Cristobal Halffter

Short bio Cristobal Halffter

Birthday: 1930 in Madrid, Spain

Died: 2021

Genre: Classical

Period: 20th Century, Contemporary

Full biography Cristobal Halffter

Cristobal Halffter Jimenez-Encina was a Spanish classical composer and conductor born on March 24, 1930, in Madrid, Spain. He passed away on May 23 , 2021, at the age of 91. Cristobal Halffter belonged to a family of musicians; he was the nephew of the composers Ernesto Halffter and Rodolfo Halffter.

He started his musical studies at the Royal Conservatory of Madrid in 1948, where he studied with composer Conrado del Campo and pianist Rosa García Asensio. Later, he moved to Paris, where he continued his education at the École Normale de Musique and the Paris Conservatory. In France, he studied under many famous musicians such as Darius Milhaud, Olivier Messiaen, and Andre Jolivet.

Cristobal Halffter composed music in a variety of styles, from traditional to contemporary, and he was known for combining elements of traditional Spanish music with modern techniques. He wrote numerous compositions, including operas, symphonies, concertos, and chamber works. One of his most popular works is the opera "Don Quixote," which was composed when he was almost 70 years old.

In addition to his composing career, Cristobal Halffter was also a well-known conductor. He conducted orchestras all over the world, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Orchestre National de France, among others.

Cristobal Halffter was highly regarded in the music world, and his contributions to Spanish and contemporary music were immense. He won numerous awards throughout his career, including Spain's National Music Prize and the Tomás Luis de Victoria Award. His death was a great loss to the music world, and his legacy will undoubtedly continue to inspire future generations of musicians.

Compositions featuring Cristobal Halffter

#	Name	Duration	Genre	Year
1	Espacio de guitarra	8:44 min	Chamber Music	2015
2	String Quartet No. 7, 'Espacio de silencio'	22:25 min	Chamber Music	2007
3	Attendite, for cello octet	22:57 min	Chamber Music	2003
4	String Quartet No. 6	21:03 min	Chamber Music	2001
5	Solo - Klagelied eines verwundeten Vogels, for cello	19:01 min	Chamber Music	2000
6	Zeitgestalt, for string quartet	7:59 min	Chamber Music	1996
7	Don Quijote, opera in one act	96:53 min	Opera	1996
8	Oradek, for large orchestra ("Hommage à Frank Kafka")	20:39 min	Orchestral	1996
9	Daliniana, for orchestra, No. 1, Relojes blandos (Soft Watches)	5:14 min	Opera	1994
10	Daliniana, for orchestra, No. 2, El sueño (The Dream)	7:57 min	Orchestral	1994
11	Daliniana, for orchestra, No. 3, El nacimiento de la angustia liquida (The Birth of Liquid Anguish)	4:51 min	Orchestral	1994
12	Endechas para una reina de España, for string sextet	25:03 min	Chamber Music	1994
13	Veni Creator Spiritus, for chorus & orchestra	5:25 min	Choral	1992
14	Mural sonante	22:53 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	1992
15	Prelude for Madrid '92, for orchestra	9:52 min	Orchestral	1991
16	Cantos de España (7), for soprano, bartione & orchestra	42:12 min	Vocal Music	1991
17	Fractal - Concierto a Cuatro, for saxophone quartet	16:08 min	Chamber Music	1990
18	Canción callada, in memoriam Federico Mompou, for piano trio	5:55 min	Chamber Music	1988
19	Fandango, for 8 cellos	15:44 min	Chamber Music	1987
20	Canciones de al-Àndalus, for mezzo-soprano & string quartet	12:17 min	Vocal Music	1987
21	Dortmunder Variationen, for large orchestra	18:27 min	Orchestral	1986
22	Tiento del premer tono y Batalla Imperia, for orchestra	10:28 min	Orchestral	1985
23	Cello Concerto No. 2 ("No queda más que el silencio")	36:38 min	Concerto	1984
24	Fantasia on a sonority of Handel, for orchestra	17:23 min	Orchestral	1981
25	Fantasía sobre una sonoridad de G. F. Haendel, for string orchestra	16:48 min	Orchestral	1981
26	Debla for flute solo	10:50 min	Chamber Music	1980
27	Concerto No 1 for violin & orchestra	33:06 min	Concerto	1979
28	String Quartet No. 3	20:05 min	Chamber Music	1978
29	Variaciones sobre la resonancia de un grito (Variations on the Resonance of a Scream)	27:06 min	Electronic/Computer Music	1976
30	Variations for cello on the theme eSACHERe	5:27 min	Chamber Music	1975
31	Pourquoi?, for string orchestra	19:59 min	Orchestral	1974
32	Elegías a la muerte de tres poetas españoles, for orchestra	28:35 min	Orchestral	1974
33	Noche pasiva del sentido, for voice, 2 percussionists & piano	15:05 min	Chamber Music	1970
34	String Quartet No. 2 'Mémoires'	20:35 min	Chamber Music	1970
35	Líneas y puntos, for orchestra & electronics	15:05 min	Orchestral	1966
36	Sonata for violin, Op. 20	7:59 min	Chamber Music	1959
37	La carbonerita de Salamanca, song for voice & piano (from "Cuatro canciones leonesas")	0:57 min	Vocal Music	1957
38	El carbonero, song for voice & piano (from "Cuatro canciones leonesas")	1:12 min	Vocal Music	1957
39	Panis Angelicus	3:10 min	Choral	1956
40	Pieces (3) for string quartet	14:49 min	Chamber Music	1955
41	Versus	29:48 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
42	Habanera	4:08 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
43	Que no quiero estar en casa, for voice & piano	1:47 min	Vocal Music	-
44	Planto por las víctimas de la violencia, for electronics	19:06 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
45	Panxoliña, Galician carol	2:53 min	Vocal Music	-
46	Don Lindo de Almeria	19:19 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
47	Concerto for piano and orchestra	25:00 min	Concerto	-
48	Con bravura y sentimiento, for String quartet	2:29 min	Chamber Music	-
49	Codex 1	9:16 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
50	Cadencia for piano	13:39 min	Keyboard	-

