Carl Ueter

Carl Ueter (sometimes also Karl Ueter , born January 18, 1900 in Münster , † September 30, 1985 in Bad Krozingen ) was a German composer of serious music . From 1950 until his retirement in 1965 he was a professor at the Freiburg University of Music .

life and work

Carl Ueter studied Catholic church music from 1915 to 1918 at the Episcopal Church Music School in his hometown. During this time, Carl Ueter worked as an organist, first at the St. Lamberti Church and then at the St. Petri Church . After completing his studies in 1919, Carl Ueter continued working as a teacher of music theory (Gregorian chant), composition and violin at the Episcopal Church Music School and became organist at the Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche in Münster. He also continued his composition studies with Fritz Volbach at the University of Münster.

In 1921, Carl Ueter was accepted into Franz Schreker's composition class at the Academic University of Music in Berlin, where he studied a. a. together with Alois Hába , Berthold Goldschmidt , Max Brand and Jerzy Fitelberg . In addition, he was a student of Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek (instrumentation), Max Seiffert and Curt Sachs during this time . Georg Schünemann reported on the quality of the students in the Schrekers composition class in 1928 :

“It was amazing what the young students who came from Schreker's school could do. We had contrapuntal tasks solved, saw strict and free movements, heard one fugue after the other, vocal and instrumental fugues, gave topics for modulating and improvising, tested musicality and hearing - these students were well versed in everything. As many exams as I've had since then, this artistic level has never been reached again. All of a sudden, the composition classes were given fresh impetus and new movement. A wealth of musical talents gathered around Franz Schreker, and it was soon the longing of many music students to be accepted into his class. But the test that Schreker had drawn up remained strict and difficult; most of them were turned away and only a few came into the circle of his pupils who, despite different views of art and life, stuck together. Krenek and Haba left in 1922 and were replaced by Paul Hoffer, Carl Ueter, Norbert Gingold, Berthold Goldschmidt, Leon Klepper, Margarethe von Zieritz, Ignatz Strasfogel and others. a. in front. Each of them an excellent musician, at least an expert who has mastered the musical craft from the ground up. "

After completing his studies, Carl Ueter first went to the Musikhochschule in Mannheim as a lecturer in 1923 and then became a répétiteur at the Münster City Theater. When the general music director Ewald Lindemann was appointed to Freiburg im Breisgau that same year , he took Carl Ueter with him. Until the beginning of the war in 1939, Carl Ueter held the position of 1st Kapellmeister at the Freiburg Municipal Theaters .

Carl Ueter did military service from 1940 to 1944 and was then taken prisoner by the Americans. Until 1945 he was interned in the Bad Aibling prison camp.

When the Freiburg University of Music was re-established in 1946 , Carl Ueter was given a teaching position and was appointed professor in 1950. Until his retirement in 1965, Carl Ueter led the master class for conducting as well as courses in counterpoint and score playing. His most important students include Hans Zender , Werner Jacob , Gerbert Mutter , Isaac Karabtchevsky , Günther Wich , Wolfgang Gayler and David Machado . He also directed the opera school and the university orchestra, and so Carl Ueter conducted Fritz Wunderlich's first official opera performance as Tamino in 1954 .

In addition to his work as a professor, Carl Ueter composed in all areas of serious music and created songs, chamber music and piano works, but also two operas and orchestral works, including two symphonies. Most of Ueter's compositions are considered lost, as he always sent the original manuscripts in response to inquiries and never received them back.

Compositions (selection)

Operas

• Die Erzgräber (1937, world premiere on October 21, 1937 in Freiburg i. Br.)
• Emperor Caesar (1941)

Orchestral works

• Symphony in D minor
• Symphony in F sharp minor (first performance on January 9, 1939 by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra under Franz Konwitschny)
• Concerto for violins, cellos and orchestra

Chamber music

• Sonata for piano and cello (1921)
• Trio for violin, viola and cello op.10 (1925)
• Trio No.3 for 2 violins and cello (1927)
• Sonata No.1 for flute and piano (1946)
• Sonata for violin solo (1928)
• String Trio (1946)
• Toccata for piano (1932)
• 3 pieces for violin and piano (1947)
• 5 little pieces for piano (1947)
• Suite for flute and piano (1947)
• Presto possibile, for piano
• 3 pieces for string quartet (1952)
• Trio for clarinet, horn and bassoon Funksuite (1952)

Songs

• Chamber cantata Der kleine Tod for baritone, cello and piano op.36 No.1 (1934)
• Chamber cantata Liebe zu Gott for alto, violin and piano op.36 No.2 (1934)
• Romance chants for low voice and piano (1947)
• Four chants based on poems by Hölderlin, for low voice, viola and piano (1946)

literature

• Hanns Musch: conductor - composer - universal personality. On the death of Carl Ueter. 1985.
• Friderun Ueter: Carl Ueter's curriculum vitae. In the Fred Prieberg archive of the Musicological Institute of the University of Kiel, 1997.
• Friderun Ueter: Catalog raisonné Carl Ueter. In the Fred Prieberg archive of the Musicological Institute of the University of Kiel, 1997.

grades

• String Trio (1946) free score

Individual evidence

1. ^ Georg Schünemann: Franz Schreker as a teacher . In: Musikblätter des Anbruch - Monthly magazine for modern music. Volume 10, 1928, issue 3/4, p. 109. Universal Edition
2. ↑ Susanne Farwick: Studies on contemporary music for flute solo in the second half of the 20th century: analytical considerations on formal, extra-musical, national and sound-aesthetic aspects in music for flute solo from 1950 to 2006. Volume 12 of Contributions to European Music History, Verlag Peter Lang 2009, ISBN 3-631-58518-7 , p. 187.
3. ↑ Telephone conversation with the widow Carl Ueters on November 23, 2015 by Tobias Bröker (see www.tobias-broeker.de)