Günter Gerlach (musician)

Günter Gerlach (born May 4, 1928 in Berlin-Lankwitz , † June 8, 2003 in Berlin ) was a German church musician , school musician and composer .

Life and work

At the age of 14 he was already active as an organist in his community . After school he studied viola , organ , choir conducting and composition with Joseph Ahrens and the Hindemith student Konrad Friedrich Noetel, among others . He passed his final exam in 1952 at the Berlin University of Music.

During his professional life as an organist and choir director in the churches of St. Elisabeth in Berlin-Schöneberg (until 1959) and the Holy Family in Berlin-Lichterfelde , he devoted himself to creating his own works. From 1960 to 1991 he was also a music teacher at the Canisius College in Berlin-Tiergarten . There he was also the director of the school choir, which he brought to such a high level that it could be heard and seen with him several times on radio and television ( SFB ). For this work he received an "Award for Special Artistic Achievements" from the Senator for Schools in 1967.

The main focus of his compositional work after his retirement in 1995 comprised traditional means - right through to Gregorian music in modern tonal language. He also taught privately, and among his students was a. v. a. Jury Everhartz .

Media appearances

With the boys' choir of the Canisius College

November 1967, SFB, "Singing of the Berlin School Choirs"
March 1969, SFB, “Catholic Morning Celebrations” in the Church of the Holy Family
1970, ARD, world premiere of Stations of the Cross of the Church
1971, SFB, "Musical Weeks"
June 1980, German television (?), 86th German Catholic Day
April 1980, ZDF, Sunday service from St. Canisius Church

Reports in the press

May 16, 1973, the Tagesspiegel about his work: “One likes to go on a Sunday excursion to the Church of the Holy Family in Lichterfelde (...). Again and again something remarkable happens there in terms of church music. "
May 2, 1993, Bernhard Kytzler , musicologist and professor emeritus at the Free University of Berlin , in the Catholic Church newspaper : “As in the addition of his text selection, Gerlach also connects the musical means of tradition with the possibilities of modernity in his tonal language. Gregorian gesture integrates cheeky passages, traditional strict formulas mix with rhapsodic to form balanced, attractive sound forms. A compositional profile of its own, which is not easy to describe, but which is directly accessible to experience. "

Works

Dies irae , dies illa (1955)
Organ improvisation on the CD In psalmis et hymnis of the Berlin Choralschola (1993)
Hymn of praise of the three youths in the fiery furnace , premiered in 1980 in the Philharmonie Berlin by the Vokal-Ensemble Stuttgart and the symphony orchestra of the NDR under the direction of Hans Zanotelli
Hymnus Veni Creator for choir, baritone, two speakers and orchestra. First performed in 1987 by the choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral under Roland Bader
In the middle of life are the introduction and chorale for trombone and organ (1969). Score and part. Verlag Dohr, ISMN M-2020-1050-1
Victimae paschali laudes , sequence opus 4 for organ (1954) Verlag Dohr, ISMN M-2020-0969-7
The Way of the Cross for organ, Berliner Chormusik-Verlag / Edition Musica Rinata (2008)

swell

Chronicle of our school at the Canisius College, 2003 edition

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Gerlach, Günter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German composer of church music, organist and choir director
DATE OF BIRTH	May 4, 1928
PLACE OF BIRTH	Berlin-Lankwitz
DATE OF DEATH	June 8, 2003
Place of death	Berlin-Lankwitz