Ernst Toch

Ernst Toch (German pronunciation: [ˈtox]; 7 December 1887 Vienna — 1 October 1964 Santa Monica) was a composer of classical music and film scores. Toch, born in Vienna in the family of a humble Jewish leather dealer when the city was at its 19th-century cultural zenith, sought throughout his life to introduce new approaches to music. He studied philosophy at the university of Vienna, medicine at Heidelberg and music at the Hoch Conservatory (1909... more

Ernst Toch (German pronunciation: [ˈtox]; 7 December 1887 Vienna — 1 October 1964 Santa Monica) was a composer of classical music and film scores. Toch, born in Vienna in the family of a humble Jewish leather dealer when the city was at its 19th-century cultural zenith, sought throughout his life to introduce new approaches to music. He studied philosophy at the university of Vienna, medicine at Heidelberg and music at the Hoch Conservatory (1909-1913) in Frankfurt. His main instrument was the piano, and he was a pianist of real stature, performing to acclaim throughout much of western Europe. Much of his writing was intended for the piano. Toch continued to grow as an artist and composer throughout his adult life, and in America came to influence whole new generations of composers. His first compositions date from circa 1900 and were pastiches in the style of Mozart (quartets, 1905 album verses for piano). His first quartet was performed in Leipzig in 1908, and his sixth (Opus 12,... less