Detlef Kobjela

Detlef Kobjela (born April 7, 1944 in Willmersdorf near Cottbus ; † May 18, 2018 in Bautzen ) was a Sorbian composer and musicologist . Since the 1970s, his compositions and musicological work have had a major impact on the Sorbian music landscape in Lower and Upper Lusatia and thus made an important contribution to the preservation and development of the Sorbian musical culture.

Detlef Kobjela, 2010

Life

Childhood and youth 1944–1963

Detlef Kobjela was the first-born child of Ewald Kobjela and his wife at the time, Elfriede. Ewald Kobjela was a master baker in Willmersdorf near Cottbus and, in addition to the bakery, ran a grocery store and the village's post office. Due to his father's pronounced love of music, his son, Detlef, had been taking piano lessons since he was five - initially from his uncle, Werner Neumann, who was a music teacher in Cottbus. From the sixth grade onwards, he continuously took lessons at the Cottbus Volksmusikschule (today Cottbus Conservatory ) in the subjects of piano, violin, music theory and music history. From the age of ten, Kobjela also helped his father in the bakery and in the grocery store, before he switched to the Sorbian High School (now Lower Sorbian High School ) in Cottbus at the age of 14 . For unclear reasons, Kobjela interrupted classes at the music school from the tenth grade. However, his musical interest remained undimmed. The young Kobjela, who was called " Mozart " by his classmates , has been leading the school choir as assistant to the music teacher at that time, as well as independently at rehearsals and performances.

In 1962 Kobjela completed his Abitur at the Sorbian High School and began an apprenticeship as an accountant in Cottbus after the director of the Sorbian High School denied him the prospect of teaching mathematics and physics. However, he interrupted this apprenticeship after a year because of an advertisement in the newspaper, for which the Humboldt University in Berlin was looking for students for the pedagogical subjects music and German. In 1963 he applied and passed the entrance exam.

Studies and military service 1963–1969

Kobjela never intended to work permanently as a teacher after graduation. His curriculum also allowed him to take more subjects that corresponded to his inclinations: musicology and composition , score playing , instrumental lessons . He also switched from violin to viola. In 1967 he completed his studies in music education , German and musicology. The subject of his diploma thesis was "Formal specifics of the Sorbian folk song". In his last year of study he was offered a position as a music dramaturge in the Sorbian National Ensemble (SNE) in Bautzen . He accepted the offer, but had undertaken to teach full-time as a teacher for German and music at the school of his youth, which was then renamed the “Sorbian Extended High School”. But after only one year Detlef Kobjela received his draft order for military service in the NVA , which he did in the years 1968/69 with the riot police in Cottbus. During this time, as a simple corporal, he was unexpectedly assigned the duties of the cultural officer who had left the service. Most of these tasks consisted of leading several soldiers' choirs.

Music teacher, dramaturge, critic in Cottbus / Bautzen 1969–1980

Detlef Kobjela lived in Cottbus from 1967 to 1980. After his military service, he commuted to Bautzen every week to work as a music dramaturge in the Sorbian National Ensemble. Furthermore, he worked as a music teacher at the Sorbian Extended High School in Cottbus until 1981, and from 1970 to 1990 as a scientific secretary of the “Working Group of Sorbian Musicians in the Association of Composers and Musicologists of the GDR ”. In addition to this position, in which he was significantly involved in the organization and promotion of Sorbian music, he was also highly regarded as a critic in Cottbus. He wrote numerous reviews, including concerts at the Cottbus Theater . In 1977 the composer had to undergo a duodenal operation. As a consequence of this intervention, Kobjela froze most of his projects until 1980 in order to gain more peace and quiet and mostly only worked as a freelancer.

