Ernst Levy facts for kids

Ernst Levy (born November 18, 1895 – died April 19, 1981) was a very talented Swiss musician. He was a musicologist (someone who studies music history and theory), a composer (who writes music), a pianist (who plays the piano), and a conductor (who leads an orchestra).

Ernst Levy's Life and Music

Ernst Levy was born in Basel, Switzerland. He learned music from famous teachers like Egon Petri.

People who knew him said he was an "unusual and powerful pianist." He made recordings of difficult piano pieces by Beethoven and Liszt.

Teaching and Travel

Levy also worked as a music teacher. He moved to the United States and taught at several colleges. These included the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Chicago, and the New England Conservatory. He even became a citizen of the United States.

In 1966, he stopped teaching and moved back to his home country, Switzerland. He lived there for the rest of his life and passed away in Morges.

His Ideas on Music

Ernst Levy wrote a book called A Theory of Harmony. It was published in 1985. In this book, he shared his ideas about how music works. He talked about "undertones," which are special sounds that are part of a musical note.

Ernst Levy's son, Frank Ezra Levy (1930–2017), also became a composer and played the cello.

Selected Compositions

Ernst Levy wrote many different kinds of music. Here are some examples of his works:

Music for Orchestra

He composed many pieces for a full orchestra, which is a large group of musicians playing different instruments. He wrote 15 symphonies, which are long musical pieces usually with several movements.

• Symphony No. 2 in D major (1922)
• Symphony No. 10 "France" (1944)
• Symphony No. 15 (1968)

Music for Solo Instrument and Orchestra

He also wrote concertos, which are pieces for a solo instrument playing with an orchestra.

• Concerto for cello and orchestra (1947)

Chamber Music

Chamber music is written for a small group of instruments, usually one player per part. Levy wrote many pieces for different combinations of instruments.

• String Quartet No. 1 (1919)
• Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano (1932)
• Sonata for cello and piano (1953)
• Trio for clarinet, cello and piano (1963)
• Concerto sur "Auprès de ma blonde" for trumpet and piano (1975)

Keyboard Music

Levy composed many pieces for keyboard instruments like the piano and harpsichord.

• Fantaisie symphonique for harpsichord (1939)
• Meditation on a Hebrew Raga for organ (1961)
• Piano Sonata No. 1 (1973)
• Piano Sonata No. 7 (1981)

Vocal Music

He also wrote music for singers, sometimes with an orchestra or other instruments.

• Gaudeamus, a cantata for mixed chorus, wind orchestra and timpani (1964)
• Li T'ai Po's Answer for tenor, string orchestra and flute (1979)
• Eins und Alles for baritone and string orchestra (1980); with words by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe