Alice Samter

Alice Samter, December 1973

Alice Samter (born June 11, 1908 in Berlin ; † March 19, 2004 there ) was a German composer and music teacher. The extensive catalog raisonné by the aphorist shows a concise chamber music style and, in addition to a large number of compositions in small ensembles, also stage works.

Life

Origin and early musical interest

Alice Samter and her brother Rudolf in 1918

Alice Samter comes from a Berlin upper class family. The father, Georg Samter, was a textile merchant and had his own commercial agency. The mother, Susanne Rothe, was a teacher and resigned from school after their marriage in 1909. Her brother Rudolf was born on October 4, 1909. The quality of life in the home deteriorated due to the outbreak of the First World War .

The father supported his daughter's enthusiasm for music by purchasing an orchestrion and a radio. At the age of nine, Alice Samter took piano lessons and wrote her first compositions. At first, the teacher had not noticed that Alice Samter could not read music at all, but rather reproduced smaller etudes by ear. Alice quickly gave music lessons herself to the neighborhood children in order to finance her own lessons.

Frequent concert visits increased his enthusiasm for piano sonatas by great masters, above all Emil von Sauer , Ludwig van Beethoven , Robert Schumann , Franz Schubert and Johannes Brahms .

Education and early career

Alice Samter in 1928

From April 1923 Alice Samter attended the higher commercial school, because the family could already foresee due to the advancing asthma illness of the father († 1926) that Alice Samter would very soon have to make a contribution to the living. Studying could not be financed and was not common for women at the time.

Because of her good school performance, Alice Samter was exempted from attending the vocational school and was able to take up her first professional position in October 1924. Until 1943 she worked as a typist and a clerk or a secretary for various Berlin employers.

Musical training and entry into school service

From 1930 Alice Samter intensified her music education by taking lessons with the pianist Else Blatt, then with Amalie Iwan and Prof. Stark at the Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory . She studied improvisation with Gerhard F. Wehle and choral conducting with Karl Ristenpart .

The first public performance of a work by the composer did not take place until 1945. Since then, her more than 300 works have been performed and performed frequently in Austria, France, Holland, Venezuela, Australia, Sweden and the USA.

One of numerous explanations (excerpt) about the pedagogical examination for school music at secondary schools passed in 1946, which only led to the examination being recognized in the spring of 1953, Berlin 1952

After the end of the war, the desire to turn the hobby into a profession took shape. On August 6, 1945, the Chamber of Artists, Music Department, certified the registration as a pianist, which laid the foundation for a musical career. With the help of the newly founded Art Office in Berlin-Charlottenburg, Samter was given a probationary job at the Lietzensee Oberschule, which was linked to the condition that after an appropriate induction phase as a teacher, he had to take the required official examination. The qualified preliminary studies helped Samter to be graded into the 8th semester and by the end of 1946 the examination to become a music teacher at secondary schools took place. Since there were no records of the course of the examination due to the sudden death of a member of the examination board, the exam was not recognized until the spring of 1953 - after numerous reports and written statements by the other members of the examination board.

First successes as a composer

In 1953 her songs for soprano and piano were written based on texts by Christian Morgenstern . Affirmed by her mentor Siegfried Borris , Alice Samter submitted the Morgenstern songs to the Association of Music Educators and Performing Performers (VDMK) , which led to the inclusion in a program in the concert hall of the America Memorial Library and to the first great success in composition.

After being transferred to the Werner von Siemens High School in Spandau, she wrote her first school opera in 1956 - “The Little Count”. In 1958 she initiated the puppet show "The Magic Horn" at the same place, for which her additional training as an art teacher was helpful, as the students took on the production of the stage design and costumes as part of the lessons.

Development phase of the main works

Based on the idea of the musicologist Wolfgang Poch to found a new opera ensemble in Berlin, Alice Samter was commissioned in 1967 to arrange a new version of “The Beggar's Opera” by Johann Christoph Pepusch and to compose a current overture . Made more difficult by the restriction of only allowing seven instrumentalists plus singers and choir, the result was “The Beggar Opera”, which premiered on January 16, 1968 in the Cäciliensaal in Neukölln as the premiere of the Berlin Chamber Opera .

This was followed by the stage work “Die Nachtwache” based on texts by Nelly Sachs , which was not premiered until November 2001 in Spandau.

After retirement

From 1970 Alice Samter served practically every branch of chamber music. Alice Samter continued to work on the texts of Nelly Sachs and rounded off her repertoire with humorous compositions, e.g. B. "The potato pancake" from.

Alice Samter received numerous honors for her life's work as a composer and her diverse commitment to cultural life, such as the establishment of a working group for chamber music in the VDMK (now the Deutscher Tonkünstlerverband ), the management of the music group of the GEDOK artists' association and her participation in the " Woman and Music " working group . u. a. the Federal Cross of Merit .

