Ruth Schonthal

Ruth Schonthal (b. June 27, 1924 in Hamburg, Germany, died July 10, 2006) was a pianist and contemporary composer.

Early years

Recognized as having extraordinary talent from a very early age, she studied at the "Sternsches Konservatorium" (Stern Conservatory) in Berlin starting at the age of 5, until the emergence of Nazi Germany. In 1935, Schonthal and her family were kicked out, and did not settle in Stockholm, Sweden until 1938. Even though there were restrictions against Jewish refugees, Schonthal once again proved her amazing talent and was accepted as a student at the Swedish Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm until 1941, even amid reported criticism from the press. Then, she was once again forced to flee as a result of the rising political tension, and eventually traveled to a variety of places: first the USSR, and then Mexico City, where she gave a very widely acclaimed piano performance of her own compositions. Almost immediately afterwards, she was admitted to the Yale Conservatory on Paul Hindemith’s recommendation, who supplied her with a scholarship and taught her for many years. She was one of the only students to graduate from the Conservatory with honors. Schonthal used her music to support herself and her family throughout her life—she wrote for television and commercials, played the piano in various bars and clubs, and taught privately in New York.

Awards

She was the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the "Internationaler Kunstlerinnen Preis" of the City of Heidelberg, and was extensively honored at the Prinz Carl am Kommarkt Museum there. In the USA, she received several Meet the Composer grants and ASCAP awards, and a Delta Omicron International award for her first string quartet. She received a Certificate of Merit from Yale for Outstanding Service to Music, and an Outstanding Musician Award from New York University. Amazingly, she also reached the finalist stage in the New York City Opera Competition (“The Courtship of Camilla”), as well as in the Kennedy-Friedheim Competition with her 24 Prelude set, entitled “In Homage of . . .” Her music is widely performed, recorded, and very popular.Her style is vaguely classified by New Grove Music Online as “impressionist”, with a greater emphasis on the fact that it strived to break free of Hindemith’s influence. In reality, her style is a fusion of several different techniques, both traditional and contemporary. Her compositions are meant to reflect the concerns of today’s world (Composer’s Bureau). New Grove records her as being “isolated” from her composing contemporaries. However, this enabled her to break free of so-called “modern” trends of composition and really allow her to develop a very distinct and beautiful voice, stemming from her “classical-romantic heritage” (Composer’s Bureau). Her learning process, extending over several continents, certainly contributed to her diverse music as well. She died in 2006.

Works

Opera

*"The Courtship of Camilla" (1979/80), A.A. Milne
*"Jocasta" (1996/97), text by Helene Cicoux
*"Princess Maleen" (1988/89)

Orchestra

*Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.2 (1977)
*Evening Music, Nocturnal Fantasy with Oceanwaves
*Music for Horn and Chamber Orchestra (1978)
*The Beautiful Days of Aranjuez (1982, rev. 1983)
*Soundtrack for a Dark Street (1994)
*3 Celebrations "Happy Birthday Variations" for children's concerts
*The Young Dead Soldiers for choir and chamber orchestra (1987)

Piano/Harpsichord

*The Canticles of Hieronymus (1986).
*Fiestas y Danzas (1961).
*Fourteen Inventions (1984).
*From the Life of a Pious Woman (1999).
*Heidelberger Fanfare with Variations.
*In Homage of... (24 Preludes).
*Japanese Sketches, Book I (Junior), Book II (Lower Intermediate), *Book III (Intermediate).
*Nachklange (Reverberations) (1967-74) for piano with added timbres.
*Sonatensatz (1973),
*Sonata Breve (1973),
*Sonata quasi un 'Improvisazione' (1964).
*Sonatina in A (1939).
*Three Elegies (1982).
*Toccata and Arietta (1989)
*65 Celebrations (1993/94)
*Gestures (1978/79), eleven short piano pieces
*Self-Portrait of the Artist as an Older Woman for piano (1991)
*Variations in Search of a Theme for piano (1974)
*Bird Calls (1981)
*Educational piano music (collections, grade 1-2)
*Miniatures, study and recital pieces for the Early Grades Vol.1, 2,3 for piano (grade 1-3).
*Potpourri/Minuscules for piano
*Near and Far (Adult beginners)
*Pentatonics for piano
*From North and South of the Border

Organ

*The Temptation of St. Anthony (1989/90)

Discography

Character Sketches

*Solo Piano Works by 7 American Women by Gwyneth Walker, Judith Lang Zaimont, Tania Leon, Victoria Bond, and Jane Brockman (1995)

unbursts

*Solo Piano Works by 7 American Women by Emma Lou Diemer, Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee, Vivian Adelberg Rudow, Ruth Schonthal, and Sheila Silver (1998)
*Jewish String Quartets by Steven Doane, Abraham Wolf Binder, Darius Milhaud, Ruth Schonthal, and Sholom Secunda (2006)
*Reverberations: Adina Mornell Plays Ruth Schonthal by Ruth Schonthal and Adina Mornell (2002)
*Margaret Mills Plays Piano by Lowell Liebermann, Ruth Schonthal, and Margaret Mills (1994)
*Vive la Différence: String Quartets by 5 Women from 3 Continents by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach, Priaulx Rainier, Sarah Aderholdt, Ruth Schonthal, and Lucie Vellere (1997)
*Margaret Astrup Sings Ruth Schonthal by Schonthal and Astrup (2007)
*Songs by Women by Elizabeth R. Austin, Elisenda Fabregas, Ruth Schonthal, Joyce Suskind, and Marcia Eckert (2003)

Bibliography

* [http://www.grovemusic.com Smith, Catherine Parsons: ‘Schonthal, Ruth’ Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy] (Accessed 23 April 2007)
*Amazon-amazon.com
*(Author Unknown) “Ruth Schonthal-In Memoriam” Sai-National (3/2007)

External links

* [http://www.bruceduffie.com/schonthal2.html Ruth Schonthal interview] by Bruce Duffie