Liebermann, Rolf (1910–1999)

Swiss composer and administrator. He studied conducting with Scherchen and composition with Vladimir Vogel at Zurich, and was later appointed to the staff of Radio-Zurich. As director of Hamburg Opera 1959–73, he presided over the first performances of operas by Searle (Hamlet), Goehr (Arden Must Die), Křenek, Penderecki, and others. From 1973 to 1980 he was Intendant as the Paris Opéra. Some of his compositions are based on the 12-tone system. In 1987 his first opera for 30 years was produced in Geneva.

Works operas Leonore 40/45 (1952), Penelope (1954), School for Wives (after Molière, 1957), La forêt (1987); incidental music; film music; cantata Streitlied zwischen Leben und Tod; polyphonic studies and folksong suite for orchestra; concerto for jazz band and orchestra; solo cantatas Une des fins du monde (Giraudoux), Chinesische Liebeslieder (Klabund), and Chinesisches Lied (Klabund), piano sonata.