Peter Eötvös
About Peter Eötvös
For me, composition consists of the enchantment of the audience through sound... I am interested in the technique which allows me to transform the unbelievable into sounds. This is exactly what is required in opera. (Peter Eötvös)
Peter Eötvös was born on 2 January 1944 in Székelyudvarhely (Transylvania). At the age of 14, Zoltán Kodály admitted him to his composition class at the Music Academy in Budapest. In 1966, a scholarship permitted him to relocate to the Federal Republic of Germany where he sought contact with the musical avant-garde in Cologne. He subsequently performed in concerts with the Stockhausen Ensemble (1968-1976) and was employed as sound engineer in the West German Radio electronic studio in Cologne. At the invitation of Pierre Boulez, Eötvös conducted the opening concert of the IRCAM in Paris 1978 and was subsequently appointed as musical director of the Ensemble Intercontemporain. He gave his debut at the London PROMS in 1980 and conducted the first performance of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s opera “Donnerstag aus Licht” the following year at the Scala in Milan. Eötvös was appointed as principal guest conductor of a number of international orchestras: the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Budapest Festival Orchestra, the SWR Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart and, since 2009, also the Radio Symphony Orchestra in Vienna. With the foundation of the International Peter Eötvös Institute for Young Conductors and Composers, Eötvös created a platform for the transfer of acquired knowledge and experience to the next generation. He taught at the Musikhochschule in Karlsruhe from 1992, took up an appointment as professor at the Musikhochschule in Cologne and subsequently returned to Karlsruhe in 2002 for a further five years.
Eötvös views music as an intensive form of communication between composer, performer and the audience. His ability of creating unusual tonal worlds is particularly displayed in his orchestral works, for example in zeroPoints, composed in 1999 in homage to Pierre Boulez. The title of the work is a reference to the historical “zero hour” in electronic music, although the integrated sound effects are in fact produced exclusively on orchestral instruments. The works Jet Stream for trumpet and orchestra (2002) and Seven for solo violin and orchestra (2006/2007) both feature a solo instrument as the focus of action. The composition CAP-KO (2005) which is dedicated to Béla Bartók develops a totally new form of piano concerto. The work exists in three different versions: a concerto with orchestra for one solo pianist who alternates between an acoustic grand piano and electronic keyboard, as a double concerto for two acoustic solo pianos with orchestral accompaniment and as an ensemble work for two pianos, sampler and percussion (Sonata per sei). In the percussion concerto Speaking Drums (2012/2013) Eötvös takes up the combination of speaking and drumming from Indian percussion music. He uses poems by his fellow countryman Sandor Weöres and the Indian poet Jayadeva from the 12th/13th century. In his second violin concerto DoReMi (2013) Eötvös reflects on how the complexity of the world stems from small simple components. The title refers both to the first three tones of our tonal system and to the performer of the world premiere, Midori. Alle vittime senza nome for orchestra (2016) is dedicated to the victims of the European refugee crises who drowned in the Mediterranian Sea. His third violin concerto Alhambra is manifoldy inspired by the fabulous Mooorish fortress in Andalusia, Spain.
Eötvös can be counted among the most successful operatic composers of our time. The libretto of the chamber opera Radames (1975/1997) originated from a textual concept by the composer, whereas later opera projects are based on master works of world literature. In 2002, Le Balcon, based on the play by Jean Genet was premiered at the Festival in Aix-en-Provence. Angels in America (2004) is based on the cult play by Tony Kushner which has been regarded as a key text in American literature since the 1990s. The opera Love and Other Demons, originating from a novel by the Nobel prize winner Gabriel García Márquez, transports us into the world of Columbia in the 18th century with its superstition, desire and religious obsession and was premiered to great acclaim at the 2008 Glyndebourne Festival. In 2010, Die Tragödie des Teufels was premiered at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich. Paradise reloaded (Lilith) (2013) continues the subject matter of the last opera in a new way: Lilith, a strong and self-determined woman, is juxtaposed to kindhearted and motherly Eva. The subject matter of Der Goldene Drache (2014), however, is decidedly political again: globalization and migration policy. The piece, which Eötvös sees as music theatre, not as an opera, is based on the play of the same name by Roland Schimmelpfennig and was commissioned for the Ensemble Modern and the Oper Frankfurt. Senza sangue (2015) was written by Eötvös for the concert premiere in May 2015 with the New York Philharmonic at the ACHT BRÜCKEN Festival in Cologne. A year later, the first scenic Performance was staged at the Festival d'Avignon. Based on Alessandro Bariccio's novella of the same name, the work is about two people seeing each other again while being connected with each other as victim and offender for their whole lives. In December 2021, his most recent opera, Sleepless, based on “Trilogy" by Jon Fosse has been successfully premiered at Staatsoper unter den Linden, Berlin.
