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TOCH, Ernst
b. Vienna, 7 December 1887
d Santa Monica, California, 1 October 1964, aged seventy-six

He began his career in medicine, but soon turned to music, in which he was entirely self-taught. In 1909 he won the Mozart Prize of the City of Frankfurt and moved to Germany. In 1913 he was appointed teacher of composition at the Mannheim Musikhochschule, where he remained for some years. Political pressure made him move to London in 1933, and in 1934 he went to the USA, becoming an American citizen in 1940. He held several lectureships in the US and visited Europe in the 1950s. In 1956 he won the Pulitzer and the Huntington-Hartford Prizes and was elected to the American National Institute of Arts and Letters. In 1960 he won the American Grammy Award and in 1964 received an honorary doctorate from the Hebrew College of Cincinnati.

1904 (17)

Scherzo for orchestra

Piano Concerto (lost)

1913 (26)

From My Fatherland, for orchestra

1920 (33)

Phantastische Nachtmusik, for orchestra

1926 (39)

Piano Concerto

Spiel, for wind

1927 (40)

Die Prinzessin auf der Erbse, opera

Naniss, for orchestra (lost)

Gewitter, for orchestra (lost)

Komddie, for orchestra

1928 (41)

Fanal, for organ and orchestra

Bunte Suite

1929 (42)

Kleine Ouvertiire zu Der Facher

1930 (43)

Der Facher, opera

Kleine Theater-suite

1931 (44)

Tragische Musik, for orchestra (lost)

Zwei Kultische Stucke, for orchestra (lost)

1933 (46)

Symphony for piano and orchestra

Variations on a Mozart Theme, for orchestra

1934 (47)

Big Ben, for orchestra

1935 (48)

Pinocchio, for orchestra

1936 (49)

Musical Short Story, for orchestra (lost)

Orchids, for orchestra (lost)

1938 (51)

The Idle Stroller, suite for orchestra

1945 (58)

The Covenant, for orchestra (lost)

1947 (60)

Hyperion, for orchestra

1950 (63)

Symphony No 1

1951 (64)

Symphony No 2

1953 (66)

Circus Overture

Notturno, for orchestra

1955 (68)

Symphony No 3

1956 (69)

Peter Pan, for orchestra

1957 (70)

Symphony No 4

1959 (72)

Epilogue, for orchestra

Intermezzo, for orchestra

1961 (74)

Short Story, for orchestra

1962 (75)

The Last Tale, opera

1963 (76)

Jephta, rhapsodic poem (Symphony No 5)

Capriccio for orchestra

Puppetshow, for orchestra

Symphony No 6

The Enamoured Harlequin, for orchestra

1964 (76)

Symphony No 7

Sinfonietta for strings

Theme and Variations for orchestra

Toch also wrote thirteen string quartets and other chamber works (early ones lost); many songs and choral works with orchestra; literary works.

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