Albums featuring Cristobal Halffter

#	Name album	Year	Music label
1	Morales-Caso, Vega, García Abril, Balada, Halffter, Greco, Adam Levin (4) – 21st Century Spanish Guitar • 3(CD, Album)	2017	Naxos
2	Cristóbal Halffter - Gregorio García Karman, Orquesta De La Comunidad De Madrid, José Ramón Encinar – Homo Electricus(CD, Album)	2015	Stradivarius
3	Halffter - Ferneyhough - Richard - Heusinger, Hélène Fauchère , Soprano · Martin Fahlenbock , Bass Flute · Collegium Novum Zürich · Ensemble Experimental · Detlef Heusinger , Conductor · EXPERIMENTALSTUDIO des SWR – Experimentalstudio 40 Years Anthology	2015	Neos
4	Cristóbal Halffter - Arditti Quartet – The String Quartets, Vol. 2(CD, Album)	2010	Anemos
5	Cristóbal Halffter, Leipziger Streichquartett – String Quartets(CD, )	2010	MDG Gold
6	Cristóbal Halffter - Arditti Quartet – The String Quartets, Vol. 1(CD, Album)	2009	Anemos
7	Lázaro: Opera In One Act (2004-2007)(DVD, DVD-Video, NTSC)	2008	Neos
8	Cristóbal Halffter, Alberto Rosado, Juan Carlos Garvayo – Música Para Piano[s](CD, Album)	2008	Verso (2)
9	Goldmann \| Halffter \| Schnittke \| Döhl – Bach-Händel-Schütz-Hommagen 1985(CD, Compilation)	2007	RCA Red Seal
10	Cristóbal Halffter, Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt – Orchestral Works(CD, Album)	2006	Col Legno
11	Don Quijote(2×CD, , Box Set, )	2004	Glossa
12	Mark André, Brian Ferneyhough, Cristóbal Halffter, Diego Minciacchi, Isabel Mundry, Luigi Nono, Emmanuel Nunes, André Richard, Dieter Schnebel – 25 Years Experimentalstudio Freiburg(3×CD, Compilation, Remastered, Box Set, )	1998	Col Legno
13	Cristóbal Halffter, Coro Santo Tomás De Aquino, Orfeón Donostiarra, Orquesta Sinfónica De Madrid, Pedro Halffter-Caro – Prelude For Madrid '92 • Daliniana • Fantasia On A Sonority Of Handel(CD, Album, Stereo)	1998	Marco Polo
14	Cristóbal Halffter, Pergamenschikow, Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt, Halffter – "No Queda Más Que El Silencio" - Concierto Para Violoncello Y Orquesta Nº 2 / Elegías A La Muerte De Tres Poetas Españoles(CD, )	1998	Montaigne
15	Cristóbal Halffter, Edinger, Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt, Halffter – Concierto Para Violín Y Orquesta Nº 1 / Mural Sonante(CD, )	1997	Montaigne
16	Cristóbal Halffter(CD, Compilation, Promo)	1996	Rtve Música
17	Cristóbal Halffter, Caro, Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt, Halffter – Versus / Concierto Para Piano Y Orquesta(CD, )	1996	Montaigne
18	Albéniz / C. Halffter, Xavier Montsalvatge, Albéniz / Enesco, Rosa Torres-Pardo, Víctor Pablo Pérez, Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife – Rapsodia Española - Concierto Breve - Rapsodia Española(CD, Stereo)	1995	Decca
19	Luis de Pablo - Francisco Guerrero (2) - Cristóbal Halffter - John Cage / Jean Pierre Dupuy – Cuaderno - Opus 1. Manual - Cadencia - Etudes Australes(CD, Album)	1995	Stradivarius
20	Preludio Para Madrid 92 / Espejos / Noche Pasiva Del Sentido / Tiempo Para Espacios / Debla / Ricercare / Leyendo A Jorge Guillén / La Soledad Sonora... La Música Callada / Cadencia / Página Para Rubinstein(2×CD, )	1992	GASA
21	Elisabeth Chojnacka / De Falla, Marco, Sierra, Halffter / Ensemble Erwartung, Bernard Desgraupes – Clavecin Espagnol Du XXème Siècle / Contemporary Spanish Music For Harpsichord(CD, Album)	1990	Adda
