Grové, Stefans

 

b. Bethlehem, 23 June 1922

 

South African composer and teacher. Grové was born in Bethlehem in the Orange Free State. He grew up in Bloemfontein, receiving his first music tuition from his mother, herself a music teacher. He learnt the piano, organ and flute, receiving lessons for the former two from his uncle, the well-known South African musician D. J. Roode. Grové enrolled at the South African College of Music in Cape Town in 1945, where he numbered William Henry Bell, Cameron Taylor and Erik Chisholm amongst his teachers. From 1950 to 1952 he worked as an accompanist for the South African Broadcasting Corporation in Cape Town and wrote occasional reviews for the leading Afrikaans newspaper Die Burger. In 1953, he became the first South African to be awarded a Fullbright Scholarship. He accordingly moved to the USA, where he studied at Harvard University and the Longy Music School. In America, Grové was taught by Walton Piston and, after winning the Margaret Croft  Scholarship, by Aaron Copland at Tanglewood. In 1957 Grové was appointed to a lectureship in music theory and composition at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, where he remained, with occasional interruptions, until 1972. He then returned to South Africa, and was appointed to the staff of the University of Pretoria, where he is today Composer-in-Residence. His students have included Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph, Alexander Johnson and Herman Jordaan. 

 

Grové’s early works betray the influence of the Neo-Classicism of the Hindemith School, though his music is always distinguished by a fine ear for colour. In 1983, he began incorporating specifically ‘African’ elements into his music, his first work in this vein being the Violin Sonata on African Motives; Grové was in fact one of the very first composers to engage in a serious creative exploration of indigenous African music, removed from the realm of mere ‘couleur locale’. He is also one of the most prominent writers on music to have emerged from South Africa, working for many years as concert and record reviewer of leading newspapers – the bibliography of his writings includes over a thousand titles. He is also an acknowledged author of fiction, having published many short stories.

 

WORK LIST: 

 

Opera: 

 

Die bose wind (Stefans Grové), opera in three acts, 1983

 

Ballet: 

 

Ballet suite, 1944 

 

Alice in Wonderland, based on Lewis Carroll, Baltimore 1960 

 

Waratha, 1977 

 

Pinocchio, ballet for children, 3 acts, 1988 

 

Incidental Music: 

Uit die dagboek van ’n soldaat (N.P. van Wyk Louw), 1963 

 

Orchestral works: 

 

Elegy, for string orchestra, 1948 

 

Overture, 1953 

 

Konsertante simfonie, for chamber orchestra, 1955 

 

Symphony 1962 

 

Partita, 1962 

 

Kettingrye (Chain Rows), 1978 

 

Vladimir’s Round Table. Study in the Russian Style, 1982 

 

Statement for future elaboration, 1983 

 

Dance Rhapsody: Cosmopolitan City, 1985 

 

Concertato Overture: Five Salutations on Two Zulu Themes, 1986 

 

Overture Itubi – a Festive Dance, 1992 

 

Invocation from the Hills and Dances in the Plains, 1994 

 

Concertos: 

 

Sinfonia concertante, 1955 

 

Concerto for violin and orchestra, 1959 

 

Daarstelling, for flute, harpsichord and strings, 1972 

 

Concerto Grosso, for violin, cello, piano and string orchestra, 1974 

 

Maya, concerto grosso for violin, piano and string orchestra, 1978 

 

Suite Concertato. Homage to Bach, Handel and Scarlatti, for harpsichord and string orchestra, 1985 

 

Raka: Symphonic Poem in the Form of a Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, after N. P. van Wyk Louw’s Raka, 1995-6 

 

Concertino for piano, trumpet, marimba, flute and strings, 2003 

 

Brass or Wind Ensemble: 

 

Tower Music for brass ensemble, 1954 

 

Suite Juventuti, for winds and percussion, 1986

 

Chamber Music: 

 

String Quartet in D Major, 1946 

 

Czardas, for violin and piano, 1945 

 

String Trio, 1947 

 

Sonata for clarinet and piano, 1949 

 

Duo for violin and cello, 1950 

 

Duo for viola and cello, 1950 (arr. of the Duo for violin and cello) 

 

Trio, for oboe, clarinet and bassoon, 1951 

 

Trio for violin, cello and piano, 1951 

 

Serenade, for flute, oboe, viola, clarinet and harp, 1952 

 

Trio for oboe, clarinet and bassoon, 1952 

 

Sonata for cello and piano, 1953 

 

Quintet for harp and string quartet, 1954 

 

Divertimento, for recorder trio, 1953 

 

Sonatina for two recorders, 1955 

 

Metamorfose. Humoristiese variasies op ‘Baba Black Sheep’, for recorder trio, 1955 

 

Sonata for flute and piano, 1955 

 

String quartet, 1955 

 

Divertimento, for flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon, 1955 

 

Two Movements for string quartet, 1958 

 

Sonatine, for recorders, 1960 

 

Three pieces for harp, 1974 

 

The night of 3 April, for flute and harpsichord, 1975 

 

Portret van ’n meisie, for clarinet and guitar, 1975 

 

For a winter’s day, phantasy for bassoon and piano, 1977 

 

Scaramouche, for bassoon solo, 1978 

 

Tribal Dance, for bassoon and piano, 1981 

 

Conversation for three, for oboe/cor anglais, clarinet/bass clarinet, percussion, 1978 

 

Cyclops, for double bass and piano, 1980 

 

Symphonia quattuor cordis, for violin solo, 1981 

 

Herderslied, for oboe and piano, 1981 

 

Aubade, for trumpet and piano, 1981 

 

Koraal, for flute and piano, 1981 

 

Chloe, for oboe and piano, 1981 

 

Fanfare,for trumpet and piano, 1981 

 

Bose kabouter, for clarinet and piano, 1981 

 

Mirror on the Wall, for clarinet and piano, 1981 

 

Swaaieande takke, for flute and piano, 1981 

 

Hartseerlied, for clarinet and piano, 1981 

 

Kronkelsleepsels in die sand, for clarinet and piano, 1981 

 

Akwarel tweekeer besigtigk for double bass and piano, 1983 

 

Concerto senza orchestra, for six cellos, 1984 

 

Gesprek vir drie, for oboe/cor anglais, clarinet/bass clarinet and percussion (Orff instruments, glock, 3 bongos, cassa roulante), undated 

 

Quintet for harp, flute, clarinet, violin and viola, 1986 

 

Sextet for Cellos, 1986 

 

Sonata on African Motives, for violin and piano, 1984 

 

Pan and the Nightingale, for flute solo, 198? 

