Friedrich Cerha

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Composer Friedrich Cerha, born in Vienna in 1926, has long been considered one of the most important Austrian composers of our time. In 1958, he founded the Vienna-based ensemble die reihe. Cerha directed die reihe, an ensemble comprised of gifted soloists, for decades. In 1960 and 1961, Cerha composed a work that became central to his compositional output – a cycle entitled Spiegel. In 1979, he completed Berg’s three-act opera Lulu, a work which garnered him international attention. Friedrich Cerha spent much of his career delving into various 20th century musical styles, such as twelve-tone technique, neoclassicism, and serial music. He also maintained an interest in replicable emotional developments, which permeate both his orchestral and chamber works.

Friedrich Cerha passed away on February 14th, 2023.

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