PETER JAMES LEONARD KLATZOW

* 14 Julie 1945, Springs, Transvaal, Suid-Afrika

† 29 Desember 2021, Kaapstad, Suid-Afrika

Gedig

Ek hou van Blou

“1958 was in general a momentous year. I started school at St Martin’s in Rosettenville Johannesburg where I met some of the great and lasting influences of my life. Among them were Michael Stern (the Headmaster), Julienne Brown (my piano teacher) Edwin Ainscow (later Brother Edwin, CGA - my English teacher) and John Tibbs (the school chaplain). But for the Klatzow family it was a disastrous year. A financial crisis prompted the Klatzows to move to Standerton in the the Transvaal. David and I both relished the new environment, which had a river. I felt much closer to the South African countryside - from my earliest days I loved the Karoo - and we settled there fairly easily. I continued as a border at St Martins. The holidays (3 a year) were a problem. Artistically the town was bereft of any cultural values whatsoever, with one exception. She was a dedicated and lovely lady called Ruby Gromer, who gave singing lessons. On an almost daily basis I wended my way to her very old house in the town where she had her studio. I accompanied for her students (useful for her) and she encouraged me to write them songs (which they regularly sang). It was an oasis in the desert. My brother David found his intellectual home with the de Villiers family and Leon, (composer Pieter de Villier’s brother) was a doctor took on the role of a surrogate father for David. In due course we all left Standerton. I have never returned, and probably never will. We all ended up in the Cape - my father Cyril, his new wife (Estelle), my brother David, myself, and Ruby Gromer, who had a house in Plumstead which she shared with her sister Zelle. Our last meeting was in 1995, when she threw a small party. One of her students from the Standerton days was in Cape Town (Tienie Botes) and I accompanied for her. It was a nostalgic occasion. Ruby died only a few weeks later. She was a lady of singular refinement and charm. Naturally she was somewhat apprehensive about the direction my music took in later years, but was always charming and polite about ittreating me rather like someone who has a nasty afflicion, but will hopefully grow out of it. An enquiry from Hanna van Niekerk about any songs I may have written in Afrikaans prompted me to revisit these early songs which have been housed in the UCT archives. Typesetting them has been a real pleasure, taking me back to the 1960s. Here and there I have made small improvements based on my subsequent compositional experience, but mostly I have respected the 15 year old me, and kept the touching up to a minimum. Here and there I cut a few notes, added very few. I very much doubt if I could produce a better result of J F E Cilliers’ “Dis Al” were I to recompose it today.” - Peter Klatzow, 4 Mei 1961. An early Afrikaans songbook. Standerton, 1960, and later.

Peter Klatzow begin sy musiekonderrig aan die St. Imelda-klooster in Brakpan en matrikuleer aan die St. Martin-skool in Johannesburg. In 1964 ontvang hy 'n SAMRO-studiebeurs vir oorsese studie. Hy besluit om in Londen te studeer waar hy lesse in klavier by Kathleen Long, komposisie by Bernard Stevens en orkestrasie by Gordon Jacob neem.

Gedurende 1965 en 1966 studeer hy onder Nadia Boulanger. Hy aanvaar ‘n betrekking as lektor aan die Rhodesia College of Music en as dirigent van die Salisbury-orkes (Deesdae Harare, Zimbabwe). Daarna is hy by die SAUK in Johannesburg musiekbestuurder. In 1973 tree hy op as lektor in komposisie in diens van die Musiekkollege in Kaapstad, waar hy tot sy afsterwe in 2021 werksaam was.

In die soeke na prof Klatzow se mens-wees, het lewenslange vriende hom soos volg beskryf:

“Peter was geliefd by sy studente, medewerkers en vriende. Sy gunsteling musiek was Chopin, hy was ‘n gourmet chef, veral kerrie, nageregte en sop. Aandetes met vriende aan huis was altyd “spectacular”, met goeie wyn en kos. ‘n Goeie grap het hom nooit verby gegaan nie. Troues organiseer is met oorgawe gedoen. Sy redenasievermoë het gereeld na vore gekom tydens familiesamekomste. Hy het graag in die tuin gevroetel met sy groen vingers. Kinders en babas was altyd welkom en hy het vele “aangenome” kinders gehad. Hy was ‘n mens-mens en het altyd gehelp waar hy kan en het vele families in nood gehelp.”

Saam met Robert Grishkoff stig Klatzow Musications, ‘n uitgewersmaatskappy wat spesialiseer in publikasie van Suid-Afrikaanse komposisies.

Klatzow se werk is wyd erken en opgevoer. Buitelands het hy in die VSA en Europa opgetree en toekennings in onder meer Spanje, die Verenigde Koninkryk en Toronto ontvang, waarvan sommige hier verskyn:

o Spesiale Nederburg toekenning
o verskeie toekennings van die Royal College of Music in London
o Royal Philharmonic toekenning
o Departement van Nasionale Opvoeding se beurs as die belowendste Suid-Afrikaanse komponis
o Toronto-kitaarvereniging in samewerking met die Internasionale Kitaarfees
o Fellow of the University of Cape Town
o Helgaard Steyn Trust toekenning (twee keer);
o gesamentlike ontvanger in die Stroud-fees se internasionale komponistewedstryd
o Cape Tercentenary Foundation’s Molteno Gold medal for lifetime achievement in Music
o Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns: Huberte Rupert prys vir klassieke musiek
o Royal Philharmonic Prize for Commonwealth composers
o Ascherberg, Hopwood and Crewe Prize
o Octavia (Royal College of Music) travelling scholarship
o Oppenheimer Memorial Foundation
o Casals Centenary Competition (Barcelona)
o South African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) scholarship for composers.

Op 30 Desember 2021 berig Die Burger dat Peter Klatzow aan hartversaking en Covid-19 verwante komplikasies oorlede is.

Ander Afrikaanse digters getoonset

Dis al - JFE Celliers; Winternag - Eugene Marais; Was ek ‘n sanger – AG Visser;