Cesar Bresgen

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Cesar Bresgen (born October 16, 1913 in Florence , † April 7, 1988 in Salzburg ) was an Austrian composer .

Life and musical activities

Cesar Bresgen was born in Florence as the son of the artist couple Maria (pianist) and August Bresgen (sculptor) . He spent his childhood and youth in Zell am See , Munich , Prague and Salzburg. He learned to play the organ at an early age from Heinrich Kaspar Schmid . From 1930 to 1936 he studied piano , organ , conducting and composition with Joseph Haas at the Munich Music Academy . In addition to his studies, he worked as the organist of St. Rupert in Munich between 1931 and 1935. From 1933 to 1934 he worked as a piano improviser and composer in London with the dancer Leslie Barrows at the Mary Wigman School.

In 1936, Bresgen married Hilde Helmberger from Munich. From 1936 to 1938 he was employed by the Reich broadcaster in Munich . In 1939 he became professor of composition at the Salzburg Mozarteum . He did pioneering work in the development of the youth music school and created numerous vocal works for the Hitler Youth . During the Second World War , Bresgen was placed in the UK until 1944 , but had to do military service in the final phase of the war after the Mozarteum was closed in 1944/45, where he was employed as a radio operator.

After the war he spent as an organist and choirmaster in Mittersill . There he met Anton Webern in 1945 , which left a deep impression on him. In 1947, at the intercession of Carl Orff and Eberhard Preussner, he was given another apprenticeship at the Mozarteum with the US military government, and finally, from 1950, a professorship for composition. In 1956, Bresgen married the pianist Eleonore Jorhan , with whom he settled in Großgmain near Salzburg. In 1976 he received the Grand Austrian State Prize .

Cesar Bresgen died on April 7, 1988 in Salzburg.

Like his friend Carl Orff, Bresgen worked with a strong educational commitment. As a musicologist, he has rendered outstanding services to the publication of the songs of the monk of Salzburg and numerous folk tunes.

Commitment to National Socialism

Since 1934, Bresgen was a member of the Hitler Youth , in which he rose to the rank of Oberge Followschaftsführer (1943). He initially worked in the HJ broadcast group in Munich. In 1935 he became a member of the Nazi teachers' association and founded a chamber orchestra in it. In 1937 he also became a member of the National Socialist cultural community in Munich and worked in the cultural office of the Reich Youth Leadership . In 1939 he became director of the Hitler Youth Mozart Spielschar in Salzburg . Bresgen was not a member of the NSDAP , as he did not provide the required " Aryan certificate ". According to a personal testimony, however, he was an ardent National Socialist. In keeping with the Nazi regime, he wrote folk song arrangements and songs for the HJ, which also included "neo-pagan" Christmas carols, Nazi party music such as annual cantatas, the cantata Kindelfest (which celebrated the birth of a child on a farm) and first operas. In 1942 he composed the oratorio Der Strom based on a text by Hans Baumann . On June 10, 1944, his wind fanfare, commissioned by the SS main office , was premiered on the occasion of the exhibition German Artists and the SS in Salzburg, which resumed his wind music from 1938. During his military service in 1944 he composed a soldier Christmas for choir and instruments. The historian Michael H. Kater rated Bresgen as the hardest-working and most popular composer of the Hitler Youth because of his productivity and his resonance. Several prizes and awards that Bresgen received from 1936 are cited as evidence.

In February 1939 Cesar Bresgen was appointed director of the music school for youth and people at the Mozarteum; In 1944 he was awarded the title of professor. From there he made an attempt in 1939 to establish so-called game groups in the Salzburg area, which were directed by Fritz Jöde and available for appearances at the HJ culture days. In 1943 Bresgen took over the management of the Mozart Spielschar . The work with the Spielscharen continued until 1944, when Bresgen was deprived of all competencies for the National Socialist youth work .