Eötvös has received numerous international honours and awards including the Hungarian Bartók Prize (1997), the Christoph und Stephan Kaske Prize (2000), the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award (2002) and the prize SACD Palmarès in the category "Prix Musique" (2002). Eötvös has been a member of the Berlin Academy of the Arts, the Hungarian Academy of Letters and Arts (Széchenyi Iroldami és Művészeti Akadémia), the Saxon Academy of the Arts in Dresden and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music since 2000. He was also awarded the title of Commandeur de l`Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2003) and 2004 the Cannes Classical Award in the category "Best Living Composer" at the MIDEM. He received the Frankfurt Music Prize in 2007 and the Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale in 2011, the International Classical Music Award 2014 for his CD recording of violin concertos by Bartók and Ligeti as well as of his own concerto Seven, and in 2015, the Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen. In 2018 Eötvös was awarded the Goethe Medal of the Federal Republic of Germany, in 2021 he received the Frontiers of Knowledge Award of the BBVA Foundation.
Further works by Peter Eötvös are published with:
Worklist
Gallery
Chronology
"Sleepless" awarded World Premiere of the Year at the citic's choice award of the Opernwelt magazine
Products
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für BläserensembleComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialInstrumentation: wind ensemble
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for violin soloProduct TypeIn stockAs low as €6.99Incl. Tax
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Violin Concerto No. 3Composer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialInstrumentation: violin and orchestra
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Opera in two partsComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialLanguage: englisch
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for double bass solo and string orchestra with accordionComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialInstrumentation: double bass and string orchestra
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(dedicated to Béla Bartók)Composer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialInstrumentation: acoustic piano, keyboard and orchestra
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für Violoncello und OrchesterComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialInstrumentation: cello and orchestra
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Interpreter: Vincent Bauer | Christine Cairns | Jean-Guillaume Cattin | Ichirô Nodaïra | Miller Puckette | Pierre Strauch | Jean Sulem | Pierre-André ValadeOrchestra/ensemble: Ensemble intercontemporainConductor: Peter Eötvös | Patrick MarcoMedia Type: CDProduct number: WER 20322In stock€12.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
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for piano and orchestraComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialInstrumentation: piano and orchestra
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A collection of new pieces for pianoMedia Type: Sheet musicInstrumentation: pianoLanguage: englischProduct number: ED 21470In stock€10.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
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Composer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: E-score PDFSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: pianoProduct number: ED 21409 Q11144In stock€6.99Incl. Tax -
MusiktheaterComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialLanguage: deutsch
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In stock€18.50Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
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Komisch-utopische Oper in zwölf BildernComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialLanguage: deutsch
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für 12 VioloncelliComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialInstrumentation: 12 cellos
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for six violoncellosComposer: Peter EötvösEdition: score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Cello Library
Instrumentation: 6 cellosProduct number: CB 284Product TypeIn stockAs low as €42.99Incl. Tax -
Violin Concerto No. 2Composer: Peter EötvösEdition: piano reduction with solo partSeries: Edition Schott
DoReMi
Instrumentation: violin and orchestraProduct number: ED 21594Product TypeIn stockAs low as €27.99Incl. Tax -
Violin Concerto No. 2Composer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialInstrumentation: violin and orchestra
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New Releases 2009-11 with Complete CD ListIn stock€1.50Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
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"There's a taxi waiting for Chekhov, but he'd rather go on foot."Composer: Peter EötvösEdition: score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
2 Encores
Instrumentation: string quartetProduct number: ED 9930Product TypeIn stockAs low as €9.99Incl. Tax -
Version I/IIProduct TypeIn stockAs low as €5.99Incl. Tax
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für Ensemble
