Gottfried von Einem

1918 – Gottfried von Einem was born on 24th January 1918 in Bern, son of the Austrian military attaché William von Einem and Gerta Louise, from the house Baron Rieß von Scheurnschloß. (His biological father was Graf Laszlo Hunyady.)

1922 – Move to Malente in Schleswig-Holstein.

1928–1937 – attends secondary school in Plön and Ratzeburg. Matriculation in Germany and then in Austria by passing additional exams.

1937 – military service in Vienna – dismissed after 14 days due to incapacity. Répétiteur at the Berlin Opera.

1938 – Assistant under Heinz Tietjens at the Bayreuth Festival.

Ab 1941 – studies composition with Boris Blacher who becomes a close friend of Einem. He writes some libretti for Einem’s operas.

1942/43 – Ballet Princess Turandot op. 1 (world premiere 1944).

1943 – World premiere of Capriccio for Orchestra op. 2.

1944 – Musical advisor at the Dresdner State Opera. World premiere of Concerto for Orchestra op. 4.

1945 – Spends some time in Ramsau near Schladming where after the war he is appointed local police commander by the American occupation troops. Einem soon steps down from this function. Short composition studies with Johann Nepomuk David in Salzburg.

1946 – Marries Lianne von Bismarck. Advisory function for the board of directors of the Salzburg Festival and the Wiener Konzerthausgesellschaft.

1947 – The great success of the world premiere of the opera Dantons Tod op. 6 at the Salzburg Festival makes Einem one of the most popular and renowned composers of the present. The stage setting of the opera is for the first time designed by Caspar Neher who becomes a close friend of Einem.

1948 – Birth of his son Caspar. World premiere of Orchestra music op. 9.

1948–1951 – Member of the Salzburg board of directors. He is excluded because of his commitment for Bertolt Brecht and is accused of having communist ideas.

1950 – World premiere of Serenade für doppeltes Streichorchester op. 10.

1951 – World premiere of Hymnus op. 12 for alto, choir and orchestra.

1952 – Composes the ballets Das Rondo vom goldenen Kalb and Pas de Coeur. Opera Der Prozeß which is premiered at the Salzburg Festival in 1953.

1953 – Move to Vienna.

1954 – Composes the ballet Glück, Tod und Traum.

1957 – Composes the ballet Medusa. Symphonische Szenen für Orchester.

1958 – Music Prize of the City of Vienna.

1959 – Tanz-Rondo für Orchester.

Ab 1960 – Member of the board of directors of Wiener Festwochen. Nachtstück für Orchester.

1962 – His wife Lianne dies.

1963–1972 – Professor of composition at the Vienna Conservatory. Like his teacher Blacher, Einem focuses on getting a good command of the traditional counterpoint.

1964 – World premiere of the opera Der Zerrissene op. 31. Because of negative press reviews the work is taken from the programme after only three performances.

1965–1970 – President of AKM.

1966 – Marries Lotte Ingrisch.

1969 – Co-founder of the Carinthischen Sommers in Ossiach and becomes its most frequently performed contemporary Austria composer.

1971 – World premiere of the opera Besuch der alten Dame op. 35.

Ab 1973 – The couple spends much time at the manor in Rindlberg in Waldviertel where he composes Waldviertler Lieder op. 71 (1983).

1974 – Bruckner-Dialog op. 39.

1975 – World premiere of the cantata An die Nachgeborenen op. 42.

1976 – World premiere of the opera Kabale und Liebe op. 44, the libretto of which is for the first time written by Einem’s wife Lotte Ingrisch.

1980 – World premiere of the mystery opera Jesu Hochzeit op. 52, which turns into a theatre scandal.

1983 – Münchner Symphonie op. 70.

1984 – Completes the last opera Der Tulifant op. 75, world premiere in 1990.

1995 – Publishes his memoires Ich hab´ unendlich viel erlebt.

1996 – Gottfried von Einem dies on 12th July 1996 in Oberdürnbach in Lower Austria.