Nikos Skalkottas
Born: March 21, 1904; Halkis
Died: September 20, 1949; Athens, Greece
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Nikolaos Skalkottas is easily among the most important Greek composers from the first half of the twentieth century. Extremely talented from his early childhood, he mostly wrote serial and atonal music in his mature compositions and remained an almost totally unknown figure in his homeland and abroad throughout his short lifetime. His music eventually attracted some attention after his death, but still remains largely neglected.
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Works
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(O) gero dimos (The Old City), AK37a (1)
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Berceuse (1)
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Bolero for Cello and Piano, A/K 63 (2)
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Characteristic Piece for Xylophone and Orchestra "Nocturnal Amusement" (1)
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Concertino for 2 Pianos, A/K 20 (1)
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Concertino for Oboe and Piano, A/K 28 (5)
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Concertino for Trumpet and Piano, A/K 68 (2)
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Concerto for 2 Violins, A/K 24 (2)
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Concerto for Double Bass, A/K 27 (1)
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Concerto for Piano no 1, A/K 16 (1)
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Concerto for Piano no 2, A/K 17 (1)
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Concerto for Piano no 3, A/K 18 (1)
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Concerto for Violin, A/K 22 (2)
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Der Marsch der kleinen Soldaten, A/K 53 (1)
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Duets (4) for Violin and Cello (1)
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Duo for Violin and Cello (1)
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Duo for Violin and Viola (2)
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Duo for Violin and Viola, A/K 44 (1)
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Echo (2)
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Etudes (4) for Piano, A/K 75 (1)
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Gavotte for Violin and Piano, A/K 57 (1)
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Greek Dance in C minor (1)
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Greek Dances (36), A/K 11 (1)
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Greek Dances (36), A/K 11: Arcadian Dance (3)
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Greek Dances (36), A/K 11: Chiot Dance "A ship from Chios" (1)
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Greek Dances (36), A/K 11: Cretan Dance I (3)
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Greek Dances (36), A/K 11: Epirot Dance I (3)
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Greek Dances (36), A/K 11: Excerpt(s) (2)
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Greek Dances (36), A/K 11: Klephtic Dance I (1)
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Greek Dances (36), A/K 11: Klephtic Dance II (1)
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Greek Dances (36), A/K 11: Klephtic Dance III (1)
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Greek Dances (36), A/K 11: Macedonian III (1)
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Greek Dances (36), A/K 11: Mariori mou (1)
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Greek Dances (36), A/K 11: Thessalikos (1)
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Greek Dances (36), A/K 11: Tsamikos Dance "An eagle" (3)
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Greek Dances (36), A/K 11: Tsamikos Dance II "Down at the large plain" (1)
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Greek Dances (9) Suite, for military band, A/K 11a: Enas Aitos (1)
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Greek Dances (9) Suite, for military band, A/K 11a: Epirotikos (1)
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Greek Dances (9) Suite, for military band, A/K 11a: Kalamatianos (1)
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Greek Dances (9) Suite, for military band, A/K 11a: Kritikos (1)
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Greek Dances (9) Suite, for military band, A/K 11a: Makedonikos (1)
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Greek Dances (9) Suite, for military band, A/K 11a: Pedia ke Pios to Petaxe (1)
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Greek Dances (9) Suite, for military band, A/K 11a: Peloponnisiakus (1)
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Greek Dances (9) Suite, for military band, A/K 11a: Sifneikos (1)
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Greek Folksongs (3) for Violin and Piano (1)
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Island Images (1)
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Kleiner Choral und Fuge for Violin and Piano, A/K 56 (1)
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Largo for Cello and Piano, A/K 66 (2)
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Little Serenade for Cello and Piano, A/K 64 (1)
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Little Serenade, AK64 (1)
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Little Suite for Strings, A/K 7 (1)
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Little Suite no 1 for Violin and Piano (1)
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Little Suite no 2 for Violin and Piano (1)
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Little Variations (15) for Piano, A/K 75c (3)
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Musical Sketches (10) for Strings, A/K 8 (2)
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Nachtstück for Violin and Piano, A/K 55 (1)
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Octet for Wind Quartet and String Quartet, A/K 30 (3)
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Overture Concertante (1)
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Pieces (32) for Piano (1)
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Pieces (32) for Piano, A/K 70 (1)
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Pieces (32) for Piano: no 20, Berceuse (1)
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Procession to Acheron (1)
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Quartet for Oboe, Bassoon, Trumpet and Piano no 1, A/K 40 (1)
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Quartet for Strings no 1, A/K 32 (1)
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Quartet for Strings no 3, A/K 34 (2)