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Five Early Piano PiecesComposer: Peter EötvösEdition: single sheetSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: pianoProduct number: ED 22526Product TypeIn stockAs low as €17.99Incl. Tax -
Concerto for saxophone and orchestraComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialInstrumentation: saxophone and orchestra
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Product TypeIn stockAs low as €11.99Incl. Tax
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for mezzo-sopranoComposer: Peter EötvösEdition: single sheetSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: mezzo-sopranoProduct number: ED 23006Product TypeIn stockAs low as €3.99Incl. Tax -
Four fragmentsComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialInstrumentation: Mezzosoprano, tenor, narrator, choir and orchestraLanguage: deutsch, englisch
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In stock€18.50Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
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for girl's choir (SSMezAA) a cappellaComposer: Peter EötvösEdition: choral scoreInstrumentation: girl's choir (SSMezAA) a cappellaProduct number: SKR 20077Product TypeIn stockAs low as €5.99Incl. Tax
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for horn and string orchestraComposer: Peter EötvösEdition: KlavierauszugSeries: Edition Schott
Il Corno
Instrumentation: horn and string orchestraProduct number: COR 29Product TypeIn stockAs low as €27.99Incl. Tax -
für Horn und StreichorchesterComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialInstrumentation: horn and string orchestra
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Der Komponist und Dirigent Peter EötvösIn stock€11.99Incl. Tax
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Der Komponist und Dirigent Peter EötvösComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: BookSeries: New Magazine for Music Edition
Language: deutschProduct number: NZ 5009In stock€19.50Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping -
für gemischten Chor und OrchesterComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialInstrumentation: mixed choir and orchestraLanguage: artificial language
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for trumpet and orchestraComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialInstrumentation: Trumpet and Orchestra
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Opéra en dix tableauxComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialLanguage: French
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for saxophone quartetComposer: Peter EötvösEdition: score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: 4 saxophones (SATBar)Product number: ED 22402Product TypeIn stockAs low as €33.99Incl. Tax -
für 2 Klarinetten (in B und A), Streicher und AkkordeonComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialInstrumentation: 2 clarinets solo (in Bb and A), accordion and string orchestra
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for piano four handsComposer: Peter EötvösEdition: single sheetSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: piano (4 hands)Product number: ED 23145Product TypeIn stockAs low as €21.99Incl. Tax -
Opera in two partsComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialLanguage: Latin, Spanish, yoruba, englisch
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Orchestra/ensemble: Ensemble MusikfabrikConductor: Peter EötvösChoir: Neue Vocalsolisten StuttgartMedia Type: CDProduct number: WER 65822In stock€16.50Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
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for piccolo (doubling alto flute), violoncello and pianoComposer: Peter EötvösEdition: score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: piccolo (also alto-flute), cello and pianoProduct number: ED 22560Product TypeIn stockAs low as €10.99Incl. Tax -
for organ, hammond organ and orchestraComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialInstrumentation: organ, hammond organ and orchestra
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In stock€12.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
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for violin solo (in scordatura)Product TypeIn stockAs low as €4.99Incl. Tax
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Oper in 12 BildernComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialLanguage: deutsch
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für einen improvisierenden Solisten (Saxophon oder Posaune oder Klarinette oder Tárogató) und BigbandComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialInstrumentation: soloist (saxophone, trombone, clarinet, Tárogató) and Bigband
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Gespräche, Monologe und andere UmwegeAuthor: Peter EötvösMedia Type: BookSeries: New Magazine for Music Edition
Language: deutschProduct number: NZ 5042In stock€36.50Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping -
for orchestraComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: performance materialInstrumentation: orchestra
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of Works Published by SchottComposer: Peter EötvösMedia Type: Promotional materialLanguage: deutsch, englischProduct number: KAT 137-99In stock€0.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping