Harald Genzmer

Harald Genzmer (9 February 1909 – 16 December 2007) was a German composer of contemporary classical music.

Biography

Born in Blumenthal, near Bremen, Germany, he studied composition with Paul Hindemith at the Berlin Hochschule für Music beginning in 1928.

From 1938 he taught at the Volksmusikschule Berlin-Neukölln. During the early part of the second world war he served as a military band clarinetist. When his pianistic abilities were noticed by the Musikmeister, he was put on detached duties as a pianist/accompanist for "Lazarettenkonzerte", concerts for recuperating wounded officers.He was based for some time near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where he made the acquaintance of Richard Strauss. When the war ended, he was offered a post at the Munich Musikhochschule. This was blocked by the American authorities, and so, from 1946 to 1957 he taught at the Musikhochschule in Freiburg im Breisgau.

From 1957 to 1974 he taught at the Munich Hochschule für Musik. Above his piano hung a framed critique from the Sueddeutsche Zeitung of the premiere of the 1955 Sinfonietta for Strings, stating it as a work destined only for oblivion. Sharing the frame was a cutting from a few years later, reporting that in the previous year it had been the most performed work for string orchestra in Europe.

Among his notable students are Bertold Hummel, the Egyptian composer Gamal Abdel-Rahim and the British composer John McCabe.^[1]

He died on December 16, 2007 in Munich.

Compositions

Orchestral works

• 1942 Musik für Streichorchester ^[2]
• 1946 Erstes Concertino, for piano and strings with flute ^[3]
• 1948 Konzert für Klavier und Orchester ^[2]
• 1950 Konzert für Violoncello und großes Orchester ^[2]
• 1954 Konzert für Flöte und Orchester ^[4]
• 1955 Sinfonietta, for strings
• 1957 rev.1970 1. Sinfonie, for full orchestra
• 1957. Kammerkonzert, for oboe and string orchestra.^[5]
• 1958 2. Sinfonie, for strings ^[3]
• 1959 Prolog, for orchestra ^[5]
• 1959 Konzert für Violine und Orchester. ^[5]
• 1960 Divertimento giocoso for two woodwind instruments and string orchestra ^[5]
• 1963 Concertino Nr. 2, for piano and strings ^[3]
• 1963 2. Orchesterkonzert
• 1964 Introduktion und Adagio, for strings
• 1965 Der Zauberspiegel, ballet-suite for orchestra
• 1965 Concerto for harp and strings ^[4]
• 1967 Concerto for viola and orchestra ^[3]
• 1967 Sonatina prima, for strings
• 1970 Sinfonia da Camera
• 1970 Konzert, for organ and orchestra
• 1971 Sonatina seconda, for strings
• 1974 3. Konzert, for piano and orchestra
• 1976 Miniaturen, for strings
• 1977-1978 Musik für Orchester, after a fragment by Friedrich Hölderlin
• 1978 Konzert, for percussion instruments and orchestra ^[3]
• 1979 Sinfonia per giovani, for large school orchestra
• 1980 2. Konzert, for organ and strings
• 1983 Konzert, for two clarinets and strings
• 1984 Konzert, for four horns and orchestra
• 1984 Konzert, for cello, contrabass and strings ^[2]
• 1985 Sechs Bagatellen for cello and contrabass Pub. Litolff/Peters Nr.8613
• 1985 Konzert, for trumpet and strings ^[6]
• 1985 2. Konzert, for trumpet and strings ^[6]
• 1986 3. Sinfonie ^[6]
• 1987 Cassation, for strings
• 1990 Vierte Sinfonie, for large orchestra
• 1996 Concerto for contrabass and string orchestra ^[5]
• 1998 Concertino für Flöte, Oboe (Flöte) und Streichorchester ^[5]
• 1998 Concerto for three trumpets and string orchestra ^[5]
• 1998 5. Sinfonie, for large orchestra ^[7]
• 2002 3. Sinfonietta, for string orchestra ^[2]
• 2. Sinfonietta, for string orchestra
• Concertino, for clarinet and chamber orchestra
• Erstes Concertino, for piano and string orchestra, with obbligato flute
• Festliches Vorspiel, for orchestra
• Kokua, dance suite for large orchestra
  1. Tarantella
  2. Burleske
  3. Kokoa
  4. Dytiramba
• Konzert, for two pianos and orchestra
• Konzert, for two guitars and orchestra
• Konzert, for flute, harp and strings
• Pachelbel-Suite, for orchestra
• Prolog II, for orchestra

Works for orchestra of wind-instruments

• 1968 Divertimento for symphonic wind ensemble
• 1969 Konzert, for cello and winds ^[6]
• 1974 Ouvertüre für Uster
• Konzert, for trumpet, winds, harp and percussion
• Parergon zur "Sinfonia per giovani", for saxophone orchestra

