Alfons Scharrenbroich

Alfons Scharrenbroich (born September 30, 1909 in Gummersbach ; † January 3, 1943 in front of Stalingrad ) was a German music teacher , conductor and composer .

Life

At the age of seven, Alfons Scharrenbroich received his first piano lessons from his father, the main teacher and choir director Heinrich Scharrenbroich. In 1919 the family moved to Bergisch Gladbach , where the father became headmaster, organist and choir director in the Hebborn district . Before graduating from high school (1929 in Cologne-Mülheim ) he received piano lessons from Prof. Peter Dahm at the Cologne University of Music . After graduating from high school, he studied German at the University of Cologne and school music at the Cologne University of Music, majoring in piano (Peter Dahm), but also conducting ( Hermann Abendroth) and composition (Heinrich Lehmacher). In addition to his main instruments, the piano and organ , he played the violin , viola , cello and trumpet .

After his bar exam in 1936, he returned back to teach at his former high school in Mülheim, where he soon teacher was. He only had four years for his extensive work until he was drafted into military service in 1940. During this time he worked as a lecturer at the Cologne University of Music, as a composer of Singspiele that were performed in the former "Reichssender Köln" - the forerunner of the WDR - as conductor of the "Scharrenbroich Chamber Orchestra" (founded in 1939) and two male choirs in Bergisch Gladbach . In 1936 he married Cordula Dahm, the daughter of his piano teacher Peter Dahm, who had been trained as a vocal soloist ( soprano ) at the Cologne University of Music by Maria Philippi.

Achievement and importance

Scharrenbroich emerged as a composer early on. In addition to arrangements of folk songs for mixed and male choirs, he received first prize for the best instrumental accompaniment as a student. His musical fairy tale games “ The poor swineherd ” (based on Andersen ) and “ Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten ”, for which he won first prize in a competition advertised by the “Reichssender Köln” (now WDR), attracted attention . His fugue on the chorale “ Christ is erupt ” and his four-part choral setting “Hodie Christ natus est” have also become known.

Works

• That game of the poor swineherd, Singspiel for the radio for solo voices, choir, etc. Orchestra.
• Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten, Singspiel for radio for four solo voices, four solo instruments and orchestra.
• Four old German Christmas carols for mixed choir and organ.
• Small evening music using three old folk songs.
• Dance song for mixed choir;
• Hodie Christ Natus est, for mixed choir and organ.
• Spin, spin my dear daughter, for mixed choir.
• Attention admission!
• "Das Goldringelein", folk song games for piano

literature

• Felix Overbeck, Scharrenbroich, Alfons in: Rhenish musicians. 6th episode, ed. v. KG Fellerer (contributions to Rheinische Musikgeschichte, issue 80, Cologne 1969). P. 166.
• Festschrift for the 50th anniversary of the Mülheim State High School in 1960, p. 114.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Source: Program of the Society for New Music Cologne from June 2, 1943