Sem Dresden

Sem Dresden (Amsterdam, 1881-04-20 - The Hague, 1957-07-30) was a Dutch composer.

Dresden was born into a merchant family, and began his musical studies in Amsterdam with Bernard Zweers. In 1903 he moved to Berlin and commenced study with Hans Pfitzner. After returning to the Netherlands, he was from 1905 to 1914 a choral conductor, as choirmaster at Laren, Amsterdam and Tiel. In 1914 he founded the Madrigaalvereeniging "a capella" choir of 9 singers. From 1915 he lectured on musical subjects, both in Holland and in Belgium. In 1918, with Daniel Ruyneman and Henri Zagwijn, he founded the "Society of Modern Dutch Composers" (which, however, had become defunct by 1924). He began teaching composition at the Amsterdam Conservatory in 1919, achieving the post of director in 1924. From 1937-41 and again from 1945-49 he served as director of the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. After retiring from teaching in 1949, he devoted himself fully to composition, and many of his better-known works were composed very late in his life. Dresden also wrote criticism for "De Telegraaf" and wrote two books on modern music.

Works

*Sonata for violin and piano, 1905 (Amsterdam with Carl Flesch)
*Sextet for strings and pianoforte (June 1911, Amsterdam)
*Three Sextets for wind instruments and pianoforte (1912, 1914, Amsterdam)
*Trio for two oboes and cor anglais (1912, Amsterdam)
*Duo for two pianofortes (31 January 1914, Amsterdam, Sisters Roll)
*Suites for Piano and Violin, No. 1-3, 1911-20
*"Theme and Variations", orchestral, 1913
*Sonata for cello and piano, (January 14 1918, Arnhem, Thomas Canivez and composer)
*Sonata for flute and harp (6 November 1918, The Hague, Rosa Spier and Klasen)
*"Wachterlied", unaccompanied chorus (27 August 1919, Amsterdam, Madrigaalvereenigung)
*"Chorus Tragicus", 1927
*Violin Concerto No. 1 (1936)
*"Symphonietta", clarinet and orchestra, 1938
*"O Kerstnacht", 1939
*Violin Concerto No. 2 (1942)
*"Assumpta est Maria", 1943
*Sonata for Solo Violin, 1943
*Suite for Solo Cello, 1943-47
*"Toto", opera, 1945
*"Hor ai dolor", piano, 1950
*"Dansflitsen", orchestral suite, 1951
*"Saint Antoine", oratorio, 1953
*"Rembrandt's Saul en David", for soprano and orchestra, 1956
*"Francois Villon", opera, 1956-57; orch. Jan Mul
*Oboe Concerto
*Piano Concerto
*Flute Concerto
*Organ Concerto

References

*Don Randel, "The Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music" (Harvard, 1996), 226.
*A. Eaglefield-Hull (Ed.), "A Dictionary of Modern Music and Musicians" (Dent, London 1924), 126.
*Pétronio, Arthur, "Un Compositeur Moderne," "De Kroniek", Dec 1918.
*Pétronio, Arthur, (article on Sem Dresden), "La Revue Musicale", Paris 1922.

[Category:People from Amsterdam)