Alice Samter's grave in the Heerstrasse cemetery in Berlin-Westend

Alice Samter died of heart failure on March 19, 2004 at the age of 95 in Berlin . Her grave is in the state-owned cemetery Heerstraße in Berlin-Westend (grave location: IV-3-26). The tombstone has the shape of an open book lying open.

Works

Incidental music

Die Bettleroper (Gay - Pepusch), (1967) arranged for chamber ensemble (flute, oboe, violin 1 and 2, viola, violoncello, double bass and piano) singer and choir
Die Nachtwache (Nelly Sachs), (1967/68) for oboe, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, violin, cello, double bass, piano, percussion, singer, speaker and choir
Proteus (Paul Claudel - stage version: W. Poch), (1968) for flute or sopranino, 3 violins, 3 cellos, 3 double basses, trumpet, clarinet, piano / harpsichord, accordion and drums
Das Schattenleben des Herr A. (1973), music for dance and pantomime by Lizzie Hosaeus for Bb trumpet, bassoon, drum with strings, double bass and piano
The School of Widows (Jean Cocteau), (1976) for soprano, violin, violoncello and piano

Works for school

School Opera (1957)
Puppet show (1958)
Mask game (1966)

Choral music

Wir Geretteten (Nelly Sachs), (1970) for female choir, violin, cello and piano, 10 '
Two choirs (1986) for 4 mixed voices: Die Affen (Wilhelm Busch) - The Snuffbox (Joachim Ringelnatz), 6 '
The ideal woman (Margret Gottlieb), (1987) for 3 equal voices, 4 '
Liberty-Equality-Fraternity (1988). Cantata for mixed choir, alto, flute, clarinet, trumpet, violoncello, double bass and percussion, 14 '
The ideal woman (Margret Gottlieb), (1988), three-part choral song

Vocal music

Six alternations (Klabund), (1960) for mezzo-soprano, baritone, small percussion and piano: Si Schy - The red room - The white and red rose - The three comrades - Farewell - The song of sorrow, 13 '
Die Selbstkritik (Wilhelm Busch), (1962) for 3 voices, 3 '
Die Kartenhexe (Walter Mehring), (1966) for speaker and piano, 3 '
Inventions (1966). 5 choirs after Christian Morgenstern for 3 voices, recorder and piano: The Korf clock - Palmström's clock - The olfactory organ - The day-night lamp - Palmström's chronometer, 12 '
The potato pancake (Else Lasker-Schüler), (1967). Ulkiade for soprano or tenor, piano and speaker with humor, 7 '
Three Duets (Wilhelm Busch), (1967) for soprano, baritone, clarinet, small percussion and piano: Dog and Cat - The Lonely One - Self-Criticism, 7 '
Two Goethe Words (1968) for 4 voices and piano four hands: Im Breathing - Stepped Quark, 2 '
Ode to Singer (Paul Andre van Ostaijen), (1969) for soprano, speaker and piano, 4 '
Der Schaffner (Jaques Prevert), (1969) for baritone, piano and speaker, 3 '
Der Schaffner (Jaques Prevert), (1969) for speaker and piano, 3 '
Morgenmahlzeit (Jaques Prevert), (1969) for speaker and piano, 2.5 '
There's Hungry People (Trindade), (1969) for speaker, speaker and piano, 2,5 '
Three choirs after midnight (Nelly Sachs), (1970) for 3 mixed voices (also choir), piano or organ: Voice of the Holy Land - Choir of the Saved - Choir of Shadows, 12 '
Voice of the Holy Land (Nelly Sachs), (1970) for voice, trombone and organ, 6 '
Hellbrunn cycle (Rosita Magnus), (1971) for soprano, flute, oboe and bassoon: Spring in Hellbrunn - The Stone Dog - Flora - Dreamy Hellbrunn - Hermes - November, 15 '
Dancers (1972). 3 songs based on Nelly Sachs, Else Lasker-Schüler, Georg van der Vring for soprano, flute (also piccolo), clarinet (also bass clarinet) and piano: The Dancer - My Dance Song - Tanz im Grase, 9 '
Five oboe songs (Christa Reinig, Frederika Bremer, Mascha Kaleko and Pieritz), (1977) for voice and oboe, 11 '
God created the sun (Christa Reinig), (1986) for voice and small percussion instruments, 6 '
Three duets (Christa Reinig, Mascha Kaleko), (1987) for mezzo-soprano and alto: God created the sun - short dialogue - no new tone, 8 '
The ideal woman (Margret Gottlieb), (1987) for soprano and percussion, 4 '
Tanz im Grase (Georg van der Vring), (1975/88) for voice, oboe and piano, 5 '
Reunion with Dr. Wolverine (Mascha Kaléko), (1991) for soprano and oboe, 3-4 '
Maskenball im Hochgebirge (Erich Kästner), (1992) for voice with percussion, oboe and piano
Three cello songs (2003), Fremd (Sarah Haffner), My Home (Stefan Reisner), Rose (Ingeborg Drews) for V'Cello and singing voice