22	Irmela Nolte, Cristóbal Halffter, Giacinto Scelsi, Isang Yun, George Benjamin, Edison Denisov, Jan Jirásek, Henri Pousseur, Goffredo Petrassi – Flöte Avantgarde(CD, Album)	1990	Blackbird Rec
23	Orquesta Sinfónica de RTVE Conducer Joan Guinjoan - Conjunto Instrumental de Madrid Feat Polina Kotliarskaya Conducer Cristóbal Halffter - Trio Arlequin – Trama / Concierto Para Violín Y Conjunto Instrumental / Seis Miniaturas Para Flauta, Viola Y Guitarr	1990	Rne
24	Ludwig van Beethoven, Reinhard Febel, Cristóbal Halffter, Bundesjugendorchester – Bundesjugendorchester Cristóbal Halffter(CD, )	1989	Deutsche Harmonia Mundi
25	Cristobal Halffter, Grupo Círculo – El Grupo Círculo Interpreta A Cristobal Halffter	1988	Grabaciones Accidentales
26	Cristóbal Halffter, Mstislav Rostropovich, Orchestre National De France – Concerto No. 2 Pour Violoncelle - Paráfrasis(CD, )	1987	Erato
27	Manuel De Falla, Claude Debussy / Cristóbal Halffter, John Carewe, Bundesjugendorchester – La Vida Breve - Nächte In Spanischen Gärten - Iberia(LP)	1985	Deutsche Harmonia Mundi
28	Carmelo Bernaola / Tomas Marco / Luis De Pablo / Cristobal Halffter – Concierto Inaugural Del Año Europeo De La Musica	1985	Linterna Música
29	Joseph Haydn / Johannes Brahms / Olivier Messiaen / Cristóbal Halffter - Angelika Nebel – Klavier(LP, Album)	1984	Not On Label
30	Zoltán Kodály - Benjamin Britten - Igor Strawinsky - Bundesjugendorchester Dirigent: Cristóbal Halffter – Háry János-Suite / The Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra / Cirkus-Polka(LP, Album)	1984	Deutsche Harmonia Mundi
31	Elegias A La Muerte De Tres Poetas Españoles / Gaudium Et Spes-Beunza(LP, Album, Limited Edition)	1983	Not On Label
32	Esplá / Albéniz • Halffter, Orquesta Nacional de España, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos – Don Quijote Velando Las Armas / Rapsodia Española	1981	Zacosa
33	Hans Peter Haller, Christmann/Schoenenberg, Cristobal Halffter – Neue Klangstrukturen Der Musik(2×LP, Album)	1980	Christophorus
34	Elisabeth Chojnacka - Xenakis / Ligeti / Marco / Halffter / Constant / Donatoni / Mâche – Le Nouveau Clavecin(LP, Album)	1980	Erato
35	Symposion / Secuencias / Lineas Y Puntos	1969	Wergo
36	C. Halffter / Bernaola / De Pablo / Mestres Quadreny - Conjunto de Música Contemporanea de Madrid – Panorama De Música Contemporanea Española	1967	RCA Victor
37	Misa De La Juventud(7", 33 ⅓ RPM, EP)	1965	Doncel
38	Esplá / Albéniz • Halffter, Orquesta Nacional de España, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos – Don Quijote Velando Las Armas / Rapsodia Española	1962	Columbia
39	Joaquin Rodrigo, Regino Sainz De La Maza, Orquesta Manuel de Falla Director: Cristobal Halffter – Concierto De Aranjuez / Fantasia Para Un Gentilhombre	1962	RCA Victor
40	Cristóbal Halffter, José Muñoz Molleda – Antología de la Música Contemporánea Española(LP, Album, Mono)	1961	Hispavox
41	Antifona / Misa Ducal / Dos Movimientos	1958	Hispavox
42	Cristóbal Halffter / Wolfgang Rihm – Variationen Über Den Nachhall Eines Schreis / Sub-Kontur(LP, Promo)	-	Südwestfunk
43	Siete Cantos De España(CD, Album)	-	col legno
44	Cristobal Halffter, Ernest Bour – Anillos(7", 33 ⅓ RPM)	-	Wergo