honors and awards

Works

Stage works

  • Sleeping Beauty or The Three Urewigen (1940/1941), opera in 4 acts, libretto by Otto Reuther and Cesar Bresgen (premiered in Strasbourg in 1942)
  • The Judgment of Paris (1941/1942), musical comedy in one act, libretto by Otto Reuther (premiered in 1943 in Germany)
  • Paracelsus (1943), opera in 5 acts, libretto based on Paracelsus
  • The cunning miller's wife (1943), ballet with speaking voice
  • The Hedgehog as Bridegroom (1948, revised 1980), opera in 5 pictures, libretto by Ludwig Strecker and Cesar Bresgen (premiered in 1948 in Esslingen and on November 13, 1951 in Nuremberg)
  • Dyll the Fool (1950), ballet
  • Visiones amantis . Der Wolkensteiner (1951), Ludus tragicus in 6 pictures, libretto based on Oswald von Wolkenstein
  • Brüderlein Hund (1953), children's opera in 3 pictures, libretto by Ludwig Strecker (premiered 1953 in Salzburg)
  • The wedding flight. Niño flies with Niña (1954), insect comedy for children in 7 pictures
  • The eternal doctor (1955), mystery play in 6 pictures
  • Ercole (1956), short opera play
  • Christkindl-Kumedi (1959)
  • The Man in the Moon (1960), musical fairy tale in 6 pictures, libretto by Ludwig Strecker and Cesar Bresgen (premiered on May 22, 1960 in the Nuremberg theater)
  • The Lost Conscience (1961), ballet
  • The shadow thieves (1961), a musical play for children in 5 pictures
  • Salzburg Passion (1963/1964), passion play
  • Bastian, the lazy man (1965), pantomime
  • Birth of Christ (1969), Easter game
  • Trubloff (1969, revised 1984), Singspiel in 3 acts
  • The Angel of Prague (1970, revised 1977 and 1985), opera in 3 acts, libretto by Cesar Bresgen after Leo Perutz (premiered on December 25, 1978 in the Salzburg Festival Hall and 1986 in Innsbruck)
  • Dissolute Ferdinand (1972)
  • Hafez (1975)
  • Krabat (1982), libretto by Otfried Preußler , cf. the article on the novel of the same name (premiered in 1983 at the Lüdenscheider Music School)
  • Loferer Passion (1983), Passion Play
  • The City Hopper (1985)
  • Albolina (1985/1986)
  • King Nutcracker (1987)

Orchestral works

  • Choral Symphony (1935)
  • Concerto grosso (1935) for chamber orchestra
  • Dorfmusikanten (1935) for chamber orchestra
  • Symphonic Suite (1936)
  • Symphonic concert (1936/1937) for piano and orchestra
  • Funeral Celebration (1937)
  • Mayenkonzert (1937) for piano and orchestra
  • Concerto in D minor “Venetian Concerto” (1938) for violoncello and orchestra
  • Hunting concert (1939) for violin, woodwind and double bass
  • Concerto in G minor (1940) for trombone and string orchestra
  • Intrada (1944) for string orchestra
  • Concerto in C major (1951) for piano and orchestra
  • Dances from the Black Sea (1956)
  • Totentanz (1958) for piano and orchestra after Hans Holbein
  • Horn Concerto (1962) for horn and orchestra
  • Chamber concert (1962) for guitar and orchestra
  • Zortzikos (1964), ballet suite
  • Intrada (1964)
  • Concerto for orchestra (1965)
  • Tanzstück (1967) for plucked orchestra
  • Turkmen Suite (1968) for plucked orchestra
  • Visionen (1972) for flute, harp and string orchestra
  • Concertino (1972) for violin, violoncello and orchestra
  • Concertino (1973) for flute, bassoon and string orchestra
  • Concerto (1975) for flute piccolo, flute / piccolo, clarinet and string orchestra
  • 3 retratos (1976)

Vocal works

  • Lichtwende (1939), cantata
  • Drischleg (1941), peasant cantata at the end of the harvest, text by Otto Reuther
  • Trariro. 44 old and new children's songs . Ludwig Voggenreiter Verlag, Potsdam, 1942.
  • Requiem for Anton Webern (1945–1972) for choir, string orchestra and organ
  • Der Struwwelpeter (1953), cantata, text by Heinrich Hoffmann , cf. the article for the book of the same name
  • Von der Unrest des Menschen (1953), cantata for soprano, tenor, choir and orchestra, texts based on the book of Job , Georg Trakl and Cesar Bresgen
  • Yes, we are reverberation (1968), cantata for soprano, baritone, children's choir, string quartet and organ, texts by William Shakespeare and Hans Carossa
  • Surrexit Dominus (1970), concert version of the origins of Christ
  • Funeral Mass (1971/1972) for choir and organ, text by Huub Oosterhuis
  • De tempore (1974), oratorio for 3 solo voices, choir and orchestra
  • Von Wäldern und Zigeunern (1980) for speaking voice and guitar, texts by HC Artmann
  • Magnalia Dei (1986), symphonic metamorphoses for speaker and orchestra, texts by Paracelsus
  • several song cycles for solo voice and piano
  • Several collections of songs for amateur singers, including the songs Mich brennt's in mein Reiseschuh'n and O du stille Zeit on texts by Joseph von Eichendorff and the canon Laughing, summer comes
  • numerous folk songs, children's songs and Christmas carols