Piano songs

Four songs (Christian Morgenstern), (1954): Der Rock - Igel und Agel - Das Hemmed - Das Guinea fowl, 6 '
Three songs (Rainer Maria Rilke), (1954): The Panther - Autumn Day - The Carousel, 7 '
Three songs (Stefan George), (1968): Song - Window, where I once ... - This is a song for you, 6 '
Two songs (Guillaume Apollinaire, Edith Södergran), (1969): Grimace d`Artiste -Herbst, 5 '
Thoughts of a revue girl (Bertolt Brecht), (1969)
With cat eyes (Angelika Wiebach), (1969)
Three songs by Nelly Sachs> Choirs after midnight <(1970): Voices of the Holy Land - Choir of the Saved - Choir of Shadows, 10 '
Four songs (Christa Reinig), (1971/68/80/69): The newspaper messenger - Cat constitution - God created the sun - My possession, 7 '
Two songs (Wolfgang Borchert, Arno Holz), (1971): Winter - Winter, 5 '
Song of yourself (Heinz Joseph Heise), (1970), 4 '
Six songs (Rosita Magnus), (1971), with slides: Young mother - Die Ärztin - Heliade - Die Mondin - Die Greisin - Engel der Arbeit, 13 '
Two songs (Ingeborg Bachmann), (1969/72): Reklame - An die Sonne, 10 '
Berlin cycle (Aldona Gustas), (1972). 5 songs: A carp swam in the zoo - the wind fiddled - the sun strolls - I saw the other day - the zoo is familiar with swans - the day was hot, 12 '
Hellbrunn - Cycle (Rosita Magnus), (1972) for soprano and piano: Spring in Hellbrunn - The stone dog - Flora Dreamy Hellbrunn - Hermes - November, 15 '
Dancers (Nelly Sachs, Else Lasker - Schüler, Georg van der Vring) (1975). Three songs: The Dancer - My Dance Song - Dance in the Grass, 9 '
Perspektiven der Zeit (1994) (Rose Ausländer), for 5 solo female voices, 10 '

Chamber music

Three dance miniatures (1955) for clarinet and piano, 5 '
Sketch for 3 woodwinds (1970) for oboe, clarinet and bassoon, 8 '
Sketch II (1970) for flute, clarinet and bassoon, 8 '
Recorder Trio (1970)
Permutation (1970) for violoncello and piano, 9 '
Mobile (1971) for oboe and bassoon, 7 '
Dialog (1971) for violin and piano, 7 '
Mini-Trilogie (1972) for violin and piano, 7 '
Aspects (1972) for flute and piano, 9 '
Kaleidoskop (1973) for flute and violin, 7 '
Kontrapost I (1974) for flute, treble recorder and piano, 10 '
Aspects (1974) for flute and harpsichord, 8 '
Les extremes se touchent (1974) for clarinet, violoncello and piano, 9 '
Rivalités (1974) for flute, clarinet, violoncello and piano, 10 '
Fraternité (1975) for violoncello and piano, 7 '
Facetten (1976) for flute and piano, 8 '
Metamorphosen (1976) for violin and piano, 10 '
Kontrapost II (1976) for flute, clarinet and piano, 10 '
Essay (1977) for violin and cymbal, 6 '
Episodes (1977) for violin and viola, 7 '
Trialog (1978) for violin, double bass and piano, 8 '
Metamorphosen (1978) for violin and harpsichord, 9 '
Mosaik (1978) for double bass and piano, 7 '
Rotation (1978) for flute and cymbal, 5 '
Piano trio (1979) for violin, violoncello and piano, 8 '
Nelly Sachs Trio (1979) for violin, violoncello and piano, 8 '
Hundred Bars (1980) for guitar and harpsichord, 4 '
Hundred bars (1980) for guitar and piano, 5 '
Dedication (1983) for clarinet, horn and piano, 9 '
Zueignung (1983) for flute, trombone and piano, 8 '
Quintetto giocoso (1983) for flute, oboe, violin, violoncello and piano, 7 '
Imaginations (1985) for flute, clarinet, trumpet, violoncello, percussion and piano: Troubling calm - A new day - penetration, 15 '
Duettino (1986) for clarinet and organ, 6 '
Charlottenburger Mosaik (1987) for flute, clarinet, bassoon, violoncello, percussion and piano, 16 '
Balance (1990) for violoncello and piano, 8 '
Variatio delectat (1990) for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn and percussion, 9 '
4 Unequals (1990) for flute, violoncello, percussion and piano, 8 '
Spohr up to date (1991) for oboe and piano with percussion, 8 '
Hommage a Vivaldi (1992) for flute, oboe, violin, violoncello and harpsichord
Dialogue (1993) for flute and clarinet, 4-5 '
Marginalia (1993) for flute, cello and piano or harpsichord, approx. 6 '
Variatio delectat (1993) version for flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon, 8-9 '
Dialogue (1993) for 2 flutes, 4-5 '
Impulse (1993) for flute and bassoon, 4-5 '
Music for 8 wind instruments (1994), oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn, 7-8 '
Kontraste (1995), Concerto for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn and strings, 10 '
Akzente (1995) for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and pno., 12 '
Homage to Heidelberg (1996) for Vl., Pno. und perc., 5 'Cum grano salis (1996) for flute and harp, 6'
String Quartet (1999), 8 '
A Japanese Folk Song (1999) (Vla.- V'Cello), 3 '

