[Smt-talk] Diether de la Motte (1928-2010)

[Daniel Wolf]

The composer and theorist Diether de la Motte died on the 15th of May in  
Berlin at the age of 82.  He held the chair for music theory at the  
Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna from 1988 until  
1996.  His theory textbooks, including books on Melody, Form, Harmony, and  
Counterpoint have been the most widely used University- and  
Conservatory-level textbooks in Germany for the last generation, and are  
notable for their close focus on the compositional practice in specific  
repertoire rather than in the development of overly broad or abstract  
theory.   The Harmonielehre has been published in English translation but  
the — to my mind — more interesting Kontrapunkt has not been translated;   
I believe many musicians would profit from working with this book.  More  
details are here: http://www.mdw.ac.at/?pageid=639

Daniel Wolf
composer
Frankfurt