1930 |
Friedrich
Gulda was born on 16 May in Vienna. He was the second
child of Friedrich Johann Gulda (1888-1957) and Marie
Aloysia Gulda, née Súttay (1893-1984). |
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1936
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Attended
primary school on Kolonitzgasse in the third district
of Vienna. |
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1937
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First
piano lessons at the Wiener Volkskonservatorium (or Viennese
Conservatory) in the second district of the city.
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1938
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In
contrast to his elder sister, Hedwig (born in 1928), who
gave up her piano lessons after just one year, Friedrich
Gulda (or Fritz as his parents called him) continued his
lessons and received private instruction from Professor
Felix Pazovsky from this date until 1942. |
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1939 |
First
composition: “Allegretto für Klavier“ |
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1942 |
Completed
the entrance examination for the then “Reichshochschule
für Musik Wien” (or Viennese College for Music).
He was encouraged by Professor Bruno Seidlhofer to study
music theory with Professor Dr Joseph Marx, in addition
to his study of the piano. |
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His
first public performance took place on 20 December during
the second concert of the “Reichshochschule für
Musik Wien“ in the “Brahmssaal” (or
Brahms Auditorium) of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde
(or Society of Music Friends). |
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1944 |
On
24 June, solo performance in Schumann’s Piano Concerto
in A-minor at the final concert in the “Reichshochschule
für Musik Wien“ with the Viennese Symphony
Orchestra in the Große Musikvereinssaal (the Große
Saal or Large Hall is also known as the Golden Hall. It
is situated in the Musikverein, which translated simply
means "music club") in Vienna. |
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1945 |
Marie
Gulda spent the end of the war together with her two children
in Margarethen am Moos (approximately 25 kilometres south-east
of Vienna). For a short time, Friedrich Gulda trained
the local choir and acted as church organist. Friedrich
Gulda (senior) returned to Vienna in September after release
from captivity as a Russian prisoner of war.
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1946 |
Awarded
first prize at the “Internationaler Musikwettbewerb“
(or International Music Competition) in Geneva. |
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On
22 November, solo performance in Beethoven’s 4th
Piano Concerto with the Viennese Symphony Orchestra at
the “Konzert der österreichischen Preisträger
am internationalen Wettbewerb in Genf 1946“ (or
Concert of the Austrian Prize Winners from the International
Music Competition in Geneva 1946) given in the Große
Musikvereinssaal at the Musikverein in Vienna. |
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First
solo concert in the Große Musikvereinssaal took
place on 10 December and included works by Bach, Beethoven,
Schubert, Chopin, Debussy and Prokofiev. |
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1947 |
Premiere
of “Messe in B-Dur“ (or Mass in B-Major) (final
composition for Professor Marx) on 17 April in the parish
church at Simmering in Vienna. |
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Passed
final piano examination on 17 June with distinction. |
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1948 |
The
young pianist performed around 30 concerts which took
him across Europe |
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1949 |
First
tour of South America consisting of 37 concerts, including
performances in Rio de Janeiro, Sào Paolo, Montevideo
and Buenos Aires. |
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1950 |
Debut
at Carnegie Hall in New York on 11 October –
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afterwards,
first impressions of live jazz performance at the New
York “Birdland“ club. |
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Performed
a total of more than 70 concerts. |
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1951 |
Premiere
of “Galgenlieder“ (or Gallows Songs) (original
edition) on 7 April at the Wiener Konzerthaus (or Viennese
Concert House). |
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Debut
at the Salzburger Festspiele (or Salzburg Festival) on
3 August. |
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1952 |
Exceptional
programme during the concert in the Große Musikvereinssaal
on 29 January, including pieces by Bartok, Prokofiev and
Schönberg.
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Jazz
performance at the “Strohkoffer“ in Vienna,
together with Joe Zawinul and Fatty George amongst others. |
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1953 |
Performance
of all 32 piano sonatas by Beethoven in chronological
order in Vienna. |
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Recording
of “Galgenlieder“ at the RAVAG studio in Vienna
in October. |
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Premiere
performance of “Musik für Streichquartett“
(or Music for String Quartet) by the Samohyl Quartet on
30 November in the Mozartsaal (Mozart Hall) of the Viennese
Konzerthaus. |
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At
the beginning of December, Friedrich Gulda played Prokofiev’s
3rd Piano Concerto many times, conducted by Paul Hindemith |
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Debut
performance with the Viennese Philharmonic Orchestra on
14 December (Mozart Concerto in C-Minor KV 491, conducted
by Clemens Kraus). |
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1954 |
Led
his first master class at the "Internationale Sommerakademie
Mozarteum" (or Mozarteum International Summer Academy)
in Salzburg. |
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Martha
Argerich travelled to Vienna to take private lessons with
Friedrich Gulda. |
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1955 |
Foundation
of the “Klassisches Gulda Orchester“ (or Classical
Gulda Orchestra). |
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Made
first recordings of his own jazz compositions and arrangements
at the RAVAG studio in Vienna. |
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Opening
of “Fatty´s Saloon“ – focal point
of the Viennese jazz scene and at the same time, one of
the largest jazz establishments in Europe. |
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1956 |
Marriage
to Paola Loew – shortly followed by the birth of
his first son, David Wolfgang Gulda, on 27 January (coincidentally
Mozart’s 200th birthday).
