Walter Courvoisier

Walter Courvoisier (7 February 1875 – 27 December 1931) was a Swiss composer.

Life
Born in Riehen, Courvoisier was a son of the surgeon Ludwig Georg Courvoisier. He initially studied medicine and worked as a doctor after obtaining his doctorate. In 1902 he went to Munich to study music. He was a student of Selmar Bagge and Ludwig Thuille - whose son-in-law he became - and then taught at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, first music theory, and later music composition.

Courvoisier died in Locarno at the age of 66.

Operas

 * Lanzelot und Elaine, musical drama in four acts; libretto: Berta Thiersch, pseudonym "Walter Bergh" (1910–12, first performance Munich 1917)
 * Die Krähen (The Crows), comedy in one act; libretto: Alois Wohlmuth (1919/20, first performance Munich 1920)
 * Der Sünde Zauberei (The Sin of Magic), opera in one prelude and two scenes; libretto: Joseph von Eichendorff after Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1929, unperformed) online

Vocal works

 * The Muse, for baritone and orchestra op. 4; after Heinrich Leuthold (1903)
 * Gruppe aus dem Tartarus, ballad for mixed choir and orchestra Op. 5; after Friedrich Schiller (1904)
 * Der Dinurstrom, ballad for mixed choir and orchestra op. 11; after Wilhelm Hertz (1906)
 * Das Schlachtschiff Téméraire (1796), Ballad for male chorus and orchestra Op. 12; after Detlev von Liliencron (1906)
 * Auferstehung (former title: Totenfeier), Cantata for four soloists, mixed choir and orchestra op. 26; after words of the Bible, arranged by Alfred Bertholet (1915)
 * Three Choirs a cappella Op. 33; after Joseph von Eichendorff (1931)
 * Five Songs for mixed choir a cappella Op. 34 (1931)

Lieder with piano accompaniment

 * Sechs Lieder für tiefe Stimme op. 1 (1903)
 * Sieben Lieder op. 2 (1903)
 * Acht Gedichte von Anna Ritter op. 3 (1903)
 * Sechs Lieder op. 6 (1904)
 * Fünf Lieder für tiefe Stimme op. 7 (1904)
 * Sieben Gedichte von Peter Cornelius op. 8 (1905)
 * Sechs Gedichte von Theodor Storm op. 9 (1905)
 * Zwei Gedichte von Theodor Storm, Vier Gedichte von Klaus Groth op. 13 (1906)
 * Fünf Gedichte von Wilhelm Hertz op. 14 (1903/04)
 * Drei Gedichte von Emanuel Geibel op. 15 (1906)
 * Fünf Gedichte von Friedrich Hebbel op. 16 (1907/08)
 * Fünf Gedichte von Peter Cornelius op. 17 (1908)
 * Zwei Sonette von Michelangelo und altitalienisches Sonett op. 18 (1906/08)
 * Sieben Gedichte von Emanuel Geibel op. 19 (1906/08)
 * Sieben alte deutsche Gedichte op. 23 (1909/10)
 * Gedichte von Hermann Hesse op. 24 (1917, then 1929)
 * Geistliche Lieder in fünf Bänden op. 27 (1917–1919)
 * Kleine Lieder zu Kinderreimen in four volumes op. 28 (1916–1919)
 * Lieder auf alte Deutsche Gedichte op. 29 (1912/14, 1920–1925)

Instrumental works
Sonatina for piano Op.
 * Piano Trio Op. (1902)
 * Symphonic Prologue to Carl Spitteler's Olympic Spring for Orchestra Op. 10 (1905)
 * Passacaglia and Fugue in B flat minor for piano op. 20 (1908/09)
 * Variations and Fugue on a separate theme in E flat major for piano Op. 21 (1909)
 * Variations on an own theme D major for piano Op. 22 (1909)
 * Festival Overture for Orchestra (1920s)
 * Six Suites for violin solo Op. 31 (1921/22)
 * Slow movement for string quartet Op. (1921/22)

Students

 * Dora Pejačević (1885–1923), composer
 * Max Butting (1888–1976), composer
 * Gerhart von Westerman (1894–1963), composer
 * Robert Gerhard (1896–1970), composer
 * Paul Ben-Haim (1897–1984), composer, conductor
 * Albert Moeschinger (1897–1985)
 * Walter Simon Huber (1898–1978), music teacher, organist and choir director
 * Willy Burkhard (1900–1955), composer
 * Hermann Reutter (1900–1985), composer, pianist
 * Franz Rupp (1901–1992), pianist and accompanist
 * Hans Haug (1900–1967), composer, conductor, pianist
 * Heinrich Sutermeister (1910–1995), composer