Harald Genzmer

Biography

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

Biography

The son of the legal historian Felix Genzmer, Genzmer was born in Blumenthal, near Kiel, Germany. He studied composition with Paul Hindemith at the Hochschule für Musik Berlin 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 Musikhochschule München. 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 Musikhochschule München. He hung a framed review from the Süddeutsche Zeitung above his piano, which stated after the premiere of his 1955 Sinfonietta for Strings that it was 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, Egyptian composer Gamal Abdel-Rahim, British composer John McCabe, and Japanese composer Toyoko Takami. See: List of music students by teacher: G to J#Harald Genzmer.
He died on 16 December 2007 in Munich.

Works for orchestra of wind-instruments

1968 Divertimento for symphonic wind ensemble
1969 Konzert, for cello and winds
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
Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden (Psalm 117)
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.
1942 2. Sonate.
1943 Sonata in D, for piano four-hands
1948 Suite for piano
1959 3. Sonatine.
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)

Selected Organ works

1945 Tripartita in F GeWV 389
1952 Erste Sonate GeWV 390
1952 rev. 2000 Konzert (for organ solo) GeWV 391
1956 Zweite Sonate GeWV 392
1963 Dritte Sonate GeWV 393
1966 Adventskonzert GeWV 395
1968 Die Tageszeiten GeWV 396
1974 Weihnachtskonzert GeWV 398
1974 Konzert, for organ and percussion GeWV 417
1978 Pfingstkonzert GeWV 399
1980 Osterkonzert GeWV 400
1981 Fantasie GeWV 402
1980–1981 Impressionen
1994 Triptychon GeWV 408
1996–1997 Sinfonisches Konzert : no. 2 GeWV 409
2001–2003 Musik der Trauer GeWV 412
2002 Präludium, Arie und Finale GeWV 413
Lento misterioso II
Sonata for trumpet and organ (published 1971) GeWV 416
Sonata for cello and organ