Erik Werba Explained

Erik Werba
Birth Date:	1918 5, df=yes
Birth Place:	Baden bei Wien, Austro-Hungarian Empire
Death Place:	Hinterbrühl, Austria
Education:	Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst University of Vienna
Occupation:	Classical pianist Academic teacher Conductor Composer Writer Music critic
Organizations:	Mozartgemeinde Wiener Musikakademie Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst, Graz

Erik Werba (23 May 1918 – 9 April 1992) was an Austrian classical pianist who is especially known as an accompanist of singers. He was also a music critic, conductor, composer, author and academic teacher.

Career

Werba was born in Baden bei Wien,^[1] the son of Ludwig Werba (1884–1945), who was born in Graz and became a composer, music director and vice-president of the Österreichisch-ungarischer Musikerverband, founded in 1896. Ludwig Werba died in a bombing raid on 2 April 1945.

Werba completed the Matura at the Baden Gymnasium in 1936. He then studied at both the Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna and the University of Vienna,^[2] where he earned a PhD in 1940.^[3] He worked as a music critic and teacher, and directed the Mozartgemeinde after World War II. Werba was Kapellmeister at the from 1945 to 1946.^[4] As a pianist, he focused on accompanying lieder singers. He collaborated with Irmgard Seefried, Christa Ludwig, Walter Berry, Kim Borg,^[5] Brigitte Fassbaender, Peter Schreier and Nicolai Gedda, appearing internationally.

Werba was a professor of lied and oratorio at the Wiener Musikakademie from 1949 to 1990, and from 1964 to 1971 also at the Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Graz. As a journalist, he worked for the newsletters of the Mozartgemeinde, the Wiener Figaro, the Österreichische Musikzeitschrift and the periodical Musikerziehung.^[6] As a composer, he wrote incidental music, chamber music and lieder.

Werba died on 9 April 1992 in Hinterbrühl. He is buried at the Maria Enzersdorf cemetery.

Compositions

Werba composed lieder, including:

• "Ich bin...", for high voice and piano (1936)
• "Neige dein Köpfchen", for high voice and piano (1936)
• "Ich saß vor dunklem Walde", for high voice and piano (1936)

Publications

• Richard Strauss zum 85. Geburtstag, 1949^[7]
• Tenoralbum, 1951
• Bariton-Baß-Album, 1953
• Josef Marx, eine Studie, 1962^[8]
• Hugo Wolf oder – Der zornige Romantiker, 1971^[9]
• Erich Marckhl, 1972^[10]
• Hugo Wolf und seine Lieder, 1984^[11]

Awards

• 1960: Mozartmedaille awarded by the Mozart Society of Vienna

External links

• • Erik Werba im Austria-Forum

Notes and References

1. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803121745223 Erik Werba
2. Web site: 21 May 1968: 50. Geburtstag von Erik Werba . 15 May 2019 . 16 August 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120816230444/http://www.wien.gv.at/rk/historisch/1968/mai.html . dead .
3. Erik Werba: Die Rolle und Bedeutung des Sängers bei Homer, Hesiod und Pindar. Dissertation. Universität Wien, Wien 1940, OBV.
4. Franziska Dzugan: Chamäleons im Blätterwald. Die Wurzeln der ÖVP-ParteijournalistInnen in Austrofaschismus, Nationalsozialismus, Demokratie und Widerstand. Eine kollektivbiografische Analyse an den Beispielen Wiener Tageszeitung und Linzer Volksblatt 1945 bzw. 1947 bis 1955. Dissertation. Universität Wien, Wien 2011, p. 171. – Volltext online (PDF; 1,4 MB).
5. "Seefried, Ludwig, Berry und Borg waren die Sänger mit denen ich die Welt bereist habe." – Erik Werba in an earlier studio discussion. Broadcast on 24 May 2018 in Stimmen hören on Ö1
6. Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Musikerziehung in Österreich (AGMÖ): Musikerziehung mit AGMÖ-Nachrichten. AGMÖ, Wien 1947/48–, OBV.
7. http://permalink.obvsg.at/AC04773530 Richard Strauss zum 85. Geburtstag
8. http://permalink.obvsg.at/AC02288242 Josef Marx, eine Studie
9. http://permalink.obvsg.at/AC03632854 Hugo Wolf oder – Der zornige Romantiker
10. http://permalink.obvsg.at/AC00280684 Erich Marckhl
11. http://permalink.obvsg.at/AC03904009 Hugo Wolf und seine Lieder