Instrumental works

  • for four or more instruments:
    • Intraden (1935) for brass
    • Festive Calls (1938) for brass
    • 3 string quartets (1948–1971)
    • Divertimento (1957) for violin, oboe, clarinet, trombone and piano
    • Salzburger Divertimento (1965) for wind quintet, premiered in Munich 1969
    • Suite “Pictures of Death” (1965/1966) for 2 pianos, timpani and percussion, premiered in Vienna 1967
    • Piano quartet (1966)
    • Clarinet quartet "umrem, umrem" (1966) for clarinet, violin, violoncello and piano, premiered in Linz 1970
    • Toccata “Der Benzenawer” for organ, brass, timpani and percussion, premiered in 1971 in Kufstein
    • Musica Matutina (1974) for recorder quartet
    • Funeral music “Lacrimae sunt rerum” (1978) for organ, flute, brass, timpani and percussion, premiered Vienna 1978
    • Sonata a cinque (1980) for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano, premiered in Salzburg 1981
    • 3 hymns “Media in vita” (1981) for 16 wind instruments
    • Spanish Suite (1986) for 5 recorders
  • for three instruments:
    • Sonata (1934) for piano trio
    • Sonatina on old German love songs (1939) for 2 treble recorders and piano
    • Trio (1939) for flute, clarinet and bassoon
    • Sonata (1940) for 2 violins and piano
    • 2 trios (1945–1960) for flute, violoncello and piano
    • 2 piano trios (1948–1972)
    • Serenade (1949) for flute, horn and harp
    • Concetti (1974) for flute, harp and viola
    • Quattro pezzi (1982) for 2 violins and piano, premiered in Vienna 1982
    • Trio Sonata (1985) for flute, trumpet and organ, premiered in Vienna 1988
    • Unknown piece (for violin, viola and piano) Manuscript in the OeNB
  • for two instruments:
    • 2 sonatas (1934–1946) for violoncello and piano
    • 3 sonatas (1934–1946) for viola and piano (1934, 1937 and 1946)
    • Sonata (1944) for flute and piano
    • Toccata and funeral music (1946) for violin and organ
    • Totentanz after Holbein (1946/1947) for 2 pianos, premiered in Salzburg 1948
    • 4 pantomimes (1949) for violin and piano, premiere Salzburg 1950
    • Sonatina (1951) for soprano recorder and piano
    • Romanian Suite (1956) for violin and piano
    • Studies VI “The Little Day and Night Pieces” (1962) for violin and piano
    • Prager Sonatina (1967) for soprano recorder and piano
    • Studies II and Studies III (1968) for clarinet and piano
    • Studies IV (1968) for flute and piano
    • Studies V (1968) for violoncello and piano
    • 4 Capriccios (1970) for flute and harp, premiered in Luxemburg 1971
    • Violin book for Klausi (1975) for violin and piano
    • Elegie (1985) for flute and organ, WP Erl 1985
    • Symphonic Metamorphoses “Magnalia Dei” (1987) for speaker and organ, texts by Paracelsus, UA Vienna 1991
  • for one instrument:
    • Impressions (1928–1930) for piano
    • Toccata Paschalis (1932–1969) for organ, premiered in Frankfurt 1970
    • Holbein Suite (1946) for piano, premier Salzburg 1948
    • Toccata and Fugue (1948) for organ
    • Balkan Studies (1963/1964) for piano
    • Malinconia (1968) for guitar
    • Studies I (1968) for piano
    • Hosanna filio David (1969) for organ
    • Studies VII “Romanesca” (1971) for piano
    • 2 epitaphs (1973) for organ, WP Seckau 1973
    • Epitaph III "Alpha es et O ..." (1979) for organ, UA Amriswil 1979
    • numerous other piano and organ pieces