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Debut
performance at “Birdland“ club in New York
on 21 June (14 day engagement); followed by participation
at the “Newport Jazz Festival“. |
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1957 |
Publication
of the essay “Jazz und wir“ (or “Jazz
and Us“) in the “Österreichische Musikzeitung”
(ÖMZ) (or “Austrian Music Journal”). |
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1958 |
Completion
of Gulda’s recordings of all 32 Beethoven piano
sonatas at Decca Records. Nevertheless, the first complete
recording was made at the ORF (or Austrian Broadcasting)
Broadcasting Centre in Vienna in 1953. |
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Chamber
music concertos with the cellist, Pierre Fournier, the
Wiener Konzerthausquartett (or the Viennese Concert House
Quartet) and the Bläservereinigung der Wiener Philharmoniker
(or the Wind Ensemble of the Viennese Philharmonic Orchestra). |
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1960 |
Continued
to give concerts as a classical pianist (112 performances),
although works played frequently at the beginning of his
career such as Prokofiev’s 7th piano sonata, Mussorgsky’s
“Pictures at an Exhibition“ or Bartok’s
Suite op.14 had completely disappeared from Gulda’s
repertoire in the meantime. |
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1961 |
Paul
Gulda, Gulda’s second son from his marriage to Paola
Loew, was born on 25 October. |
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End
of October, Friedrich Gulda held a workshop in Hamburg
(first performance of 3 jazz pieces: “A Wild One“,
“Awakening“, “Tehran“). |
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1962 |
Friedrich
Gulda played baritone saxophone for the first time during
a jazz-workshop-concert at the “Ruhrfestspiele”
(or Ruhr Festival) at the end of June (first performance
of “Music for 3 Soloists and Band”).
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Following
the opening concert at the Berliner Festwochen (or Berlin
Festival) (23 and 24 September) and a jazz evening in
Berlin (2 October) including the premiere performance
of “Music for Piano and Band No. 1”, Friedrich
Gulda withdrew from concert performance altogether and
cancelled any outstanding concert dates. |
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1963 |
From
September, some sporadic appearances as a classical pianist |
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1964 |
Tour
of South America: First half of the concert programme:
classical piano music; second half: jazz trio together
with Jimmy Rowser and Albert Heath, performing his compositions
(”Little Suite“, ”The Horn and I“,
”The Air from other Planets”, “Prelude
and Fugue”).
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First
performances by the newly founded “Eurojazz-Orchester”
take place in Graz and Vienna at the end of May (first
performances of “Music for Piano and Band No. 2”
and “The Veiled Old Land”). |
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1965 |
Performed
“Music for Piano and Band No. 2” together
with the ”L.A. Neophonic Orchestra” on 4 January
in Los Angeles.
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Participation
in Jazz Workshop (Hamburg) and Jazz-Fernsehfilm (Vienna)
at the end of February. |
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Premiere
performance of the revised “Galgenlieder“
on 13 June 1965 at the Viennese Konzerthaus together with
singers, Christa Ludwig and Walter Berry. |
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1966 |
Friedrich
Gulda instigated the “Internationaler Wettbewerb
für Modernen Jazz Wien 1966“ (or Viennese International
Competition for Modern Jazz 1966), which took place in
May.
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Performed
concerts with the “Eurojazz-Orchester“ and
Joe Zawinul from 27 – 31 May in Vienna and Berlin
(including the premiere performance of ”Variations
for Two Pianos and Band“). |
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Opened
the Wiener Festwochen (or Viennese Festival) together
with the Viennese Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by
Georg Szell, performing Beethoven’s 5th Piano Concerto
on 5 June in the Große Saal of the Viennese Musikverein. |
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Friedrich
Gulda and Paola Loew separated and he relocated from Vienna
to Zurich. |
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1967 |
First
tour of Japan in February.
