Dietrich Lohff

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Dietrich Lohff (born January 9, 1941 in Tauche ; † October 1, 2016 in Heidelberg ) was a German composer.

Life

Dietrich Lohff was born in Tauche in what was then the Beeskow-Storkow district in Brandenburg, the son of a pastor. Lohff received his first piano lessons at the age of five, which was followed shortly afterwards by his first attempts at composition.

Lohff studied church music , school music and German literature in Heidelberg and Mannheim. His composition teachers were Heinz Werner Zimmermann and Georg von Albrecht .

After graduating, he founded the rock group heaven on earth , which was stylistically comparable to groups like Emerson, Lake and Palmer or Gentle Giant. He toured Germany with this band from 1969 to 1974. For this group he wrote the Mass in Rock . He later founded the band Golem, also based in progressive rock .

From 1967 to 1970 he was on the board of the Socialist German Student Union (SDS). During this time Lohff was also the editor of a socialist school magazine, Die Rote Schülerpresse . Because of this political activity, Lohff was initially banned from working, but was able to work again as a music teacher at the private Boxberg high school in Heidelberg from 1970.

Dietrich Lohff received a scholarship from the Darmstadt Summer Course for New Music and the Richard Wagner Association and received several composition commissions.

Lohff initially wrote mainly experimental music, such as the sacrophony, optical music for a church or the cantata Eintracht Frankfurt . After a long creative break, however, he turned away from experimental music and towards tonal music influenced by rock music.

With his Requiem for a Polish Boy (based on texts by victims of fascism), he was also able to record great international success. This work was premiered simultaneously in six German cities in 1998, the performance by the Meissner Kantorei in Dresden in 1961 (under the direction of Christfried Brödel ) being recorded by Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk. Concerts in Austria (in the Graz synagogue), in Poland and in the Netherlands followed. At a ceremony of the German Bundestag in 1999, parts of the Requiem were performed with the Bonn Chamber Choir under the direction of Peter Henn.

Lohff died on October 1, 2016 in a Heidelberg hospital.

Compositions (selection)

  • Requiem for a Polish boy based on texts by victims of fascism, world premiere in 1998 in six German cities at the same time, performance in 1999 at a ceremony by the Bundestag.
  • Francis of Assisi , church musical (2002).
  • Luther , opera oratorio, world premiere in 2005 in Wittenberg .
  • On the dignity of all people , cantata (2008).
  • Jochanaan , opera, world premiere in 2009 in Neckargemünd .
  • Das Spiel von der Schnur Christi , oratorio, world premiere in 2013 in Mannheim .
  • All eyes are waiting for you , Thanksgiving cantata for solo instrument, choir and organ. (Berlin 2013)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Biographical information from: www.dietrichlohff.de , accessed on November 23, 2009
  2. ^ Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung of October 10, 2016
  3. ↑ "The Game of the String of Christ". Retrieved January 22, 2013 .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Lohff, Dietrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German composer
DATE OF BIRTH January 9, 1941
PLACE OF BIRTH Dive
DATE OF DEATH October 1, 2016
Place of death Heidelberg