Carmen Petra Basacopol facts for kids

Carmen Petra Basacopol (born September 5, 1926 – died October 15, 2023) was a talented Romanian composer and music teacher. She created many different kinds of music and taught students for a long time.

About Her Life

Carmen Petra Basacopol was born in Sibiu, Romania, on September 5, 1926. She loved music from a young age. She studied at the Bucharest Conservatory of Music from 1949 to 1956. There, she learned about music theory, composition, harmony, and how to analyze music. She had many famous teachers who helped her become a great musician.

Later, she also took special classes in Darmstadt in 1968. These classes focused on improvisation, which is making up music on the spot.

Carmen Petra Basacopol earned her PhD degree from the Sorbonne University in Paris, France. This is a very famous university.

She started teaching at the National University of Music Bucharest in 1962. She became a lecturer and then a full teacher, teaching musical analysis and harmony until 2003. She also taught music in Rabat, Morocco, for a few years.

Petra Basacopol traveled to many countries, like France and Angola, to give talks and share her musical knowledge. Her music was played all over the world, and she won many awards for her work.

Carmen Petra Basacopol passed away on October 15, 2023, when she was 97 years old.

Awards She Won

Carmen Petra Basacopol received many honors during her life. Some of her awards include:

• The 4th place in an International Contest in Bucharest (1953).
• An award at the International Youth Contest in Warsaw (1955).
• The Meritul Cultural Order (a special award for cultural achievements) in 1969 and again in 2004.
• Several awards from The Composers Union (in 1974, 1979, 1999, and 2003).
• The Romanian Composers Academy Award (1980).

She was also a judge for the Harp Contest in Jerusalem in 1979.

Her Writings

Besides composing, Carmen Petra Basacopol also wrote about music. She published many articles and studies in music magazines like Muzica. She also wrote a book called L'originalité de la musique roumaine (which means "The Originality of Romanian Music"). This book explored how Romanian music is special, especially in chamber and stage works by other famous composers.

Her Musical Works

Carmen Petra Basacopol composed over 80 musical pieces. She wrote music for orchestras, operas, ballets, and smaller groups of instruments (called chamber ensembles). She also wrote for specific instruments like the harp and piano, and for singers. She often used ideas and instruments from traditional Romanian folk music in her compositions.

Music for Theatre

She wrote several ballets and operas. Ballets are stories told through dance, and operas are plays where the words are sung.

• 1970 – Fata și masca (The Girl and the Mask), a ballet.
• 1980 – Miorița, a ballet based on a famous Romanian folk ballad.
• 1983 – Inimă de copil (Child's Heart), an opera especially for children.
• 1986–1987 – Ciuleandra, another ballet.
• 1995–1996 – Cei șapte corbi (The Seven Ravens), a ballet for children.

Vocal and Orchestra Music

These are pieces for singers and a full orchestra.

• 1966 – Moartea căprioarei (The Death of the Doe), a ballad for orchestra and a solo baritone singer.
• 1967 – Un cântec despre jertfe mari și despre lumină (A Song About Great Sacrifices and Light), a cantata.

Orchestra Music

She wrote many pieces for a full orchestra.

• 1956 – Symphony op. 6.
• 1961 – Piano and orchestra concert.
• 1975 – Harp, strings orchestra and timpani concert.
• 1982 – Cello and orchestra concert.

Chamber Music

Chamber music is written for a small group of instruments, often played in a smaller room or "chamber."

• 1950 – Flute and piano suite.
• 1952 – Cello and piano sonata.
• 1961 – Sonata for flute and harp.
• 1974 – Trio for flute, clarinet and bassoon.
• 1979 – Variations on a Macedonian-Romanian theme for harp and cello.
• 1991 – Ecouri (Echoes) for two harps.
• 1992 – Entertainment for wind quintet.
• 1996 – Songs of Exile; seven songs for soprano and piano.
• 2000 – Dramatic Sonata for cello and piano.

Choral Music

These are pieces written for a choir (a group of singers).

• 1960 – Fetelor, surorilor (Girls, Sisters), for female choir.
• 1979 – Seasons, for a children's choir with two voices.
• 1992 – Psalmii (Psalms) for a mixed choir.

Instrumental Music

These are pieces for a single instrument.

• 1949 – Rondo for piano.
• 1958 – Solo harp suite.
• 1992 – The jungle book; seven pieces for children and for solo harp.
• 1993 – Mica sirenă (The Little Mermaid) for solo harp.

Recordings

You can find Carmen Petra Basacopol's music on several recordings. These include:

• A recording with her Sonata for flute and harp.
• A concert for harp and orchestra.
• A concert for cello and orchestra, and her ballet Ciuleandra.