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Friedrich
Gulda married his second wife, Yuko Wakiyama. |
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New
recordings of all the Beethoven Sonatas for “Amadeo“
in July. |
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1968 |
Rico
Gulda, Friedrich Gulda’s third son, was born on
9 April in Zurich.
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Friedrich
and Yuko Gulda relocated to Munich together with their
son, Rico. |
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Friedrich
Gulda instigated the “1. Internationale Musikforum
Ossiachersee 1968“ (or First International Music
Forum of Ossiachersee 1968) with the theme: ”Improvisation
in der Musik – gestern, heute, morgen“ (or
Improvisation in Music – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow). |
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On
14 November, Friedrich Gulda was awarded the “Deutsche
Schallplattenpreis 1968“ (or German Record Prize
1968) for the recording with “Amadeo” of 32
Beethoven Sonatas. |
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1969 |
Cyclical
performance of 32 Beethoven Sonatas on eight evenings
(from 28 May to 21 June) at the Viennese Konzerthaus.
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On
15 June, Friedrich Gulda was awarded the ring of honour
at the “3. Wiener Beethovenwettbewerb“ (or
“Third Viennese Beethoven Competition”). His
subsequent provocative and critical acceptance speech
led to a scandal unprecedented in the history of the Wiener
Musikakademie (or Viennese Academy of Music) and five
days later, he returned the ring. |
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The
theme of the “2.Internationale Musikforum Ossiachersee
1969“ (or Second International Music Forum of Ossiachersee
1969) was “Freiheit und Willkür, Bindung und
Zwang im Spiegel der Musik“ (or “Freedom and
Chance, Commitments and Constraints mirrored in Music”).
It was held from 27 June to 5 July. |
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On
8 July, Friedrich Gulda appeared on Gerhard Bronner’s
TV show “Die große Glocke“ (approximately
“Shout it from the Rooftops“) dressed up as
Albert Golowin – a character he had invented himself |
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On
30 November at the Viennese Konzerthaus, Friedrich Gulda
performed his first piano concert to consist exclusively
of his own compositions. |
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Friedrich
Gulda led a jazz workshop for Hamburg Television (including
the premiere performance of “Wheel in the Right
Machine – Workshop Suite”) on 7 December.
Speech
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1970 |
In
September, the first articles were published in the press
concerning Friedrich Gulda’s planned musical “Drop-Out“.
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Various
premiere performances including: “Variationen über
Light My Fire” (or “Variations on Light my
Fire”) (30 June), “Sinfonie in G” (or
“Symphony in G”) (20 November), “Suite
for Piano, E-Piano and Drums”, “Introduktion
und Scherzo“ (or “Introduction and Scherzo”)
(both on 25 November). |
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1971 |
Following
a one-year break, the “3.Internationale Musikforum“
(or Third International Music Forum) on the Ossiachersee,
with performances by Pink Floyd and Joe Zawinul’s
“Weather Report“, goes off without a hitch
(Theme: “Erste, zweite, dritte Welt? – Weltsprache
Musik“ or “First, Second, Third World? –
Music as a Universal Language“).
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Friedrich
Gulda performed with Paul and Limpe Fuchs for the first
time.
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Numerous
concert evenings held during the Autumn with programmes
consisting exclusively of works by J.S. Bach und F. Gulda.
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Various
premiere performances, including: “Play Piano Play“
(12 March), “Concertino for Players and Singers“
(13 December). |
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1972 |
Joint
concerts together with “Weather Report“, performing
throughout South America from 24 April until 15 May (final
South America tour).
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Performance
in Villingen (Germany) at the beginning of April. The
first complete performance of Book One of Bach’s
“Wohltemperiertes Klavier“ (WTK) (or “Well-Tempered
Clavier”) took place in Rio de Janeiro on the 17
May. |
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“Anima“
– “Freie Musik“ (or “Anima”
– “Free Music”) with Paul and Limpe
Fuchs – including performances in Vienna, Salzburg,
Zurich and Frankfurt. |
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1973 |
Numerous
“Anima“ concerts, partly beginning with Preludes
and Fugues from Bach’s WTK.
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The
second complete performance of Book Two of Bach’s
WTK took place on 18 May in Tulln.
On 22 and 29 May respectively, Gulda performed the complete
WTK at the Viennese Konzerthaus. |
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The
“Musikforum“ was forced to relocate from Ossiach
to nearby Viktring. |
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Separation
from Yuko Gulda. |
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1974 |
First
solo evening without a fixed programme at the Viennese
Konzerthaus.