Dramatic works

• 1965 Der Zauberspiegel, ballet - libretto: Hans Stadlmair

Liturgical music

• 1962 Jiménez-Kantate, for soprano, mixed chorus and orchestra
• 1969-1970 Mistral-Kantate, for soprano
• 1973 Deutsche Messe, for mixed chorus and organ
• 1975-1976 Oswald von Wolkenstein, cantata for soprano, baritone, mixed chorus and orchestra
• 1978 Kantate (The mystic trumpeter), for soprano (tenor), trumpet and strings
• 1979 Geistliche Kantate, for soprano solo, men's chorus, organ and percussion
• 1981 Kantate 1981 nach engl. Barockgedichten, for soprano, mixed chorus and orchestra
• Adventsmotette "Das Volk, das im Finstern wandelt"(Jesaja 9), for men's chorus and organ
• Hymne - zum Fest des St. Antonius von Padua "Der Geist Gottes, des Herrn, ruht auf mir", for men's chorus

Choral works

• Drei Chorlieder vom Wein, for men's chorus
• Lied des Vogelstellers "Der Vogel, der im Fluge ruht", for mixed chorus
• Tropus ad Gloria, for mixed chorus
• Wach auf, wach auf, for mixed chorus
• Zwei geistliche Festsprüche, for men's chorus and organ
  1. Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden (Psalm 117)
  2. Lasset das Wort Christi

Vocal music

• 1961-1963 Fünf Lieder, on texts by Luís de Camões, for baritone and piano

Piano works

• 1938 1. Sonate.
• 1940 1. Sonatine.^[7]
• 1942 2. Sonate.^[2]
• 1943 Sonata in D, for piano four-hands
• 1948 Suite for piano ^[2]
• 1959 3. Sonatine.^[7]
• 1960-1962 Préludes
• 1963 Dialoge
• 1965 Studien, for piano four-hands
• 1975 Konzert, for piano and percussion
• 1978 4 Elegien, for piano and percussion
• at least five piano sonatas (sonata 5 published in 1985) ^[5]

Organ works

• 1945 Tripartita in F
• 1952 rev. 2000 Konzert (for organ solo) ^[7]
• 1952 Erste Sonate
• 1956 Zweite Sonate
• 1963 Dritte Sonate
• 1966 Adventskonzert
• 1968 Die Tageszeiten
• 1974 Weihnachtskonzert
• 1974 Konzert, for organ and percussion
• 1981 Fantasie ^[7]
• 1982 Osterkonzert
• 1983 Pfingstkonzert
• 1980-1981 Impressionen
• 1996-1997 Sinfonisches Konzert : no. 2 ^[7]
• 2002 Präludium, Arie und Finale ^[5]
• Lento misterioso II
• Triptychon
• Sonata for trumpet and organ (published around 1971)
• Sonata for cello and organ

Selected chamber works

• 1939 First Sonata for Flute and Piano ^[8]
• 1941 Sonate für Altblockflöte und Klavier ^[2]
• 1943 Violin Sonata No. 1
• 1945 Second Sonata (in E minor) for Flute and Piano
• 1947 Trio for flute, viola and harp ^[4]
• 1949 Streichquartett Nr. 1 ^[7]
• 1949 Violin Sonata No. 2
• 1953 Sonatina for Violine and Piano No. 1 ^[2]
• 1954 Violin Sonata No. 3 ^[6]
• 1955 Second sonata for viola and piano
• 1957 Wind quintet ^[4]
• 1957 Sonate für viola ^[2]
• 1967 1. Sonatine für Violoncello und Klavier ^[7]
• 1973 Sonatine für Viola und Klavier ^[2]
• 1974 Quartett für Klarinette, Violine, Violoncello und Klavier ^[5]
• 1978 Capriccio für Marimbaphon ^[2]
• 1980 Violin Sonata No. 4
• 1981 Sonate für Violoncello Solo ^[2]
• 1981 Sonatine für Kontrabaß und Klavier ^[2]
• 1981 Divertimento für Violoncello und Fagott ^[6]
• 1982 2. Sonatine für Violoncello und Klavier ^[7]
• 1983 Acht Fantasien für Vibraphon ^[7]
• 1983-1984, revised 1991 Sonate für violine solo ^[2]
• 1986 Sonate für Gitarre ^[2]
• 1988 Trio für Klarinette, Violoncello und Klavier ^[7]
• 1990 Sonate für Flöte und Harfe ^[7]
• 1992 Pan : für Querflöte solo oder Altquerflöte in G solo ^[2]
• 1995 Quintet for Clarinet and Strings
• 1995 Violin Sonata No. 5
• 1995 Sonatina for Violin and Piano No. 2
• 1995 Sonatina for Violin and Piano No. 3
• 1997 Sonate für Klarinette (B♭) und Klavier ^[7]
• 1999 Fantasie-Sonate: für Flöte und Gitarre ^[7]
• 2002 Improvisationen für Altblockflöte solo ^[2]
• Sonatas for cello and piano (first sonata published in 1954, another composed 1963 ^[6])

References

• Lukas, Victor. Reclams Orgelmusikfürer. Stuttgart: Philipp Reclam Jun., 1992.

External links

• Harald Genzmer page