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.