Carl Corbach

Carl August Corbach (born March 16, 1867 in Lütgendortmund ; † June 11, 1947 in Sondershausen ) was a German violin virtuoso, orchestra leader and head of the University of Music in Sondershausen.

Life

As the son of an artistic father, his talent was encouraged from an early age. At the age of 10 he already appeared in public concerts. By moving to Cologne in 1881, he had the opportunity to attend the conservatory . After four years of study, he had laid the foundation for his later successes.

As concertmaster in Hamburg (1889) and St. Petersburg (1890) he gained experience in large orchestras. The international reputation of the Loh Orchestra drew him to Sondershausen in 1891, where he found a place of work and home for 56 years.
Under the director of the orchestra, Professor Carl Schroeder , he took over the position of 1st  concert master . On August 7, 1901, the prince of the small royal seat appointed Carl Corbach court concertmaster. The honor continued in 1906 with the award of two valuable violins, a Stradivari from 1715 and an Amati from 1691. In 1910, he was appointed professor at the Conservatory of Music. When he was appointed court conductor on April 1, 1911 (after T. Ochs and R. Herfurth), he succeeded Carl Schroeder as director of the chapel and the conservatory.
The recognition of the orchestra's achievements was expressed in the fact that in 1912 the Franz Liszt Society in Berlin organized a music festival in Sondershausen. In 1913 the orchestra was invited to the German Tonkünstlerfest in Berlin.

In the turmoil of the post-war period, it was important to continue the traditions of the orchestra and to maintain the conservatory. The public loh concerts were resumed in 1919. In order to maintain orchestral and chamber music , Corbach organized a Thuringian music festival in 1921. When the orchestra got into a financial crisis due to inflation in the 1920s , Corbach formulated his task with the words: “True to tradition, I consider it a sacred duty to maintain and maintain the reputation of the Lohor Orchestra, primarily as a symphony orchestra, at all times . ” His admission to the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts in 1930 proves that he succeeded.

The political changes led to the fact that in 1933 a general manager was appointed for the United State Theater Gotha-Sondershausen, who at the same time served as general music director of the Loh orchestra. This new director ( Otto Wartisch ) introduced himself with the words: "I am the legal and artistic successor of Professor Corbach ... I am a musician and soldier of the National Socialist idea and want to stay that way until my end." For people like Carl Corbach there was no more space. At the age of 67, he had to give up orchestral direction in 1934, but remained rector of the conservatory until 1938 . Corbach commented on these processes: "I leave with a heavy heart, but since I know that I have created great things and that others after me want to create great things, I leave without resentment."

On April 8, 1945, Sondershausen was partially destroyed by Anglo-American bombers. The Corbach family also belonged to the homeless. A contemporary witness reports: "They hadn't been able to save anything, only the professor was holding a black, rectangular suitcase with two precious violins, an Amati and a Stradivarius, pressed against him and did not give it, the suitcase, out of hand." Anna Luise , the last princess in Sondershausen, provided the Corbach family with an apartment in the castle. Carl Corbach sometimes played privately for the princess and the residents. At Pentecost 1947 he fell ill with pneumonia , which he did not survive.

Carl Corbach married twice. His daughter Hedwig (January 19, 1893 - March 1, 1987) was born from his first marriage to Helene Burkardt (November 18, 1864 - May 29, 1920). He married Anna-Katharina (Käthe) Hallensleben (June 26, 1890 - April 14, 1974) in August 1922. The Gottschalck house was their last apartment.

On the 100th birthday of Carl Corbach in 1967, his services were honored in a ceremony in Sondershausen: “With his expressive interpretations of the most important works of violin literature from classical to modern ( Reger ) and as the leader of a quartet, he soon gained an equally great reputation like as a teacher. The young violinists came from everywhere, especially from the Scandinavian countries, even from America and Spain, because Corbach was known for not only teaching his students solid technical equipment, but also paying the greatest attention to the development of the purely musical. .. As a conductor, Corbach was anything but a virtuoso on the podium, his successes were not based on exaggerated dynamics or idiosyncratic accentuation, rather objectivity and faithfulness to the work, paired with inner involvement, were the most striking features of his orchestral leadership. All his love belonged to Brahms . Since he had played under his direction as a young violinist, his interpretations of Brahms symphonies had a degree of authenticity that could hardly be surpassed. "

The meeting place for friends of culture in Sondershausen is called "Carl-Corbach-Klub". A memorial plaque was placed on the former music conservatory in 1997. Carl Corbach's grave has been taken care of by the city of Sondershausen.

source

• Wolfgang Diez: Carl Corbach (1867–1947). In: Helmut Köhler (Ed.): Personalities in Sondershausen. Sondershausen 1998.