Alfred Gundacker

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Alfred Gundacker (born December 17, 1918 in Blindenmarkt ; † April 5, 2001 in Winklarn ) was an Austrian composer, musician and teacher.

Life

Gundacker was familiarized with the piano and organ by his family from childhood, and a sound training in music theory with the associated regular music practice led to Alfred Gundacker becoming an internationally known composer. His piano lessons began at the age of 7 and by the age of 9 he was already playing the organ in his home town, where he soon played sacred music on various occasions.

At the age of 15, in 1933, he composed his first march with the title “Auf Wiederseh'n” op. 3, sent the score to the then large RAVAG radio orchestra without the knowledge of teachers and family and soon learned of it from the radio -Wien-Zeitung about the upcoming premiere under Kapellmeister Josef Holzer . Another march by Gundacker was broadcast on the radio as part of the Wiener Funkausstellung under the direction of Max Schönherr , the chief conductor of the Great Vienna Radio Orchestra. His music professors recognized his musical talent and advised him to study at the music academy.

So Gundacker continued his musical training by studying the subjects of piano, organ, harpsichord and theory as part of a five-year course at the Academy for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and passed the teaching qualification exams on piano and organ. After successfully completing his studies, he was called up for service in the German Wehrmacht and, after completing basic training , was employed in the music corps for several years. There he was a clerk on the battalion staff , worked as a pianist in the salon orchestra and wrote other compositions of upscale light music .

His compositions were continuously broadcast on the radio, for example by the Reichssender Hamburg at the port concerts , by the Reichssender Königsberg with 17 connection channels or by the Soldatensender Belgrade , with the Philharmonic Orchestra Bad Reichenhall in Germany and orchestras in other countries, including outside of Europe Works played.

After the end of the Second World War he worked as a teacher for music and shorthand at the Federal High School in Amstetten , was at the same time for several years at the HBLA Amstetten and at the Federal Teachers' Training Institute in St. Pölten and as a piano teacher and from 1946 to 1963 often worked as an organist and pianist as well participated as a piano accompanist in concerts. During this time, numerous radio performances took place, for example by the Great Vorarlberg Radio Orchestra, the Great and Small Radio Orchestra Vienna, the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra , the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg , the Landestheater-Orchester Linz or under the conductors Kurt Wöss , Eduard Strauss , Franz Bauer- Theussl , Karl Grell and Walter Goldschmidt through the Tonkünstler Orchestra of Lower Austria . The radio performance of the concert waltz "Morgenzauber" by the West broadcasting group made music director Otto Zurmühle from Lucerne aware of Alfred Gundacker, got in touch with him through the agency of the Dornbirn broadcaster and arranged the waltz for Swiss cast. Some of Gundacker's compositions were later printed in Switzerland and also used as test pieces in cantonal rating games.

From 1969 to 1972, Gundacker was a member of the examination committee for teaching at secondary schools for music and shorthand at the state school board for Lower Austria.

In various parishes, for example in Amstetten-St. Marien, Alfred Gundacker worked as an organist for almost 70 years. In addition to ecclesiastical and secular songs, he has created many works for wind and string orchestras, some solo pieces and several compositions for hunting horns.

Alfred Gundacker had been married since 1944 and lived with his wife Maria in Winklarn near Amstetten until his death.

Works (selection)

  • Little imagination
  • Festival sounds , overture
  • On the wedding day , op.69
  • Ostarrichi hymn
  • Aviator fanfare
  • Helicopter interlude
  • With respect , march
  • Day awakening , concert waltz
  • Morning magic , concert waltz
  • Student joys , march
  • Dream hours , concert waltzes
  • Neuhofner Heimatlied
  • The merry Mostviertler , local traders
  • Memories of youth , concert waltzes
  • Ave Maria for soprano and organ
  • In the kingdom of the sun , march

Discography (selection)

  • “Brass music from the cradle of Austria”, CD
  • 7 tracks on “Tageserwachen”, CD
  • 5 tracks on “Melodies by Carl Zeller, Alfred Gundacker and others”, CD
  • 4 tracks on "Court Ball Dances - Once and Now", CD
  • 4 tracks on "Independence day", CD
  • 7 tracks on "Alfred Gundacker and other composers", CD

Awards

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Alfred Gundacker on www.harmoniemusik.net , accessed on July 1, 2017
  2. ↑ Alfred Gundacker on www.hebu-music.com , accessed on July 1, 2017
personal data
SURNAME Gundacker, Alfred
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian composer, musician and educator
DATE OF BIRTH December 17, 1918
PLACE OF BIRTH Blind market
DATE OF DEATH April 5, 2001
Place of death Winklarn