Konrad Wölki

Konrad Wölki (born December 27, 1904 in Berlin ; † July 5, 1983 there ) was a German composer , mandolinist and music teacher who contributed to the music-critical appreciation of the Zupforchester .

life and work

Konrad Wölki was born in Berlin-Moabit in 1904. At the age of 12 he became a member of the children's choir at the Royal Opera in Berlin. In 1922, at the age of 18, he founded a plucked orchestra, which was initially called the "Mandolin Orchestra Fidelio", but was renamed several times in the following years and since 1937 was finally called the "Berliner Lautengilde".

From 1934 to 1940 Wölki taught plucked instruments at the Stern Conservatory (after 1945: Municipal Conservatory ) in Berlin and from 1939 was a member of the examination board for the state music teacher examination. From 1948 to 1959 he directed the folk music school in Reinickendorf ; from 1962 to 1966 he headed the seminar for youth music educators at the municipal conservatory, which was later affiliated to the state university for music and performing arts (today: University of the Arts ).

Wölki is considered to be one of the first to have contributed to the general recognition of the plucked orchestra from the field of amateur music in scientific circles. He did this through historical research into the mandolin, through numerous compositions and arrangements of his own, but above all through the publication of textbooks for plucked instruments. While the mandolin had mostly been played in the tremolo since the Romantic era , Wölki made the classic playing technique popular again, which specifically uses the tremolo as a stylistic device . Together with his wife Gerda, he also recognized the guitar playing trend in the 1950s and promoted the choral interplay of guitars. For these services he was made an honorary member of the Association of German Plucked Musicians .

Initially, Wölki composed in the Romantic or Baroque styles , but from the 1950s onwards he used more modern harmonies and rhythms . However , he was not enthusiastic about experimental and avant-garde music of his time.

In 1972 Wölki handed over the leadership of the "Lautengilde" to his wife, who had directed the youth orchestra since 1953 and the guitar choir of the association since 1958. Even in retirement, he was still a member of the jury for the “ Jugend musiziert ” competition and published regularly for the “zupfmusik-gitarre” (today: concertino ) trade journal of the Association of German Zupfmusiker.

Konrad Wölki died in July 1983 in Berlin-Frohnau . For his funeral on July 19, former members of the “Lute Guild” played his “Suite No. 1” (see catalog raisonné).

Works

Konrad Wölki has published numerous textbooks for mandolin and plucked orchestra and arranged many pieces of music for plucked orchestra. A million copies of his educational works had been distributed by 1977. His most important own compositions include:

• Overture No. 1 (A major)
• Overture No. 2 (F sharp minor)
• Overture No. 3 (D major)
• Overture No. 4 (B minor) for plucked orchestra and woodwind
• Overture No. 5 (C major)
• Overture No. 6 (G major)
• Suite No. 1 (1935)
• Suite No. 2 (1937) ("Music for simple celebrations")
• Small suite in G major
• Concerto for violin , 2 flutes and plucked orchestra op.57 (1954, new version 1966)
• Rondo scherzoso
• Three old-fashioned dances
• Vienna concert

Web links

• Literature by and about Konrad Wölki in the catalog of the German National Library
• Wölki archive founded in Trossingen (new music newspaper 9/1997)
• Biographical article by Edwin Mertes