Bautzen 1980 to 2018

In 1980 Detlef Kobjela took over the post of chief music dramaturge at the Sorbian National Ensemble and moved to Bautzen. Kobjela, who had been a member of the GDR block party National Democratic Party of Germany (NDPD) since 1962 , was elected to the party's main committee in May 1987 at the 13th NDPD congress. At that time he was also chairman of the Bautzen district leadership of the GDR Cultural Association . From 1990 to 1995 he was director of the ensemble. Since leaving, he has lived as a freelance composer in Bautzen. In December 2001, an operation had to be performed on Kobjela. Due to complications, he fell into a coma for several weeks due to a multi-resistant virus that had attacked him during the operation. The medical treatment was successful. However, he did not fully recover, which did not prevent him from continuing to work as a composer and musicologist for Sorbian culture. Detlef Kobjela died on May 18, 2018 at the age of 74 in Bautzen.

Musical work

Since 1968 Kobjela emerged as a composer. His work encompasses almost all musical genres , including film music as well as numerous songs and choral music.

Kobjela links structures of contemporary music with the musical traditions of his Sorbian homeland. In the work “Nänia (Nenia)”, which is dedicated to mourning, quotes from Mozart's Requiem and the old Slavic chorale “Ow stracha dźeń” (O day of fear) create an extremely attractive tension. In recent times Kobjela has opened up new worlds of sound with the guitar, accordion and organ. One focus of his work is still his songwriting.

Detlef Kobjela's works are mainly performed in his Sorbian homeland (Upper and Lower Lusatia, Cottbus, Bautzen), including in the village of Horno in the time before his demolition , but they are increasingly attracting interest abroad (Italy, Finland , Switzerland).

I. Symphonics

• Adagietto - for winds (WP 1974)
• Episodes - for orchestra (WP 1976)
• Concertino - for oboe and string orchestra (WP 1979)
• Krabat (A musical fairy tale) - symphonic suite in five movements for large orchestra (WP 1980)
• Cantilena - for clarinet and orchestra (WP 1982)
• Ballade - for oboe, violoncello and orchestra (WP 1985)
• Reflexionen - for viola, violoncello and orchestra (WP 1986)
• Tranquillo ("Śišyna - The Silence") - for string quartet and orchestra (WP 1989)
• Koło Sostenuto - for string orchestra (WP 1990)
• Nenia - for viola and string orchestra (WP 1991)
• Christmas Eve (Festive Christmas Music) - for string orchestra and harpsichord (WP 1993)
• Thronberg - Suite from "The Year of Kings" - for orchestra (WP 2001)
• Reminiscences - for strings (WP 2005)
• Fastoso - for brass (WP 2005)

II. Music theater

• "Fantasia Na Lubinje" ("The Year Of The Kings") - ballet opera for ballet, alto solo, choir solos (4), choirs, orchestra (premiere 1998)
• "Lessing Goes Opera or Die Liebenden Von Ephesos" - musical comedy in the old style for 6 soloists, 6 choir soloists, choirs, orchestra (WP 2000)
• "Spreewald Operetta - Wanda's Stockings" - Operetta for solos, choirs, orchestra (premiere 2009)

III. Chamber music

• Duo - for violin and viola (1971)
• Movements (3) - for string quartet (1972)
• Sonatina - for violoncello and piano (1973)
• Illustrations - for violoncello - solo (1982)
• Intermezzo - for string quartet (1984)
• Cowanje (Reverie) - based on a ballet scene by Liana Bertók for piano (1987)
• Legende (Memory of a Friend) - for string quartet (1988)
• Tranquillo - arranged by Liana Bertók based on the symphonic piece of the same name for piano quintet (1991)
• Sacro - for string quartet (1991)
• Initials (12) - for violoncello - solo (1994)
• Divertimento - for violin, guitar and accordion (1996)
• Barcarole - for flute and guitar (1996)
• Intrada Rusticale - for clarinet and horn (1996)
• Preludes (3) - for clarinet quartet (1997)
• Zastaničko (serenade) - for 3 small Sorbian fiddles , 2 large Sorbian fiddles, bagpipes and tarakawa (1997)
• Gronka (Proverbs) - for large Sorbian fiddle (1997)
• Piano pieces (3) (1997)
• Aria - for clarinet and organ (2002) version for violin and organ (2006)
• Poem - for violin, clarinet and piano (2003)
• Inquieto - for flute, violin and piano (2004)
• Elegy - for organ (2005)
• Dialogue - for marimbaphone (2006)
• Kwasne Hrončka (Wedding Serenade) - for Sorbian folk musicians (2007)

