Francis Burt

Francis Burt (28 April 1926 – 3 October 2012) was a British composer and academic teacher who spent most of his life in Austria. He was professor of composition at the Musikhochschule Wien, and organised the 1 Long Night of New Sounds concert series at the Vienna Konzerthaus. He composed the ballet Der Golem, operas, orchestral works, and music for ensembles and for voices.

Life Born in London, Burt attended St Edward's School in Oxford in 1944 and 1945 as part of an officer's training. He completed a course as an engineer at Cambridge University and served as a first lieutenant in Nigeria from 1946 to 1947. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music from 1948 to 1951, where he became a composition pupil of Howard Ferguson. He also attended the Summer School of Music at Bryanston and Dartington. Subsequently, he was a student at the Musikhochschule Berlin, studying composition with Boris Blacher. Burt moved to Vienna in 1956 and was buried at the Vienna Central Cemetery.

Awards 1981: 1992: Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria.

Work Burt's compositions were inspired by African traditions, such as the drumming of Nigerian Ibo people. It was performed at the Vienna State Opera in 1983, conducted by Stefan Soltesz.

In a 1976 song cycle with orchestra, Unter der blanken Hacke des Monds after poetry by Peter Huchel, Burt began to compose layers of sounds rather than rhythmic structures.

Burt wrote works of many genres, including operas, choral and vocal compositions and works for instruments:

Stage works Volpone or The Fox, opera in four acts based on the play by Ben Jonson, op. 9 (1952–1961) Der Golem, ballet in one scene by Erika Hanka, Yvonne Georgi and Francis Burt, op. 11 (1959–1963) Barnstable oder Jemand auf dem Dachboden, opera in one act based on the play Barnstable by James Saunders in the translation by Hilde Spiel, op. 13 (1967–1969) Mahan, opera in seven scenes after a libretto by Richard Bletschacher (1996–2007)

Ensemble String Quartet No. 1, op. 2 (1951–1952) Musik für zwei Klaviere, for two pianos (1953) Duo, for clarinet and piano, op. 7 (1954) For William, for nine players (1988) Echoes, for nine players (1988–1989) Für Alfred Schlee, a postmodern birthday greeting for string quartet (1991) Hommage à Jean-Henri Fabre, a bucolic fantasy, for five players (1993–1994) String Quartet No. 2 (1993–1994) Bavarian Gentians, for chamber choir and six instrumental soloists (2001) Variationen eines alten Liedes, variations of an old song for clarinet, akkordion, viola and double bass (2012)

Orchestral Jamben, for orchestra (1953) The Skull, cantata for tenor and orchestra (revised), op. 6 (1955) Espressione Orchestrale, for orchestra (1958–1959) Fantasmagoria, for orchestra, op. 12 (1963) Unter der blanken Hacke des Monds, for baritone and orchestra, after poems by Peter Huchel (1974–1976) Und GOtt der HErr sprach, reflections after a Golden Wedding for mezzo-soprano, baritone, bass, two mixed choirs and large orchestra (1983) Morgana, five scenes for orchestra (1985–1986) Blind Visions, for oboe and small orchestra (1995) Mohn und Gedächtnis (for Paul Celan), for ensemble (2010)

Choral music Two songs of David, for choir a cappella, op. 1 (1951) Mariens Wiegenlied, for choir a cappella (2011)

Solo Three little piano pieces for J. J. (1949)