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“Projekt
Anima“ took place from 26 July to 6 August. It involved
10 concerts in and around Salzburg together with Albert
Mangelsdorff, Barre Phillips and Mounir Baschir amongst
others. |
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Only
sporadic performances as a classical pianist. |
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Premiere
performances of: “Für Paul“ (or “For
Paul“) (15 January) and “Wings” (29
March), amongst others. |
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Friedrich
Gulda met his third partner, Ursula Anders. |
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1975 |
Numerous
concert evenings of “Freie Musik“ together
with Ursula Anders, partly combined with classical piano
music during the first half of the performance.
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Premiere
performance of “G´schichten aus dem Golowinerwald“
(Stories from the Golowin Forest) at the Viennese Konzerthaus
on 27 May. |
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Friedrich
Gulda moved his main residence to Weißenbach am
Attersee. |
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1976 |
With
the exception of performances at “Tage Freier Musik“
(or “Days of Free Music” (19 – 22 August)
at Schloss Moosham (or Castle Moosham) in the Lungau region
of Salzburg with Cecil Taylor, Barre Phillips, John Surman
and Albert Mangelsdorff amongst others, Friedrich Gulda
appeared at more than 20 concerts, performing exclusively
“Freie Musik“ with Ursula Anders. |
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1977 |
Continued
to perform more or less exclusively “Freie Musik“
with Ursula Anders.
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On
5 and 6 December, Friedrich Gulda performed his own works
at concerts at the Viennese Konzerthaus. The concerts
were entitled “Guldas eigene Klassik“ (or
Gulda’s Own Classics”) and included joint
performances with Fritz Pauer, Roland Batik, Erich Kleinschuster
and the ORF Big-Band amongst others.
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1978 |
Stage
performance of “Besuch vom alten G.“ (or Visit
of Old G.“) by and starring Friedrich Gulda, Kurt
Meisel and Ursula Anders on 25 and 26 February at the
Cuvilliés Theatre in Munich and at the Salzburger
Landestheater (or Salzburg Regional Theatre) on 2 May. |
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Friedrich
Gulda performed three concerts, in Gmunden (15 -17 September),
Vienna (12, 13 und 15 October) und Munich (17, 23 und
24 October) respectively, playing classical piano music
for the first time in a long while in front of an audience,
together with his own compositions and “Freie Musik“.
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1979 |
Together
with Joe Zawinul’s Band “Weather Report“,
Dizzy Gillespie, Mounir Baschir and others, Friedrich
Gulda played at the “Weltmusiktage“ der “Szene
der Jugend“ (or “World Music Days of the Youth
Scene“) in Salzburg in July.
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On
13 November, Friedrich Gulda made a surprise appearance
at the Viennese Konzerthaus during the lead up to a performance
by the pop singer, Randy Newman. He played Mozart Sonatas
together with his own compositions and improvisations
on the Fiakerlied (a folk song about a traditional Austrian
horse and carriage). |
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On
15 December, Friedrich Gulda presented a programme consisting
purely of Mozart’s compositions, entitled “Mozart
for the People“. The stage was lit using red lighting,
the sound amplified through speakers and the audience
was younger than average. He caused a commotion before
the performance by abusing the spectators, calling them
“stinking reactionaries“. |
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From
16 – 18 December, he performed “Freie Musik“
again, together with Günther Rabl and Ursula Anders. |
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1980 |
In
February, he performed “Bach for the People“
at the Brucknerhaus (or Bruckner House) in Linz on an
electronically amplified clavichord. |
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Premiere
performance of “Opus Anders“ on 22 September
at the Brucknerhaus in Linz. |
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Performed
a total of 12 concerts, in which Mozart’s compositions
for the piano were allotted more and more programme time.
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1981 |
Three
matinees, performing all of Mozart’s Piano Sonatas
at the Munich National Theatre in February, as well as
three evening performances in Paris (19, 20 und 23 March)
and at La Scala in Milan (1, 6 and 12 April).
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Premiere
performance of “Konzert für Violoncello und
Blasorchester“ (or Concerto for the Violoncello
and Wind Orchestra”) on 5 October in Villach with
Heinrich Schiff as a soloist. |
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1982 |
Concert
with Chick Corea at the Münchner Klaviersommer (or
Munich Piano Summer) on 27 June. |
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Premiere
performance of “Concerto for Ursula“ on 18
September at the Berliner Philharmonic. |
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1983 |
Several
concerts performing on two pianos together with Chick
Corea, entitled “All-Music-Program“. |
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Performed
“Concerto for Ursula“ on 2 March in Munich
and 26 October in Paris |
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1984 |
Recorded
Mozart’s “Konzert für zwei Klaviere in
Es-Dur KV 365” (or “Concerto in Es-Major for
Two Pianos”) together with Chick Corea, Nikolaus
Harnoncourt and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra. |
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1986 |
Friedrich
Gulda performed classical piano recitals more frequently
and increasingly dedicated himself to the works of Frédéric
Chopin, sometimes with “Freie Musik” performed
with Limpe Fuchs (“Consonanza personale“).
