Paul Sacher
Paul Sacher (28 April 1906 – 26 May 1999) was a Swiss
He founded and conducted the Basler Kammerorchester (1926–1987). He commissioned notable works of composers of the 20th century and premiered them with the chamber orchestra. While better known for his interest in new music, he was also devoted to music of baroque and classical eras; he founded the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, institute for early music, in 1933.
Biography
Sacher studied under
Personal life
He was considered the world's third-richest man of the 1990s after marrying the heiress of the
Sacher had 3 children.[7] Two of those kept their last name of Countess of Faber-Castell, his only son carries the last name of Schmid.[8]
Commissions
Immensely wealthy, Sacher commissioned works from many well-known composers, including:
- Igor Stravinsky (who provided him with the Concerto in D)
- Béla Bartók (Divertimento for Strings, the Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, the String Quartet No. 6 and the Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta)
- Double Concerto for Two String Orchestras, Piano, and Timpani, Concerto da camera, etc.)
- Arthur Honegger (many works, including his Second and Fourth Symphony (Deliciae Basilienses)
- Frank Martin (six works, including the Petite symphonie concertante)
- Paul Hindemith
- Hans Werner Henze
- Richard Strauss
- Elliott Carter
- Witold Lutosławski (Sacher-Variationen, Double Concerto, Chain II)
- Henri Dutilleux (Trois strophes sur le nom de Sacher and Mystère de l'instant)
- Harrison Birtwistle
In 1983, Sacher acquired the Stravinsky estate.[5] The Paul Sacher Stiftung (Foundation) is located in the centre of Basel (in Münsterplatz) and houses one of the world's most important musical-manuscript collections. Sacher bought most of these manuscripts himself, and they include complete collections by several important twentieth-century composers (including Lutosławski, Ligeti, Boulez and Reich). In 1997, he received an honorary doctorate from the Academy of Music in Kraków.[9]
Perhaps his finest recorded performance was preserved on mid-1950s late mono Columbia LP, Johann Christian Bach's Symphony in D major, Op. 18, No. 4, distinguished by its overall serenity, stylishness and smooth flow but also by his taking BOTH repeats (including the second long one, apparently never since taken in later recordings) of the rondo finale quintessentially representative of Johann Christian's serene melding of pre-classical galant (in the opening and closing rondo theme) and sensitive styles (in the canonic middle episode in D minor).
"eSACHERe"
On the occasion of Sacher's 70th birthday, twelve composer friends of his (
Composer | Composition |
---|---|
Conrad Beck | Für Paul Sacher : Drei Epigramme für Violoncello solo |
Luciano Berio | Les Mots sont allés |
Pierre Boulez | Messagesquisse, pour 7 violoncelles |
Benjamin Britten | Tema "Sacher" |
Henri Dutilleux | Trois Strophes sur le nom de Sacher |
Wolfgang Fortner | Zum Spielen für den 70. Geburtstag : Thema und Variationen für Violoncello Solo |
Alberto Ginastera | Puneña n° 2, op. 45 |
Cristóbal Halffter | Variationen über das Thema eSACHERe |
Hans Werner Henze | Capriccio per Paul Sacher |
Heinz Holliger | Chaconne, für Violoncello Solo |
Klaus Huber | Transpositio ad infinitum |
Witold Lutosławski | Sacher-Variationen |
References
- ^ "14 Millionen Dollar als Tageslohn". Die Welt. July 1996.
- ^ Tommasini, Anthony (27 May 1999). "Paul Sacher is Dead at 93; Conductor and Arts Patron". The New York Times.
- ^ "Die Konstruktion einer musikalischen Welt | Ausgabe: 7/99 | NMZ - neue musikzeitung".
- ^ "Project "eSACHERe"". František Brikcius. Archived from the original on 2020-08-01. Retrieved Feb 28, 2021.
- ^ a b >"The Founder" Archived 2006-11-24 at the Wayback Machine: Chronology, Paul Sacher Foundation.
- ^ Baldassarre, Antonio: Walter Schulthess in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, 2010-07-09.
- ^ "Die Konstruktion einer musikalischen Welt | Ausgabe: 7/99 | NMZ - neue musikzeitung".
- ^ "Über Paul Sacher, diesen Animator der Musikwelt". Die Welt. 18 May 2001.
- ^ "Dr Paul Sacher (1997) - Cracow Music Academy". Archived from the original on 2011-03-26. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
- ^ mfiles. Retrieved 14 August 2014