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Quartet for Strings no 4 (1)
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Rondo for Violin and Piano, A/K 54 (1)
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Scherzo and Menuetto cantato for Violin and Piano, A/K 58 (1)
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Scherzo for 4 Instruments (1)
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Small Dance Suite, A/K 13 (2)
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Sonata Concertante for Bassoon and Piano, A/K 67 (1)
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Sonata for Violin solo, A/K 69 (4)
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Sonata no 2 for Violin and Piano (1)
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Sonatina for Cello and Piano, A/K 62 (1)
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Sonatina for Cello, A/K 62 (1)
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Sonatina for Piano, A/K 75b (1)
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Sonatina for Violin and Piano no 1, A/K 46 (1)
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Sonatina for Violin and Piano no 2, A/K 47 (1)
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Sonatina for Violin and Piano no 3, A/K 48 (2)
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Sonatina for Violin and Piano no 4, A/K 49 (2)
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Sonatina for Violin and Piano No. 3, AK48 (1)
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Songs (16) for Mezzo Soprano and Piano, A/K 80 (1)
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Suite for Orchestra no 2, A/K 4: 5th movement, Tema con variazioni (1)
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Suite for Orchestra no 2, A/K 4: Largo sinfonico (2)
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Suite for Piano no 3, A/K 73 (1)
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Suite for Piano no 3, A/K 73: no 3, Marcia funebra (1)
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Suite for Piano no 3: no 2, Theme with Variations (1)
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Suite No. 1, AK71 (1)
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Ta Pagana, A/K 15a (1)
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Tender Melody, AK65 (1)
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The Land and the Sea of Greece (1)
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The Maiden and Death, A/K 12: Suite (2)
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The Return of Ulysses, A/K 5 (1)
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The Sea, A/K 14 (1)
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Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello (1)
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Trio for Strings no 2, A/K 41 (1)
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Variations (8) for Piano and Strings on a Greek Folk Tune, A/K 43 (4)
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Zarte Melody, A/K 65 (1)
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Biography |
by Robert Cummings
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Nikolaos Skalkottas is easily among the most important Greek composers from the first half of the twentieth century. Extremely talented from his early childhood, he mostly wrote serial and atonal music in his mature compositions and remained an almost totally unknown figure in his homeland and abroad throughout his short lifetime. His music eventually attracted some attention after his death, but still remains largely neglected.
Skalkottas' family moved to Athens when he was two, and at age five the precocious Nikolaos began studies on the violin with his father and uncle, both good amateur musicians. He entered the Athens Conservatory in 1914 and graduated six years later as a virtuoso violinist, but with relatively little knowledge of composition. In 1921, he enrolled on a scholarship at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik, where he furthered his studies on the violin with Willy Hess and also began instruction in composition. He befriended Dimitri Mitropoulos, then also a student there, who may have encouraged his interest in the more modern methods of composition. Despite his successes on the violin -- Skalkottas had already given many stunning concerts, not least his rendition of the Beethoven violin concerto at his 1920 graduation from the Athens Conservatory -- he decided to shift his focus to composition in 1925. He began studying that year with Philipp Jarnach, having already written several atonal compositions, including a string quartet and string trio, the scores to which are both lost. Skalkottas did not abandon the violin during this period; indeed, he earned money playing in cafés and small ensembles to support his studies. He also received funds from a Greek patron, Manolis Benakis, until 1931, when a disagreement between the two erupted. In 1926, still under Jarnach's tutelage, Skalkottas also began studying orchestration with Kurt Weill. He concluded his work with both the following year, when he enrolled at the Preussische Akademie der Künsts to commence studies with Arnold Schoenberg, who would have the most profound influence on the young composer. Skalkottas had an affair with a violin student while at the Hochshcule, Matla Temko, who gave birth to a daughter. Finances became an increasing problem for the young composer, and Skalkottas finished his studies with Schoenberg in 1932. He returned to Athens the following year, having written a number of works, both tonal and atonal, including his Piano Concerto No. 1 (1931-1932). Skalkottas suffered from nervous problems after he returned to Greece and increasingly exhibited a withdrawn, melancholic personality. His works were roundly rejected by critics and public alike and in 1934, he had to turn once more to his violin to earn a living. He played in various Athens orchestras, including the Greek Radio Symphony Orchestra. After writing little music for two years, he also returned to composing in 1934, but now did so in private. Skalkottas remained in Athens during the war, once getting arrested by the occupying Nazi forces on suspicion of resistance activity. Skalkottas married in 1946 and his wife gave birth to two children, the second of which was born on the day after the composer's premature death from a strangulated hernia on September 20, 1949. Following his death, Iohannes Papaioannou, Hans Keller, conductors Walter Goehr and Hermann Scherchen, and several other musicians began promoting Skalkottas' compositions, finally bringing recognition and a measure of fame to the neglected composer. |
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