- Ich hatt' einen Kameraden
- Verzweiflung
- Nachklä̈nge I
- Vulgä̈heit (Waltzer)
- Nachklä̈nge II
- Abgesang
Variations in Search of a Theme, piano (1974)
Near and Far, 13 musical scenes for the older student, piano (pub. 1975) [Grade II] [for young performers]
- At the Water's Edge
- Country Dance
- Cuckoo (Interrupting the Silence of the Woods)
- Day in the Country
- Evening Glimmer
- Fountains
- Josie on the Swing
- Mood of the Lonely Prairie
- A Moonlit Ocean in a Faraway Place
- A Rainy Day in the Country
- A Red Chinese Rose
- Summer Day (Portrait of Jenny)
- Winds
Potpourri, 10 piano pieces in a (mostly) festive mood, piano (pub. 1976) [for young performers]
- After the tents have been taken down
- Barcarolle
- Bucolic mood
- Dance
- Festive sounds
- Fiesta
- Gathering sea shells
- Memories of a southern holiday
- Reflections on a quiet sunday afternoon
- Waltz of the red and yellow leaves
Gestures (11 short pieces), piano (1978)
- Slow, molto rubato
- With great expression
- Moderately fast, with stark dynamic contrasts
- Almost with fury - slower and somewhat rocking
- Andante con moto - Intense and very serious
- Furtively
- Un poco scherzando - Rapidly and quite wild
- Moderato
- Very fast
- Con moto, brooding
- Slow
In Homage of ... (24 short preludes), piano (1978)
- Andante
- Un poco moto
- Fast
- Very flowing and with great tenderness
- Tranquillo, semplice
- Fast and wild
- Slow and majestic
- Very fast and delicately
- Dolce (with a slightly melancholy air)
- Agitato
- Delicatissimo
- Quasi Recitative (very freely)
- Fast (agitato)
- Waltz Tempo (dolce)
- Risoluto e pesante
- Tempo Rubato
- Poco Agitato
- Tranquillo
- Agitato
- Tranquil, but not too slow (gently flowing)
- Serioso (legatissimo)
- Slow and majestic
- Fast, as delicately as possible
- Fast and tempestously
Bird Calls, piano (1981) [for young performers]
Three Elegies, piano (1982) [in memoriam Gregg Vance]
Fragments From A Woman's Diary (19 pieces), piano (1982)
- Kinder, Küche, Kirche
- Introductory waltz
- Tentative beginnings
- Days of innocence
- Romantic interlude
- In memoriam
- Anticipation
- Wedding march
- Cradle song (à la Mahler)
- Children at play
- In perpetual motion
- Anger
- Fun and games
- Tender recollections
- Children's games
- Shattered silence
- Passionate interlude
- Distraught
- Final waltz
Five Easy Pieces Chopin Never Wrote, piano (1982)
Fourteen Inventions, harpsichord or piano (1984)
From North and South of the Border (4 pieces), piano (pub. 1985) [Grade II-III] [for young performers]
- Sweet Americana
- Leisurely ride
- Duet in the fields
- Memories from Mexico
The Canticles of Hieronymus, piano (1986) [based loosely on Hieronymus Bosch's triptych "The Garden of Delights"]
Toccata and Arietta, piano (1989) [brilliant and expressive recital piece for the young virtuoso]
The Temptation of St. Anthony (9 pieces), organ (1989-90) [based on the painting by Hieronymus Bosch]
- Entrata
- Temptation of the Beauty and the Senses
- Chorale in G
- Meditation
- Interludium
- Chorale in C
- Temptation: danza diabolica
- Visione sanctissima
- Postludium
Self-Portrait of the Artist as an Older Woman, piano (1991)
65 Celebrations, piano (or organ) (1993-94) [inteludes & postludes in different keys for year round Church Holy Days]
Heidelberger Fanfare with Variations, piano (1995; fp. 1996) [for 500th Anniversary of Heidelberg]
Pentatonics, piano (pub. 1996) [for young performers]
- Cradle song for a quiet evening
- Fighting ducks
- The fragrance of cherry blossoms
- The girl on a lazy swing
- Harbor lights
- A quiet day without sun
- Settling an argument
- Sitting by the water's edge
- Starry night
- A sunny holiday
- Swans passing under the wooden bridge
Japanese Sketches, piano (1997)[using pentatonic scales in many keys, bitonality & interesting textures][for young performers]
- Book I (Junior)
- Book II (Lower Intermediate)
- Book III (Intermediate)
Glockenläuten (Bildnis einer frommen Frau / From the Life of a Pious Woman), piano (1999-2000)
Bouquets for Margaret M. (5 pieces), piano 4-hands (1999-2000)
- Bouquets for Margaret
- The pretty flower thinks of the days of her wilting
- A bouquet of wild flowers and the butterfly
- Exotic birds and exotic flowers
- Daisies: she loves me, she loves me not, she loves me!
Five Oceanic Preludes, piano (2000)
- Oceanfront at sunset: with twelve seagulls in different formations
- The seagull's slow ascent and descent
- Beached whales
- Sirens
- Dolphins at sunset
Happy Birthday, piano (2001)
Contemplating the Oceanwaves, piano (2004) [for Josef Mayr]
Vocal
Autum, voice and piano (????, unpublished) [text: Lucy G. Moses]
Jüdisches Lied, [voice and piano] (1942, unpublished) [text: Fritz Schönthal]
Two Songs, voice and piano (1945; fp. 1946) [text: Li Po] ["Three Songs", fp. 1942 - same works?]
- Der müde Soldat
- Das rote Zimmer
Early Songs (8 songs), voice and piano (1941-46) [text: Rainer Maria Rilke]
- Meine frühverliehnen Lieder
- Arme Heilige
- Ihr Mädchen sind wie die Kähne
- Erste Rosen erwachen
- Liebes-Lied
- Weisse Seelen
- Noch ahnst du nichts
- Ich will ein Garten sein
Two Songs, mezzo-soprano and piano (1946) [text: García Lorca] [1943?]
- Cazador
- Mi niña se fué a la mar
Die Liebste sprach, soprano and piano (1946, unpublished) [text: Hugo von Hofmannsthal] [lost?]
Epitaph, mezzo-soprano and piano (1946-47) [text: Robert Herrick] [lost?]
Even such is Time, soprano, alto [and piano] (1946-47) [text: ???] [lost?]
The Dolls, voice and piano (1947) [text: William Butler Yeats]
Nine Lyric Dramatic Songs, for mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra or piano (1949) [text: W.B. Yeats]
- I will arise now
- A pity beyond all telling
- The everlasting voices
- To a child dancing in the wind
- He tells of a valley full of lovers
- I made my song a coat
- The travail of passion
- That the night come
- The second coming
Six Songs for Children, soprano and orchestra (1951) [text: A.A. Milne]
La Belle Dame Sans Merci, soprano and piano (1955) [text: John Keats]
Homage à Garcia Lorca (3 songs), soprano, flute, viola, cello, harp and timpani (1956; rev. 1993)
- Cancion de Jinete (A Rider's Song)
- Ay que Camino tan Largo (What a Long Road) [Cancion China en Europa]
- La Senorita del Albanico (The Young Lady with the Fan) [La luna asoma]
Totengesänge (Songs Of Death), song cycle (8 songs), soprano and piano (1962-63) [text: R. Schonthal]
- Totenglocken
- Die ewige Liebe
- Wiegenlied an ein krankes Kind
- Tod einer Jungfrau
- Totentanz
- Totenreigen
- Hurenlied
- Die Spanierin
Seven Songs of Love and Sorrow, soprano and piano (1977)
- These Are the Days (E. Dickinson)
- Wild Nights (E. Dickinson)
- Poor Bit of a Wench (D.H. Laurence)
- The Dove Descending (T.S. Eliot)
- A Woman's Last Word (R. Browning)
- With Rue My Heart is Loaden (A. E. Housman)
- Go from Me (E.B. Browning)
By the Roadside, soprano and piano (1975-78) [text: Walt Whitman]
- Mother and babe
- Thought
- Visor'd
- To old age
- A farm picture
- A child's amaze
The Solitary Reaper, medium voice, flute, cello and piano (1978; rev. 1981) [text: W. Wordsworth]
Operatic Cradle Song, duet for soprano and alto, with piano (1987) [text: F. Garcia Lorca, "The Blood Wedding"]
Six Times Solitude, soprano and piano (1987; rev. 1990) [text: 6 settings of "Solitude", from "Now We Are Six" by A. A. Milne]
Collagen, soprano, flute, 2 cl, vc, pf, synthesizer and perc (1991) [from "Songs of my Childhood"/'Des Knaben's Wunderhorn']
Ingrid's Songs (4 songs), mezzo-soprano and piano (1992) (Olbricht) [expanded in "Wildunger Liederzyklus", 1997]
- Eine rote Rose
- Von einer weissen Rose
- Arme Erde
- Ich sah den Tod von Ferne
Trompetengesänge (4 songs), medium voice, tpt, vln, vc, pf and drums (snare-drum and high-hat) (1993) [text: R. Schonthal]
- Immer, wenn ich eine Trompete höre
- Es ist noch gar nicht so lange her
- Cantata (Wie schön und triumphierend)
- Kurz vor Mitternacht
Die Mauer: vorher und nachher (The Wall: before and after), narrator, fl, vln, vc, pf or synth. & perc (1994) [text: R. Schonthal]
Drei Liebeslieder, mezzo-soprano and piano (1995; rev. 1997) [text: Lotte Kottek]
- Endziel
- Die Stimme deines Wesens
- Erinnerung
Four Songs, voice and piano (pub. 1995) - previously published songs
-Wild Nights (1977) [text: Emily Dickinson]
- Poor Bit of a Wench (1977) [text: D.H. Lawrence]
- Cazador (1943?)
- Mi niña se fué a la mar (1943?)
Wildunger Liederzyklus (9 songs), mezzo-soprano and piano (1992/97)
- Vol. 1: Ingrids Lieder [text: Ingrid Olbricht] (1992)
- Eine rote Rose (1992) [previously published in "Ingrid's Songs", 1992]
- Von einer weißen Rose (1992) [previously published in "Ingrid's Songs", 1992]
- Arme Erde (1992) [previously published in "Ingrid's Songs", 1992]
- Ich sah den Tod von Ferne (1992) [previously published in "Ingrid's Songs", 1992]
- Zerstörte Stadt (1997)
- Manchmal (1997)
- Der Mondbaum (1997)
- Vol. 2: Lieder auf Texte von Lotte Kottek (1997)
- Angst der Verwandlung
- Frühjahrsschatten
Vier Liebeslieder, soprano and piano (pub. 2000) [3 previously published songs, plus one new song]
- (see "Drei Liebeslieder", 1995; rev. 1997) [text: Lotte Kottek]
- An Isolde [text: Ruth Schonthal]
Incidental/Film
Lantern Love, film score (1952)
SCHÖNTHAL LINKS Works by Genre ~ ~ ~ Schönthal on Schönthal ~ top of page ~
The Clarinet Compositions of Ruth Schönthal: A Performer's Guide (Lauren Cox, Florida State Univ)
Composer Interview: Ruth Schönthal (Selma Epstein, IAWM Journal)
Remembering Ruth Schönthal (Joseph Pehrson, New Music Connoisseur)
Ruth Schönthal (1924-2006) - A Remembrance (Lowell Liebermann, NewMusicBox)
Ruth Schönthal, 82, Modernist Composer (Stephen Miller, The New York Sun)
Ruth Schönthal, a Composer of Eclectic Vision, Dies at 82 (Allan Kozinn, The New York Times)
Ruth Schönhal - A Composer's Musical Development in Exile (Martina Helmig, Mellen Press)
Ruth Schönthal - A Conversation with Bruce Duffie (bruceduffie.com)
Ruth Schönthal - Obituary (The Independent)
Ruth Schönthal - The Loss of a Unique Voice (Sequenza21)
Composer website (@ Music und Gender im Internet/ MUGI; in German) . . . inquire about Ruth Schönthal: here
- translated by Google here
Composer website (@ exile.art: in German and English)
Schönthal @ Wikipedia
Schönthal @ Wikipedia.de (in German)
Schönthal @ Akademie der Künste/Ruth Schonthal Archiv (in German)
Schönthal @ American Music Center
Schönthal @ Classical Archives
Schönthal @ Classical Net
Schönthal @ exil.arte
Schönthal @ Facebook
Schönthal @ Furore-Verlag
Schönthal @ IAWM Journal also here
Schönthal @ IMDb (Internet Movie Database)
Schönthal @ InstantEncore
Schönthal @ Klassika
Schönthal @ komponistinnen.de
Schönthal @ Leonarda Records
Schönthal @ Mellen Press
Schönthal @ Milken Archive of Jewish Music
Schönthal @ MusicWeb International
Schönthal @ Music und Gender im Internet (MUGI) (in German)
Schönthal @ Naxos
Schönthal @ The New York Times
Schönthal @ New York Women Composers, Inc.
Schönthal @ The Norton/Grove Dictionary of Women Composers
Schönthal @ On an Overgrown Path
Schönthal @ Orpheus Trust
Schönthal @ The Piano in Chamber Ensemble (Maurice Hinson)
Schönthal @ Playbill Arts
Schönthal @ REC Music Foundation /The Lied and Art Song Texts Page
Schönthal @ Sigma Alpha Iota
Schönthal @ Vox Novus
Publisher
Schönthal @ ASCAP [self published?]
Schönthal @ Fine Art Music Press [distributor: Hildegard Pub. Co.]
Schönthal @ Carl Fischer
Schönthal @ Furore-Verlag
Schönthal @ Galaxy Music Corp.
Schönthal @ Hildegard Pub. Co.
Schönthal @ Independent Music Publishers
Schönthal @ Oxford University Press
Schönthal @ Shawnee Press
Schönthal @ Sisra Publications
Schönthal @ Southern Music Co.
Schönthal @ Yorktown Music Press
Streaming Audio
Schönthal @ Classical Archives
Schönthal @ last.fm
Schönthal @ MySpaceMusic
Schönthal @ Rhapsody.com
Recordings
Schönthal @ Albany Records
Schönthal @ Amazon.com
Schönthal @ ArkivMusic
Schönthal @ CD Universe
Schönthal @ ClassicsOnline
Schönthal @ Discogs
Video
Schönthal @ YouTube
Schönthal @ Google Video
~ top of page ~
Schönthal on Schönthal: On A Bird Over Jerusalem (VIDEO)
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