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Participated
in the Münchner Klaviersommer (four concerts at the
beginning of July). |
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Concert
together with Wolfgang Ambros and Jessye Norman at a party
thrown by their mutual record company on 5 September at
the Viennese Konzerthaus. |
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Performed
two duo-concerts together with Joe Zawinul in Cologne
and Vienna at the end of November. |
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1987 |
Trio
with Joe Zawinul and Chick Corea on 4 July at a jazz festival
in the Viennese Stadthalle, as well as duo-concerts with
Zawinul and Corea respectively in Parma, Barcelona, Winterthur
and Innsbruck. |
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1988 |
Premiere
performance of “Concerto for Myself“ on 9
March at the Munich Philharmonic. |
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On
26 July, one day before the opening of the Salzburg Festival,
Friedrich Gulda first gave a concert together with Nikolaus
Harnoncourt and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe on the
Salzburger Domplatz (or Cathedral Square in Salzburg)
followed by a jam session with Joe Zawinul’s Band
“Syndicate“ on Kapitelplatz.
Friedrich Gulda proceeded to skip all further commitments
for the Salzburg Festival, thereby causing a huge scandal.
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1989 |
Appearance
with Herbie Hancock at the Münchner Klaviersommer
on 15 July. |
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Trio
with Zawinul and Hancock on 24 July at the Salzburger
Sporthalle (or Salzburg Sports Hall). |
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1990 |
Conception
and musical direction of the opening of the Viennese Festival
(12 May) on the Rathausplatz (or Vienna’s City Hall
Square) with the theme “Offene Grenzen“ (or
Open Borders”) with Gulda’s newly established
jazz-rock formation “The Paradise Band“ amongst
others.
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Performances
with Barbara Dennerlein and Marilyn Mazur. |
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1991 |
Solo
recital in Paris with the title “Le Monde Musical
de F. G.“ (or “Friedrich Gulda’s Musical
World“) on 3 April.
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Last
concert together with the Viennese Philharmonic Orchestra
(Mozart’s Concerto KV 466 and Friedrich Gulda’s
“Concerto for Myself“) on 30 September in
Bratislava. |
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Numerous
concerts entitled “Mozart no End and the Paradise
Band“ (including dates in Vienna, Frankfurt, Zurich,
Milan and Barcelona to name but a few). |
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1992 |
Premiere
concertante stage performance of "Paradise Island“
on 20 July at the Munich Philharmonic. |
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1993 |
Third
and final tour of Japan in November. |
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1994 |
Programme
of compositions exclusively by Bach, performed on the
clavinova for the first time on 10 April at the Brucknerhaus.
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Mozart
evenings in Berlin and Zurich in October. |
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First
dance-music-events with DJs and the “Paradise Girls“
on 3 November in the Wiener Sofiensäle (or Viennese
Sofien Halls) and on 5 November at the Brucknerhaus in
Linz. |
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1995 |
Friedrich
Gulda played piano music by Mozart, which subsequently
flowed into dance parties with DJs, the “Paradise
Band“ and the “Paradise Girls“ in Munich
(23 June) and Vienna (3 November). |
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1996 |
“Mozartiana“
– a staged musical collage of Mozart’s original
music, techno und house music at the Münchner Klaviersommer
on 24 July. |
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1997 |
“Mozartiana“
– Open air performance at the Linzer Klangwolke
(a festival for art, technology and society which takes
place annually in Linz) on 13 September.
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During
the performance “The Gulda Experience“ on
23 November, Friedrich Gulda had the Große Wiener
Konzerthaussaal (or the large hall at the Viennese Konzerthaus)
cleared for dancing. |
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Friedrich
Gulda set up his own company, “Paradise Productions“. |
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1998 |
Friedrich
Gulda hosted a clubbing on 29 October at the Radiokulturhaus
Wien (or Viennese House of Radio and Culture), together
with DJ Pippi and the “Paradise Girls“ with
“Midnite Party“. He later described the TV
recording of the event as his only relevant obituary.
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1999 |
On
28 March, Friedrich Gulda publicly staged his own death
by initiating his own obituary, ahead of two planned Easter
concerts due to take place in Salzburg, entitled “Friedrich
Gulda’s Resurrection Party“.
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Friedrich
Gulda played his last concert at the Viennese Musikverein
on 4 November.
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2000 |
Friedrich
Gulda died of a heart attack on 27 January 2000 –
Mozart’s Birthday – at his flat in Weißenbach.
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