IV. Art songs

23 art songs, including the four cycles:

• Your love came to me - for baritone and piano (1976)
• Three songs based on texts by Mina Witkojc - for soprano, baritone and string sextet. Piano version by Liana Bertók (1976)
• Gesänge (Spiwanja) - for baritone, violoncello and piano (1978)
• Śichej Spiwani (Silent Chants) on texts by Irmgard Kuhlee - for baritone and piano (1997)

V. Concert orchestral music

Twelve ballet scenes, dances including piano reductions for dance ensemble and orchestra, including:

• Spremberger Suite (Grodkojska swita) (1976)
• Zalubowany Wowčer (The Shepherd in Love) (1980)
• Rybarske Cowanje (Fisherman's Dream) (1985)
• Chodojty (Witches) (1991)

VI. Incidental music

10 song and dance scenes with piano reductions for dance ensemble and others, including:

• Swjedźeński Nastup (Festival Polonaise) - for choir, speaker and orchestra (1976)
• Zastupowe Wuzněśe (Carnival finale) - for female choir and orchestra (1983)
• Zwony (Bells) - for speakers, choirs, Trumscheit and orchestra (1989)
• Dolnoserbska Swajźba (Wendish Wedding) - for solos, choirs and orchestra (1997)
• Nalětniny (Spring Festival) - for solos, choirs and orchestra (2002)

VII. Vocal Cycles (Choir Suites)

9 cycles including:

• Doma Rědnje Jo (It's Beautiful Home) - for choirs and piano (2000)

VIII. Choirs

15 choral songs, including:

• I dreamed the bells would strike - for speaker, choral vocalise and piano or orchestra (1989)
• Bohu budź chwała (Glory to God) - chorale for four-part mixed choir with organ or string accompaniment (2005)

IX. Songs

25 single to three-part songs for voice (s) or choir with piano, guitar, accordion or flute accompaniment, including:

• Pojźćo młode (1970)
• Při dźiwej Jabłučinje (1972)
• Jahodkarka (1973)
• Rědnosć Domownje (1974)
• The sailor loves his Hamburg (1999)
• Domowina (Heimat) (2001)

X. Other

33 dance pictures, folk song arrangements, songs, instrumental pieces or film music, including:

• La valse mediterrane - for piano (1966)
• Perečko, Belave (The White Feather) - Slovak dance image for folk music group (1981)
• Music for the documentary "Domowina" (1982)
• Music for the animated film "The Aquarius as Braschka" (1988)
• May dance scene - for clarinet, trumpet, accordion, percussion and double bass (1991)
• Wjacorne zacuśe (evening sensation) - folk song arrangement for three-part mixed choir a capella (1996)
• Són wo jědlence (The Dream of the Christmas Tree) - music for the fairy tale play by Wórša Wićazowa - "Jělenka" (Song of the Christmas Tree) for piano and voice (2002)

Fonts

Detlef Kobjela also published an extensive study on the Sorbian / Wendish music history:

• Detlef Kobjela, Werner Meschkank : From the magic rain song to the Wendish pop ballad - a contribution to the music history of Lusatia with a special presentation of the Lower Sorbian music history. (= Potsdam contributions to Sorabistics. Volume 3). Potsdam 2000. ( online )

Web links

• Literature by and about Detlef Kobjela in the catalog of the German National Library
• Literature by and about Detlef Kobjela in the Saxon Bibliography
• Obituaries in the Lausitzer Rundschau (accessed November 30, 2018).

Individual evidence

1. ^ Party friend Detlev Kobjela . In: National-Zeitung of May 12, 1987.
2. ↑ Miriam Schönbach: Farewell to the "Wendish naive". In: Saxon newspaper . May 24, 2018. Retrieved May 24, 2018 .