KRENEK, ERNST


Meaning of KRENEK, ERNST in English

born Aug. 23, 1900, Vienna, Austria

died Dec. 23, 1991, Palm Springs, Calif., U.S.

Austrian-born U.S. composer.

He studied composition from age 16 with Franz Schreker (1878–1934) and first gained attention with his atonal Second Symphony (1923). After a brief Neoclassical phase, he reestablished his radical credentials with the jazz-influenced satiric opera Johnny Strikes up the Band! (1926), which created a sensation. Intrigued by Arnold Schoenberg 's 12-tone method (see serialism ), he devised his own version

which involved "rotation" of the set's order

for the opera Karl V (1933), the first 12-tone opera. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1937 and taught at several institutions, but his large body of work remained more highly esteemed in Europe.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.