 

City Serenade, for flute, clarinet, viola, cello and harp, 1985 

 

Trio, for violin, horn and piano, 1988 

 

Jeux de timbres, for harp, celeste and percussion (timpani, claves, gong, crotales, tamt, marimba), 1992 

 

String Quartet: Song of the African Spirits, 1993 

 

Sonata for Viola and Piano, 1994 

 

Soul Bird, for flute, cello and piano, 1998 

 

Portrait of a Clarinet Dancer, for clarinet solo, 1999 

 

Organ Works: 

 

Ritual, a fantasy for organ with four manuals, 1969 

 

Chorale Prelude on Psalm 42, 1974 

 

Rhapsodic Toccata, 1974 

 

Afrika Hymnus I, 1991-3 

 

Afrika Hymnus II, 1997 

 

Piano Music: 

 

Four Piano Pieces, 1945 

 

Six mood pictures, pre-1947 

 

Three Inventions, 1951 

 

Three piano pieces, 1965 

 

Toccata and Rhapsody, 1965 

 

An experience in musical styles, for piano / harpsichord, ca 1970 

 

Four piano pieces, 1975 

 

Seven graded piano pieces for the youth, 1975 

 

Sad Song 

 

Cock Fighting 

 

Night Music from a Far-Eastern Country, 1981 

 

Bondige tokkate, 1981 

 

Die klokke, for piano duet, 1981 

 

Windklokkies in die nag, for piano duet, 1984 

 

Wals van die Olifantjie, for piano duet, 1981 

 

Songs and Dances of Africa, 1991-2 

 

Blue Dream Valley, 1992 

 

Jewish Folksongs, 1993 

 

Nonyana, the Ceremonial Dancer, 1994 

 

Images from Africa, 1998-9 

 

Masks for two pianos, 1999 

 

Cadenzas: 

 

Cadenzas for Mozart’s Piano Concerto in E Flat, K 482

 

Choral Works:

 

2 Carols from Musica Britannica, 1974 

 

Kaapse draaie (D. J. Opperman), for choir (SATB), guitar, piano, marimba, flute, clarinet and xylophone, 1974 

 

Garden (Louis Eksteen), for female chorus (SSA), flute and viola, 1974 

 

Landloper (Louis Eksteen), for female chorus (SSA), 1975 

 

Lied van die Transvaal (F. J. Pretorius), for double choir (SSAATTBB), pianoforte duet, two trumpets and three timpani, 1975 

 

Symphony, for three-part choir and orchestra, 1975 (unfinished) 

 

Music for Easter, for Choir, organ, flute, strings and Orff instruments, 1977 

 

Advent Music for choir, recorder and Orff instruments, 1977 

 

Gesange 133 & 135, by H.L. Hassler, arr. Stefans Grové, 1983 

 

Himmelskönig sei willkommen, for chorus (SATB), 2 trumpets and organ, 1982 

 

Omnis caterva fidelium, for children’s chorus (SSA) and piano, 1985 

 

Concerto burlesco: Gaudeamus igitur: Grepe uit die lewe van ’n eerstejaar (Stefans Grové), for narrator, chorus (SATB) and orchestra, 1992 

 

Psalm 150 in Southern Sotho, for double choir (SATB / SATB), strings and percussion, 1996 

 

Psalm 138, for children’s chorus (SA), chorus (SATB), African drums (two players), marimba and string orchestra, 2002 

 

Solo Vocal Music: 

Drie liedere, before 1945: 1. Dis al, (J. F. E. Celliers); 2. Berusting (Toon van den Heever); 3. Weeklag (Anon.) 

 

Cantata profana (Stefans Grové), for two voices, flute, oboe, harpsichord and cello, 1959 

 

Psalm 74, for mezzo-soprano, flute and harp, 1974 

 

Three Japanese Songs, for mezzo-soprano and guitar, 1974 

 

Five songs (Anon.: Old Chinese poems), for mezzo-soprano and guitar, 1975 

 

Psalm 54, for mezzo-soprano, flute and harp, 1974 

 

Light over Judea (Louis Eksteen), for mezzo-soprano and a melody instrument, 1975 

 

Fulgebunt justi, for mezzo-soprano, alto flute and guitar, 1975 

 

Vyf liedere op tekste van Ingrid Jonker, for soprano and piano, 1981 

 

Bid (Petra Muller), for soprano and piano, 1988 

 

Halfpad (Petra Muller), for soprano and piano, 1988 

 

Daar waar jy woon (Petra Muller), for soprano and piano, 1988 

 

7 Boesman-liedere, for soprano, string quartet and piano, 1990 

 

Zulu Horizons (Benedict Vilakazi), four songs for voice and orchestra, 1992

 

Links:

 

ISAM

 

Geredigeerde onderhoud met Stefans Grové

in La Pat Koffiekroeg by die Universiteit van Pretoria

op 10 Desember 2001 deur Stephanus Muller