Richard Michael Farber

Richard Michael Farber

Richard Michael Farber (born December 4, 1945), is an American-born Israeli composer and librettist whose career spans over more than four decades. Farber began his work as a theater and ballet composer from which he moved to large scale stage works and, recently, orchestral and vocal music; to date, Farber has penned eight operas, three of which had been premiered on stage and four on the radio in Germany. Farber is the 2005 recipient of the Composers’ Prime Minister Award.
Operas for the stage
The Quest to Polyphonia (1989; libretto by Farber), chamber orchestra, soloists (Stuttgart Opera (in German), 1989; The New Israeli Opera (in Hebrew), 1995)
Dracula and the Ballerina in Chains (1994; libretto by Farber) soloists, chorus, large orchestra (Pfaltzoper 1994)
The Eternal Triangle Trio an Opera Cartoon (1996; libretto by Farber) soprano, mezzo, baritone, 2 keyboards and drummer (Kölneroper coproducer Vienna Opern Theater 1996)
Operation Mitternacht (2001–2002; libretto Y. Kaldi) seven singers, chamber orchestra (Bonn Opera 2002)
Music for Ballet
Impressions (of Tel Aviv) (Batsheva 1981)
HaEm (Inbal 1987)
5 1/2 (Mann im Schatten) (Stuttgart 1991)
Operas (and music theater) for the radio
Spot(t)-Operetten (1982; libretto by Farber) (BR 1982)
Spielzeug Operetten (1984; libretto by Farber) (BR 1984)
37 Depression Miniatures (1990–2005; libretto by Farber) mezzo, basso, violin, viola,actor (WDR 2005)
Before Ken ‘n Barbie (2005–2011; libretto by Farber) soprano, subrette, alto, chamber orchestra
Orchestral Music
Dichotomy, a Symphony (1996–2005) (WDR 2005)
Midnight, a Symphony (2010–2013)
Passacaglia Nr. One (1994-2008 Duisburg Phil. 2008)
Concerto Großo for Percussion and Orchestra (Duisburg Phil. 2008)
Chamber music vocal
Four Dreams of Death (1984) viola and basso text Farber (ORF 1984)[1]
Verschiedene 13 song cycles (2009–2013) baritone and piano text Heinrich Heine (WDR 2009+2013)
Chamber music instrumental
Angélique (2009) piano, violin and cello
String Quartet (2006)
Wind Quintet (2007)
Music for solo piano
Talmudic Dialogue Nr. 1 (2008)
Talmudic Dialogue Nr. 2 (2009)
Passacaglia Nr. 2 for Piano (2008)
Passacaglia Nr. 3 for Piano (2008)