Fonts

  • The improvisation , Heidelberg 1960 (Quelle & Meyer)
  • The composer and folk music , Vienna 1970 (Universal Edition)
  • The mushroom year , Graz 1973 (Styria)
  • Improvisation in Music , Wilhelmshaven 1974 (Heinrichshofen)
  • Music education? A critical protocol , Wilhelmshaven 1975 (Heinrichshofen)
  • Passion song in Salzburg. A documentation with text and music , Salzburg 1975 (winter)
  • The artist, representing society. The sociological function of contemporary music , Vienna 1976 (Doblinger)
  • In the beginning was the rhythm , Wilhelmshaven 1977 (Heinrichshofen)
  • European love songs from eight centuries / in the original language and transmission with the associated melodies / collected and commented by Cesar Bresgen , Munich 1978 (Heimeran)
  • Mittersill 1945 - A Path to Anton von Webern , Vienna 1983 (Österreichischer Bundesverlag)
  • Songs, singing and yodelling. Alpine folk songs from Austria . A&M, Salzburg 2006 (first 1946)

literature

  • Uwe Harten, Monika Kornberger: Bresgen, Cesar. In: Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon . Online edition, Vienna 2002 ff., ISBN 3-7001-3077-5 ; Print edition: Volume 1, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 2002, ISBN 3-7001-3043-0 .
  • Rudolf Lück: Cesar Bresgen (=  composers of our time . Band 21 ). Lafite, Vienna 1974, ISBN 3-215-61104-X .
  • Thomas Hochradner, Thomas Nussbaumer (Eds.): Cesar Bresgen. Composer and music teacher in the field of tension of the 20th century (=  word and music . Band 59 ). Mueller-Speiser, Anif-Salzburg 2005, ISBN 3-85145-095-7 .
  • Isolde Schmid-Reiter : Cesar Bresgen's music-dramatic work, submitted by Isolde Schmid-Reiter. Vienna, Univ., Diss., 1989, 601 sheets: Ill.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Fred K. Prieberg : Handbook of German Musicians 1933–1945 , CD-Rom-Lexikon, Kiel 2004, pp. 704–705.
  2. ↑ Bresgen prospectus (PDF; 2.1 MB) at www.doblinger-musikverlag.at, p. 3, as of January 27, 2010.
  3. ↑ The preoccupation with Webern led to a stylistic reorientation in the late work (e.g. in the oratorio De tempore 1974 and in the opera Der Engel von Prag 1977).
  4. ↑ Michael H. Kater: The misused Muse: Musicians in the Third Reich (quoted from the English edition The Twisted Muse , p. 143)
  5. ↑ Fred K. Prieberg: Handbook of German Musicians 1933–1945 , pp. 718–719.
  6. ↑ Fred K. Prieberg: Handbook of German Musicians 1933–1945 , p. 717.
  7. ↑ a b Michael H. Kater: The Twisted Muse , pp. 143-145.
  8. ^ A b Fred K. Prieberg: Handbook of German Musicians 1933–1945 , p. 728.
  9. ↑ Michael H. Kater: Die abused Muse , p. 280; The Twisted Muse , p. 146.
  10. ↑ Fred K. Prieberg: Handbook of German Musicians 1933–1945 , pp. 705, 720.
  11. ↑ Ernst Hanisch : Gau der Guten Nerven , pp. 164-171.
  12. ↑ a b outstanding artist award - music ( Memento from January 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), accessed October 28, 2012
  13. ↑ a b Flotzinger u. Gruber (Ed.): Music History Austria Volume 2. Verlag Styria, 1979. P. 498.
  14. ↑ OCLC 8498046
  15. ↑ It's burning in my travel shoes at www.volksliederarchiv.de (accessed on February 19, 2016).
  16. ↑ O dustille Zeit on www.volksliederarchiv.de (accessed on February 19, 2016)
  17. ↑ Cf. also Cesar Bresgen: A rose has sprung. A Christmas cantata. Schott, Mainz (= Edition Schott. Volume 2920).
personal data
SURNAME Bresgen, Cesar
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian composer
DATE OF BIRTH October 16, 1913
PLACE OF BIRTH Florence
DATE OF DEATH April 7, 1988
Place of death Salzburg