Piano works

Three Aphorisms (1962), 5 '
Three phases (1968), 5 '
Match (1970), 4 '
Prism (1972), 10 '
Three piano pieces for sculptures by Jos. Magnus, (1973), 5 '
Duo ritmico (1973), four hands, 7 '
Escapades (1974), 7 '
Variants (1976), 8 '
Gemini (1976), four hands, 7 '
Twenty Fingers on the Piano (1989), 5 '
Interjection (1993) for piano
Mixture (1995), pno-, 5 '

Works for other solo instruments

Prisma (1972) for organ, 9 '
Monologue of a violin (1973), 7 '
Flute monologue (1973), 7 '
Monologue (1975) for violoncello, 4 '
Monologue of a bass clarinet (1984), 7 '
Clarinet alone (1985), 7 '
For a trombone (1986), 6 '
Interlude for oboe d`amore (1987), 4 '
Interlude for oboe (1987), 4 '
For a bassoon (1989)
Vogelstückchen (1992) for flute
Music for the harp (1997), 4-5 '
Im Wald (1998) (music for horn solo), 5-6 '

reception

Notes in archives, catalogs

The State Library of Prussian Cultural Heritage in Berlin archives and catalogs the autographs, photos, letters, etc.
The America Memorial Library in Berlin archives the sheet music and records etc.
Sheet music and records can also be found in the GAUDEAMUS archive in Amsterdam.
There are also notes by Alice Samter in the VDMD manuscript archive in Munich and in many universities in the USA.
All sheet music in the archive of the Berlin University of the Arts, Faculty of Music.

Participation in committees

Member of the IL WC, International League of Woman Composers, USA
Delegate to the Berlin Cultural Council
Member of the "International Working Group on Women and Music"
Member of GEDOL, Berlin

Honors

Award of the Cross of Merit on Ribbon of the Federal Republic of Germany to Alice Samter on March 23, 1988
Honorary memberships: "musica rara" Erfurt, "GEDOK Berlin", "Woman and Music, Kassel"

literature

Krause-Pichler, Adelheid: Turbulence. The life of the composer Alice Samter, Oberhausen 2002, ISBN 3-00-009597-7

Web links

Homepage Alice Samter - with extensive directories of articles and writings, film and radio appearances, information in encyclopedias as well as further literature.
Alice Samter, in: "Female composers in Berlin", 1987
European Cultural Center Erfurt, June 1993, conversation with Mr. Jürgen Fischer, Via Regia magazine
State Library of Prussian Cultural Heritage in Berlin - archive and catalog
America Memorial Library in Berlin - sheet music archive
Literature by and about Alice Samter in the catalog of the German National Library

Individual evidence

↑ Berlin composer Samter dead . In: Berliner Morgenpost . March 23, 2004. Accessed November 21, 2019.
^ Hans-Jürgen Mende : Lexicon of Berlin burial places . Pharus-Plan, Berlin 2018, ISBN 978-3-86514-206-1 . P. 493.

personal data
SURNAME	Samter, Alice
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German composer and music teacher
DATE OF BIRTH	June 11, 1908
PLACE OF BIRTH	Berlin
DATE OF DEATH	March 19, 2004
Place of death	Berlin

[1] Berlin composer Samter dead . In: Berliner Morgenpost . March 23, 2004. Accessed November 21, 2019.

[2] Hans-Jürgen Mende : Lexicon of Berlin burial places . Pharus-Plan, Berlin 2018, ISBN 978-3-86514-206-1 . P. 493.